Carmen Cusack, born April 25, 1971 in Denver, Colorado, United States, is an actress and singer known for her work in musical theater. She graduated from the University of North Texas with a performing arts degree. Her breakthrough role came as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera in Manchester, England. She also made her West End debut as Fantine in Les Misérables and appeared in the original West End productions of The Secret Garden and Personals. On December 12, 2006, Cusack joined the Chicago production of Wicked as the standby for Elphaba and later starred in the role on the first North American tour from November 6, 2007 to November 2, 2008. She also temporarily performed in the Melbourne production of Wicked from June 10 to July 10, 2009. In 2016, Cusack made her Broadway debut in Bright Star, originating the role of Alice Murphy, for which she received a Tony Award nomination and won a Theatre World Award. She later originated the role of Clare Boothe Luce in Flying Over Sunset, earning her second Tony nomination.
