Lisa Brescia

Lisa Brescia is an American musical theatre actress born on May 12, 1970, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and built a Broadway career spanning from 2000 to 2019. Her husband is actor Craig Carnelia.

Before her stage career took shape, Brescia served as lead singer of The New Mamas and The Papas from 1993 to 1998, performing alongside original members John Phillips and Denny Doherty. Her Broadway debut came in 2000 when she appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar as a Disciple. She subsequently took on the role of Marian Halcombe in The Woman in White in 2005 and starred as Cleo in The Times They Are A-Changin' in 2006.

One of Brescia's most sustained Broadway associations was with the musical Aida, featuring music by Elton John and Tim Rice. She joined the first national touring production in 2002 as standby for Kelli Fournier, assuming the role of Amneris in September of that year when Fournier departed. Disney then moved her to the Broadway production as standby for Mandy Gonzalez, and she took over the role on January 4, 2004, remaining with the show through its final performance on September 5, 2004. In 2006, she returned to the role for one week at The Muny in St. Louis, appearing alongside Simone and Will Chase, both of whom had also been part of the Broadway production.

Brescia joined the Broadway production of Wicked on February 13, 2007, as standby for Elphaba, covering the role during the absences of Julia Murney and later Stephanie J. Block. She departed that production on May 18, 2008, and moved to the Chicago production beginning June 3, 2008, replacing Dee Roscioli in the lead role of Elphaba. Her final performance in Chicago took place on August 24, 2008, after which Roscioli returned to the part.

In October 2008, Brescia starred in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts production Broadway: Three Generations, a three-act evening presented at the Eisenhower Theater from October 2 through 5. The production featured condensed versions of Girl Crazy, Bye Bye Birdie, and Side Show. The following year, she played Claire in the new musical Ordinary Days at the Black Box Theatre in Manhattan, running from October 2 to December 13, 2009. She is featured on the Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording, which was recorded on April 9, 2010, and released that summer. Also in 2009, she appeared as Mom in The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown, a work-in-progress written by Kait Kerrigan and Bree Lowdermilk, presented at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in California.

Brescia replaced Beth Leavel as Donna Sheridan in the Broadway production of Mamma Mia!, with her first performance on October 22, 2010, and her final performance on June 2, 2012. Her regional work during this period and beyond included Sally Bowles in Cabaret at PlayMakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 2013; the Witch in Into the Woods in Chapel Hill in 2014; and the title role in Victor/Victoria in Ogunquit, Maine in 2015. She also played Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2016.

On August 7, 2018, Brescia returned to Broadway in Dear Evan Hansen, succeeding Rachel Bay Jones, whose final performance had been August 5, in the role of Heidi Hansen. Brescia remained with the production until November 24, 2019, when she was replaced by Jessica Phillips.

In addition to performing, Brescia has pursued a career in education. She taught Acting I and IV at Missouri State University and was subsequently appointed to lead the Musical Theatre department at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri.