Marisha Wallace
Marisha Wallace | |
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| Born | September 29, 1985 |
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| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2014–present |
Marisha Wallace (born September 29, 1985) is an American-born British actress and singer, best known for her work in musical theatre.
Life and career
[edit]Wallace grew up on a hog farm in Goldsboro, North Carolina.[1]
Wallace appeared in the original Broadway casts of Aladdin (2014) and Something Rotten! (2015) as a member of the ensemble and understudy.[2] In January 2017 she became an alternate Effie White in the West End production of Dreamgirls.[3] Following the departure of Amber Riley from the production, Wallace took over the role, sharing with Karen Mav and Moya Angela.[citation needed] In 2017, she released a Christmas album called Soul Holiday.[4]
In 2019, she joined the original London cast of Waitress as Becky.[5] In Summer 2021 she starred in the London Coliseum production of Hairspray as Motormouth Maybelle opposite Michael Ball.[6] For this role she was nominated for the 2021 Black British Theatre Awards as Best Female Actress in a Musical.[7]
In 2022, she played Ado Annie in Oklahoma! at the Young Vic,[citation needed] a performance for which she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical.[8]
Wallace is the singing voice of Ms Johnston in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey on Netflix.
In March 2023, she began playing Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre for which she was nominated for her second Olivier Award Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She left the production in February 2024.[9]
In March 2024, Wallace entered the Celebrity Big Brother house to compete in the twenty-third series.[10] She was the fifth housemate evicted, leaving on Day 16 in a double eviction.[11]
In August 2024, she appeared in a concert staging of Something Rotten! at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.[12]
In September 2024, she made a special guest appearance during concerts by Alex Newell at Cadogan Hall. [13] In December 2024, she made her debut in pantomime as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood at the London Palladium.
Between January and May 2025, she starred in Cabaret at the Playhouse Theatre as Sally Bowles, alongside Billy Porter as The Emcee. From July to October 2025, she’s set to reprise her role opposite Porter in the final cast of the Broadway revival of Cabaret at the August Wilson Theatre.[14]
On 11 March 2025, she played a solo concert at the Adelphi Theatre in London.[15] A recording of this concert was eventually released as the album Live in London which released on 15 August 2025. [16]
On 24 April 2025, she received her British citizenship.[17]
Stage
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Rent | Maureen Johnson | Palace Theatre |
| 2011 | Joanne Jefferson | Broadway Palm Theatre | |
| 2012 | The Book of Mormon | Ensemble | US Tour |
| 2014-2015 | Aladdin | Ensemble u/s Babkak |
New Amsterdam Theatre, Broadway |
| 2015 | Something Rotten! | Ensemble u/s Bea |
St. James Theatre, Broadway |
| 2016 | Dreamgirls | Effie White | Savoy Theatre, West End |
| 2019 | Waitress | Becky | Adelphi Theatre, West End |
| 2021 | Hairspray | Motormouth Maybelle | London Coliseum, West End |
| 2022 | Oklahoma! | Ado Annie | Young Vic Theatre, London |
| 2023-2024 | Guys and Dolls | Miss Adelaide | Bridge Theatre, London |
| 2024 | Something Rotten! | Bea | Theatre Royal Drury Lane, West End |
| Robin Hood | Sheriff of Nottingham | London Palladium, West End | |
| 2025 | Cabaret | Sally Bowles | Playhouse Theatre, West End |
| August Wilson Theatre, Broadway |
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Aladdin | Busybody Woman |
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Feel Good | Marsha; season 2 (2 episodes) | |
| 2024 | Celebrity Big Brother | Housemate; series 23 | [18] |
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK [19] | ||
| Soul Holiday |
|
— |
| TOMORROW |
|
69 |
| Live in London |
|
— |
Singles
[edit]| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Fight Like a Woman (Slay)" | 2019 | Non-album singles |
| "The Beginning" | 2020 | |
| "Tomorrow" | Tomorrow | |
| "Maybe This Time (Live Edit)" | 2025 | 'Live in London' |
| "And I Am Telling You (Live)" | ||
| “Cabaret (Live)" |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Waitress | WhatsOnStage Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Musical | Nominated | [20] |
| 2023 | Oklahoma! | Olivier Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Nominated | [21] |
| WhatsOnStage Award | Best Supporting Performer in a Musical | Nominated | [22] | ||
| 2024 | Guys and Dolls | WhatsOnStage Award | Best Performer in a Musical | Nominated | [23] |
| Olivier Awards | Best Actress in a Musical | Nominated | [24] |
References
[edit]- ^ "In London, She Became Musical Theater Royalty. Now She's Back on Broadway". 2025-08-26. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ "Marisha Wallace". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 17 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ "With Amber Riley Out Sick, Casey Nicholaw Favorite Marisha Wallace Takes Center Stage in West End's Dreamgirls". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (2017-11-30). "London's New Effie Releases Solo Recording Soul Holiday". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (2018-12-04). "David Hunter and Marisha Wallace Will Join Katharine McPhee in London's Waitress". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
- ^ "Marisha Wallace and Lizzie Bea to join London cast of Hairspray | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
- ^ "Black British Theatre Awards unveils 2021 nominees". 2021-10-14. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
- ^ "Olivier Awards 2023". OfficialLondonTheatre.com. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
- ^ "Olivier Awards 2024 with Mastercard nominations announced". Official London Theatre. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
- ^ "Celebrity Big Brother 2024 cast: Confirmed line-up".
- ^ "Marisha Wallace and Zeze Millz evicted from Celebrity Big Brother". www.expressandstar.com. 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ "Something Rotten - in Concert Tickets | Theatre Royal Drury Lane".
- ^ Wild, Stephi (2024-08-28). "Marisha Wallace Will Join Alex Newell Live at Cadogan Hall". Broadway World. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ Rook, Olivia (2024-12-02). "Billy Porter and Marisha Wallace to star in 'Cabaret' in the West End". London Theatre. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
- ^ Wood, Alex (2024-05-20). "Marisha Wallace to perform largest ever solo concert". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ Wood, Alex (2025-06-17). "Marisha Wallace announces new album". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ "Marisha Wallace says King told her he was 'proud' of her British citizenship". The Independent. 2025-04-25. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ^ "Who is Marisha Wallace? Celebrity Big Brother 2024 contestant". Radio Times. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ "Marisha Wallace | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "20th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards: Everything you need to know". 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ Stage, Guardian (2023-02-28). "Olivier awards 2023: complete list of nominations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ "Nominations in full: the 23rd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards". 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ "Nominations in full: 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards". 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ "OIivier Awards 2024 with Mastercard nominees announced!". 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
External links
[edit]| Authority control databases: Artists |
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