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Stephanie D'Abruzzo

January 20, 2023

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 Oobi and The Book of Pooh. She was one of the original cast members of the stage musical Avenue Q, receiving a nomination for the 2004 Best Actress in a Musical.

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

(1971-12-07) December 7, 1971 (age 51)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • puppeteer
  • singer
Years active1992–present
Known forThe Judy Show (1999)
The Book of Pooh (2001-2002)
Spouse
Craig Shemin
​
(m. 1995)​

Early life

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

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

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

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

References

  1. ^ "Stephanie d'Abruzzo (Puppeteer/Actress) || Ep. 31". YouTube.
  2. ^ a b . AvenueQ.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2007.
  3. ^ Manganaro, Kevin (March 24, 2004). . 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. ^ . Broadway.com. August 17, 2005. Archived from the original on August 7, 2007. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  8. ^ Porterfield, Harry (November 8, 2005). . 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. ^ . 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. ^ . 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). . The Morton Report. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2019.

External links

  • The official website of Stephanie D’Abruzzo
  • Stephanie D'Abruzzo at the Internet Broadway Database  
  • Stephanie D'Abruzzo at IMDb
  • at the
  • Stephanie D'Abruzzo and John Tartaglia - Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org
  • and at the
  • BroadwayWorld.com interview with Stephanie D'Abruzzo, June 13, 2007


Preceded by Voice of Velma Dinkley
2013; Scooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Performer of Prairie Dawn
2016 – present 		Succeeded by
None
Preceded by
None
 Curly Bear
2003 – present 		Succeeded by
None
Preceded by Performer of Mrs. Crustworthy
2016 – present 		Succeeded by
None

