Lindsay Mendez

Lindsay Mendez
Mendez in 2018
Born (1981-03-01) 1 March 1981 (age 43)
Norwalk, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Known forWicked, Dogfight, Band Geeks, 21 Chump Street, Godspell, Grease, Carousel, 35MM, Merrily We Roll Along, Actor Therapy NYC
Spouses
Michael Borth
​
​
(m. 2008; div. 2014)​
[1]
Philip Wakefield
​
​
(m. 2016; div. 2021)​
[2]
J. Alex Brinson
​
(m. 2024)​
[3]
Children2[4]
AwardsTony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (for Carousel)

Lindsay Michelle Mendez[5] is an American actress and singer, best known for her work in American musical theatre. She won the 2018 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Carrie Pipperidge in a Broadway revival of Carousel. Her other credits on Broadway include Elphaba in Wicked (performing during the production's tenth anniversary), Godspell, and Jan in Grease.[6]

From September 2019 to November 2023, Mendez co-starred on the CBS drama series All Rise as court stenographer Sara Castillo.

The first Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along, starring Mendez, Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe, opened to critical acclaim on Broadway in October 2023.[7]

Early life and career

Mendez was born in Norwalk, California. Her father is of Mexican descent and her mother is of Russian Jewish ancestry.[8] Her brother, Michael Mendez, is also a Broadway performer.[9] She played Lizzie in a preview of A Little More Alive, written by Nick Blaemire, in Kansas City. Other credits include roles in The Marvelous Wonderettes, 35MM, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, and Princesses.[10]

She made her Broadway debut in 2007 as part of the second Broadway revival of the musical Grease.[11]

In 2012, Mendez appeared opposite Derek Klena in the off-Broadway musical Dogfight as Eddie and Rose, and from May 2013 in Wicked as Fiyero and Elphaba respectively.[12][13] She was nominated for her role as Rose in Dogfight for the 2013 Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, the 2013 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, and the 2013 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.[14][15][16] Mendez and Klena frequently perform together at the Broadway supper club 54 Below.[17] They released a jazz album entitled This Time in 2013. Mendez also sings jazz and blues at other cabarets and dining clubs with pianist Marco Paguia.

While performing in Wicked, Mendez filmed a series of video blogs for Broadway.com entitled "Fly Girl: Backstage at Wicked with Lindsay Mendez", giving an inside look at the smash musical, including interviews with current cast members, glimpses of costumes, sets, props, and how Mendez herself was transformed into the musical's protagonist, Elphaba, the green-skinned girl who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.

Mendez, along with composer Ryan Scott Oliver, founded and runs Actor Therapy: a five-week training experience for young actors in NYC.[18]

In 2014, Mendez played Naomi Rodriguez in Lin Manuel Miranda's one-act musical 21 Chump Street and then in 2015, Laura in the play Significant Other.[19][20]

In early 2016 she was set to star in the Broadway premiere of the musical Nerds alongside Rory O'Malley, Patti Murin and others.[21] The show was cancelled during a rehearsal session two weeks before the first preview due to not having the financial resources for a Broadway mount.[22]

Mendez played Carrie in the 2018 Broadway revival of Carousel, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.[23] The production also starred Jessie Mueller and Joshua Henry.[24]

In the 2022 she played Mary Flynn in the off-Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along at New York Theater Workshop alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff as well as former Wicked co-star Katie Rose Clarke.[25] Mendez reprised the role in 2023 in the first Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along. She received a second nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance.[26]

Mendez had a main role as a court reporter on the legal drama series All Rise which ran from 2019 to 2023.[27]

She will appear in the Ryan Murphy produced anthology series American Sports Story.[28]

Personal life

Mendez has one daughter named Lucy from a previous relationship.[29] Mendez married her All Rise co-star J. Alex Brinson in April 2024 in Central Park. The ceremony included Merrily castmates Jonathan Groff as the officiant and Daniel Radcliffe as the ring bearer.[30] Their daughter Ruby Beck Brinson was born on September 19, 2024.[31]

