Syesha Mercado

Syesha Raquel Mercado, born January 2, 1987, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and model. Her mother, Zelda, is an African American former Motown backup singer, and her father, José, is of Puerto Rican descent. Mercado grew up in Bradenton and Sarasota, Florida, attending Daughtrey Elementary School and Manatee School for the Arts in Manatee County before enrolling in the Theatre Program at Booker High School for the Visual and Performing Arts, from which she graduated in 2005 with a certificate as a performance major. She later attended Florida International University in Miami, where she majored in theatre. At age nine, she signed a contract with Take Stock in Children, a scholarship program for low-income families demonstrating college potential.

During her high school years, Mercado competed in regional theatre competitions, winning Best Supporting Actress at both the 2005 Florida Theatre Conference and the 2005 South Eastern Theatre Conference for her portrayal of the Sour Kangaroo in Seussical the Musical. In the summer of 2006, she appeared as a contestant on the ABC talent competition The One: Making a Music Star, which was cancelled after its top ten week. She also won the Florida Super Singer competition. Her musical influences include Whitney Houston, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Zap Mama, Lauryn Hill, and Aretha Franklin.

Mercado auditioned for the seventh season of American Idol in Miami, performing Aretha Franklin's "Think" and receiving unanimous approval from all three judges. After arriving in Hollywood, she lost her voice and communicated through paper and pen while on vocal rest, ultimately singing "Chain of Fools" to secure a spot in the top 24. Despite spending five weeks in the bottom two or three without elimination — tying first-season third-place finalist Nikki McKibbin's record at the time — she advanced to the final three before being voted off on May 14, leaving David Archuleta and David Cook to compete in the finale. American Idol judge Simon Cowell was among those who suggested her style was better suited to Broadway than to pop music.

Following her elimination, Mercado made appearances on Live with Regis and Kelly, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, and WSVN's Deco Drive. She completed the American Idols Live! Tour 2008, which ran from July 1 to September 13, 2008, performing songs including Rihanna's "Umbrella," Alicia Keys's "If I Ain't Got You," and Beyoncé's "Listen." In November 2008, she performed "One Rock and Roll Too Many" in the 6abc IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade, and on December 13, 2008, she served as guest host of the WSVN 7 yacht at the 37th annual Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade. The following day she sang the national anthem at a Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers game broadcast on Fox. On December 20, 2008, she assisted Habitat for Humanity in building homes for families in Miramar, Florida. In February 2009, she participated in the opening of the American Idol Experience attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Mercado's stage career began in earnest in 2009 when she was cast as Deena Jones in a national tour revival of Dreamgirls. The production opened at the Apollo Theater in New York on November 7, 2009, ran through December 29, 2010, and also toured internationally in Japan. On November 4, 2009, she appeared on The Wendy Williams Show to promote the tour. She subsequently starred as Ti Moune in a revival of Once on This Island at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, with an opening night of May 30, 2012, and a run through June 24 of that year.

Mercado made her Broadway debut with The Book of Mormon, joining the Chicago transfer production as a late addition to the cast and replacing Stephanie Umoh during rehearsals in the role of Nabulungi. She reprised the role from January to June 2014. Her Broadway career, spanning from 2009 to 2012 in her stage work and culminating in her 2014 Broadway debut, established her as a presence across both touring and Broadway productions. She has also performed in concert settings, including the Orchestra in the Outfield with the Sarasota Orchestra in 2015, and appeared in the 2013 independent film Dreams. Her recorded singles include "Christmas Melody," released in 2011, and "Tears," released in 2017.