January 20, 2023
stephanie, abruzzo, stephanie, abruzzo, born, december, 1971, american, actress, puppeteer, singer, performed, various, muppets, program, sesame, street, held, starring, roles, oobi, book, pooh, original, cast, members, stage, musical, avenue, receiving, nomin. Stephanie Ann D Abruzzo d e ˈ b r uː z oʊ 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 Oobi and The Book of Pooh She was one of the original cast members of the stage musical Avenue Q receiving a nomination for the 2004 Best Actress in a Musical Stephanie D AbruzzoD Abruzzo on the set of Oobi in 2004BornStephanie Ann D Abruzzo 1971 12 07 December 7 1971 age 51 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania U S OccupationsActress puppeteer singerYears active1992 presentKnown forThe Judy Show 1999 The Book of Pooh 2001 2002 SpouseCraig Shemin m 1995 wbr Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Television 4 Personal life 5 Filmography 6 References 7 External linksEarly life EditD 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 EditD 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 EditSince 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 EditShe 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 EditThe Varsity Cafe TV 1990 Frieda Sesame Street 1993 present Prairie Dawn Since 2016 Elizabeth Mrs Crustworthy Since 2016 Lulu Curly Bear Googel Additional Muppets 30 The Puzzle Place 1995 Jody Silver and Pink Piece Police Season 2 The Wubbulous World of Dr Seuss TV 1996 Little Cat B Annie DeLoo Max the Dog Jane Kangaroo Pam I Am Sue Snue Sarah Hall Small Additional Muppets 31 Elmo s World 1998 Curly Bear Elizabeth Pillow Diva D Abruzzo Additional Muppets The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland 1999 30 Grizzy Pestie Elmo s World The Wild Wild West 2001 Googel Monster Clubhouse segment only Scrubs 2001 Patti 6 06 8 19 AM Muppet Ex Ray 8 05 The Book of Pooh TV 2001 2003 25 Kessie Jack s Big Music Show 2005 Gertrude the Groundhog Scat Cat Bert and Ernie s Great Adventures 2006 2013 Heidi Clarice the Cow Lady Lulu Quackerville Lily Bertina Ostrich Lady Ostrich Lady Abby s Flying Fairy School 2009 Super Fairy Cookie s Crumby Pictures 2013 Iffy M Princess Parfaita Sally Scooby Doo Adventures The Mystery Map 2013 Velma Dinkley and Shirley 32 Helpsters Cody 2019 present Oobi 2000 2005 Uma Inka Julie s Greenroom 2017 Peri The Not Too Late Show with Elmo 2020 Mae Praise Dawn Donkey Hodie TV 2021 present Duck Duck Harriett Elizabeth Cow Furry Friends Forever Elmo Gets a Puppy 2021 MaeReferences Edit Stephanie d Abruzzo Puppeteer Actress Ep 31 YouTube a b Kate Monster interviews Stephanie AvenueQ com Archived from the original on March 14 2007 Retrieved March 29 2007 Manganaro Kevin March 24 2004 Stephanie D Abruzzo Broadway com Archived from the original on March 6 2005 Retrieved September 11 2007 a b Owen Rob January 13 2007 Q amp A with Stephanie D Abruzzo Pittsburgh Post Gazette Lockwood Cara March 2 2017 Northwestern alumna and Sesame Street Master Puppeteer Breathes Life into Art Northwestern School of Communication Retrieved November 21 2021 a b c Johnson Kate Winter 2004 From Sesame Street to Broadway Northwestern Magazine Retrieved March 29 2007 Ask a Star Stephanie D Abruzzo Broadway com August 17 2005 Archived from the original on August 7 2007 Retrieved September 12 2007 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 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 Stephanie D Abruzzo Playbill Retrieved November 21 2021 Awards 2003 2004 OuterCritics org Retrieved June 8 2019 Wilson Gregory February 13 2006 A CurtainUp Review I Love You Because CurtainUp com Suskin Steven July 21 2006 If You Give a Mouse a Cookie amp Other Story Books Variety Carnival 2002 Off Broadway BroadwayWorld Retrieved September 3 2018 Gans Andrew August 20 2007 Kiss and Makeup with D Abruzzo Jenkins and Sabella Mills Begins Fringe Run Aug 20 Playbill Hetrick Adam August 7 2007 D Abruzzo to Take Part in Austentatious For New York Musical Theatre Festival Playbill Oh What a Lovely War 2005 New York BroadwayWorld Retrieved September 3 2018 Chess Broadway Special 2003 Revival IBDB com Retrieved November 21 2021 Children And Art 2005 Broadway BroadwayWorld Retrieved September 3 2018 Gans Andrew July 8 2005 Burnett Cook Peters McDonald Stritch and More Salute Sondheim July 8 at Hollywood Bowl Playbill Finding Nemo The Musical disneyworld disney go com Archived from the original on September 27 2018 Retrieved April 26 2019 ShowBusiness The Road to Broadway Cast amp Crew AllMovie com Retrieved April 26 2019 Stephanie D Abruzzo Makes Cabaret Debut May 23 at Birdland BroadwayWorld May 3 2005 Retrieved September 11 2007 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 a b c d e Stephanie D Abruzzo List of Movies and TV Shows TVGuide com Retrieved September 3 2018 Portantiere Michael January 12 2007 Scrubbing Up TheaterMania Retrieved November 21 2021 DIVA TALK Chatting with Stephanie D Abruzzo Plus Spring Awakening on CD Playbill January 12 2007 Retrieved November 21 2021 Watkins Gwynne June 12 2018 How Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt s Puppeteer Made a Talking Backpack So Emotional Vulture Stephanie D Abruzzo Craid sic Shemin The New York Times September 17 1995 a b Stephanie D Abruzzo Filmography TCM com Retrieved September 3 2018 The Wubbulous World of Dr Seuss Full Cast amp Crew TVGuide com Retrieved September 3 2018 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 External links EditThe official website of Stephanie D Abruzzo Stephanie D Abruzzo at the Internet Broadway Database Stephanie D Abruzzo at IMDb Stephanie D Abruzzo at the Internet Off Broadway Database Stephanie D Abruzzo and John Tartaglia Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing org THE Q INTERVIEW Kate Monster interviews Stephanie Stephanie D Abruzzo video interview parts 1 and 2 at the Scrubs Production Blog BroadwayWorld com interview with Stephanie D Abruzzo June 13 2007 Preceded byMindy Cohn Voice of Velma Dinkley2013 Scooby Doo Adventures The Mystery Map Succeeded byKate MicucciPreceded byFran Brill Performer of Prairie Dawn2016 present Succeeded byNonePreceded byNone Curly Bear2003 present Succeeded byNonePreceded byFran Brill Performer of Mrs Crustworthy2016 present Succeeded byNone Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Stephanie D 27Abruzzo amp oldid 1134055662, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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