Annaleigh Ashford

Infobox actor


birthname=Annaleigh Swanson
birthdate=1985
birthplace=Denver, Colorado
occupation=Stage, film actress

Annaleigh Ashford (born Annaleigh Swanson June 25, 1985) is an American actress known for her recent Broadway credits in "Wicked" and "Legally Blonde".

Personal life

Annaleigh Ashford was born in Denver, Colorado to Holli Swanson, a gym teacher. She studied at Denver's Kit Andre Performing Arts Center and acted and sang in numerous performances in her hometown until she graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in just three years at the age of 16. She then attended Marymount Manhattan College, where she earned a degree in theater in another three years at the age of 19.

Career

Ashford's professional career began at age nine, when she was cast as the lead in "Ruthless" at Theatre on Broadway. At fourteen, she was profiled as “The Teen to Watch” by the Rocky Mountain News. She performed in Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s "Feeling Electric" as Natalie, and joined "Rents Anthony Rapp at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Soon after graduating from college, Ashford got her big break understudying and performing the role of Glinda in the First National (US) touring production of the Broadway hit "Wicked". She traveled with the show for 10 months, until she left in 2007 to originate the role of Margot in ', her Broadway debut. She also understudied the lead role of Elle Woods. However, she only appeared in the role of Elle once on a pre-planned night. She was featured on the original cast recording and appeared in the MTV televised airing. She left the show in September 2007 to reprise her role as Glinda in "Wicked" at the Gershwin Theater, replacing actress Kendra Kassebaum. [cite web|title=Ashford 'Wicked's' new Glinda|url=http://www.denverpost.com/theater/ci_6741953|publisher=Denver Post|author=John Moore|date=2007-08-29|accessdate=2007-09-30] After spending about eight months in the role, she was replaced by Kassebaum who returned to the role of Glinda. She plans to continue to work on a musical adaptation of "Catch Me if You Can" as Brenda Strong. She previously did a staged reading for the project this past summer under the Tony Award-winning director of "Hairspray", Jack O'Brien. In 2008, she made her film debut with a bit part in "" playing a "spoiled label queen." She is also slated to appear in the film, "Rachel Getting Married" as a counter girl. [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2807560/ Annaleigh Ashford ] ]

Annaleigh played her final performance as Glinda in the Broadway company of Wicked on May 11. Currently, she is reprising her role as Glinda in the Chicago company of Wicked. She began her run on June 3 replacing Kate Fahrner. [cite web|title= Chicago's 'Wicked' snags the Broadway Glinda|url=http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/the_theater_loop/2008/04/chicago-wicked.html|date=2008-04-15|accessdate=2008-04-16] It is still unknown as to when she is leaving the Chicago company, but it is expected that she will stay until Wicked in Chicago's closing in January of 2009. It was announced that Ashford will be taking a short hiatus from "Wicked" to play Wednesday Addams in the staged reading for musical adaptation to "The Addams Family" with Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth. [ [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/120061.html Playbill News: Lane, Neuwirth, Chamberlin, McCarthy and Arden Featured in Addams Family Reading ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.annaleighashford.com Annaleigh Ashford - The Official Site]
* [http://www.annaleigh-ashford.com Annaleigh Ashford - Approved Fansite]
*ibdb|453747
*imdb|2807560
* [http://broadway.yahoo.com/blog/bixby_elliot/325/star-to-be-annaleigh-ashford Yahoo! Article]