Lea Michele

At 38 years old, Lea Michele has this physical status:

Career

Michele made her Broadway debut in 1995 as a substitute in Les Misérables' role of Young Cosette. Michele was also understudy for the role of Gavroche. In the 1998 original Broadway cast of Ragtime, the Little Girl was introduced. Michele had been playing the role of the Little Girl in the original Toronto cast for a year before the show was moved to Broadway. Christina, the main character in Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night, was born as an infant. In 2004, Michele began portraying Shprintze in the Broadway revival of the musical Fiddler on the Roof, and Chava's role was understudied. She appeared on the show's cast recording as well.

Michele later appeared in early workshops and Off-Broadway performances as Wendla Bergmann in Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's musical version of Spring Awakening, before starring in early workshops and Off-Broadway performances before finally originating the role in the 2006 Broadway production at the age of twenty. She appeared at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in February 2005 as Wendla. Michele was given the role of Éponine Thénardier in Les Misérables' Broadway revival, right around the time that Spring Awakening was due to tour Broadway. She has decided to remain with Spring Awakening, which premiered on Broadway in December 2006. She was selected for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her appearance. Michele appeared in a concert performance of Alive in the World as Phoebe in January 2008, assisting the Twin Towers Orphanage Fund.

She appeared at Joe's Pub with her boyfriend, actor Landon Beard, at the time. At the Loews Regency, she also performed her solo cabaret Once Upon a Dream. Michele left Spring Awakening with her co-star Jonathan Groff in May 2008. Claudia Octavia in a reading of Sheik and Sater's latest musical, Nero, in July 2008 at Vassar College. She portrayed Éponine in the Les Misérables concert, which was produced by Richard Jay-Alexander in August 2008. She appeared on Glee alongside Brian Stokes Mitchell as Javert and John Lloyd Young as Marius Pontmercy, both of whom will appear as guest stars. She appeared at the Upright Cabaret at Mark's Restaurant in Hollywood in August 2008 while in Los Angeles for the Les Misérables concerts. She appeared on Broadway Chance Style: Up Close & Personal in August, as well as actress Laura Bell Bundy, Eden Espinosa, and Kristoffer Cusick.

Michele appeared in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee as Rachel Berry, the show's female lead and lead singer, from 2009 to its conclusion in 2015. By co-creator Ryan Murphy, Michele's role was written specifically for him. Michele has received a number of accolades for her portrayal of Rachel, including the 2009 Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. She has been nominated for the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy, as well as the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Michele was listed on Time's list of the 100 Most Influential People In The World for 2010. In December 2010, she was named the first-ever Triple Threat Award by Billboard. Several songs performed by Michele on the show were released as singles available for digital download. On the Billboard Hot 100, her version of "Gives You Hell" by The All-American Rejects reached the top 40. Michele has been featured as the lead singer on 14 of the top 20 best-selling Glee cast albums as of 2010. She was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2011, for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ("Don't Stop Believin'") and Best Compilation Soundtrack Album (Glee: The Music, Volume 1). Michele was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy this year. She received the People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Comedian in 2012 and 2013.

Michele and the cast of Glee embarked on a music tour of the United States in May 2010, appearing at ten shows in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. At Radio City Music Hall, the final show of 2010 was held. Jonathan Groff, who starred Michele St. James on the show, appeared with her at the Los Angeles and New York City shows.

Glee Live!

In Concert!

A year later, the show expanded to include 22 shows in North America and nine in England and Ireland. The cast performed in character for the performances, which were greeted with applause.

In the 35th anniversary benefit concert of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Michele and co-star Matthew Morrison appeared as Janet Weiss and Brad Majors, respectively. The fundraiser, as well as Jack Nicholson and Danny DeVito, were among the attendees. In February 2011, Michele appeared at The Grammy's Person of the Year Festival in Los Angeles, honoring Barbra Streisand. From the Streisand film Funny Girl, she performed "My Man." Michele performed "America the Beautiful" with the United States Air Force Tops In Blue before the Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011. Elise, a back-up singer and Ashton Kutcher's love interest, appeared in Garry Marshall's romantic comedy film New Year's Eve. On December 9, 2011, the film was released around the world.

Michele's first solo album will be released on September 18, 2012. On October 19, 2012, she began recording for the album right away. Michele said that it was a "pretty slow process" and that the album would be more "pop/rock inspired" rather than Broadway inspired. On November 27, 2013, it was announced that "Cannonball," her debut album Louder's first single, would be released on December 10, 2013. "Cannonball" debuted at number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first major Glee cast member to chart as a lead soloist. In its first week of sales, the single sold over 51,000 copies. On January 9, 2014, the music video was released. "Battlefield," "Louder," "What Is Love?" Michele's response to the album's lead-up to the album: "Battlefield," "Louder," "What Is Love?" "You're Mine," says the narrator. Louder debuted on February 28, 2014 and debuted on the Billboard 200 at number four, selling over 62,000 copies in its first week. On May 4, 2014, the album's second single, "On My Way," was released, with the music video premiering on May 19, 2014.

