Rachel deBenedet
Encyclopedia
Rachel Helene Kasper deBenedet (born c. 1967) is an American actress and singer best known for her roles in musical theatre
. As of 2011, she stars in the musical Catch Me If You Can
on Broadway
.
. Her father, Arlo Kasper, was a professional actor and Head of Drama at Bethel College
in Kansas
, where her mother was Professor of Voice. Her first live performance was at six years old in Germany
, performing a recital. Her family lived in Germany for two years, as her dad was "on the running crew, the backstage crew at [a German] opera house". deBenedet then moved to Paraguay
with her family, where they helped with musical theatre
productions. Her father currently "directs and designs musicals and operas for semi-professional companies and universities in Paraguay".
DeBenedet graduated from Bethel College in 1988. After touring and performing in regional productions, deBenedet moved to New York City
in 1998:
, where she played one of the nun
s. She then appeared in the Roundabout Theatre Company
's production of the musical Nine
. Other Broadway theatre
credits include The Addams Family
and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
. Regional credits include As Bees in Honey Drown and The Secret Garden
at the Arvada Center, winning DDCC Awards.
She appeared in the 2007 Philadelphia and New York
productions of Christopher Durang
and Peter Melnick’s Adrift in Macao, for which she won "Best Actress" at the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theater
. The New York Times
said, "Ms. de Benedet recalls Marlene Dietrich
, only with Joan Crawford
's brittle rectangular smile from the Warner Brothers years airbrushed into the mix." deBenedet also performed in the national tour of The Sound Of Music
, receiving a Judy Award nomination, and Kiss Me, Kate
at the North Shore Music Theatre
, garnering IRNE Award nominations.
deBenedet then performed in the musical Turn of the Century
in Chicago
, Illinois
, at the Goodman Theatre
. This production ran from September 19, 2008, to November 2, 2008, directed by Tommy Tune
.
She currently stars as Paula Abagnale on Broadway in the musical Catch Me If You Can
, which opened on April 11, 2011, at the Neil Simon Theatre
, after beginning performances in March 2011. For this role, she was nominated for "Best Female Dancer, Broadway" at the 2011 Astaire Awards
.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. As of 2011, she stars in the musical Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me if You Can (musical)
Catch Me If You Can is a musical with a libretto by Terrence McNally and a theatrical score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. It follows the story of con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr...
on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
.
Biography
Rachel deBenedet was born in North Newton, KansasNorth Newton, Kansas
North Newton is a city in Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,759. The city of Newton is located next to the city, but it not part of North Newton. North Newton is home of Bethel College, which has approximately 500 students.-Geography:North...
. Her father, Arlo Kasper, was a professional actor and Head of Drama at Bethel College
Bethel College
Bethel College can refer to:* Bethel College * Bethel College * Bethel College * Bethel University , called Bethel College until 2004* Bethel University , called Bethel College until 2009...
in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, where her mother was Professor of Voice. Her first live performance was at six years old in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, performing a recital. Her family lived in Germany for two years, as her dad was "on the running crew, the backstage crew at [a German] opera house". deBenedet then moved to Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
with her family, where they helped with musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
productions. Her father currently "directs and designs musicals and operas for semi-professional companies and universities in Paraguay".
DeBenedet graduated from Bethel College in 1988. After touring and performing in regional productions, deBenedet moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1998:
- "I did two seasons [at the Music Theatre of WichitaMusic Theatre of WichitaMusic Theatre of Wichita is the major performing arts company in the city of Wichita. Music Theatre of Wichita has been around since the early seventies and has premiered many shows in the state of Kansas. Many famous stars, including Tad Hilgenbrink and Kristin Chenoweth have performed onstage...
in Kansas] getting my Actors' Equity AssociationActors' Equity AssociationThe Actors' Equity Association , commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing the world of live theatrical performance, as opposed to film and television performance. However, performers appearing on live stage productions without a book or...
membership candidacy points, then came directly after my second season there. I was here for eight months, and I was working. I worked at Theater Under the Stars in Houston and Paper MillPaper millA paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
and places like that and then went on a tour. I left about eight months after I moved here, went on a bus-and-truck tour of Me and My GirlMe and My GirlMe and My Girl is a musical with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay. It takes place in the late 1930s in Hampshire, Mayfair, and Lambeth....
for a year, and then did another tour and then met my now ex-husband and moved to ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. I lived for about seven years in Colorado, and I would work in Seattle and TUTS in Houston and Sacramento Music Circus a lot while I lived in Denver. And, then in 1998, I came back here and was here for two weeks and got a Broadway show."
Theatre and acting career
deBenedet made her Broadway debut in the revival of The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, where she played one of the nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s. She then appeared in the Roundabout Theatre Company
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in New York City.-History:The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist and Elizabeth Owens and now operates five theatres, all in Manhattan: the American Airlines Theatre ; Studio 54 ; the Stephen Sondheim Theatre The...
's production of the musical Nine
Nine (musical)
Nine is a musical with a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The story is based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
. Other Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
credits include The Addams Family
The Addams Family (musical)
The Addams Family is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The show is based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams in his single-panel gag cartoons, which depict a ghoulish American family with an affinity for...
and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (musical)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Jeffrey Lane; it is based on the film of the same name...
. Regional credits include As Bees in Honey Drown and The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was initially published in serial format starting in the autumn of 1910, and was first published in its entirety in 1911. It is now one of Burnett's most popular novels, and is considered to be a classic of English children's...
at the Arvada Center, winning DDCC Awards.
She appeared in the 2007 Philadelphia and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
productions of Christopher Durang
Christopher Durang
Christopher Ferdinand Durang is an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. His work was especially popular in the 1980s.- Life :...
and Peter Melnick’s Adrift in Macao, for which she won "Best Actress" at the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theater
Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theater
The Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theater are awards presented by the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia for Philadelphia-area theater productions. One journalist referred to the award as "Philadelphia’s equivalent of a Tony."...
. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said, "Ms. de Benedet recalls Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
, only with Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
's brittle rectangular smile from the Warner Brothers years airbrushed into the mix." deBenedet also performed in the national tour of The Sound Of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, receiving a Judy Award nomination, and Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It is structured as a play within a play, where the interior play is a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The original production starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang.Kiss...
at the North Shore Music Theatre
North Shore Music Theatre
North Shore Music Theatre is the largest operating regional theater in New England. It is located in Beverly, Massachusetts and is one of the few remaining theatre-in-the-round stages left in the United States.-History:...
, garnering IRNE Award nominations.
deBenedet then performed in the musical Turn of the Century
Turn of the Century
For the roller coasters formerly known as Turn of the Century, see The Demon and The Demon Turn of the Century is a bestselling novel by Kurt Andersen published in 1999....
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, at the Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre
The Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of Chicago theatre, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization...
. This production ran from September 19, 2008, to November 2, 2008, directed by Tommy Tune
Tommy Tune
Thomas James "Tommy" Tune is an American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer. Over the course of his career, he has won nine Tony Awards and the National Medal of Arts.-Early years:...
.
She currently stars as Paula Abagnale on Broadway in the musical Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me if You Can (musical)
Catch Me If You Can is a musical with a libretto by Terrence McNally and a theatrical score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. It follows the story of con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr...
, which opened on April 11, 2011, at the Neil Simon Theatre
Neil Simon Theatre
The Neil Simon Theatre, formerly the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway venue built in 1927 and located at 250 West 52nd Street in midtown-Manhattan....
, after beginning performances in March 2011. For this role, she was nominated for "Best Female Dancer, Broadway" at the 2011 Astaire Awards
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
.