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Alexandra Socha

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Alexandra Socha
Alexandra Socha (second from right) with cast of Spring Awakening
Born (1990-04-10) April 10, 1990 (age 34)
Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active2006 – present
SpouseEtai Benson (m. 2020)
Children1

Alexandra Socha (born April 10, 1990) is an American actress who made her Broadway debut in the rock musical Spring Awakening in May 2008. Other notable stage appearances include Nora in the brief 2009 revival of Brighton Beach Memoirs, Daisy Fenton in the Off-Broadway run of Death Takes a Holiday, as Philoclea in Head over Heels. She was featured in a supporting role in the Amazon comedy TV series Red Oaks.

Biography

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Socha was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, where she grew up, the daughter of Joan Storey and Thad Socha.[1] As an only child, she performed with her parents in local community theater shows. She attended Nashua High South graduating in 2008. Socha began to act as a child, joining the Peacock Players of Nashua,[2] where she played Amneris in the musical Aida in 2006.[3] She gained professional experience with the American Stage Festival and The Lyric Stage.[4]

After completing her junior year of high school, Socha made her Broadway debut in Spring Awakening on July 24, 2007. She replaced Krysta Rodriguez as an ensemble member plus understudying the roles of Wendla, Thea, Anna and Martha.[3] On May 20, 2008, Socha replaced Lea Michele taking over the role of Wendla fulltime.[5][6][7] She received positive notices in the Daily News[8] and The New York Times.[9] She played out the remainder of the run, and also graduated from Nashua High School in 2008 after completing a home study program. Her next Broadway appearance was the short-lived revival of Brighton Beach Memoirs,[10] which opened on October 25, 2009.[11][12]

In September 2010, Socha was at the Yale Repertory Theater in "We Have Always Lived in the Castle," a new musical based on the Shirley Jackson novel of the same name .[13] In April 2011, Socha opened in The Dream of the Burning Boy, at the Roundabout Theater Company's Black Box Theater. On July 14, 2011, she opened as Daisy Fenton in Death Takes a Holiday, at the Laura Pels theater.[14] On November 28, 2011, Socha made her solo concert debut at Duplex Cabaret Theatre in New York City with a show entitled Home. [15]

On October 17, 2012, Socha played Medium Alison in a workshop of the musical Fun Home, at The Public Theater in New York.[16] From Sept. 30 – Dec. 1, 2013, Socha originated the role of Medium Alison in the official off-Broadway premiere of Fun Home at The Public Theater in New York.[17] She left the show for personal reasons and was replaced by understudy Emily Skeggs who continued with the remainder of the run and later transferred the show to Broadway.

On television, Socha portrayed Mia in the Showtime series The Big C, made single appearances on White Collar, A Gifted Man, Made in Jersey, Law And Order: SVU, and had a recurring role in the FX series Damages. Socha was a regular cast member in Seasons 1 and 2 in the Amazon Comedy TV series Red Oaks.

In the summer of 2017, Socha returned to the Theater stage originating the role of "Amber" in the world premiere of Anna Ziegler's play Actually. The show had its world premiere at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She continued with the show when it transferred Off Broadway to Manhattan Theatre Club's Stage II at New York City Center.[18]

In 2018, Socha returned to Broadway for the first time in 8 years originating the role of Philoclea in Head over Heels,[19] a musical retelling of Sir Philip Sidney's play The Arcadia featuring music of The Go-Go's. For this show, Socha reunited with original Spring Awakening director Michael Mayer and castmate Andrew Durand.[20] Head Over Heels had its world premiere in San Francisco, California at the Curran Theatre from April 10 - May 6, 2018. It officially arrived on Broadway at the Hudson Theatre in the Fall of that same year. Previews began June 23, 2018[21] and Opening Night was set for July 26, 2018. Socha stayed with the production during its entire Broadway run. The show closed on January 6, 2019.

On March 5, 2024, Socha joined the Broadway cast of Wicked, replacing McKenzie Kurtz in the role of Glinda.[22] She currently plays the role alongside Mary Kate Morrissey as Elphaba.[23]

Personal life

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Socha met actor Etai Benson in 2011, and they married in 2020.[24][23] They played lovers Tzeitel and Motel in Paper Mill Playhouse's production of Fiddler on the Roof.[24] They welcomed a son in 2023.[25]

In April 2023, Socha revealed on Instagram that she had converted to Judaism.[25][26]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2010 Follow Me Daisy Short film
2014 Emoticon ;) Phoebe
2016 The Broken Ones

