Nancy Carol Opel is an American singer and actress, known primarily for her work on Broadway. She was nominated for the 2002 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for originating the role of Penelope Pennywise in the musical Urinetown.
Life and career Opel grew up in the Kansas communities of Prairie Village and Leawood, and graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School. She trained at the Juilliard School.
She has appeared on Broadway in Evita as Eva Perón (1979),Evita Playbill (vault), accessed December 13, 2016 Teddy & Alice (1987),Teddy & Alice Playbill (vault), accessed December 13, 2016 Sunday in the Park with George as Frieda / Betty (1984),Sunday in the Park with George Playbill (vault), accessed December 13, 2016 Anything Goes (replacement Hope Harcourt),Anything Goes Playbill (vault), accessed December 13, 2016 Triumph of Love (1997) as CorineTriumph of Love Playbill (vault), accessed December 13, 2016 Fiddler on the Roof (2004) as Yente,Fiddler on the Roof Playbill (vault), accessed December 13, 2016 Memphis as Mama in 2011 and 2012 andHetrick, Adam. " 'Memphis' Welcomes Back Tony Nominee Nancy Opel Feb. 14" Playbill, February 14, 2012 Cinderella as Madame (the Stepmother) in June 2014 to September 7, 2014.McPhee, Ryan. "Look Out! Tony Nominee Nancy Opel Is Cinderella's Newest Madame on Broadway" broadway.com, June 30, 2014 She performed the roles of Mazeppa and Miss Cratchitt in the Encores! staged concert of Gypsy in 2007.
Opel portrayed Kafka in the Off-Broadway debut of David Ives' one-acter, Words, Words, Words, which ran at Primary Stages in November 1993 to February 1994All in the Timing Internet Off-Broadway Database, accessed December 13, 2016Brantley, Ben. "Review/Theater: 'All in the Timing'; Merrily Sputtering Along" The New York Times, December 3, 1993 She appeared in another Ives play, Polish Joke, which ran Off-Broadway in a Manhattan Theatre Club production in February to April 2003. Opel played several characters, and was nominated for the 2003 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play.Polish Joke Internet Off-Broadway Database, accessed December 14, 2016
Opel played the title character in the first national tour of The Drowsy Chaperone, which started in September 2007.Jones, Kenneth. "Nancy Opel Will Be Drowsy in National Tour" Playbill, July 18, 2007
In the 2008 rock musical The Toxic Avenger, she played three characters: the Mayor, Toxie's Mother, and a nun. The musical was performed at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey in October 2008. She appeared in the musical Off-Broadway at New World Stages, starting in April 2009. For this role, she received a 2009 Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.The Toxic Avenger lortel.org, accessed December 13, 2016
From November 2014 to April 2015 she appeared on Broadway in the musical Honeymoon in Vegas, and was nominated for the 2015 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.Gioia, Michael; Gans, Andrew. "The Honeymoon Is Over! Broadway's 'Honeymoon in Vegas', Starring Tony Danza, To Close" Playbill, March 31, 2015' Honeymoon in Vegas Awards" ibdb.com, accessed December 13, 2016
She played the title role in Hello, Dolly! at Ford's Theatre in 2013.Jones, Kenneth. "DC 'Hello, Dolly!', With Broadway's Nancy Opel as the Matchmaker, Begins March 15" Playbill, March 15, 2013 She appeared in Follies at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis in September to October 2016, as Carlotta.Hetrick, Adam. " 'Follies', With Christiane Noll, Emily Skinner and Nancy Opel, Begins Tonight" Playbill, September 7, 2016 She appeared in the new musical Curvy Widow: The Musical at the North Carolina Stage Company in October 2016.Gans, Andrew. "Nancy Opel Will Head Cast of New Musical 'Curvy Widow' " Playbill, October 6, 2016
It was announced on November 13, 2018, that Opel would be taking over the role of Madame Morrible in the Broadway production of Wicked, which she did from November 20, 2018 to January 20, 2020.Rickwald, Bethany. "Wicked Announces Nancy Opel and More Will Join Its Cast" Theater Mania, November 13, 20218
In 2021 Opel portrayed Carrie Chapman Catt in the historical musical The Suffragist, about the lives of Chapman Catt, Alice Paul, Ida B. Wells, Lucy Burns, and Anna Howard Shaw. The production was written by Cavan Hallman, with music by Nancy Hill Cobb, directed by Rachel Klein, and performed at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center.
