Urylee Leonardos
Urylee Leonardos is a Broadway performer. Explore their Broadway credits, shows, and songs below.
Part of our Broadway Credits Database, a resource for musical theater fans.
About
Urylee Leonardos (May 14, 1910 – April 25, 1986) was an American actress and vocalist born in Charleston, South Carolina, whose Broadway career spanned from 1943 to 1976. She is recognized as the first Black performer to understudy and assume a role originated by a Latina actress on Broadway.
Before her Broadway career took hold, Leonardos appeared in Mike Todd's Gay New Orleans revue at the 1939 World's Fair in New York City. That same year she took on a small role in the Broadway production of The Male Animal. Her Broadway breakthrough came in 1943 with Carmen Jones, where she was initially cast in a supporting capacity before stepping into the lead role in the production's 1946 revival.
In 1951, Leonardos filled in for Yma Sumac in the role of Princess Najla in Flahooley, marking the first instance of a Black performer going on for a Latina in a Broadway production. Two years later, she played the female lead in the 1953 revival of Porgy and Bess.
Leonardos continued to work steadily on Broadway across subsequent decades, accumulating credits that included Lost in the Stars, The Desert Song, Illya Darling, Dear World, and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the last of which extended her Broadway presence into 1976.
Personal Details
- Born
- May 14, 1910
- Hometown
- Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Died
- April 25, 1986
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is Urylee Leonardos?
- Urylee Leonardos is a Broadway performer. Urylee Leonardos (May 14, 1910 – April 25, 1986) was an American actress and vocalist born in Charleston, South Carolina, whose Broadway career spanned from 1943 to 1976. She is recognized as the first Black performer to understudy and assume a role originated by a Latina actress on Broadway. Before...
- What roles has Urylee Leonardos played?
- Urylee Leonardos has played roles as Performer.
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