Jenn Gambatese is an actor, singer, teacher, and writer whose work has enabled her to see the world and collaborate with some of the most wonderful artists imaginable.
Originally from outside Cleveland, Ohio, Jenn came to New York to study at NYU where she double majored in Drama and Sociology. She graduated magna cum laude and had the distinction of being one of four "Artists and Scholars" from the Tisch School of the Arts. Both her theatrical training and scholastic endeavors provided Jenn with the best possible foundation upon which to build her career.
Jenn's Broadway debut was in the musical Footloose. She then went on to appear as one of the nicest kids in town in the original company of Hairspray (a show she happily returned to in the role of everyone's favorite saddle-shoed sidekick, 'Penny Pingleton'.) Between those stints in Baltimore, she forayed into the forest to play 'Mouse' and other woodland creatures in the enchanting A Year with Frog and Toad.
Next up, Jenn originated her first leading role playing 'Natalie' (and her alter-ego, 'Ed') in All Shook Up, a portrayal that earned her an Outer Critics Circle nomination. Her next incredible opportunities were creating the role of Jane in Disney's Tarzan and playing opposite Norbert Leo Butz in Is He Dead?, the hilarious farce by Mark Twain (aided by the incomparable David Ives). Jenn had the good fortune of doing another fantastic David Ives' play, The School for Lies, at Classic Stage Company.
After becoming a Mom, Jenn had the incredible opportunity to travel across America "by bubble" as Glinda in the national tour of Wicked. She also had the great privilege of starring to critical acclaim as both Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music, and Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel with the esteemed Lyric Opera of Chicago. Returning to Broadway, she also starred as Principal Rosalie Mullins in School of Rock and originated the role of Miranda Hillard in Mrs. Doubtfire.
Being back in New York also made it possible for Jenn to create her first solo album Jenn Gambatese: Cockeyed Optimist, a celebration of her love for the legendary writing team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. It debuted on February 1, 2017, and is available on all streaming platforms.
The majority of Jenn's regional work has been in the great neighboring "nutmeg state", Connecticut. She was delighted to play Chloe Haddock in Terence McNally's Lips Together Teeth Apart at the Westport Country Playhouse. She won a Connecticut Critics Circle award for her portrayal of Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun at the Goodspeed Opera House, and she was nominated for another CCC for playing Constance Blackwood in We Have Always Lived in the Castle at the Yale Repertory Theater.
As a concert performer, Jenn has sung across the country with great orchestras such as The Atlanta Symphony, West Michigan Symphony, The Long Island Philharmonic, and The Grand Teton Music Festival. She also enjoys teaching master classes to young performers in both high school and university settings.
As a writer, Jenn frequently collaborates with the extraordinary playwright, Howard Emanuel as well as with the extremely talented composer, Paul Fujimoto.
On the home front, Jenn is blessed beyond measure to be married to Curtis Cregan. Together they have two beautiful daughters.
This is the section of my website where you get to hear directly from me. I hope it will be fun and illuminating! So as Maria von Trapp instructs, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.”
I put my mother into labor on Labor Day in 1975. This was the start of me taking things quite literally. Or maybe not, because it turned out to be false labor and they sent her home. So maybe it was the start of me being a little shy about stepping into the light? Nine days later, on September 10th, I made my debut with the cord wrapped around my neck, solidifying my love affair with drama.
I was the youngest of four and found out in adulthood that I came as a bit of a surprise to my parents, but they assured me it was considered a delightful one. If they were lying, their actions certainly never gave them away; I have always felt loved and supported by my folks and for that, I am truly grateful.
My siblings are extraordinary souls who have loved and learned with me my whole life long. Their own explorations of life contributed a great deal to mine, and I love the memories we made when we were younger and continue to make today.
My sisters and I still get to do that together on earth, but with our brother, the relationship shifted when he returned to the non-physical in 1996. It might sound strange to say that I am still in relationship with my brother all these years after a car accident ended his physical life, but I am, and again this fills me with gratitude!
Speaking of family, can we talk about cousins? I’ve got a gazillion and I love them! I sincerely believe cousins (first, second, once and twice removed, all of ‘em!) are the best part of families and the ones we get to have the most fun with because their bit of distance doesn’t wildly trigger us the way the people closest to us do! I am also a big fan of aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.
So let’s see, that’s a bit about the people I come from, but what about the stuff I did that got me to where I am today? Well, let’s just say that, for a variety of reasons, in my younger years I adopted the limiting belief that achievement was the way to acceptance, love, and “success”. I threw myself into my academic and extra-curricular life with the kind of gusto only a mother (or father or guidance counselor) could love, and accumulated all kinds of external awards and praise that still left me feeling kind of empty.
I’m happy to report that a few decades later, I have come to see that creating my life from such a false premise was a recipe for, if not disaster, a lot of angst and anxiety. Also, it was not always a lot of fun.
That said, I don’t regret a thing! I learned so much, enjoyed a great deal, and it all unfolded perfectly to bring me to the awareness that what matters most is only how much love I add into this world during the time I am here.
Which brings me to Theater. (Likely the thing that brought most of you to this website.). I love it so much!
LIVE storytelling connects people to themselves and each other in ways that defy explanation. It’s like there’s this invisible thread stretching from the first campfires in caves through the amphitheaters of ancient times right on up to the bright marquees surrounding Times Square now.
Being a part of the Broadway community has been one of the greatest blessings in my life and, certainly, a dream come true. From my first paid performing gig at an amusement park, through pounding the pavement getting headshots after college, all the way to the more glamorous publicity shots you’ll find throughout this website, “playing dress up for a living” still never gets old!
I’m having a lot of fun exploring on-camera storytelling too. The medium may be different but the intent remains the same… offering people an opportunity to see their own human journeys reflected back to them. One thing I especially like about it is the fact that it captures a performance at a moment in time which can then be shared with limitless audiences. This is in contrast to the very thing that makes live theater so special. I am an equal opportunity lover of the ways different performance platforms operate!
Speaking of “performance platforms,” I enjoy seeing Life itself as one. One in which we are all the protagonists (writers, directors, and co-producers) of our own stories—able to draw upon our own inner authority to create new narratives. My wish for everyone reading this is that you feel worthy, empowered, and loved as you write the storylines of your own lives! Added together, they create the most beautiful tapestry for us all!
Love,
Jenn
