Carmen Cusack

Carmen Cusack is an American musical theater actress and singer born on April 25, 1971, in Denver, Colorado. She attended the University of North Texas, where she earned a degree in performing arts, with training in opera, ballet, jazz, and tap. Cusack is married to Scottish actor Paul Telfer.

Following her graduation, Cusack took a position aboard the MS Queen Elizabeth 2, an experience that redirected her professional path. Her career gained momentum in Manchester, England, where she took on the role of Christine Daae in The Phantom of the Opera. She subsequently made her West End debut playing Fantine in Les Misérables and also appeared in the original West End productions of The Secret Garden and Personals.

Cusack returned to the United States and joined the Chicago production of Wicked on December 12, 2006, serving as standby for the lead role of Elphaba. Her work in that capacity led producers to cast her as the lead in the show's first North American tour, where she began performances on November 6, 2007, replacing Victoria Matlock and starring alongside Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda. She remained with the tour until November 2, 2008, when she was replaced by Donna Vivino. Cusack later joined the Melbourne, Australia production of Wicked as a temporary standby for Elphaba, covering for Jemma Rix from June 10 to July 10, 2009, before departing to begin rehearsals for South Pacific.

In 2009, Cusack played Nellie Forbush in the first national tour of South Pacific, based on the 2008 Broadway revival, with performances beginning September 18, 2009, in San Francisco. The role earned her a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Non-Resident Production. She appeared as Dot/Marie in the Chicago Shakespeare Theater production of Sunday in the Park with George from September 26 to November 4, 2012, opposite Jason Danieley, and that same year played Miss Gardner in the Off-Broadway revival of Carrie: The Musical at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, which ran from January 31 to April 8, 2012. In 2013, she portrayed Mother in the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's production of Ragtime. In early 2015, Cusack played Annie in the new musical First Wives Club at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago, with performances running from February through the end of March.

Cusack originated the role of Alice Murphy in Bright Star, the musical written and composed by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. Her involvement with the production began at a workshop in July 2013 at the Powerhouse Theatre at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She performed in the world premiere at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in September 2014 and continued through a tryout run in Washington, D.C., from December 2015 to January 2016. Bright Star opened on Broadway on March 24, 2016, marking Cusack's Broadway debut. Her performance earned her a Theatre World Award in 2016, along with nominations for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. She later reprised the role of Alice Murphy during the musical's North American tour stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Salt Lake City.

Cusack portrayed Clare Boothe Luce in Flying Over Sunset, a new musical directed by James Lapine. Originally scheduled to open in March 2020, the production was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and instead began previews in November 2021 at Lincoln Center Theater's Vivian Beaumont Theater, opening on December 13, 2021, and closing on January 16, 2022. The role brought Cusack a second Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

Beyond the stage, Cusack appeared in 2018 as Sabrina in the Facebook Watch series Sorry for Your Loss and was cast opposite Tom Hanks in the Fred Rogers biopic A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. She was also cast as a series regular on NBC's Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, though on August 27, 2019, it was announced that Lauren Graham had replaced her in the role of Joan. In July 2022, Cusack starred as Mrs. Lovett in The Muny production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. She is scheduled to star as Annie Savoy in the musical adaptation of Bull Durham, set to open in October 2025 at the Paper Mill Playhouse.