Yvette González-Nacer

Yvette González-Nacer
Yvette González-Nacer in 2022
Born
Miami, Florida
Alma materUniversity of Miami
Occupation(s)Actress, Singer, Musician, Composer, Producer
Years active2004-present
Notable workThe Fresh Beat Band, Hadestown
Websitehttps://www.yvettenacer.com/

Yvette González-Nacer is a Cuban-American actress, singer-songwriter, musician and producer. She is best known for originating the role of Fate in the original Broadway production of the Grammy and Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown, starring in the first Broadway National Tour of Moulin Rouge!, and starring as Kiki on Nickelodeon's Emmy Award Winning TV series The Fresh Beat Band. During the show's run, Yvette and the cast performed a sold-out tour in front of half a million fans.

Early life and education

González-Nacer was born to Cuban immigrant parents in Miami, Florida.[1] She became interested in music early, taking violin lessons when she was 3 years old and taking voice lessons in high school.[2][3] She attended the University of Miami after receiving an opera scholarship.[4]

Career

González-Nacer's early career focused on music rather than acting. She spent time as a member of a jazz band and toured alongside Engelbert Humperdinck,[4] singing the duet "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" with him on a World Tour.

Theater

González-Nacer played the character Maria in Dolores Prida's Off-Broadway show 4 Guys Named Jose ... and Una Mujer Named Maria. Her performance was praised as "comically endearing" by Variety. and as "unfairly charming" by Back Stage West.[5][6] She performed alongside Luis Valdez in Corridos Remix,[7] and she was awarded a Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Female Lead in a Musical by the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. She played Vanessa in the first national tour of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In the Heights.[8]

González-Nacer made her Broadway debut in 2019, playing one of the three Fates in Anaïs Mitchell's musical Hadestown.[9] She had previously played the role in a 2017 performance at the New York Theatre Workshop.[10] Nacer handled the highest part of the three.[11] Her performance in the musical was complimented in reviews by The Daily Beast, The Hollywood Reporter, and Rolling Stone.[12][13][14] In 2022, she joined the cast of Moulin Rouge! for the show's first national tour.[15] Initially an alternate, she took over the role of Satine shortly after the tour began.[16] Her performance was received positively by The Washington Post and Metro Weekly.[17][18] González-Nacer played Mrs. Wright in Real Women Have Curves, which received a limited run at the American Repertory Theater from 2023 to 2024.[19][20]

Television and film

González-Nacer starred in the television series The Fresh Beat Band from 2009 to 2013, later rejoining the case for the animated spinoff series Fresh Beat Band of Spies in 2015.[4] She embarked on a concert tour alongside the cast of The Fresh Beat Band in 2012.[2] She was nominated in the "Best Young Actress/Television" category at the 2011 Imagen Awards for her work in The Fresh Beat Band.[21][22] She was again nominated for "Best Actress/Television" at the 2014 Imagen Awards. In 2016, González-Nacer played Cha Cha in Grease Live!, a television film adaptation of the 1978 film Grease.[23][24] She then went on to portray the role of Soledad Penagos on CBS' "Madam Secretary," Ella on ABC's "9-1-1" and Isabella on AMC's "Wicked City." She most recently portrayed the role of Amanda in the feature film "Murder Motel" with Mickey Rourke and starred in the feature film "Playing For Mozart."

Music

González-Nacer released her first album, "Not Gonna Wait," in 2012.[4] In 2020, she released a Christmas album featuring her Hadestown castmates Jewelle Blackman and Kay Trinidad titled "If The Fates Allow: A Hadestown Holiday Album."[25]

Philanthropy

González-Nacer is the founder of Creative Minds Care, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness and funds for Alzheimer's research as well as other neurodegenerative diseases.[26] She is also a "Celebrity Champion" for the Alzheimer's Association and an ambassador for Active Minds.[27][28]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2018 Life, Itself Performed and produced "Not Dark Yet"
2019 Cactus Flower Colby
2022 The Curse of La Patasola La Patasola Composed, produced and performed the Main Theme. Voiced titular character
2023 Murder Motel Amanda
2024 Playing For Mozart Mara
2025 Hurricanna Executive Producer

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2007 The Wedding Bells Teresa Episode: "Fools in Love"
2007 Guiding Light Rosa 3 episodes
2009–2013 The Fresh Beat Band Kiki 60 episodes
2011 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Herself Episode: "Episode #20.19"
2013 Criminal Minds Gina Mendes Episode: "Nanny Dearest"
2015–2016 Fresh Beat Band of Spies Kiki (voice role) 20 episodes
2016 Grease Live! Cha Cha TV Movie
2017 Madam Secretary Soledad Penagos Episode: "Labor of Love"
2018 Goldie & Bear Phyllis Episode: "Horsin' Around/Pigs Without Twigs"
2023 9-1-1 Ella Episode: "Love Is In the Air"
2024 Wicked City Isabella Season 3

