Marla Schaffel | |
|---|---|
| Born | Orlando, Florida |
| Education | Juilliard School(BFA) |
| Occupation | actress |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Family | Dani Schaffel (sister)[1] |
Marla Schaffel[2][3] is an American actress, especially inmusical theatre, noted for her award winning performance in the title role in the musical adaptation ofJane Eyre.
Schaffel was raised inMiami,Florida,[4] and attendedMiami Palmetto High School. She attended theJuilliard School's drama division,[5][6] as a member ofGroup 19 (1986–1990), where her classmates includedJeanne Tripplehorn andLaura Linney.[7] She then attended theMoscow Art Theatre School and was featured at the first Soviet International Theatre Festival. She graduated from Juilliard in 1990.[2]
Schaffel's first major acting job was in 1991 with the originalBroadway production ofLes Misérables, as a swing and understudying the role ofFantine. She performed oppositeNatalie Toro (as Eponine) and J. Mark McVey (as Valjean). She left the theatre after turning down the coveted role ofChristine Daaé inAndrew Lloyd Webber'sThe Phantom of the Opera. She had a small role in the television seriesKung Fu: The Legend Continues, as Tyler Smith, Peter Caine's girlfriend in season 1.
In 1995, she won over several competitors for the title role in theManhattan Theatre Club workshop ofJane Eyre - The Musical. She was featured alongsideAnthony Crivello asEdward Rochester and Mary Stout as Mrs. Fairfax. Later that year, she was featured in the world première of the musical, starring these two as well, inWichita, Kansas at the Center for Arts. In 1996, the musical had its Canadian premiere at The Royal Alexandra Theatre inToronto. The show released a cast recording.
In 1995, she starred in the title role ofEvita, as part of the national tour in order to promote the film. In 1997, she starred as Maria inWest Side Story at the Westchester Broadway Theatre in New York.[4]
She starred inJulie Davis' first filmI Love You, Don't Touch Me!, which premiered at theSundance Film Festival in 1997.[8]
She played her second Broadway role inTitanic, as a replacement for the role of Caroline Neville, from April 14, 1998 until March 28, 1999.
FollowingTitanic,Jane Eyre received its Broadway try-out at theLa Jolla Playhouse inSan Diego from July to September 1999. Schaffel was cast once more as Jane, with former castmates Mary Stout, Elizabeth DeGrazia and Don Richard; joining as Rochester wasJames Stacy Barbour.Jane Eyre opened on Broadway at theBrooks Atkinson Theatre on December 10, 2000. The show received mixed notices, several of which claimed Marla was too pretty to play a "Plain Jane". The show announced a closing for May 20, butAlanis Morissette (a Canadian herself, as was the composer and many of the cast including DeGrazia) supported the show to last out through theTony Awards, for which was nominated as Best Leading Actress. Jane Eyre closed on June 10, 2001.
BeforeJane Eyre opened on Broadway, she originated and created the role of Judith in the playGlimmerglass at theGoodspeed Opera House for the world première in 1999.[4]
Schaffel appeared in the York Theatre Company's production ofEnter Laughing as Angela. The show opened in January 2009 and closed in March.[9]
Schaffel has been Artist-in-Residence atThe Mirror Theater Ltd’s GAAR inGreensboro, Vermont since 2012 and has performed in numerous productions to universally positive reviews.[10]
the 32-year-old actress
At Palmetto High, Marla Schaffel ... Schaffel, 32 ... a Juilliard School drama grad
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