Veerle Casteleyn
Encyclopedia
Veerle Casteleyn is a Belgian musical theatre
performer and ballerina
.
After leaving school, she performed in various shows in Belgium such as:
In 1997, Veerle moved to London
to play the role of Jemima
in the 1998 video production of “Cats
”. Even though Veerle’s voice was going to be dubbed, it did not stop millions from falling in love with her wide-open face and big brown eyes. After the video, she took on several roles apart of the swing in the West End’s production of “CATS”. Soon after, she started to perform as Jemima on a regular basis; she also understudied the roles of Victoria and Rumpleteazer. After “CATS”, she joined the UK tour of “Carousel” as Louise. After the tour was over, Veerle went back to her homeland of Belgium and performed as Fredrika in the European tour of “A Little Night Music”.
In 2002, Veerle landed the role of Julia in the Belgian production of the French hit, “Roméo et Juliette: de la Haine à l’Amour” (appropriately re-named “Romeo en Julia: van Haat tot Liefde") It was Veerle’s first lead role, and her first time releasing a CD with her voice on it.
After "Romeo en Julia", Veerle starred as Chava in the Straight From the Heart production of "Fiddler on the Roof". After a short hiatus, Veerle moved onto television…becoming a cast member on the Belgian TV show "De Wet Volgens Milo" as Sonja, an intern at a law firm. During the end of 2005, Veerle took part in the Belgian version of the Czech musical "Dracula", as a part of the ensemble.
Recently, Veerle was a part of the ensemble in the Antwerp production of the ABBA song inspired musical "Mamma Mia!". On August 9, she began rehearsals for the new Dutch production of "CATS", in which she was a swing member (1st cover for Electra, 1st cover for Sylvani aka Jemima, and 2nd cover for Victoria). She took over the role of Jemina full time in the summer of 2007. "CATS" premiered in Rotterdam in October, and toured the Netherlands until October 2007.
Les miserables 2008-2009 (ensemble)(Netherlands)
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...
performer and ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
.
Biography
She trained at the De Koninklijke Balletschool van Antwerpen in Belgium, and during her training she was in various plays such as:- Joint Venture
- Initiate
- Fanfare
- The Three Musketeers (short piece)
- Self Made
After leaving school, she performed in various shows in Belgium such as:
- AnnieAnnie (musical)Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
- The Sound of MusicThe Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
- CatsCats (musical)Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
- The Sound of Music (revival)
In 1997, Veerle moved to 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...
to play the role of Jemima
Jemima (cat)
Jemima is a principal character in the musical play Cats, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber using the poetry of T. S. Eliot. She is the youngest member of the tribe of Cats, the voice of innocence and wonder.-Character:...
in the 1998 video production of “Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
”. Even though Veerle’s voice was going to be dubbed, it did not stop millions from falling in love with her wide-open face and big brown eyes. After the video, she took on several roles apart of the swing in the West End’s production of “CATS”. Soon after, she started to perform as Jemima on a regular basis; she also understudied the roles of Victoria and Rumpleteazer. After “CATS”, she joined the UK tour of “Carousel” as Louise. After the tour was over, Veerle went back to her homeland of Belgium and performed as Fredrika in the European tour of “A Little Night Music”.
In 2002, Veerle landed the role of Julia in the Belgian production of the French hit, “Roméo et Juliette: de la Haine à l’Amour” (appropriately re-named “Romeo en Julia: van Haat tot Liefde") It was Veerle’s first lead role, and her first time releasing a CD with her voice on it.
After "Romeo en Julia", Veerle starred as Chava in the Straight From the Heart production of "Fiddler on the Roof". After a short hiatus, Veerle moved onto television…becoming a cast member on the Belgian TV show "De Wet Volgens Milo" as Sonja, an intern at a law firm. During the end of 2005, Veerle took part in the Belgian version of the Czech musical "Dracula", as a part of the ensemble.
Recently, Veerle was a part of the ensemble in the Antwerp production of the ABBA song inspired musical "Mamma Mia!". On August 9, she began rehearsals for the new Dutch production of "CATS", in which she was a swing member (1st cover for Electra, 1st cover for Sylvani aka Jemima, and 2nd cover for Victoria). She took over the role of Jemina full time in the summer of 2007. "CATS" premiered in Rotterdam in October, and toured the Netherlands until October 2007.
Stage credits
- Annie (Belgium)
- The Sound of Music (as Liesl) (Belgium)
- Cats (as Sylvani) (Belgium)
- Cats (as Jemima/Victoria/Rumpleteazer/Swing) (London)
- CarouselCarousel (musical)Carousel is the second stage musical by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II . The work premiered in 1945 and was adapted from Ferenc Molnár's 1909 play Liliom, transplanting its Budapest setting to the Maine coastline...
(as Louise) (UK National Tour) - A Little Night MusicA Little Night MusicA Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a literal English translation of the German name for Mozart's Serenade...
(as Fredrika) (European Tour) - Romeo en Julia: van Haat tot Liefde (as Julia) (Belgium)
- Fiddler on the RoofFiddler on the RoofFiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
(as Chava) (Belgium) - Alleen op de Wereld (as adult Remi) (European Tour)
- DraculaDraculaDracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
(ensemble) (Belgium) - 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...
(ensemble) (Belgium) - Cats (Electra) (European Tour)
Les miserables 2008-2009 (ensemble)(Netherlands)
Video credits
- CatsCats (musical)Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
(television version) (as Jemima) - DraculaDraculaDracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
(ensemble)
Television credits
- FlikkenFlikkenFlikken was a popular Flemish-Belgian TV series about a police-department located in Ghent. The show started in 1999 and ended recently on 19 April 2009. In the series, a team of six police officers solved various crimes, petty crimes as well as organised crime...
(Elke De Brock) [Season 5, Episode 6: Sporen] - De Wet Volgens Milo (Sonja)