| LaChanze | |
|---|---|
 LaChanze in 2006 |
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| Born | Rhonda LaChanze Sapp December 16, 1961 St. Augustine, Florida, U.S. |
| Other name(s) | Rhonda Sapp, LaChanze Sapp, La Chanze Sapp-Gooding, R. Lachanze Sapp |
| Occupation | Actress, singer, dancer |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouse(s) | Calvin J. Gooding (1998-2001) Derek Fordjour (2005-present) |
| Official website | |
LaChanze (born December 16, 1961) is an American actress, singer, and dancer.
Contents |
Born Rhonda LaChanze Sapp in St. Augustine, Florida, her stage name "LaChanze" (Creole:the charmed one), is taken from her grandmother. Her father was in the Coast Guard and her mother is Rose Hines. LaChanze's childhood love of singing and dancing caused Rose to enroll in the Bowen Peters Cultural Arts Center, in New Haven, Connecticut. 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 Damn Yankees musical.
Living in Connecticut in such close proximity to New York City gave LaChanze access to the world of theatre. LaChanze's first theatre production she ever saw was the musical Chicago. Graciela Daniele was cast in this production and many years later Ms. Daniele continues to have a lasting impact on LaChanze's professional development as a performer. While she greatly enjoyed the dance world, LaChanze often felt limited and remembers the frequent urge to stop dancing and belt out a dramatic tune or to erupt into an intense monologue.
After high school, LaChanze attended The University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she majored in theatre dance,voice, and acting. Her first summer job was as a tap dancer in the ensemble of Uptown it's Hot at the Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City. The show soon moved on to Broadway where LaChanze began her professional theatre career.
On September 11, 2001, while she was 8 months pregnant with her second child, her husband, Calvin Gooding, a bond trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, was killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. With Gooding she has daughters Celia Rose and Zaya LaChanze.
LaChanze remarried to artist Derek Fordjour on 30 July 2005 and has a stepson Langston through him.
In the spring of 2009, LaChanze will star in world premiere of "Inked Baby", a new play by Christina Anderson. The production will be run from March 5 through April 5 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Playwrights Horizons in New York City.
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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. It includes attribution to IMDb, which may not be a reliable source for biographical information. Please help by adding additional, reliable sources for verification. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2008) |
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| LaChanze | |
|---|---|
|
File:LaChanze, 2006 LaChanze in 2006 | |
| Born |
Rhonda LaChanze Sapp December 16, 1961 St. Augustine, Florida, U.S. |
| Other names | Rhonda Sapp, LaChanze Sapp, La Chanze Sapp-Gooding, R. Lachanze Sapp |
| Occupation | Actress, singer, dancer |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouse |
Calvin J. Gooding (1998-2001) Derek Fordjour (2005-present) |
| Website | |
| http://www.lachanze.com | |
LaChanze (born December 16, 1961) is an American actress, singer, and dancer.
Contents |
Born Rhonda LaChanze Sapp in St. Augustine, Florida, her stage name "LaChanze" (Creole:the charmed one), is taken from her grandmother. Her father was in the Coast Guard and her mother is Rose Hines. LaChanze's childhood love of singing and dancing caused Rose to enroll in the Bowen Peters Cultural Arts Center, in New Haven, Connecticut. 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 Damn Yankees musical.
Living in Connecticut in such close proximity to New York City gave LaChanze access to the world of theatre. LaChanze's first theatre production she ever saw was the musical Chicago. Graciela Daniele was cast in this production and many years later Ms. Daniele continues to have a lasting impact on LaChanze's professional development as a performer. While she greatly enjoyed the dance world, LaChanze often felt limited and remembers the frequent urge to stop dancing and belt out a dramatic tune or to erupt into an intense monologue.
After high school, LaChanze attended The University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she majored in theatre dance,voice, and acting. Her first summer job was as a tap dancer in the ensemble of Uptown it's Hot at the Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City. The show soon moved on to Broadway where LaChanze began her professional theatre career.
On September 11, 2001, while she was 8 months pregnant with her second child, her husband, Calvin Gooding, a bond trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, was killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. With Gooding she has daughters Celia Rose and Zaya LaChanze.
LaChanze remarried to artist Derek Fordjour on 30 July 2005 and has a stepson Langston through him.
In the spring of 2009, LaChanze will star in world premiere of "Inked Baby", a new play by Christina Anderson. The production will be run from March 5 through April 5 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Playwrights Horizons in New York City.
Stage
|
Filmography
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   | LaChanze - American Theatre Wing - Downstage Center - LaChanze - February, 2006 |
| | Official Website - Welcome to LaChanze's official website |
| | The Color Purple profile on Internet Broadway Database - The Color Purple | IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information |
| | IBDB for LaChanze - LaChanze | IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information |
| | Downstage Center - American Theatre Wing - Downstage Center |
| | American Theatre Wing - American Theatre Wing - Home Page |
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