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Stephanie D'Abruzzo

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Stephanie D'Abruzzo
D'Abruzzo on the set of Oobi in 2004
Born
Stephanie Ann D'Abruzzo

(1971-12-07) December 7, 1971 (age 53)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma materNorthwestern University
Occupations
  • Actress
  • puppeteer
  • singer
Years active1990–present
Known forThe Judy Show (1999)
The Book of Pooh (2001-2002)
Avenue Q (2004)
Spouse
Craig Shemin
​
(m. 1995)​

Stephanie Ann D'Abruzzo (/dəˈbruːzoʊ/;[1] born December 7, 1971) is an American actress, puppeteer and singer. She has performed various Muppets in the TV program Sesame Street. She held starring roles on the children's TV shows Oobi and The Book of Pooh.

D'Abruzzo is also well known for playing Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut in the original Broadway production of Avenue Q in 2003. She received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance.

Early life

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D'Abruzzo was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 7, 1971,[2] and grew up in McMurray, a Pittsburgh suburb she has described as a "plastic bubble kind of town."[3] She graduated from Peters Township High School in 1989 and attended the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts, a summer program for gifted high school students.[4]

D'Abruzzo is a 1993 graduate of the Radio/Television/Film program at Northwestern University.[5][6] At the university's Communications Residential College (CRC), she could often be caught watching (and, as it turns out, studying) Sesame Street. She had a large collection of Muppet recordings, which she compiled into a mixtape that she auctioned off for dorm fundraisers.[citation needed]

Eventually, D'Abruzzo began to consider puppetry as a career, in part as a solution to finding acting roles after she "gained more than the Freshman 15 and [got] a bad perm."[7][4] D'Abruzzo's production of a puppet television show called Freeform won the National College Emmy award for comedy.[8]

D'Abruzzo's other roles at Northwestern included Mildred in the short film The Ballad of Hank and Mildred and as herself in The Glance. While in college, she also performed with a campus improvisational comedy troupe.[6]

Career

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D'Abruzzo has spent much of her career performing as a puppeteer in children's television, but she is known for originating the roles of single schoolteacher Kate Monster and sultry chanteuse Lucy the Slut in 2003 in the Broadway musical Avenue Q.[9] She garnered acclaim for her performance of the dual role, including a nomination for the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, a Drama Desk nomination, the Theatre World Award,[10] and the 2003–2004 Outer Critics Circle Special Ensemble Award.[11]

Other stage credits include I Love You Because (Off-Broadway) (2006),[12] If You Give A Mouse A Cookie (Off-Broadway, TheaterworksUSA, 2006),[13] Carnival (for City Center Encores!, 2002),[14] Kiss and Makeup (New York City Fringe Festival, 2007),[15] and Austentatious (New York Musical Theatre Festival) in 2007.[16]

D'Abruzzo has performed in developmental readings of Avenue Q, I Love You Because, Oh, What a Lovely War! (2005),[17] The $trip, The Medium at Large, and The Green Room. She has also been featured in several concerts and benefits, including Skitch Henderson's New Faces of 2004 at Carnegie Hall, Encores! 10th Anniversary Bash, Chess (for the Actors' Fund, 2003),[18] Children and Art: Stephen Sondheim's 75th Birthday Gala (2005),[19] and Stephen Sondheim's 75th: The Concert (at the Hollywood Bowl, 2005).[20]

D'Abruzzo appears on the original cast recordings of Avenue Q and I Love You Because and performs the parts of "Sheldon" and "Deb" on the studio recording of Finding Nemo – The Musical, a musical production performed several times each day at Disney's Animal Kingdom.[21]

She is one of the performers included in the documentary ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway (2007), which chronicles the 2003–2004 Broadway season.[22]

In May 2005, D'Abruzzo made her solo cabaret debut at the New York City jazz club Birdland.[23]

Television

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Since 1993, D'Abruzzo has performed as various Muppets in Sesame Street, including a notable performance singing with R.E.M. in a new version of their song "Shiny Happy People" called "Furry Happy Monsters".[24] From 2000 to 2005, she appeared as Uma and Inka on the Noggin series Oobi.[9] D'Abruzzo worked on Oobi along with her husband, Craig Shemin, who was part of the show's writing staff.

