Valisia LeKae
{{short description|American actress and singer (born 1979)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Valisia LeKae
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|09|25}}
| birth_place = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
| yearsactive = 2002–present
| occupation = Actress, singer}}
Valisia LeKae (born September 25, 1979)[https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/29S5-W43 Date of birth], Familysearch.org; accessed June 4, 2014. is an American actress and singer. She was nominated for a 2014 Grammy Award and in 2013 she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical both for her performance as Diana Ross in the Broadway musical Motown: The Musical.
Personal life
LeKae was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee,Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/175927-DIVA-TALK-A-Chat-With-Motown-The-Musical-Star-Valisia-LeKae "DIVA TALK: A Chat With 'Motown The Musical' Star Valisia LeKae"], playbill.com, March 15, 2013 and listened to Motown records in her grandfather's barbershop as a youngster. She started to sing in church at age six and then worked at the Dollywood theme park.Mandell, Jonathan. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/177500-In-the-Middle-with-You-Motown-Stars-Valisia-LeKae-and-Brandon-Victor-Dixon In the Middle with You: Motown Stars Valisia LeKae and Brandon Victor Dixon"], playbill.com, May 2, 2013 LeKae graduated from college with a degree in Psychology and minor in Child and Family Studies from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.{{cite web|url=http://tntoday.utk.edu/2013/09/09/broadway-actress-valisia-lekae-receives-accomplished-alumni-award/ |title=Broadway Actress Valisia LeKae Receives Accomplished Alumni Award | Tennessee Today |website=Tntoday.utk.edu |date=2013-09-09 |accessdate=2016-03-04}}
LeKae left Motown: The Musical in December 2013 to be treated after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.Hetrick, Adam. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/185620-Tony-Award-Nominee-Valisia-LeKae-Departs-Broadways-Motown-to-Undergo-Treatment-for-Ovarian-Cancer?tsrc=hph "Tony Award Nominee Valisia LeKae Departs Broadway's Motown to Undergo Treatment for Ovarian Cancer"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219021307/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/185620-Tony-Award-Nominee-Valisia-LeKae-Departs-Broadways-Motown-to-Undergo-Treatment-for-Ovarian-Cancer?tsrc=hph |date=2013-12-19 }} playbill.com, December 17, 2013
In February 2014, LeKae was named spokesperson for The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}
Career
She starred as Diana Ross in Motown: The Musical on Broadway, which opened in April 2013.Hetrick, Adam. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/176884-Hail-to-the-Beat-Motown-The-Musical-Opens-On-Broadway-April-14 " 'Hail to the Beat': 'Motown: The Musical' Opens On Broadway April 14"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605141924/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/176884-Hail-to-the-Beat-Motown-The-Musical-Opens-On-Broadway-April-14 |date=2013-06-05 }}, playbill.com, April 14, 2013 The reviewer for TheaterMania wrote of her performance in Motown: The Musical:
The one person who truly shines, though, is Valisia LeKae as Gordy's longtime paramour, superstar Diana Ross. It's not just her almost spot-on re-creation of Miss Ross' breathy voice and steely demeanor that commands our attention. The consistent display of her genuine star power – most evident in a thrilling 'Reach Out and Touch' segment – also draws us in.Lipton, Brian Scott. [http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/reviews/04-2013/motown-the-musical_64878.html "Review. 'Motown: The Musical'"], theatermania.com, April 14, 2013The TalkinBroadway reviewer wrote: "Valisia LeKae does a killer impersonation of Ross, and effectively mimics her smoky innocence."Murray, Matthew. [http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/Motown2013.html "Broadway Reviews. 'Motown: The Musical'"], talkinbroadway.com, April 14, 2013
For her performance she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/177440-Nominations-Announced-for-67th-Annual-Tony-Awards-Kinky-Boots-Earns-13-Nominations "Nominations Announced for 67th Annual Tony Awards; 'Kinky Boots' Earns 13 Nominations"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021194132/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/177440-Nominations-Announced-for-67th-Annual-Tony-Awards-Kinky-Boots-Earns-13-Nominations |date=2013-10-21 }}, playbill.com, April 30, 2013. She was also nominated for a Drama League Award (Distinguished Performance Award)Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/177204-Nominees-Announced-for-79th-Annual-Drama-League-Awards "Nominees Announced for 79th Annual Drama League Awards"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426235718/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/177204-Nominees-Announced-for-79th-Annual-Drama-League-Awards |date=2013-04-26 }}, playbill.com, April 23, 2013 and Outer Critics Circle Award (Outstanding Actress in a Musical)Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/177151-Pippin-Is-Big-Winner-of-2012-13-Outer-Critics-Circle-Awards "'Pippin' Is Big Winner of 2012-13 Outer Critics Circle Awards"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131222120419/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/177151-Pippin-Is-Big-Winner-of-2012-13-Outer-Critics-Circle-Awards |date=2013-12-22 }}, playbill.com, May 13, 2013. and won the Theatre World Award (Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway debut performance).Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/177686-Tom-Hanks-Bertie-Carvel-Valisia-LeKae-Rob-McClure-and-More-Are-Theatre-World-Award-Winners "Tom Hanks, Bertie Carvel, Valisia LeKae, Rob McClure and More Are Theatre World Award Winners"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607024250/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/177686-Tom-Hanks-Bertie-Carvel-Valisia-LeKae-Rob-McClure-and-More-Are-Theatre-World-Award-Winners |date=2013-06-07 }}, playbill.com, May 7, 2013.Witherspoon, Chris. [http://thegrio.com/2013/05/20/motown-actress-valisia-lekae-delivers-as-diana-ross/ "Motown Actress Valisia LeKae Delivers as Diana Ross"], thegrio.com, May 20, 2013.
Previously, she was a swing and understudy in the Broadway productions of The Book of Mormon (2011), Ragtime (2009) for which she was the winner of a Joseph Jefferson Award, and The Threepenny Opera (2006) and a performer in 110 in the Shade (2007).[http://www.playbillvault.com/Person/Detail/53365/Valisia-LeKae "Valisia LeKae Listing"], playbillvault.com[http://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/valisia-lekae/profile/ "Valisia LeKae Profile"], broadway.com
References
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External links
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Category:American musical theatre actresses
Category:20th-century African-American women singers
Category:20th-century American women singers
Category:20th-century American singers
Category:Singers from Memphis, Tennessee
Category:Theatre World Award winners