Carolee Carmello

Career

Carmello graduated from the University at Albany with a degree in business administration.

Carmello made her Broadway debut in a small role in City of Angels and returned to close the show in the role of "Oolie/Donna". She left City of Angels to take the role of Florence in the tour of Chess, from January 1990 to May 1990. She played "Cordelia, the kosher caterer" in the original Broadway company of Falsettos and also played Abigail Adams in the revival of 1776. In the Broadway company of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Carmello was a replacement in the role of "Marguerite St. Just". She originated the role of Lucille Frank in Parade at Lincoln Center, for which she won the 1999 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (in a tie with Bernadette Peters) and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Next Carmello played "Kate" in the Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate and "Ms. Pennywise" in Urinetown. She starred as "Gabrielle" in Lestat, for which she received nominations for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical and the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

She appeared as Donna Sheridan in the long-running hit musical Mamma Mia! several times, joining the show initially in October 2004. She again joined the cast as Donna in September 2006, taking a leave from March 14, 2007, to May 13, 2007, to appear in an early version of Saving Aimee.

Carmello originated the role of Alice Beineke in the musical version of The Addams Family. For this role she was nominated for the Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.

She took over the role of the Mother Superior from Victoria Clark in the Broadway production of Sister Act on November 19, 2011. In 2012, she played Aimee Semple McPherson on Broadway in the musical Scandalous, for which she received a Drama Desk nomination and a Tony Award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Musical. She performed the role of Mrs. du Maurier in the Broadway musical Finding Neverland from March 2015 through February 2016 and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Carmello appeared in the role of Mae Tuck in the Broadway musical adaptation of Tuck Everlasting at the Broadhurst Theatre, beginning in April 2016. Following *Tuck Everlasting'''s closing in May, she returned to Finding Neverland on July 5, 2016, for the show's last six weeks.

Carmello joined the US national tour of Hello, Dolly, playing Dolly Levi, from September 2019 to its closing in March 2020. In 2023, Carmello played the role of the Stepmother in the Broadway musical Bad Cinderella.

Theatre credits

Broadway and West End

Source: Playbill

National tours

• Big River as Mary Jane Wilkes (1987)
• Les Misérables as Ensemble, u/s Cosette & u/s Fantine (1987)
• Falsettos as Trina (1992-93) and Cordelia (1994)
• Chess as Florence (January 1990-May 1990)
• Hello, Dolly! as Dolly Gallagher Levi (September 2019-March 2020)
• Kimberly Akimbo as Kimberly Levaco (2024-25)

Regional

• Evita as Eva Perón at An Evening Dinner Theatre, 1985
• Grease as Sandy at Pittsburgh C.L.O., 1989
• Company as Marta at Birmingham Theatre, 1989
• Bells are Ringing Reprise! as Ella at Freud Playhouse (Los Angeles), 1999
• The King and I as Anna at Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, New Jersey), 2002
• On The Twentieth Century Reprise! as Lily Garland at Freud Playhouse (Los Angeles), 2003
• Baby as Arlene at Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, New Jersey) 2004
• Saving Aimee at Signature Theatre (Arlington, Virginia), 2007
• Little Shop of Horrors at Charles Playhouse (Boston)
• Scandalous at Pavilion Theatre (Glasgow)
• The Music Man at Schenectady Light Opera (Schenectady, New York)
• Tuck Everlasting as Mae Tuck at Alliance Theatre (Atlanta, Georgia), 2015
• Gypsy as Rose at Broadway Sacramento, 2018
• Sweeney Todd as Mrs. Lovett at Opera Saratoga (Saratoga Springs, New York), 2022
• Into the Woods as The Witch at Pittsburgh C.L.O., 2023
• Nine as Liliane LaFleur at Kennedy Center, 2024

Off-Broadway

Source: Internet Off-Broadway Database

• I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1991)
• Hello Again (1993)
• Das Barbecu (1994)
• John & Jen (1995)
• A Class Act (2000)
• The Vagina Monologues (2000)
• Elegies (2003)
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2017) as Mrs. Nellie Lovett

Concerts

• Funny Girl as Fanny (Actors Fund Benefit Concert), 2002
• God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater as Sylvia Rosewater (Cooper Union), 2003
• Showboat as Julie (Carnegie Hall), 2008
• 1776 as John Adams (54 Below), 2017
• Follies as Sally Durant Plummer (Carnegie Hall), 2024

Accolades

Source: Playbill

She won $14,000 on an appearance on the Scrabble game show in 1989.

Awards and nominations

Personal life

She is divorced from fellow actor Gregg Edelman. They have two children. She resides in Leonia, New Jersey.

