Danielle Ferland (born January 31, 1971) is an American actress and singer, best known for originating the role of Little Red Ridinghood in Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods on Broadway.
Career Ferland attended Frank Scott Bunnell High School in Stratford, Connecticut, from 1985–1989 and attended New York University.
She made her Broadway debut at age 13 as Louise in Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George (1984). She next appeared off-Broadway in Paradise! (1985). In 1987 she was the singing child star in Woody Allen's Radio Days.
She returned to Broadway, originating the role of Little Red Riding Hood in the 1987 musical Into the Woods. For her performance in Into the Woods she received the 1988 Theatre World Award and also was nominated for the 1988 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. She reunited with the original cast for three performances in 1989, which were filmed for the Season 10 premiere episode of PBS’s American Playhouse."1991 Television Version" SondheimGuide.com, accessed March 19, 2012
Other credits include The Crucible (1991), Fredrika in A Little Night Music Lincoln Center Revival in 1991, Uncommon Women and Others (1994), Tartuffe at the Delacorte Theatre in 1999, A Year with Frog and Toad (2003), Engaged (2004),Hernandez, Ernio., playbill.com, April 20, 2004 She Stoops to Conquer at the Irish Repertory Company in 2005, the concert and recording of the York Theatre production of Summer of '42 (2006),Gans, Andrew. playbill.com, August 21, 2006 Like Love, New York Music Festival, 2007Hetrick, Adam. "DeLaria Rolls in With Ferland, Bodnar and Evan for Sept. 20 NYMF Openings", playbill.com, September 20, 2007 and All My Sons (2008).
She teaches Master Classes including in 2009 at the Boston Children's Theatre.Nargi, Jan.Broadway's Danielle Ferland Accentuates the Positive in BCT Master Class broadwayworld.com, August 12, 2009
Ferland narrated an audio book version of ''A Mile In My Flip-Flops'' written by Melody Carlson.2009 by Recorded Books, LLC
Since 2010, she has often performed in Sondheim Unplugged. She has sung for each of their three volumes, singing “Children and Art” in the second volume, “Hello Little Girl” in the first, and “It Takes Two” in the third. “Sondheim Unplugged NYC Sessions Volume 3” was nominated for a Grammy for the 2024 ceremony.
In 2011 she directed A Year with Frog and Toad with Boston Children's Theatre.
In 2012 Ferland starred in the Baltimore CenterStage and Westport Country Playhouse production of Into the Woods as the Baker's Wife."FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Into the Woods Arrives! Previews Begin Tomorrow for Sondheim’s Fairy Tale Musical", press release, CENTERSTAGE, State Theater of Maryland, BALTIMORE, March 2012.
In 2014 Ferland played the role of Estelle in HBO's drama The Normal Heart.
In 2015 Ferland appeared in Season 1 of the Netflix show Marvel's Jessica Jones.
In 2021, she appeared in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s film adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick… Boom!.
Personal life Ferland was born in Derby, Connecticut. She married Michael Goldstein ca. 2002; they have two sons.
Acting credits Theatre YearProductionRoleLocationCategory1983Sunday in the Park with GeorgeBoy bathing in the River, LouisePlaywrights HorizonsOff-Broadway 1984-1985Booth TheatreBroadway1987-1989Into the WoodsLittle Red RidinghoodMartin Beck TheatreBroadway1990A Little Night MusicFredrika ArmfeldtDavid H. Koch TheaterNew York City Opera1991-1992The CrucibleMercy LewisBelasco TheatreBroadway1992A Little Hotel on the SidePervencheBelasco TheatreBroadway 1994 Sunday in the Park with George Louise St. James Theatre BroadwaySunday in the Park with George Broadway Concert", Playbill, retrieved February 20, 20231997 The Wizard of Oz Dorothy Gale Actors Theatre of Louisville Regional Into the Woods Little Red Ridinghood Broadway Theatre Broadway" Into the Woods Broadway", Playbill, retrieved December 16, 2022 1999 The Secret Garden Martha North Shore Music Theatre Regional2003A Year With Frog and ToadBird, Turtle, Squirrel, Mother Frog, MoleCort TheatreBroadway2008-2009All My SonsLydia LubeyGerald Schoenfeld TheatreBroadway2012Into the WoodsThe Baker’s WifeWestport Country Playhouse / Baltimore Center StageRegional, 25th Anniversary Production
Filmography YearProductionRoleNotes1990Live from Lincoln CenterFredrika ArmfeldtEpisode: A Little Night Music1991American PlayhouseLittle Red Ridinghood Episode: Into the Woods1995Mighty AphroditeCassandra Film2002The Education of Max BickfordMarnie Ludlow1 episode 2007Rescue MeConfessional Woman1 episode2013Law & Order: Special Victims UnitTori1 episode2014The Normal HeartEstelleTV film2015Marvel's Jessica JonesClair4 episodes2016The OAHospital Admin1 episode2017Wonder WheelParty GuestFilm2019Orange Is the New BlackSharon2 episodesBlue BloodsColleen Becker1 episode2021tick, tick... BOOM!KimFilm2022Alaska DailyRita1 episode
Awards and nominations YearAward ceremonyCategoryShowResult1988Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalInto the Woods1988Theatre World AwardDistinguished PerformanceInto the Woods
References
External links
Internet Off-Broadway Database listing