Her other puppeteering and voice work includes appearances in Sheep in the Big City, The Book of Pooh,[25] The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (1997),[25] and Jack's Big Music Show, along with various commercials and promos. She guest starred in a musical episode of Scrubs titled "My Musical",[25] as a patient with a mysterious ailment that caused her to interpret speech as Broadway-esque song and dance numbers. She sang in five of the nine songs. Four of the episode's songs were co-written by Avenue Q composers Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. She later appeared in a cameo in episode "My Finale", as series protagonist J.D. leaves Sacred Heart for the final time.[26][27]

D'Abruzzo performed Prairie Dawn on Sesame Street season 46, following the retirement of Prairie Dawn's original performer, Fran Brill, in 2015.[25]

D’Abruzzo voiced Kimmy’s long-lost backpack, Jan S. Port, in Season 4, episode 6 of the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt ("Kimmy Meets an Old Friend").[28] She reprised her role in the show's interactive film.

Personal life

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She is married to Craig Shemin, a writer and producer and board member of the Jim Henson Legacy. They married on September 17, 1995,[29] and live in New York City.[6][2]

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ "Stephanie d'Abruzzo (Puppeteer/Actress) || Ep. 31". YouTube. April 4, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Kate Monster interviews Stephanie". AvenueQ.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2007.
  3. ^ Manganaro, Kevin (March 24, 2004). "Stephanie D'Abruzzo". Broadway.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2005. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  4. ^ a b Owen, Rob (January 13, 2007). "Q&A with Stephanie D'Abruzzo". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  5. ^ Lockwood, Cara (March 2, 2017). "Northwestern alumna and Sesame Street Master Puppeteer Breathes Life into Art". Northwestern School of Communication. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Johnson, Kate (Winter 2004). "From Sesame Street to Broadway". Northwestern Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2007.
  7. ^ "Ask a Star: Stephanie D'Abruzzo". Broadway.com. August 17, 2005. Archived from the original on August 7, 2007. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  8. ^ Porterfield, Harry (November 8, 2005). "Northwestern grad's student project proved avenue to Broadway". WLS-TV. Archived from the original on February 13, 2006. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  9. ^ a b Gans, Andrew (September 26, 2003). "DIVA TALK: A Chat with Avenue Q's Stephanie D'Abruzzo Plus News of Egan, Holliday and MORE". Playbill.
  10. ^ "Stephanie D'Abruzzo". Playbill. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  11. ^ "Awards 2003-2004". OuterCritics.org. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  12. ^ Wilson, Gregory (February 13, 2006). "A CurtainUp Review: I Love You Because". CurtainUp.com.
  13. ^ Suskin, Steven (July 21, 2006). "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Other Story Books". Variety.
  14. ^ "Carnival! - 2002 Off-Broadway". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  15. ^ Gans, Andrew (August 20, 2007). "Kiss and Makeup, with D'Abruzzo, Jenkins and Sabella-Mills, Begins Fringe Run Aug. 20". Playbill.
  16. ^ Hetrick, Adam (August 7, 2007). "D'Abruzzo to Take Part in Austentatious For New York Musical Theatre Festival". Playbill.
  17. ^ "Oh! What a Lovely War - 2005 New York". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  18. ^ "Chess – Broadway Special – 2003 Revival". IBDB.com. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  19. ^ "Children And Art - 2005 Broadway". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  20. ^ Gans, Andrew (July 8, 2005). "Burnett, Cook, Peters, McDonald, Stritch and More Salute Sondheim July 8 at Hollywood Bowl". Playbill.
  21. ^ "Finding Nemo - The Musical". disneyworld.disney.go.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  22. ^ "'ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway' Cast & Crew". AllMovie.com. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  23. ^ "Stephanie D'Abruzzo Makes Cabaret Debut May 23 at Birdland". BroadwayWorld. May 3, 2005. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  24. ^ "Stars on the Street - Celebrity Guests Rub Shoulders With Big Bird and Friends". SesameWorkshop.org. Archived from the original on November 3, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2007.
  25. ^ a b c d e "Stephanie D'Abruzzo List of Movies and TV Shows". TVGuide.com. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  26. ^ Portantiere, Michael (January 12, 2007). "Scrubbing Up". TheaterMania. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  27. ^ "DIVA TALK: Chatting with Stephanie D'Abruzzo Plus Spring Awakening on CD". Playbill. January 12, 2007. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  28. ^ Watkins, Gwynne (June 12, 2018). "How Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Puppeteer Made a Talking Backpack So Emotional". Vulture.
  29. ^ "Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Craid (sic) Shemin". The New York Times. September 17, 1995.
  30. ^ a b "Stephanie D'Abruzzo Filmography". TCM.com. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  31. ^ "The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  32. ^ Lipp, Chaz (February 15, 2014). "DVD Review: Scooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map". The Morton Report. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
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