Best of Broadway: Our 10 Top Divas
If athletes are the gods of the Olympics, then surely divas are the goddesses of Broadway. In fact, the word diva is derived from the word divine. And divine they are. To be clear, we are not talking about the negative connotation of the word "diva," meaning high maintenance, prima donna behavior onstage or off. Nor do we mean fabulous performances that would be better filed under I for ingénue under which you would most certainly find Kelli O'Hara's winning performance in South Pacific and newly anointed Broadway sweetheart Bailey Hanks of Legally Blonde. We're talking about no-holds-barred, brassy, belting, brazen Broadway broads that know how to hold audiences in the palms of their delicate hands. As the Olympics light up Beijing, here's a tribute to 10 divas currently lighting up Broadway.
10. Carol Woods of Chicago
We must have been good to Mama somewhere in our youth or childhood, because Matron Mama Morton, in the form of the awesome Carol Woods, is certainly good to us. The big-voiced Woods, who also showed off her pipes in the film Across the Universe singing a wonderfully bluesy version of "Let It Be" as well as the musicals The Full Monty, One Mo' Time, Follies, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Stepping Out, The Goodbye Girl, Grind, Big River and Blues in the Night. As Mama Morton, queen of the Cook County Jail, Woods brings a cracking wit to her performance as well as warm humanity. If there's such a thing as a prison warden with class, this is it. Get Tickets!
9. Marin Mazzie of Spamalot
Here's a testimony to diva power: take a Tony-winning musical that's been running for a while and insert a bona fide Broadway star in a part with delicious costumes and showy comic numbers. Suddenly, with the robust addition of the staggeringly talented Marin Mazzie, Spamalot's got a new sheen. The golden-haired Mazzie is a Broadway regular, appearing in such shows as Kiss Me, Kate, Ragtime, Passion, Man of La Mancha, Into the Woods, Big River and Kismet, and she brings a whole new dimension to the Lady of the Lake. It's a diva role that needs a true diva to fill it. She even has a song called "The Diva's Lament." Need we say more? Get Tickets!
8. Mary Testa of Xanadu
An argument can be made that it's not the actress herself that makes one a diva, it's the part. We beg to differ, and a shining example of a powerful performer turning a less substantial role into a divalicious feast is the one and only Mary Testa. Testa may play a malevolent muse in the campy Xanadu, but she truly is a muse to composers William Finn and Michael John LaChiusa among others. With her ability to wring emotion from even the most restrained parts see LaChiusa's See What I Wanna See to her current show-stopping "Evil Woman"-belting sinister sister, Testa is every inch the diva—whether she has the leading role or not. Get Tickets!
7. Eden Espinosa of Rent
That voice! From Wicked to Brooklyn to the final cast of Rent, Eden Espinosa has proven to be one of the finest belters on Broadway. But Espinosa is more than just a pretty voice; she's a force of nature, who brings sass, grit and determination to her current portrayal of Maureen in Rent. Espinosa first burst onto the scene as Idina Menzel's very capable standby in Wicked. She claimed the part of Elphaba as her own on Broadway in 2006.. But she made her name as the title character in the ponderous Brooklyn, which had a far-fetched plot—however, once she opened her mouth to sing, much was forgiven and a new Broadway diva was born. Get Tickets!
6. Karen Olivo of In the Heights
With her sleek hair, seemingly endless legs and wide-ranging vocal prowess, Karen Olivo is the real deal. Though she's been on Broadway before in Rent and Brooklyn, it's her sultry performance as Vanessa in In the Heights that landed her on this list. Olivo is a grounded diva—she plays an ambitious young salon worker dreaming of getting out of the Barrio—who plays the part just like Vanessa takes her coffee: light and sweet with a touch of spice. Olivo exudes an earthy quality that might seem at odds with some people's notion of what a diva is. But when she launches into "It Won't Be Long Now," you know you are in the presence of the genuine article. Get Tickets!
5. Sherie Rene Scott of The Little Mermaid
Being a diva is one thing; knowing you are a diva brings things to another level. Sherie Rene Scott knows, and judging by the tongue-in-cheek name of her solo show, You May Now Worship Me, she is well aware of her diva power. The blonde bombshell, a scene-stealer as sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid, has charisma, a killer voice and dead-on comic timing. After appearing in Tommy, Grease and Rent, she found her strongest suit as Amneris in Aida and kicked her career into high gear with roles in The Last Five Years and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels among others. As the co-founder of the Broadway-centric Sh-K-Boom Records, she's also a diva with heart. What's not to love? Get Tickets!
Orfeh of Legally Blonde
The name yes, it's real is not the only thing that's unique about this one-named wonder. She's also got style, attitude and an edgy sensibility that elevates her from your garden-variety Broadway triple threat to a powerhouse performer that cannot be ignored. This diva has rock 'n' roll running through her veins demonstrated in her bring-down-the-house performances in Saturday Night Fever and Love, Janis, but she also excels in more traditional legit shows such as her current gig in Legally Blonde. With a bluesy, rangy voice that blows most of her contemporaries out of the water, Orfeh would fit right in at the top of the pop charts or as an MTV regular; Broadway is lucky to have her. Get Tickets!
3. Jenifer Lewis of Hairspray
This is a diva that cannot be dismissed. Jenifer Lewis, who is currently blowing the roof off of the Neil Simon Theatre eight times a week in Hairspray as Motormouth Maybelle a part originally written for her, is larger than life and twice as thrilling. Lewis called her cabaret act The Diva Is Dismissed, and you can bet this lady has showbiz stories to tell—from Dreamgirls to Beaches to a string of film and TV roles. Lewis isn't shy about sharing her experiences in her inimitable funny, fresh and frank way. Oh, and once you see her belt out "Big, Blonde and Beautiful," you too will immediately become obsessed. Don't blame yourself—she's impossible to resist. Get Tickets!
2. Carolee Carmello of Mamma Mia!
The word "goddess" barely sums up this ravishingly talented beauty, who tantalizes packed audiences as Donna in Mamma Mia! on Broadway. With a knack for playing determined women and a long list of stage credits to her name Kiss Me Kate, 1776, Parade, Lestat and City of Angels to name a few, Carmello is a diva that is rarely unemployed. Thank goodness! Though A-lister Meryl Streep plays Donna in the big-screen version of Mamma Mia!, Carmello embodies the role in way that should make the Oscar winner green with envy. She exhibits all of the earth mother qualities of the part, while still looking mighty kickin' in the spangly Spandex costumes. Winner takes it all indeed! Get Tickets!
Patti LuPone of Gypsy
Who else could top this list? The number one spot undeniably belongs to Patti LuPone. She is the diva's diva. We wouldn't be surprised to find even the proudest member of this elite list bowing down to her riveting turn as Rose in the current Broadway revival of Gypsy. LuPone doesn't play roles; she embodies them. From her Tony-winning performance in Evita many moons ago, to her more recent work in Anything Goes and Sweeney Todd, LuPone shows us how it's done—with verve, panache and swagger. She's got the goods, and she knows it. As she exclaimed in her exuberant 2008 Tony Award acceptance speech for Best Actress in a Musical, she's giving the performance of her life. We couldn't agree more. Get Tickets!