Theater

Year Production Role Theatre Category
2009–2011 In the Heights Vanessa 1st Broadway National Tour [8]
2018 Sweet Charity Nickie Reprise 2.0 [8]
2019–2020 Hadestown Fate Walter Kerr Theatre [9]
2022–2023 Moulin Rouge! Satine 1st Broadway National Tour [15]
2023–2024 Real Women Have Curves Mrs. Wright American Repertory Theater [19]
2024 Mozart: Her Story (A New Musical) Constanze Weber Theatre Royal Drury Lane (West End)

Awards and nominations

Year Organisation Award Work Result Ref.
2005 Craig Noel Awards Female Lead, Musical Corridos Remix Won [29]
2011 Imagen Awards Best Young Actress/Television The Fresh Beat Band Nominated [21]
2014 Imagen Awards Best Actress/Television The Fresh Beat Band Nominated [30]
2016 BTVA Television Voice Acting Award Best Vocal Ensemble in a New Television Series Fresh Beat Band of Spies Nominated [31]
2018 Bonehead Awards Best Music Video Santeria Won [32]

References

  1. ^ Greenberg, Kathy L. (2009-10-23). "City Life: From the Barrio Straight to Tampa". The Tampa Tribune. p. 16. Gale A210700725.
  2. ^ a b Gardner, Elysa (2012-01-30). "And the Fresh Beats go on -- on U.S. tour, that is". USA Today. Gale A278448214.
  3. ^ Moon, Jill (2012-02-29). "First tour for Fresh Beats". The Telegraph. Gale A281598017.
  4. ^ a b c d Guerra, Joey (2014-11-19). "Road to success 'super random' for 'Fresh Beat Band' star". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  5. ^ Martinez, Julio (2004-11-09). "4 Guys Named Jose … and Una Mujer Named Maria". Variety. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  6. ^ Shaner, Madeline (2004-11-18). "4 Guys Named Jose ... and Una Mujer Named Maria at International City Theatre". Back Stage West. 11 (47). Gale A125955644.
  7. ^ Weinberg-Harter, George (2005-05-05). "Corridos Remix: A Musical Fusion of Ballads Beyond Borders at the Lyceum Space". Back Stage West. 12 (19). Gale A132800979.
  8. ^ a b c Handelman, Jay (2009-10-28). "In the Heights". Variety. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  9. ^ a b McPhee, Ryan (2019-02-11). "Full Cast Announced for Broadway's Hadestown". Playbill. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  10. ^ "Broadway-Aimed Musical Hadestown Workshopped With Reeve Carney". Playbill. 2017-03-21. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  11. ^ Dijkstra, Kimberly (2019-11-06). "Hadestown Actresses Share Their Approach To Playing The Fates". Long Island Weekly. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  12. ^ Teeman, Tim (2019-04-17). "'Hadestown': The Broadway Musical That Takes Its Sweet-Sounding Time Going to Hell and Back". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  13. ^ Rooney, David (2019-04-17). "'Hadestown': Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  14. ^ Hermes, Will (2019-04-17). "'Hadestown,' the Little Indie Musical That Could, Takes on Broadway". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  15. ^ a b Meyer, Dan (2022-01-25). "See Who's Joining Conor Ryan and Courtney Reed in Moulin Rouge! The Musical Tour". Playbill. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  16. ^ Loria, Keith (2023-08-02). "Enter the World of "Moulin Rouge" at Kennedy Center with Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer". District Fray. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  17. ^ Wren, Celia (2023-08-17). "Pass the absinthe: This 'Moulin Rouge!' is a cynical steamroller". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2023-08-17. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  18. ^ Hereford, Andre (2023-08-13). "'Moulin Rouge' Review: Raise a Glass". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  19. ^ a b Culwell-Block, Logan (2023-10-16). "See Who's Starring In the World Premiere of Real Women Have Curves: The Musical". Playbill. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  20. ^ Gottlieb, Jed (2023-12-05). "'Real Women Have Curves' musical attuned with possibilities". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  21. ^ a b Gratereaux, Alexandra (2011-08-12). "Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer is Living Up to the Imagen Award". Fox News. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  22. ^ "2011 Imagen Awards Winners & Nominees". Imagen Foundation. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  23. ^ "Fox's Grease: Live Gets Its Doody, Sonny and Cha-Cha". Playbill. 2015-11-06. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  24. ^ Barnes, Brooks (2016-01-21). "'Grease: Live' Prepares for the Small Screen". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  25. ^ Meyer, Dan (2020-11-20). "If The Fates Allow: A Hadestown Holiday Album Drops November 20". Playbill. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  26. ^ "Our Story". Creative Minds Care. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  27. ^ "Alzheimer's Association Celebrity Champion Gallery". Alzheimer's Association. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  28. ^ "Active Minds Ambassadors". Active Minds. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  29. ^ "2005 Awards". San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  30. ^ "2014 Imagen Awards Winners & Nominees". Imagen Awards. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  31. ^ "2016 BTVA Television Voice Acting Award Winners & Nominees". IMDB.
  32. ^ "Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer Awards". IMDB. Retrieved 2024-08-21.