Rhonda LaChanze Sapp, known professionally as LaChanze (/ləʃÉ'nz/;
born December , ) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She won
the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
in for her role in The Color Purple.Born in St. Augustine, Florida,
to parents Walter and Rosalie Sapp, her stage name "LaChanze" (Creole:
the charmed one), is taken from her grandmother. After moving to
Connecticut, her childhood love of singing and dancing caused her
mother to enroll her in the Bowen Peters Cultural Arts Center in New
Haven. It is there that she first discovered her love for performing.
At Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport, LaChanze made her debut
as Lola in the school production of Damn Yankees.Living so close to
New York City gave LaChanze access to the world of theater. The first
theatrical production she ever saw was the musical Chicago. Graciela
Daniele was cast in the production and many years later Daniele had a
lasting impact on LaChanze's professional development as a performer.
While she greatly enjoyed the dance world, LaChanze often felt limited
and had the frequent urge to stop dancing and belt out a dramatic tune
or to erupt into an intense monologue.After high school, LaChanze
studied Drama at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland,
before transferring to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia,
where she studied Theater and Dance. Her first summer job was as a tap
dancer in the ensemble of Uptown... It's Hot! at the Tropicana Hotel
in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The show opened on Broadway in January ,
where LaChanze began her professional career in the theater.
born December , ) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She won
the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
in for her role in The Color Purple.Born in St. Augustine, Florida,
to parents Walter and Rosalie Sapp, her stage name "LaChanze" (Creole:
the charmed one), is taken from her grandmother. After moving to
Connecticut, her childhood love of singing and dancing caused her
mother to enroll her in the Bowen Peters Cultural Arts Center in New
Haven. It is there that she first discovered her love for performing.
At Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport, LaChanze made her debut
as Lola in the school production of Damn Yankees.Living so close to
New York City gave LaChanze access to the world of theater. The first
theatrical production she ever saw was the musical Chicago. Graciela
Daniele was cast in the production and many years later Daniele had a
lasting impact on LaChanze's professional development as a performer.
While she greatly enjoyed the dance world, LaChanze often felt limited
and had the frequent urge to stop dancing and belt out a dramatic tune
or to erupt into an intense monologue.After high school, LaChanze
studied Drama at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland,
before transferring to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia,
where she studied Theater and Dance. Her first summer job was as a tap
dancer in the ensemble of Uptown... It's Hot! at the Tropicana Hotel
in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The show opened on Broadway in January ,
where LaChanze began her professional career in the theater.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.