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Marisha Wallace

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Marisha Wallace
Born (1985-09-29) September 29, 1985 (age 39)
United States
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active2014–present

Marisha Wallace (born September 29, 1985) is an American actress and singer, best known for her work in musical theatre.

Life and career

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Wallace appeared in the original Broadway casts of Aladdin (2014) and Something Rotten! (2015) as a member of the ensemble and understudy.[1] In January 2017 she became an alternate Effie White in the West End production of Dreamgirls.[2] Following the departure of Amber Riley from the production, Wallace took over the role, sharing with Karen Mav and Moya Angela.[3] In 2017, she released a Christmas album called Soul Holiday.[4]

In 2019, she joined the original London cast of Waitress as Becky.[5] In Summer 2021 she starred in the London Coliseum production of Hairspray as Motormouth Maybelle opposite Michael Ball.[6] For this role she was nominated for the 2021 Black British Theatre Awards as Best Female Actor in a Musical.[7]

In 2022, she played Ado Annie in Oklahoma! at the Young Vic,[8] a performance for which she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical.[9]

Wallace is the singing voice of Ms Johnston in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey on Netflix.

In March 2023, she began playing Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre for which she was nominated for her second Olivier Award Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She left the production in February 2024.[10]

In March 2024, Wallace entered the Celebrity Big Brother house to compete in the twenty-third series.[11] She was the fifth housemate evicted, leaving on Day 16 in a double eviction.[12]

In August 2024, she appeared in a concert staging of Something Rotten! at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.[13]

In September 2024, she made a special guest appearance during concerts by Alex Newell at Cadogan Hall.[14] In December 2024, she made her debut in pantomime as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood at the London Palladium.

Between January and May 2025, she will be starring in Cabaret at the Playhouse Theatre as Sally Bowles, alongside Billy Porter as The Emcee.[15]

Stage

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Year Title Role Notes
2010 Rent Maureen Johnson Palace Theatre
2011 Joanne Jefferson Broadway Palm Theatre
2012 The Book of Mormon Ensemble US Tour
2014 Aladdin Ensemble
u/s Babkak 		New Amsterdam Theatre, Broadway
2015 Something Rotten! Ensemble
u/s Bea 		St. James Theatre, Broadway
2016 Dreamgirls Effie White Savoy Theatre, West End
2019 Waitress Becky Adelphi Theatre, West End
2021 Hairspray Motormouth Maybelle London Coliseum, West End
2022 Oklahoma! Ado Annie Young Vic Theatre, London
2023 Guys and Dolls Miss Adelaide Bridge Theatre, London
2024 Something Rotten! Bea Theatre Royal Drury Lane, West End
Robin Hood Sheriff of Nottingham London Palladium, West End
2025 Cabaret Sally Bowles Playhouse Theatre, West End

Filmography

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As herself
Year Title Role Ref.
2021 Feel Good Marsha; season 2 (2 episodes)
2024 Celebrity Big Brother Housemate; series 23 [16]

Discography

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Albums

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List of albums, with selected details and chart positions
Title Details Peak chart positions
UK
[17]
Soul Holiday
  • Released: October 26, 2017
  • Labels: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
 —
Tomorrow
  • Released: November 27, 2020
  • Labels: Decca
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
 69

Singles

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Title Year Album
"Fight Like a Woman (Slay)" 2019 Non-album singles
"The Beginning" 2020
"Tomorrow" Tomorrow

Awards and nominations

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Year Work Award Category Result Ref.
2020 Waitress WhatsOnStage Award Best Supporting Actress in a Musical Nominated [18]
2023 Oklahoma! Olivier Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical Nominated [19]
WhatsOnStage Award Best Supporting Performer in a Musical Nominated [20]
2024 Guys and Dolls WhatsOnStage Award Best Performer in a Musical Nominated [21]
Olivier Awards Best Actress in a Musical Nominated [22]

References

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  1. ^ "Marisha Wallace". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 17 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  2. ^ "With Amber Riley Out Sick, Casey Nicholaw Favorite Marisha Wallace Takes Center Stage in West End's Dreamgirls". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  3. ^ BWW News Desk. "Photo Flash: DREAMGIRLS Celebrates New Cast and Two Years in West End". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  4. ^ Gans, Andrew (2017-11-30). "London's New Effie Releases Solo Recording Soul Holiday". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  5. ^ Gans, Andrew (2018-12-04). "David Hunter and Marisha Wallace Will Join Katharine McPhee in London's Waitress". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  6. ^ "Marisha Wallace and Lizzie Bea to join London cast of Hairspray | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
  7. ^ "Black British Theatre Awards unveils 2021 nominees". 2021-10-14. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  8. ^ Wild, Stephi. "Complete Cast Announced for OKLAHOMA! at the Young Vic". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  9. ^ "Olivier Awards 2023". OfficialLondonTheatre.com. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  10. ^ "Olivier Awards 2024 with Mastercard nominations announced". Official London Theatre. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  11. ^ "Celebrity Big Brother 2024 cast: Confirmed line-up".
  12. ^ "Marisha Wallace and Zeze Millz evicted from Celebrity Big Brother". www.expressandstar.com. 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  13. ^ "Something Rotten - in Concert Tickets | Theatre Royal Drury Lane".
  14. ^ Wild, Stephi (2024-08-28). "Marisha Wallace Will Join Alex Newell Live at Cadogan Hall". Broadway World. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  15. ^ Rook, Olivia (2024-12-02). "Billy Porter and Marisha Wallace to star in 'Cabaret' in the West End". London Theatre. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  16. ^ "Who is Marisha Wallace? Celebrity Big Brother 2024 contestant". Radio Times. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Marisha Wallace | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  18. ^ "20th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards: Everything you need to know". 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  19. ^ Stage, Guardian (2023-02-28). "Olivier awards 2023: complete list of nominations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  20. ^ "Nominations in full: the 23rd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards". 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  21. ^ "Nominations in full: 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards". 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  22. ^ "OIivier Awards 2024 with Mastercard nominees announced!". 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
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