Diana DeGarmo - Musical Theatre

Musical Theatre

DeGarmo made her major stage debut as Maria in an American Musical Theatre of San Jose production of West Side Story in November 2005. Auditions for Broadway's Hairspray and the first national tour of the off broadway show Brooklyn: The Musical followed shortly thereafter. DeGarmo made her Broadway debut in a four-month run in Hairspray as nerdy Penny Pingleton in February 2006. She also performed the lead role of Brooklyn in the 2006 national tour of Brooklyn: The Musical alongside one of her idols, Melba Moore. DeGarmo returned to Hairspray for a second engagement from September 2006 to February 2007. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in April 2007 at a tribute to Neil Sedaka.

In 2008 DeGarmo was set to star alongside Tony Award nominee Gavin Creel in the Broadway revival of Godspell at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, but on August 19, 2008, it was announced that the show was postponed indefinitely due to the loss of an investor.

In May 2009 DeGarmo starred in the musical revue Back to Bacharach and David, which featured the songs of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. The Kathy Najimy created and produced show played a limited 2 week engagement in Los Angeles at the Music Box Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. In July 2009 she starred as the narrator in the Oklahoma Lyric's Theatre production of Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat alongside Idol alum Anthony Federov. Her next role saw her return to New York City when she debuted in August 2009 as Sarah, the "sexy, blind librarian" and love interest of Toxie in the Off Broadway musical, The Toxic Avenger. The show was housed at New World Stages. DeGarmo remained with "The Toxic Avenger" until it closed on January 3, 2010.

DeGarmo made her return to Broadway, starring as Sheila in the Broadway company of Hair where she met her now fiance, Ace Young. She succeeded original cast member Caissie Levy beginning March 9, 2010. She played Sheila until the show's closure on June 27, 2010.

DeGarmo played the role of Doralee Rhodes in the national tour of 9 to 5, which was launched on September 21, 2010 in Nashville. She ended her run as Doralee after the July 2011 Minneapolis tour stop.

DeGarmo appeared on musical theatre composer Scott Alan's third album, "What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up" with the song "I Wish, released November 1, 2010.

She reprised the role of Penny Pingleton in the Hollywood Bowl production of Hairspray, which ran from August 5–7, 2011.

DeGarmo has done several readings for new musicals over the years, starting with In Your Dreams in early October 2006. In 2009, she played the title role in a concert for Liberty: A New Musical at the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) and in 2009 played the role of Chris in the much anticipated reading of an updated Carrie: The Musical. In 2011 she played Fern/Vylette in the Manhattan reading of "Jawbreaker," a musical based on the 1990s movie of the same name.

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