In 2022, Opel started portraying Cinderella's Stepmother in the Broadway revival of Into the Woods. She reprised this role in the subsequent 2023 national tour.
Opel's television credits include Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Law & Order: SVU. She is also an acting coach.McGee, Celia. "The Rock Mama in Sensible Shoes" The New York Times, April 8, 2009
Personal life She resides with her daughter in Manhattan.Siegel, Micki. "At Home With Honeymoon in Vegas' Nancy Opel: A Do-It-Yourself Dream Come True" Playbill, December 8, 2014
Filmography
Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1997The Ice StormClaudia White2003Marci XReporter2005The ProducersEnsemble2008Phoebe in WonderlandWoman in Home2013Chasing TastePhyllis
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1975Ryan's HopeSybil2 episodes1986American PlayhouseFrieda / BettyEpisode: "Sunday in the Park with George"1996, 2008Law & OrderDoctor / Henkel2 episodes2003Law & Order: Criminal IntentNinaEpisode: "Suite Sorrow"2006Law & Order: SVUTeri CarthageEpisode: "Infected"2009All My ChildrenLucretia3 episodes2010The Big CButtercupEpisode: "Taking the Plunge"2013–2014It Could Be WorseJudy Gordon5 episodes
Stage + Year Title Role Notes 1979 Evita Eva Peron (Replacement) Broadway Theatre, Broadway 1984 Sunday in the Park with George Frieda/Betty/Young Man Booth Theatre, Broadway 1985 Personals Louise Minetta Lane Theatre, Off-Broadway 1987 Anything Goes Hope Harcourt (Replacement) Vivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway 1987 Teddy & Alice Eleanor Roosevelt Minskoff Theatre, Broadway 1993 All in the Timing Performer Primary Stages, Off-Broadway 1994 Sunday in the Park with George Frieda/Betty St. James Theatre, Broadway 1995 Don Juan in Chicago Sandy Primary Stages, Off-Broadway 1996 Getting Away With Murder Dossie Lustig (Standby)/Pamela Prideaux (Standby) Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway 1997 Triumph of Love Corine Royale Theatre, Broadway 1999 Ring Around the Moon Capulat (Understudy) Belasco Theatre, Broadway 2000 On a Clear Day You Can See Forever Performer New York City Center, Off-Broadway 2001 Urinetown Penelope Pennywise Henry Miller's Theatre, Broadway 2003 Polish Joke Magda/Florist/Mrs. Flanagan/Olga/Zosia/Enid/Nurse Manhattan Theatre Club, Off-Broadway 2004 Fiddler on the Roof Yente Minskoff Theatre, Broadway 2007 Gypsy Mazeppa New York City Center, Off-Broadway 2008 The Toxic Avenger Mayor Babs Belgoody/Ma Ferd George Street Playhouse 2009 Memphis Mama (Replacement) Shubert Theatre, Broadway 2010 Paradise Found Soap Manufacturer's Wife Menier Chocolate Factory, London 2013 Cinderella Madame (Replacement) Broadway Theatre, Broadway 2015 Honeymoon in Vegas Bea Singer Nederlander Theatre, Broadway 2015 Holiday Inn Louise The Muny 2016 Follies Carlotta The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 2016 Do I Hear A Waltz? Mrs. McIlhenny New York City Center, Off-Broadway 2016 Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Genie Klein (Replacement) Stephen Sondheim Theatre, Broadway 2017 Curvy Widow Bobby Goldman Westside Theatre, Off-Broadway 2018 Hey, Look Me Over! Performer New York City Center, Off-Broadway 2018 Clue: On Stage Mrs. Peacock The Cape Playhouse, Massachusetts 2019 Wicked Madame Morrible (Replacement) Gershwin Theatre, Broadway 2022 Into the Woods Cinderella's Stepmother St. James Theatre, Broadway 2025 Steel Magnolias Clairee Bell Theatre, New Jersey 2025 A Christmas Carol Ghost of Christmas Past Perelman Performing Arts Center, Off-Broadway
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