Dorothy Gale's lead role in the animated musical film Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, which premiered in North American theaters on May 9, 2014. Michele was revealed in May 2013 that she had signed a contract with Harmony Books and Random House to write a part how-to book titled Brunette Ambition. On May 20, 2014, the book was published. Michele had multiple book signings in the United States, including a signing and Q&A hosted by Jonathan Groff. A week after it was announced, the book debuted at number nine on the Best Seller list in the United States and made its debut on the New York Times Best Seller list at number three. On September 22, 2015, Michele published Your First: Journal Your Way to Your Best Life, which was also published by Random House.

Michele will appear in FX's final season of Sons of Anarchy in July 2014, playing Gertie, a truck stop waitress who works with Gemma Teller Morrow (Katey Sagal). "Smoke 'em If You're a Mocky" by Michele's episode "Smoke 'em If You Get "em" premiered on October 14, 2014. Michele appeared in Fox's horror film Scream Queens from 2015 to 2016, alongside original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, depicting Hester Ulrich's peculiar, neck brace wearing Hester Ulrich. She was nominated for the People's Choice Award for Favorite Actress in a New TV Series and two Teen Choice Awards for Choice TV Actress: Villain was nominated for her role in the role. The charity single "This Is for My Girls," on which Michele was one of eight top artists, was released on March 15, 2016. Diane Warren's song benefitted the White House's #62Million Girls campaign and the Obama administration's Let Girls Learn initiative, which was launched by First Lady Michelle Obama.

Michele's second studio album was released in April 2015. She predicted that the album would be less pop-influenced than her debut and would "go" back to [her] roots" with a more dramatic feel. Michele's second studio album, Places, was released in January 2017. In April and May 2017, the tour continued in the United Kingdom and North America with additional shows. On March 3, 2017, the lead single from the second album, "Love Is Alive," was released. In the run-up to the album, three promotional singles were subsequently released: "Anything's Possible," "Run to You," and "Getaway Car" were among the album's lead-ups. Places were announced on April 28, 2017, and the Billboard 200 chart debuted at number 28 with over 16,000 units sold in the first week.

Michele appeared in the first episode of Hulu's science fiction anthology series Dimension 404, alongside Robert Buckley and Joel McHale on April 4, 2017. Valentina Barella, a political advisor created by Jeremy Bronson and executive produced by Daveed Diggs, appeared opposite Brandon Micheal Hall and Yvette Nicole Brown in ABC's sitcom The Mayor, starring Brandon Micheal Hall and Yvette Nicole Brown. Michele appeared as a headlining act at the third annual musical theatre festival in Elsie Fest, co-star Darren Criss. Michele will embark on a co-headlining tour with Criss in April 2018. In many North American cities in May and June 2018, the LM/DC Tour featured shows. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the tour ran from October to December 2018.

Michele will host a health and wellness digital series for the Ellen DeGeneres Network in May 2019. Lea Michele was the first woman to host a well-being digital series. On October 25, 2019, Michele's third studio album, Christmas in the City, was released. She appeared in A New Time, Next Christmas, an ABC holiday television film. Lea Michele performed live in The New York Society for Ethical Culture from December 19, 2019.

On November 5, 2021, Michele released her cover album Forever: A Lullaby Album.

Michele will return to Broadway in the stage musical version of Funny Girl, on July 11, 2022. After Feldstein's departure from the company two months before schedule, Michele replaced Beanie Feldstein in the leading role of Fanny Brice on September 6, 2022. She is set to appear at seven shows a week, excluding Thursday evenings. In the media, the parallels between Michele's performance and her Glee character's story line, in which she fulfills her dream role in the musical's first Broadway revival have been widely discussed. In part, Michele's own involvement in the musical was woven into Glee, despite the fact that she first saw the movie adaptation in 2007. Michele, who was just four days into her tenure as Fanny Brice, reported that she had tested positive for COVID-19, requiring her to isolate for at least ten days. On September 20, 2022, she returned to the stage for the first time.

Michele's success was lauded by critics around the world. Michele received several standing ovations for her performance on opening night, which had been widely awaited. "Michele appears to be mediocre or excellent," Jackson McHenry said on Vulture, "With every eye roll toward the audience and every belt, Michele appears to be under pressure to not only be good, but also the best. This is less a star vehicle than gladiatorial war. With blood on the sand, she makes it through. When it starred Beanie Feldstein, Jesse Green, writing for The New York Times, gave the musical a poor review. After seeing Michele's return to school, he lauded her appearance while retaining his critiques of the overall production, saying, "Both fragile and invulnerable, kooky and ardent, [Michele] makes the show worth watching again." She can't make it healthy, but she can't make it good. Michael Mayer's performance is still spongy and pushy, pandering to audience overreaction.

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