Jenn Gambatese

Jenn Gambatese is an American actress and singer born on September 10, 1975, in Philadelphia, Mississippi, who grew up in Richmond Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Her introduction to theater came during the summer of fourth grade at the Willoughby Fine Arts Center, where she took acting classes and made her first stage appearance as a whitewasher in a production based on the story of Tom Sawyer. She continued her training through high school, attending both Beck Center and Cleveland State University during her senior year. In 1993, Gambatese relocated to Manhattan to enroll in the drama department at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 1997 with a double major in sociology and drama and earning an Artist and Scholar award.

Following graduation, Gambatese began her professional career performing with Theatre for Young Audiences, a touring children's theater company. She subsequently played Serena Katz in both the North American and European tours of Fame, alongside Gavin Creel, who portrayed Nick Piazza. She also played Glinda on the first national tour of Wicked before transitioning to Broadway work.

Gambatese made her Broadway debut in October 1998 in Footloose, directed by Walter Bobbie, where she played Urleen and served as understudy to the female lead. The production ran through July 2000. She next appeared in Hairspray, directed by Jack O'Brien, which opened in August 2002 and ran through January 2009; Gambatese played the role of Penny Pingleton. In April 2003, she appeared in A Year with Frog and Toad, directed by David Petrarca, taking on multiple roles including Bird, Mouse, Squirrel, and Young Frog.

In March 2005, Gambatese starred as Natalie Haller in All Shook Up, directed by Christopher Ashley, and her performance was captured on the production's cast recording, available on iTunes. The following year, she originated the role of Jane in Disney's Tarzan on Broadway, which ran from May 2006 through July 2007 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre; that cast recording is also available on iTunes. In December 2007, Gambatese starred as Marie Leroux in Is He Dead?, a play by Mark Twain adapted by David Ives and directed by Michael Blakemore, which opened at the Lyceum Theatre.

Gambatese returned to Broadway in 2016, succeeding Sierra Boggess as Principal Rosalie Mullins in School of Rock – The Musical beginning August 9 of that year. She also appeared in Mrs. Doubtfire, extending her Broadway career through 2022.

Outside of theater, Gambatese appeared in the 2005 daytime drama All My Children, playing herself. She filmed a role as Woman in Bar in Robert De Niro's The Good Shepherd, though the scene was cut from the final release.

Gambatese married Curtis Cregan, a Broadway performer and former member of the children's television program Hi-5, in June 2007. The couple welcomed a daughter, Josephine, on May 12, 2009. The family divides their time between Manhattan and a home in the Catskill Mountains.