Credits

Broadway
Off-Broadway
Readings
  • Princesses, Goodspeed Opera House (2004)
  • Princesses, National Alliance of Musical Theatre (2006)
  • Nerds as Myrtle (2016)


| class="col-break col-break-2" |

Regional Theater
Encores!
Concerts

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2013 Smash Herself Episode: "The Transfer"
2018 Murphy Brown Rachel Episode: "The Wheels on the Dog Go Round and Round"
2019 Modern Family Bel Air Black Widow Episode: "SuperShowerBabyBowl"
2019 Elementary Dr. Angela Hardy Episode: "The Latest Model"
2019–2023 All Rise Sara Castillo Main cast
[33]
2019 Helpsters Doctor Devin Episode: "Rita Reader / Cody Gets a Cold"
2021 Station 19 Lawyer Episode: "A House Is Not a Home"
2024 American Sports Story Tanya Singleton Main role

Discography

  • Grease Revival – New Broadway Cast Recording (2008)
  • New York City Christmas, ASTEP Benefit album (2009)
  • Everyday Rapture – Original Broadway Cast Recording (2010)
  • Godspell – The New Broadway Cast Recording (2011)
  • 35MM: A Musical Exhibition – Original Cast Recording (2012)
  • This Time, with Marco Paguia (2013)
  • Kerrigan-Lowdermilk Live (2013)
  • Dogfight – Original Cast Recording (2013)
  • "Circus" – I Could Use a Drink: The Songs of Drew Gasparini (2013)
  • 21 Chump Street – The Musical – EP (2014)
  • Carousel – 2018 Broadway Cast Recording (2018)[34]
  • Band Geeks: A New Musical – Studio Cast Recording (2018)
  • The Other Josh Cohen: A Musical With Songs – Studio Cast Recording (2018)
  • Three Points of Contact – Ryan Scott Oliver (2019)
  • Merrily We Roll Along – New Broadway Cast Recording (2023)

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2013 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Dogfight Nominated
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Nominated
2014 Broadway.com Audience Choice Award Favorite Replacement (Female) Wicked Won
2017 Broadway.com Audience Choice Award Favorite Featured Actress in a Play Significant Other Won
2018 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Musical Carousel Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Won
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Won
2019 Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album[35] Nominated
2023 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical Merrily We Roll Along Nominated
Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical Won
2024 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Musical Nominated
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Nominated
Broadway.com Audience Award Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical Won

