Josefina Scaglione (born
1987) is an Argentinian
musical theatre
actress, best known for her performance as Maria in the 2009
Broadway
revival of
West Side Story, for which
she received a Tony nomination
for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.
Biography
Scaglione
was raised in Rosario
, and became
interested in performing as a child. While in high school,
she received a scholarship to attend a summer arts program at
Point Park
University
in Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania
. Upon graduating from high school, Scaglione
moved to Buenos
Aires
and began working as a musical theatre
actress. In Buenos Aires, she performed in
Cinderella, and as Amber Von Tussle in
Hairspray.
In 2008,
director Arthur Laurents, unable to
find an actress in the United States
appropriate for the part of Maria in a Broadway revival of
West Side Story, discovered
Scaglione after friends in Buenos Aires directed him to a YouTube clip of her performing Astor Piazzolla's composition Libertango. Laurents flew
Scaglione to New York
City
to audition, where she immediately received the
role, despite the fact that she was unknown in the United
States. After performing as Maria at the National
Theatre
in Washington,
DC
, Scaglione made her Broadway debut in West Side
Story at the Palace
Theatre on March 19, 2009. As Maria, Scaglione won the
Outer Critics Circle
Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical and a
Theatre World Award, and was nominated
for the
Tony Award for
Best Leading Actress in a Musical.
References
- Gamerman, Ellen. "I've Just Met a Girl Named Josefina: A revival of 'West
Side Story' bets on a little-known actress from Argentina",
The Wall Street Journal, 2009-01-29.
Retrieved on 2009-05-24.
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