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2010 White Collar Lindsay Gless "Front Man"
2010–2011 The Big C Mia Recurring role
2011 A Gifted Man Chloe Salinger "In Case of Memory Loss"
2012 Damages Rachel Walling Recurring role
Made in Jersey Ellie Fordham "Pilot"
2013 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Brit Yardley "Traumatic Wound"
Royal Pains Molly O'Shea Recurring role
2014 Blue Bloods Hannah Lancaster "Power of the Press"
2014–2017 Red Oaks Skye Regular role
2020–2021 For Life Charlotte Recurring role
2021 Evil Fenna "S is for Silence"
2023 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Esther Maisel Recurring role; Season 5

Theater

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Year Title Role Notes
2008-2009 Spring Awakening Wendla (replacement) Broadway
2009 Brighton Beach Memoirs Nora Morton Broadway
2013 Fun Home Medium Alison Off-Broadway (The Public Theater)
2015 Paint Your Wagon Jennifer Rumson New York City Center Encores!
2018 Hey, Look Me Over! Mabel
Head Over Heels Philoclea Curran Theatre (out of town tryout)
Broadway
2019 Annie Get Your Gun Annie Oakley Bay Street Theater
2020 Mack & Mabel Mabel Normand New York City Center Encores!
2024 Wicked Glinda Broadway

References

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  1. ^ "Alexandra Socha Debuts New Solo Show - Peacock Players". Archived from the original on 2015-06-16. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  2. ^ (July 19, 2007). "From ballet to BU to the Bard", The Sun.
  3. ^ a b Heidi Masek. "Nashua's Alexandra Socha chosen for Spring Awakening". Hippo Press. Archived from the original on 2007-10-18. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  4. ^ "Profile of Socha at the Official Spring Awakening website". Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  5. ^ Adam Hetrick. "Riabko and Socha Will Be Spring Awakening's New Melchior and Wendla". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2008-05-24. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  6. ^ (June 19, 2008). "A Broadway star's tips for theatre success Archived 2009-04-22 at the Wayback Machine", Seventeen. Retrieved on 2009-05-15.
  7. ^ Bradfield, Jordan (July 18, 2008). "42nd Speak - Part 1 - Alexandra Socha, Spring Awakening", movmnt. Retrieved on 2009-05-15.
  8. ^ Joe Dziemianowicz (September 12, 2008). "'Spring' is still stirring". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
  9. ^ Charles Isherwood (September 15, 2008). "Injecting Real Youth Into a Youthful Show". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
  10. ^ "The Neil Simon Plays: cast announced for 'Brighton Beach Memoirs' and 'Broadway Bound'". New York Theater Guide. Retrieved 2009-09-06.[permanent dead link‍]
  11. ^ "The Neil Simon Plays's Two Eugenes Robins and Grisetti Profiled in The New York Post". Broadway World. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  12. ^ Brantley, Ben (October 26, 2009). "Neil Simon's Jeromes, at Home at the Nederlander". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  13. ^ "2010-11 Yale Repertory Theatre - We Have Always Lived in the Castle". Archived from the original on 9 September 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  14. ^ Death Takes a Holiday Archived 2012-10-11 at the Wayback Machine Internet Off-Broadway Database
  15. ^ "Alexandra Socha Presents Home at The Duplex, New York". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on 2012-04-06. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  16. ^ "Jeanine Tesori-Lisa Kron Musical Fun Home, With Judy Kuhn, Begins Public Run Oct. 17". Playbill. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  17. ^ Hetrick, Adam. "Jeanine Tesori-Lisa Kron Musical Fun Home Extends for Second Time at the Public". Playbill. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  18. ^ Levitt, Hayley (11 October 2017). "Joshua Boone and Alexandra Socha to Star in New York Premiere of Actually". TheaterMania. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  19. ^ Staff of Broadway.com (29 Jan 2018). "Go-Go's Musical Head Over Heels to Play Broadway's Hudson Theatre; Casting Announced". Broadway.com. Retrieved 29 Jan 2018.
  20. ^ Cristi, A. A. "Photos: First Look at Broadway-Bound HEAD OVER HEELS at the Curran Theater". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  21. ^ Newman, Melinda (2018-04-27). "The Go-Go's on Heading to Broadway With 'Head Over Heels,' Their Legacy & Inviting Mike Pence to the Play". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  22. ^ Gans, Andrew (2024-01-31). "Donna McKechnie to Return to Broadway in 'Wicked' Alongside Mary Kate Morrissey, Alexandra Socha, More". Playbill. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  23. ^ a b Smith, Paul Art (16 April 2024). "MEET MARY KATE MORRISSEY AND ALEXANDRA SOCHA, WICKED'S NEWEST WITCHES". Broadway Direct.
  24. ^ a b Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Interview: Real-Life Married Couple Alexandra Socha & Etai Benson Share the Stage in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  25. ^ a b "Interview: A Blessing on the Roof for New Parents Alexandra Socha and Etai Benson - TheaterMania.com". 2023-12-15. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  26. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
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