References

  1. ^ "Lindsay Mendez". Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  2. ^ "After 5 years of marriage, 'Wicked' actress Lindsay Mendez files for divorce from her husband. ⋆ Ceng News". 7 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff Take Part In 'Merrily We Roll Along' Co-Star Lindsay Mendez's Wedding". Entertainment Tonight. April 23, 2024.
  4. ^ "@lindsaymendez on Instagram: "Thanks to everyone for your well-wishes and love for our family. We are over-the-moon that our daughter. Ruby Beck Brinson has joined us earthside and made our family complete. @jalexbrinson …you are my hero and the best girl dad on the planet. Lucy is the greatest big sister, and is doing her job showing her sissy all the ropes. And I, sit in awe, watching all of it, in complete gratitude. And, moreover, pride. I am so proud to be the mama to these girls. And to have grown both of these babies while working full time in an industry that can be unforgiving to expectant mothers. It's been quite a year. Celebrating our new family of 4, and holding onto every precious moment together."".
  5. ^ Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff & Lindsay Mendez Take Lie Detector Tests | Vanity Fair, 17 October 2023, retrieved 2024-03-08
  6. ^ "Lindsay Mendez". Playbill. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  7. ^ Green, Jesse (2023-10-10). "Review: 'Merrily We Roll Along,' Finally Found in the Dark". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  8. ^ Wong, Curtis M. (5 June 2018). "In 'Carousel,' Broadway's Lindsay Mendez Helps Raise The Bar For Latina Inclusion". Huffington Post. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  9. ^ "Photos! Walk Down the Aisle with Significant Other Stars Lindsay Mendez & Gideon Glick on Opening Night". Broadwaycom. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Bio". LindsayMendez.net. Archived from the original on 2014-06-12. Retrieved 2014-06-08.
  11. ^ "Grease". Playbill. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  12. ^ Ferri, Josh (April 24, 2013). "Lindsay Mendez to Defy Gravity as Broadway's Next Elphaba in Wicked". Broadway.com.
  13. ^ Jones, Kenneth (July 16, 2012). "Dogfight, New Musical About Cruelty and Hope, Opens in NYC; Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena Star". Playbill.
  14. ^ Evans, Suzy (23 April 2013). "2013 Drama League Awards Nominees Announced". Backstage. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  15. ^ Gans, Andrew (29 April 2013). "Nominations Announced for 58th Annual Drama Desk Awards; Giant and Hands on a Hardbody Lead the Pack". Playbill. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  16. ^ Cox, Gordon (22 April 2013). "'Pippin' Hot With Outer Critics Circle Nominators". Variety. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  17. ^ "Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena: #Klendez". Time Out. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  18. ^ "Home". Actor Therapy. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  19. ^ "VIDEO: Anthony Ramos and Lindsay Mendez Star In Lin-Manuel Miranda's 21 CHUMP STREET". Broadway World. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  20. ^ Levitt, Hayley (20 April 2017). "Final Bow: Lindsay Mendez Parts With Significant Other — and That's the Way It Is". TheaterMania. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  21. ^ "Wicked's Lindsay Mendez and More Set for Broadway's Nerds". Theatermania. February 22, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  22. ^ Abramovitch, Seth (2019-04-12). "The Fyre Festival of Broadway? How a Bill Gates-Steve Jobs Musical Became a "Trail of Disappointment, Anger and Unpaid Vendors"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  23. '^ Lefkowitz, Andy (10 June 2018). "Carousels Lindsay Mendez Wins Her First Tony Award: 'Be Your True Self and the World Will Take Note'". Broadway.com. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  24. ^ "Official: Lindsay Mendez and John Douglas Thompson Join Broadway's CAROUSEL!". Broadway World. October 12, 2017.
  25. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Starring Radcliffe, Groff & Mendez Announces TodayTix Lottery & Two-Week Extension". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  26. ^ Green, Jesse (2023-10-10). "Review: 'Merrily We Roll Along,' Finally Found in the Dark". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  27. ^ Petski, Denise (2019-03-25). "'Courthouse': Lindsay Mendez & Ruthie Ann Miles Cast In CBS Legal Drama Pilot". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  28. ^ Petski, Denise; Andreeva, Nellie (November 3, 2023). "Lindsay Mendez Joins Josh Andrés Rivera & Patrick Schwarzenegger In 'American Sports Story' Season 1". Deadline. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  29. ^ "@lindsaymendez on Instagram: "This year has been….challenging, to say the least. It's also been the greatest of my life, because through these challenges, I was given the gift of a lifetime. I became a mommy. My sweet daughter was born during a pandemic and carried being hidden behind big bags and desks on a tv series (a #lifegoalz situation). She makes me happier than anything in the world. And I now know the deepest love there is. Lucille, you make my heart burst everyday. The holidays will never be the same again, and I am so excited for all the magical days ahead of us. Thank you for choosing me to be your mom! Hoping everyone's holidays are filled with joy, family, and love. I know mine are. ❤️🎁🎄"".
  30. ^ Kircher, Madison Malone (2024-05-10). "A Broadway Star Gets Married on Her Day Off". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  31. ^ Sacks, Hannah; Quinn, Dave (September 24, 2024). "Broadway's Lindsay Mendez Welcomes Second Baby, Her First with Husband J. Alex Brinson: 'Over the Moon' (Exclusive)". People.
  32. ^ "The Rose Tattoo - Williamstown Theatre Festival". wtfestival.org. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  33. ^ Lefkowitz, Andy (March 25, 2019). "Lindsay Mendez & Ruthie Ann Miles Join CBS Legal Drama Pilot Courthouse". Broadway.com.
  34. ^ McPhee, Ryan (June 8, 2018). "Carousel Revival Cast Recording Available Digitally June 8". Playbill.
  35. ^ Kaitlin, Milligan (7 December 2018). "The Band's Visit, Carousel & More Nominated for 2019 Grammy Awards". Broadway World. Retrieved 7 December 2018.