Andréa Burns is an American actress and singer best known for her portrayal of the hairdresser Daniela in Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In the Heights, as Carmen in Douglas Carter Beane's The Nance, and as Mrs. Spamboni in The Electric Company.
Early life Burns was born in Miami Beach, Florida to a Jewish father and a Venezuelan mother."Cabaret" talkinbroadway.com"Hitting New Heights" Playbill robertwestfield.com She has described herself as "a Venezuelan Jewess from Miami who grew up loving Broadway."
Career Burns began her career touring the opera houses of Europe as Maria in West Side Story when she was 18 years old. She has appeared on Broadway as Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, as Vicki Nichols in The Full Monty, as Carmen in The Nance, as Daniela in In the Heights, and as Googie Gomez in The Ritz, and she has sung concerts at Carnegie Hall. Burns appeared in the original company of Jason Robert Brown’s critically acclaimed Songs for a New World. Burns portrayed Lucille Frank in the national tour of Brown's Parade, for which she received a Touring Broadway Awards nomination for Best Actress. She was also created the role of Celeste in Saturday Night, by Stephen Sondheim, at Second Stage Theatre.
Her début solo album A Deeper Shade of Red was described by Playbill as "superb on all counts!" In 2006, "100 Stories", a single she co-wrote with her brother, music producer Mike Burns, rose to the No. 2 spot on the 2006 Billboard Hot Dance Club Play charts.
Television credits include Marvel Comics's Jessica Jones, Kevin Can Wait, Sky Dancers, Law & Order: SVU, Rescue Me, Blue Bloods, The Electric Company (2009 TV series), and Wonder Pets. She can also be heard on the original cast recordings of In The Heights, Songs for a New World, This Ordinary Thursday – The Songs of Georgia Stitt, Saturday Night, It's Only Life, Dear Edwina, Shine!, Broadway Bound, and Broadway Musicals of 1953.
Burns starred as Lenora in the 2015 film Akron, an official selection of the Out on Film Festival 2015, and played Fausta in Steven Spielberg's 2021 film West Side Story.
Stage credits YearTitleRoleVenueRef.1994Beauty and the BeastBelle (Understudy), EnsembleBroadway, Palace Theatre1995Songs for a New WorldPerformerOff-Broadway, WPA Theatre1999ParadeLucille FrankU.S. National TourSail AwayNancy FoyleNew York Concert, Carnegie Hall2000The Full MontyVicki NicholsBroadway, Eugene O'Neill TheatreSaturday NightCelesteOff-Broadway, Second Stage Theatre2001The Full MontyVicki NicholsU.S. National Tour2003Sunday in the Park with GeorgeDotRegional, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre2006The PirateManuelaRegional, Prince Music TheaterIn This HousePerformerStaged Reading2007The RitzGoogie Gomez (standby)Broadway, Studio 54In the HeightsDanielaOff-Broadway, The Public Theater2008Broadway, Richard Rodgers Theatre2011Bye Bye BirdieRose AlvarezRegional, The Muny2012Next to NormalDianaIthaca, Hangar TheatreEver So HumblePerformer2013The NanceCarmenBroadway, Lyceum Theatre2014Smart BlondeJudy HollidayRegional, City Theatre2015On Your Feet!Gloria FajardoRegional, City TheatreBroadway, Marquis Theatre2018Pamela’s First MusicalMary Ethel BernadetteRegional, Two River Theater2019The Rose TattooPeppina / Serafina Delle RoseBroadway, American Airlines TheatreWorking: A MusicalPerformerOff-Broadway, New York City Center (Encores!)Smart BlondePerformerOff-Broadway, 59E59 TheatersCarmelinaCarmelinaOff-Broadway, York Theatre Company2022The NotebookNurse Lori / MotherRegional, Chicago Shakespeare Theater2023The Gardens of AnunciaAunt LuciaOff-Broadway, Lincoln CenterThe Light in the PiazzaSignora NaccarelliOff-Broadway, New York City Center (Encores!)2024The NotebookNurse Lori / MotherBroadway, Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
Recording credits West Side Story (2021 film) as Fausta [Motion Picture Soundtrack, 2021] In The Heights [Studio Cast, 2008] Performer Shade Of Red [Solo album, 2007] This Ordinary Thursday [The Songs of Georgia Stitt, 2007] Performer It's Only Life [John Bucchino, 2006] Performer
Fine and Dandy [Studio Cast, 2004] Performer
The Last Five Years [Demo Recording, 2002] Performer 100 Stories"- [Studio Recording, 2002] Performer
Saturday Night as Celeste [Original Off-Broadway Cast Album, 2000]
Songs for a New World [Original Off-Broadway Cast Album, 1995] Performer
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.2001Touring Broadway AwardsBest Actress in a MusicalParade2003Joseph Jefferson AwardActress in a Principal Role – MusicalSunday in the Park with George2007Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Ensemble PerformanceIn the Heights2016Outer Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalOn Your Feet!
References
External links Official website
Lortel Off-Broadway Database listing