Top 5 Friday | Women On Broadway

It's the Tony's this weekend guys *cue the rainbow coloured confetti canon* and to celebrate I've decided to dedicate this post to my top 5 women associate with Broadway and New York theatre. They may not be the biggest fishes in the pond or the most recognised (compared to the likes of Minelli or LuPone), but they are pretty extraordinary and - more importantly - inspiring. Check them out!

Audra McDonald (Actress)

As far as actresses go, Audra McDonald is a quiet powerhouse of a woman. The only actress to win awards in all four acting categories (Best Leading Actress awards in a play and musical, AND Best Supporting Actress in a play and musical), she holds the honor of being the most decorated Broadway actress of all time having won a whopping six Tony Awards.
Though a primarily classically trained, Audra voice transcends all genres of music and she's built up quite a repertoire on Broadway, with her credits including Porgy & Bess, Ragtime and Carousel.
You can catch her on the big screen next as she's set to play the diva-licious Wardrobe in the upcoming live action Beauty & the Beast with Emma Watson.

Diane Paulus (Director)

An absolute theatre pioneer, Diane Paulus is probably best known as the third woman to win a Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical for the 2012 revival of Pippin. Famous for her avante garde productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and the 2009 revival of Hair, Diane is always pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo of the theatre elite.
Outside of her more high-profile accomplishments, Diane has been the artistic director at the American Repertory Theatre since 2008 - the first woman to take on the role since it was established in 1980.
She's also an academic powerhouse, with her foundational arts grounding at the New York City Ballet, she is also a Harvard alum (where she still occasionally teaches) with a masters degree from Columbia, and was listed on the Times 100 list in 2014. Diane continues to push boundaries on both the smaller and bigger stages in the US, and recently directed the new Finding Neverland musical.
Throughout her successes, Diane remains one of the hardest working women in the background of Broadway and her entrepreneurial spirit makes her a true role model for both those seeking careers in both the creative and 'business' sides of the industry.

Lea Salonga (Actress)

A personal hero of mine and the role model for many East Asian women in the industry is the ever-incredible Lea Salonga. The Filipino born actress is probably best known for her role as Kim in Miss Saigon at the tender age of 17, before taking the stage (and breaking a couple of racial casting barriers) at the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary concert as Eponine - she also went on to play the role on Broadway and the West End, and graduated up to play the role of Fantine on Broadway too.
She is also the voice of the Disney generation having portrayed the singing voices for Princess Jasmine and Mulan. As well as making waves on the Big White Way, Lea is pretty much lauded as the Philippine's sweetheart and seems to be constantly on tour all over the world.
More recently she's been mentoring contestants on The Voice (Philippines) and is set to make her big Broadway comeback this Autumn in Allegiance with George Tekai.

Jeanine Tesori (Composer/Lyricist)

You may not know Jeanine Tesori's name, but if you're a musical theatre fan you've probably heard her toe-tapping musical numbers.
Jeanine rose through the ranks, first as a arranger for musicals such as How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, The Sound of Music (1998 revival), and The Who's Tommy.
Her big break came in 2000 as the composer for Thoroughly Modern Millie, for which she was nominated for Best Original Score. After composing for a number of off-Broadway shows, she landed another smash hit job as composer for Shrek: The Musical.
She's currently riding off the back of another smash hit success with Fun Home and is again nominated for Best Original Score at the Tonys this year. Ever creative, Tesori is one of the few female voices in the male dominated field of musical composition.

Krysta Rodriguez (Actress)

She may not be the biggest name on the Big White Way, but Krysta continues to be one of the best ambassadors for Broadway.
Krysta had humble beginnings rising through the ranks as an understudy and ensemble member in big productions like In The Heights, Spring Awakening and A Chorus Line, as well as originating the role of Wednesday Adams in the off-Broadway production of The Adams Family.
She's probably better known in the mainstream for her role as Ana Vargas in Smash, alongside Katherine McPhee and Jeremy Jordan and later went on to reprise her role in the fictional musical Hit List at a special 54 Below. Her big break on Broadway came opposite Zachary Levi in First Date the musical (which FYI has one of my favourite modern musical theatre songs ever).
Her personal life recently took a hit, as she was diagnosed with breast cancer late last year, yet she continues to inspire many with collaborating with Cosmo Online and the launch of ChemoCouture, both of which chronicle her journey through treatment. She's currently starring in Deaf West's revival of Spring Awakening in L.A.

And because this was the hardest list to put together in the history of ever, some notable runners up:
Sutton Foster (Actress), Chita Rivera (Actress), Julie Taymor (Director), Patina Miller (Actress), Rebecca Naomi Jones (Actress), and Annie Baker (Playwright)