# Lindsay Mendez

Lindsay Michelle Mendez (born March 1, 1981) is an American actress and singer, best known for her work in American musical theatre. She won the 2018 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Carrie Pipperidge in a Broadway revival of Carousel. Her other credits on Broadway include Elphaba in Wicked (performing during the production's tenth anniversary), Godspell, and Jan in Grease. Mendez starred alongside Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe in the first Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along, which opened to critical acclaim on Broadway in October 2023.
From September 2019 to November 2023, Mendez co-starred on the CBS drama series All Rise as court stenographer Sara Castillo.

## Early life and career

Mendez was born in Norwalk, California. Her father is of Mexican descent and her mother is of Russian Jewish ancestry. Her brother, Michael Mendez, is also a Broadway performer. She played Lizzie in a preview of A Little More Alive, written by Nick Blaemire, in Kansas City. Other credits include roles in The Marvelous Wonderettes, 35MM, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, and Princesses.
She made her Broadway debut in 2007 as part of the second Broadway revival of the musical Grease. She appeared in “Spare Some Change: NYC Artists for Barack Obama” directed by Ryan Mekenian in 2008 alongside Shaina Taub, Carrie Manolakos, Joe Iconis, Seth Rudetsky, & Celia Keenan-Bolger.
In 2012, Mendez appeared opposite Derek Klena in the off-Broadway musical Dogfight as Eddie and Rose, and from May 2013 in Wicked as Fiyero and Elphaba respectively. She was nominated for her role as Rose in Dogfight for the 2013 Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, the 2013 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, and the 2013 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Mendez and Klena frequently perform together at the Broadway supper club 54 Below. They released a jazz album entitled This Time in 2013. Mendez also sings jazz and blues at other cabarets and dining clubs with pianist Marco Paguia.
While performing in Wicked, Mendez filmed a series of video blogs for Broadway.com entitled "Fly Girl: Backstage at Wicked with Lindsay Mendez", giving an inside look at the smash musical, including interviews with current cast members, glimpses of costumes, sets, props, and how Mendez herself was transformed into the musical's protagonist, Elphaba, the green-skinned girl who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.
Mendez, along with composer Ryan Scott Oliver, founded and runs Actor Therapy: a five-week training experience for young actors in NYC.
In 2014, Mendez played Naomi Rodriguez in Lin Manuel Miranda's one-act musical 21 Chump Street and then in 2015, Laura in the play Significant Other.
In early 2016 she was set to star in the Broadway premiere of the musical Nerds alongside Rory O'Malley, Patti Murin and others. The show was cancelled during a rehearsal session two weeks before the first preview due to not having the financial resources for a Broadway mount.
Mendez played Carrie in the 2018 Broadway revival of Carousel, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. The production also starred Jessie Mueller and Joshua Henry.
In the 2022 she played Mary Flynn in the off-Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along at New York Theater Workshop alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff as well as former Wicked co-star Katie Rose Clarke. Mendez reprised the role in 2023 in the first Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along. She received a second nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance.
Mendez had a main role as a court reporter on the legal drama series All Rise which ran from 2019 to 2023. She appeared in the Ryan Murphy produced anthology series American Sports Story.

## Personal life

Mendez has one daughter named Lucy from a previous relationship. Mendez married her All Rise co-star J. Alex Brinson in April 2024 in Central Park. The ceremony included Merrily castmates Jonathan Groff as the officiant and Daniel Radcliffe as the ring bearer. Their daughter Ruby Beck Brinson was born on September 19, 2024.

## Filmography
### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2013 | Smash | Herself | Episode: "The Transfer" |
| 2018 | Murphy Brown | Rachel | Episode: "The Wheels on the Dog Go Round and Round" |
| 2019 | Modern Family | Bel Air Black Widow | Episode: "SuperShowerBabyBowl" |
| 2019 | Elementary | Dr. Angela Hardy | Episode: "The Latest Model" |
| 2019–2023 | All Rise | Sara Castillo | Main cast |
| 2019 | Helpsters | Doctor Devin | Episode: "Rita Reader / Cody Gets a Cold" |
| 2021 | Station 19 | Lawyer | Episode: "A House Is Not a Home" |
| 2024 | American Sports Story | Tanya Singleton | Main role |

## Discography

* Grease Revival – New Broadway Cast Recording (2008)
* New York City Christmas, ASTEP Benefit album (2009)
* Everyday Rapture – Original Broadway Cast Recording (2010)
* Godspell – The New Broadway Cast Recording (2011)
* 35MM: A Musical Exhibition – Original Cast Recording (2012)
* This Time, with Marco Paguia (2013)
* Kerrigan-Lowdermilk Live (2013)
* Dogfight – Original Cast Recording (2013)
* "Circus" – I Could Use a Drink: The Songs of Drew Gasparini (2013)
* 21 Chump Street – The Musical – EP (2014)
* Carousel – 2018 Broadway Cast Recording (2018)
* Band Geeks: A New Musical – Studio Cast Recording (2018)
* The Other Josh Cohen: A Musical With Songs – Studio Cast Recording (2018)
* Three Points of Contact – Ryan Scott Oliver (2019)
* Merrily We Roll Along – New Broadway Cast Recording (2023)

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2013 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Dogfight | Nominated |
| 2013 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Dogfight | Nominated |
| 2013 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Dogfight | Nominated |
| 2014 | Broadway.com Audience Choice Award | Favorite Replacement (Female) | Wicked | Won |
| 2017 | Broadway.com Audience Choice Award | Favorite Featured Actress in a Play | Significant Other | Won |
| 2018 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Carousel | Won |
| 2018 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Carousel | Won |
| 2018 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Carousel | Won |
| 2019 | Grammy Award | Best Musical Theater Album | Carousel | Nominated |
| 2023 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical | Merrily We Roll Along | Nominated |
| 2023 | Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical | Merrily We Roll Along | Nominated |
| 2023 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical | Merrily We Roll Along | Won |
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Merrily We Roll Along | Nominated |
| 2024 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Merrily We Roll Along | Nominated |
| 2024 | Broadway.com Audience Award | Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical | Merrily We Roll Along | Won |
| 2025 | Grammy Award | Best Musical Theater Album | Merrily We Roll Along | Nominated |