# Marisha Wallace

Marisha Wallace (born September 29, 1985) is an American actress and singer, best known for her work in musical theatre.

## Life and career

Wallace appeared in the original Broadway casts of Aladdin (2014) and Something Rotten! (2015) as a member of the ensemble and understudy. In January 2017 she became an alternate Effie White in the West End production of Dreamgirls. Following the departure of Amber Riley from the production, Wallace took over the role, sharing with Karen Mav and Moya Angela. In 2017, she released a Christmas album called Soul Holiday.
In 2019, she joined the original London cast of Waitress as Becky. In Summer 2021 she starred in the London Coliseum production of Hairspray as Motormouth Maybelle opposite Michael Ball. For this role she was nominated for the 2021 Black British Theatre Awards as Best Female Actor in a Musical.
In 2022, she played Ado Annie in Oklahoma! at the Young Vic, a performance for which she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical.
Wallace is the singing voice of Ms Johnston in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey on Netflix.
In March 2023, she began playing Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre for which she was nominated for her second Olivier Award Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She left the production in February 2024.
In March 2024, Wallace entered the Celebrity Big Brother house to compete in the twenty-third series. She was the fifth housemate evicted, leaving on Day 16 in a double eviction.
In August 2024, she appeared in a concert staging of Something Rotten! at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
In September 2024, she made a special guest appearance during concerts by Alex Newell at Cadogan Hall. In December 2024, she made her debut in pantomime as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood at the London Palladium.
Between January and May 2025, she starred in Cabaret at the Playhouse Theatre as Sally Bowles, alongside Billy Porter as The Emcee.

## Stage

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2010 | Rent | Maureen Johnson | Palace Theatre |
| 2011 | Rent | Joanne Jefferson | Broadway Palm Theatre |
| 2012 | The Book of Mormon | Ensemble | US Tour |
| 2014 | Aladdin | Ensemble u/s Babkak | New Amsterdam Theatre, Broadway |
| 2015 | Something Rotten! | Ensemble u/s Bea | St. James Theatre, Broadway |
| 2016 | Dreamgirls | Effie White | Savoy Theatre, West End |
| 2019 | Waitress | Becky | Adelphi Theatre, West End |
| 2021 | Hairspray | Motormouth Maybelle | London Coliseum, West End |
| 2022 | Oklahoma! | Ado Annie | Young Vic Theatre, London |
| 2023 | Guys and Dolls | Miss Adelaide | Bridge Theatre, London |
| 2024 | Something Rotten! | Bea | Theatre Royal Drury Lane, West End |
| 2024 | Robin Hood | Sheriff of Nottingham | London Palladium, West End |
| 2025 | Cabaret | Sally Bowles | Playhouse Theatre, West End |

## Filmography

As herself :
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
| 2021 | Feel Good | Marsha; season 2 (2 episodes) | |
| 2024 | Celebrity Big Brother | Housemate; series 23 | |

## Discography
### Albums

List of albums, with selected details and chart positions :
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Details | UK |
| Soul Holiday | Released: October 26, 2017 Labels: Self-released Format: Digital download | — |
| Tomorrow | Released: November 27, 2020 Labels: Decca Format: Digital download, streaming | 69 |

### Singles

| Title | Year | Album |
| "Fight Like a Woman (Slay)" | 2019 | Non-album singles |
| "The Beginning" | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Tomorrow" | 2020 | Tomorrow |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
| 2020 | Waitress | WhatsOnStage Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Musical | Nominated |
| 2023 | Oklahoma! | Olivier Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Nominated |
| 2023 | Oklahoma! | WhatsOnStage Award | Best Supporting Performer in a Musical | Nominated |
| 2024 | Guys and Dolls | WhatsOnStage Award | Best Performer in a Musical | Nominated |
| 2024 | Guys and Dolls | Olivier Awards | Best Actress in a Musical | Nominated |