Lucy St. Louis
English actress and singer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lucy St. Louis (born 26 October) is an English actress and singer. From 2021 to 2023, she played Christine Daaé in the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera, making her the first black performer to do so. She was then cast as Glinda in Wicked, also in the West End.[2][3]
- Lucy St Louis
- Lucy Clare
Lucy St. Louis | |
|---|---|
St Louis in 2016 | |
| Born | 26 October Westminster, London, England |
| Other names |
|
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Spouse |
Ben Clare (m. 2018) |
St. Louis has also played Diana Ross in Motown: The Musical, Antonia in Man of La Mancha, Guenevere in Camelot in Concert, and Little Eva in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
Early life
St. Louis was born in London. She began her vocal training from the age of seven. She mentioned being inspired to pursue musical theatre by her grandmother, with whom she would watch old-style MGM musicals, "learn all the words and sing and dance around the house".[4]
She left school at sixteen to pursue the performing arts.[5] She trained at Laine Theatre Arts, graduating in 2012 and was cast in Ragtime halfway through her final year.[6][7]
Stage career
St. Louis had her career breakthrough during her last year of musical theatre school in 2012, being cast in the ensemble of Ragtime.[8]
The following year, in 2013, she was cast as first cover Nabalungi in The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre.
In 2015, St. Louis portrayed Shirelle/Little Eva in Beautiful: the Carole King Musical at the Aldwych Theatre, alongside Katie Brayben as Carole.[9]
In 2021 St. Louis became the first black actress to ever portray the lead role of Christine Daaé in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera.[10] For this portrayal she was nominated as Best Female Actor in a Musical at the Black British Theatre Awards in the same year.
St. Louis was announced as Glinda in Wicked in London starting from March 2023. She played the role alongside Alexia Khadime as Elphaba, making this the first instance where both leading roles were played by two actors of colour.[11]
In 2023, St. Louis joined a star-studded cast for My Favourite Things, the 80th Anniversary Concert of Rodgers and Hammerstein at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Other performers included: Aaron Tveit, Audra McDonald, Joanna Ampil, Maria Friedman, Michael Ball, Daniel Dae Kim, Julian Ovenden, Marisha Wallace and Patrick Wilson. Rita Moreno also made an appearance during the concert. The show was filmed and a two-discs version of all songs made available the following year.[12]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Beauty and the Beast | Debutante | |
| 2021 | Now or Never | Self | TV special |
| 2022 | The Silent Twins | Performer | |
| 2024 | Great Performances | Self | TV series |
| My Favourite Things: the Rodgers
and Hammerstein 80 Anniversary |
Self | Concert |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Peter Pan | Tiger Lily | Hawth Theatre, Crawley |
| 2011 | Alan Jay Lerner Memorial | Soloist | St Paul's, Covent Garden |
| Ultimate Broadway | Vocalist | Shanghai Culture Square, Shanghai | |
| 2012 | Ragtime | Ensemble | Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London[13] |
| Peter Pan | Tiger Lily | Venue Cymru, Llandudno | |
| 2013 | The Book of Mormon | Nabulungi (understudy) | Prince of Wales Theatre, London |
| 2015 | Beautiful: The Carole King Musical | Shirelle / Little Eva | Aldwych Theatre, London |
| 2016 | Motown: The Musical | Diana Ross | Shaftesbury Theatre, London[14][15] |
| 2019 | Man of La Mancha | Antonia | English National Opera, London Coliseum |
| 2021–23 | The Phantom of the Opera | Christine Daaé | Her Majesty's Theatre, London[16] |
| 2022 | Camelot | Guenevere | London Palladium[citation needed] |
| 2023 | My Favourite Things, The Rodgers & Hammerstein
80 Anniversary Concert |
Self | Theatre Royal, Drury Lane |
| 2023–2025 | Wicked | Glinda | Apollo Victoria Theatre, London[17] |
| 2025 | Top Hat | Dale Tremont | Chichester Festival Theatre[18] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Black British Theatre Awards | Best Female Actor in a Musical | The Phantom of the Opera | Won | [citation needed] |
| 2024 | WhatsOnStage Awards | Best Takeover Performance | Wicked | Nominated | [19] |