References

References

1. "Chess – Broadway Musical – Tour".
2. Jones, Kenneth. (May 9, 1999). "1999 Drama Desk Winners: Tie! Peters & Carmello, Outstanding Actress (Musical)".
3. Gans, Andrew. (August 26, 2004). "Carolee Carmello Will Join McLane and McCartney in Broadway's ''Mamma Mia!''".
4. Gans, Andrew. (September 27, 2006). "Carmello Returns to ''Mamma Mia!'' Sept. 27".
5. Gans, Andrew. (January 31, 2007). "Melançon Will Head ''Mamma Mia!'' While Carmello is ''Saving Aimee''".
6. Jones, Kenneth. (July 22, 2009). "''Addams Family'' Musical Finds a Broadway Home".
7. Gans, Andrew. (April 30, 2013). "Nominations Announced for 67th Annual Tony Awards; ''Kinky Boots'' Earns 13 Nominations".
8. "Tuck Everlasting – Broadway Musical – Original".
9. Gans, Andrew. (June 29, 2016). "Carolee Carmello Will Return to Broadway's ''Finding Neverland''".
10. Clement, Olivia. (June 6, 2019). "Carolee Carmello to Replace Betty Buckley in ''Hello, Dolly!'' Tour".
11. Culwell-Block, Logan. (December 7, 2022). "Carolee Carmello, Grace McLean, More Board Broadway's Bad Cinderella".
12. "Carolee Carmello".
13. "1776 – Broadway Musical – 1997 Revival {{!}} Replacements".
14. Hetrick, Adam. (November 19, 2011). "Carolee Carmello Gets Into Broadway's ''Sister Act'' Beginning Nov. 19".
15. Jones, Kenneth. (December 9, 2012). "''Scandalous'', the Pop Musical About a Religious Superstar, Closes Dec. 9".
16. "Finding Neverland – Broadway Musical – Original".
17. Viagas, Robert. (April 26, 2016). "''Tuck Everlasting'' Opens on Broadway Tonight".
18. Churnin, Nancy. (August 27, 1987). "Theater Review: 'Big River' Returns Home to Sound of Cheers".
19. "Les Misérables – Broadway Musical – First National Tour".
20. Drake, Sylvie. (1993-03-20). "THEATER REVIEW : An Ode to Modern Living : 'Falsettos,' the story of a man who leaves his wife and son to move in with his male lover, enlightens through wit.".
21. "CHESS Onstage - The U.S. Tour".
22. "Grease at Benedum Center for the Performing Arts 1989".
23. Manus, Willard. (April 12, 1999). "Carmello and Bogardus Head Reprise's ''Bells Are Ringing'' Cast, May 12–24".
24. (April 2, 2002). "Carmello and Gray Open in Paper Mill's ''The King and I''".
25. (January 21, 2003). "Carmello and Gunton Are ''On the Twentieth Century'', Jan. 21 in L.A.".
26. Gans, Andrew. (March 31, 2004). "'The Story Goes On': ''Baby'' Begins Previews at Paper Mill Playhouse".
27. Toscano, Michael. (April 23, 2007). "''Saving Aimee''".
28. Filichia, Peter. (April 3, 2002). "Getting to Know Carolee Carmello".
29. Gans, Andrew. (May 25, 2022). "Carolee Carmello Will Be Mrs. Lovett in Opera Saratoga's Sweeney Todd".
30. "Carolee Carmello".
31. Evans, Greg. (1994-11-13). "Das Barbecu".
32. Jones, Kenneth. (November 9, 2000). "''A Class Act'', Spotlighting Songwriter Kleban, Opens Nov. 9 at MTC".
33. Simonson, Robert. (December 19, 2000). "Carmello, Maffia and McClanahan Joins OB's ''Monologues'', Dec. 19-Jan. 7".
34. Holden, Stephen. (2003-03-28). "THEATER REVIEW; Departed Friends Vibrantly Recalled in Song". The New York Times.
35. Gans, Andrew. (April 11, 2017). "Norm Lewis and Carolee Carmello Join Cast of ''Sweeney Todd'' April 11".
36. Gans, Andrew. (September 23, 2002). "Fifteen Fannys: All Star Funny Girl Concert Presents A Slew of Fannys Sept. 23".
37. Jones, Kenneth. (March 6, 2003). "Menken & Ashman's ''God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater'' Gets NYC Concert March 7".
38. (June 10, 2008). "''Show Boat'' Concert, with Carmello, Gunn and deVaughn, Anchors at Carnegie Hall".
39. "An All-Female Cast Presents 1776".
40. "Carolee Carmello".
41. Chad Mosher. (2023-12-23). "Scrabble - Champion/Carolee, Heidi/Mike (Sept. 11, 1989)".
42. Barnes, Steve. (September 21, 2013). "UAlbany grad Carolee Carmello reveals ups, downs of Broadway".
43. [http://digitalpub.chron.com/article/Marilyn_Maye_And_Gregg_Edelman_/908068/91456/article.html "Marilyn Maye And Gregg Edelman"] {{webarchive. link. (2015-10-02 digitalpub.chron.com, The Grand — Volume 2, 2011-2012 Season, accessed September 18, 2015)
44. Beckerman, Jim. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121020031326/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-51797907.html "PLAYING STRONG-WILLED WOMEN"], ''[[The Record (Bergen County)]]'', March 31, 2002. Accessed May 27, 2008. "After starring in such New York shows as ''Kiss Me Kate'', ''1776'', ''Parade'' and ''City of Angels'', Leonia resident Carolee Carmello wanted to do something closer to home."
45. Spelling, Ian. [http://www.northjersey.com/story/life/2017/04/04/splendid-screen-and-stage-actress-carolee-carmello/100011046/ "Splendid on the Screen and Stage: Actress Carolee Carmello"] ''(201) magazine'', April 4, 2017. Accessed June 26, 2017. "Carmello returns home to Leonia after each evening performance of Sweeney Todd. A divorced mother of two, a son and daughter, she's lived there for 14 years, after spending seven years in Teaneck."