Louise Pitre
Encyclopedia
Louise Pitre is an actress in musical theatre
on Broadway
and in Canada
. She is best known for her role as Donna Sheridan in the ABBA
-themed musical Mamma Mia!
, which earned her a 2002 Tony Award
nomination.
; her family moved to Montreal
and then to Welland
during her childhood. Her first language is French
. At age seven, she began to play piano
, eventually taking professional lessons. attended the University of Western Ontario
and graduated with a bachelor's degree
in music education. After performing in a college musical, however, she decided she would rather act on stage.
She later moved to Toronto
to pursue a musical theatre career. Her performance as Fantine in the musical adaptation of Les Misérables
earned her acclaim in Toronto, Montreal
, and Paris
. Later, she portrayed French
singer Edith Piaf
in three productions of Piaf.
Other musicals she was involved with include Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
, The World Goes 'Round, Blood Brothers, Tartuffe
, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
, The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd, Applause, and Rock 'n' Roll. She was nominated for three Dora Mavor Moore Awards for her various projects in Canada.
Pitre moved to New York
to audition for the musical Napoleon being produced in London
, but was turned down for the role of Josephine. She remained in the city and in 2001, Pitre made her Broadway debut in Mamma Mia! at the Winter Garden Theatre
as the lead role of Donna Sheridan. Although initially hesitant about taking the role, believing it to be "a tacky revue of ABBA tunes", she eventually changed her mind after seeing the show. She performed the role in Toronto and in its United States
national tour, and after 18 months, was asked to play the role on Broadway.
Reviews were positive; Variety Magazine, although unenthusiastic about the musical, called her "a terrific Donna", The New York Times
called her performance "delightful" and praised her "terrific pop belter's voice", and the San Francisco Chronicle
praised her for making the show "a dramatic showstopper". For her performance, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, and won the National Broadway Touring Award and an award from the San Francisco Theatre Critics Circle. Pitre left the show in October 2003.
Later projects include a performance as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd
with the Calgary Opera Company and a role in Annie Get Your Gun
.
Pitre has also released a CD titled All My Life Has Led To This, featuring songs in English
and French. The song is a re-release of her former Canadian album Love Letters, but with the Mamma Mia! songs "The Winner Takes It All" and "Slipping Through My Fingers" added. She released a subsequent album, titled Shattered, on which she collaborated with American songwriter Jimmy Webb
.
Pitre sang the role of Ulrika in two very well-received concert presentations of the English translation of Benny Andersson
and Bjorn Ulvaeus
' symphonic musical Kristina at Carnegie Hall
, New York on 23 and 24 September 2009.
She starred as Mayor Babs Belgoody and Ma Ferd in the Toronto production of The Toxic Avenger
at the Danforth Music Hall from October 2009 through January 2010 with Dancap Productions
. She was on stage in summer 2010 in Love, Loss and What I Wore and finished the year to rave reviews of her performance as Toad in A Year With Frog and Toad at Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People (now Young Peoples Theatre). She won her fourth Dora Mavor Moore Award
for this performance.
She is a Founding Artist of Theatre 20, a musical theatre company in Toronto formed by artists in 2009, and headlined their first project, a workshop of the first English translation of the hit French musical Les Belles Soeurs. She also performed in Theatre 20's 2011 Concert Series at the Panasonic Theatre
.
On June 1, 2011, she recorded her first live album during a one-night-only, sold-out concert (La Vie en Rouge) at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
' Jane Mallett Theatre. The upcoming CD will be released in 2012 in French.
In July 2011, Toronto Life
magazine named "Louise Pitre's musical theatre renaissance" as #12 in their "50 Reasons to Love Toronto" feature article.
She can currently be seen as the host of Star Portraits on Bravo! and performing her popular solo concerts across North America.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She is best known for her role as Donna Sheridan in the ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
-themed musical Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
, which earned her a 2002 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination.
Biography
Pitre was born in Smooth Rock Falls, OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
; her family moved to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and then to Welland
Welland, Ontario
Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...
during her childhood. Her first language is French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. At age seven, she began to play piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, eventually taking professional lessons. attended the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
and graduated with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in music education. After performing in a college musical, however, she decided she would rather act on stage.
She later moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to pursue a musical theatre career. Her performance as Fantine in the musical adaptation of Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
earned her acclaim in Toronto, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Later, she portrayed French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
singer Edith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
in three productions of Piaf.
Other musicals she was involved with include Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris is an American musical revue of the songs of Jacques Brel.-Original Off-Broadway Production:...
, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change is a musical comedy with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts. It is the second-longest running Off Broadway musical...
, The World Goes 'Round, Blood Brothers, Tartuffe
Tartuffe
Tartuffe is a comedy by Molière. It is one of his most famous plays.-History:Molière wrote Tartuffe in 1664...
, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a play by Edward Albee that opened on Broadway at the Billy Rose Theater on October 13, 1962. The original cast featured Uta Hagen as Martha, Arthur Hill as George, Melinda Dillon as Honey and George Grizzard as Nick. It was directed by Alan Schneider...
, The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd, Applause, and Rock 'n' Roll. She was nominated for three Dora Mavor Moore Awards for her various projects in Canada.
Pitre moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to audition for the musical Napoleon being produced in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, but was turned down for the role of Josephine. She remained in the city and in 2001, Pitre made her Broadway debut in Mamma Mia! at the Winter Garden Theatre
Winter Garden Theatre
The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1634 Broadway in midtown Manhattan.-History:The structure was built by William Kissam Vanderbilt in 1896 to be the American Horse Exchange....
as the lead role of Donna Sheridan. Although initially hesitant about taking the role, believing it to be "a tacky revue of ABBA tunes", she eventually changed her mind after seeing the show. She performed the role in Toronto and in its United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
national tour, and after 18 months, was asked to play the role on Broadway.
Reviews were positive; Variety Magazine, although unenthusiastic about the musical, called her "a terrific Donna", The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called her performance "delightful" and praised her "terrific pop belter's voice", and the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
praised her for making the show "a dramatic showstopper". For her performance, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, and won the National Broadway Touring Award and an award from the San Francisco Theatre Critics Circle. Pitre left the show in October 2003.
Later projects include a performance as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as then antagonist of the Victorian penny dreadful The String of Pearls and he was later introduced as an antihero in the broadway musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and its film adaptation...
with the Calgary Opera Company and a role in Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley , who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.The 1946 Broadway production...
.
Pitre has also released a CD titled All My Life Has Led To This, featuring songs in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and French. The song is a re-release of her former Canadian album Love Letters, but with the Mamma Mia! songs "The Winner Takes It All" and "Slipping Through My Fingers" added. She released a subsequent album, titled Shattered, on which she collaborated with American songwriter Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He wrote numerous platinum selling classics, including "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "The Worst That Could Happen", "All I Know", and "MacArthur Park"...
.
Pitre sang the role of Ulrika in two very well-received concert presentations of the English translation of Benny Andersson
Benny Andersson
Göran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
and Bjorn Ulvaeus
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
' symphonic musical Kristina at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, New York on 23 and 24 September 2009.
She starred as Mayor Babs Belgoody and Ma Ferd in the Toronto production of The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger (musical)
The Toxic Avenger is a rock musical that is based on Lloyd Kaufman's 1985 film of the same name. The book of the musical was written by Joe DiPietro, its music by David Bryan, and both wrote the lyrics.-Productions:...
at the Danforth Music Hall from October 2009 through January 2010 with Dancap Productions
Dancap Productions
Dancap Productions is a theatre production company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.It was founded in 2007 by Aubrey Dan. Since then, it has brought many productions to Toronto. Its longest running production is Jersey Boys. The touring company opened their show on 21. August 2008 at the Toronto...
. She was on stage in summer 2010 in Love, Loss and What I Wore and finished the year to rave reviews of her performance as Toad in A Year With Frog and Toad at Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People (now Young Peoples Theatre). She won her fourth Dora Mavor Moore Award
Dora Mavor Moore Award
The Dora Mavor Moore Award is an award presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts which honours theatre, dance, and opera productions in Toronto. Named after Dora Mavor Moore, who helped establish Canadian professional theatre, the award was established on December 13, 1978...
for this performance.
She is a Founding Artist of Theatre 20, a musical theatre company in Toronto formed by artists in 2009, and headlined their first project, a workshop of the first English translation of the hit French musical Les Belles Soeurs. She also performed in Theatre 20's 2011 Concert Series at the Panasonic Theatre
Panasonic Theatre
Panasonic Theatre is a live theatre owned and operated by Mirvish Productions in Toronto, Canada.-Early years:The theatre was built in 1911 as a private residence and then converted as a movie theatre in 1919 known as The Victory...
.
On June 1, 2011, she recorded her first live album during a one-night-only, sold-out concert (La Vie en Rouge) at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
The St Lawrence Centre for the Arts is a performing arts theatre complex located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Front Street one block east of Yonge Street, it was Toronto's official centennial project, commemorating the 1967 Canadian Centennial...
' Jane Mallett Theatre. The upcoming CD will be released in 2012 in French.
In July 2011, Toronto Life
Toronto Life
Toronto Life is a monthly Canadian magazine about entertainment, politics and life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto Life also publishes a number of annual special interest guides about the city, including Home Decor, Stylebook, Eating & Drinking, Real Estate and Weddings. Established in 1966,...
magazine named "Louise Pitre's musical theatre renaissance" as #12 in their "50 Reasons to Love Toronto" feature article.
She can currently be seen as the host of Star Portraits on Bravo! and performing her popular solo concerts across North America.