Louise Pitre

Louise Pitre (born January 1, 1957) is a Canadian actress in musical theatre. She performs on Broadway and in Canada. She is best known for her role as Donna Sheridan in the ABBA-themed musical Mamma Mia!, which earned her a 2002 Tony Award nomination.

Louise Pitre
Born (1957-01-01) January 1, 1957
Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario, Canada
Alma materUniversity of Western Ontario
OccupationActress, singer
Years active1979—present
Websitelouisepitre.com

Early life

Pitre was born in Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario; her family moved to Montreal and then to Welland during her childhood.[1] Her first language is French.[2] At age seven, she began to play piano, eventually taking professional lessons. She attended the University of Western Ontario and graduated with a bachelor's degree in music education.[3] After performing in a college musical, however, she began combining music with acting on stage.

Career

Pitre moved to Toronto to pursue a musical theatre career. Her performance as Fantine in the musical adaptation of Les Misérables earned her acclaim in Toronto, Montreal, and Paris.[4] In 1992 she portrayed French singer Edith Piaf in three productions of Piaf.[4]

Other musicals she was involved with include Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, The World Goes 'Round, Blood Brothers, Tartuffe, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd, Applause, and Rock 'n' Roll.

Pitre auditioned in New York City for the musical Napoleon being produced in London, but was turned down for the role of Josephine.[5] The director, Francesca Zambello, told her she was perfect for a show she was also casting in Toronto entitled "Mamma Mia!" Pitre auditioned for the role of Donna Sheridan. Although initially hesitant about the part, she accepted after seeing the show.[6] She performed the role in Toronto and in its United States national tour, and after 18 months, was asked to play the role on Broadway.[7]

Reviews were positive; Variety Magazine, although unenthusiastic about the musical, called her "a terrific Donna",[8] The New York Times called her performance "delightful" and praised her "terrific pop belter's voice",[9] and the San Francisco Chronicle praised her for making the show "a dramatic showstopper".[10] For her performance, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical,[3] and won the National Broadway Touring Award and an award from the San Francisco Theatre Critics Circle.[11] Pitre left the show in October 2003.

Pitre performed as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd with Calgary Opera in 2003.[12] and as Annie in Annie Get Your Gun in 2005.[13]

Pitre has released several CDs including, All My Life Has Led To This, featuring songs in English and French, Shattered, La vie en rouge (all French) and Songs My Mother Taught Me. She can also be heard on the cast recordings of Could You Wait?, a show she co-wrote with W.J. Matheson and Diane Leah, Kristina playing the role of Ulrika and Les Miserables (role of Fantine) in the Paris cast recording.

She starred as Mayor Babs Belgoody and Ma Ferd in the Toronto production of The Toxic Avenger at the Danforth Music Hall from October 2009 through January 2010 with Dancap Productions.[14] She was on stage in summer 2010 in Love, Loss and What I Wore and finished the year to positive reviews[15] of her performance as Toad in A Year With Frog and Toad at Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People. She garnered her sixth Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination for this performance[16] and captured Best Actress in a Musical with an inaugural Toronto Theatre Critics' Award.[17]

Pitre is a founding artist of Theatre 20, a musical theatre company in Toronto formed by artists in 2009, and headlined their first project, a workshop of the first English translation of the French musical Les Belles Soeurs.[18] She also performed in Theatre 20's 2011 Concert Series at the Panasonic Theatre.[19]

On June 1, 2011, she performed a solo, self-produced, one-night, sold-out concert La Vie en Rouge at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts' Jane Mallett Theatre. The French album, of the same name, was recorded live, off the floor, at Number 9 Audio Group in Toronto and released in conjunction with the concert. This theatrical event was documented to video and some highlights are shared on Louise Pitre’s YouTube channel.[20][21][22]

In July 2011, Toronto Life magazine named "Louise Pitre's musical theatre renaissance" as #12 in their "50 Reasons to Love Toronto" feature article.

In 2011 she was the host of Star Portraits on Bravo! and performing solo concerts across North America.[23]

Pitre wrote and performed in a show about her life, On the Rocks, in 2013.[1] In 2014 she once more performed with Theatre 20, in the musical Company; the show received an unfavourable review from the Toronto Star, although Pitre's performance was praised.[24]

In 2016 Pitre performed in London, Ontario with Brendan Wall and Emm Gryner in The Grand Theatre production of Joni Mitchell: River.[25] Later that year, she performed with Kenneth Welsh in the show A Coal Mine Christmas at Toronto's Coal Mine Theatre.[26]

Other musical theatre performances include Pitre’s META’s (Montreal English Theatre Awards) nominated role of Edith Piaf in the 2018 North American premiere of The Angel & The Sparrow presented at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts in Montreal under the direction of Gordon Greenberg.[27][28] In the spring of 2019, she played Adult Marie van Goethem in Marie, Dancing Still; music by Stephen Flaherty and book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. This premiere production, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman was presented by the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Washington.[29] Also in the spring of 2019, Louise Pitre broke gender boundaries by playing the role of Doctor Madden (Doctor Fine) in the Toronto, Off-Mirvish production by The Musical Stage Company of Next To Normal at the CAA Theatre.[30] In the fall of 2019, The Angel & The Sparrow was brought to Toronto by Mirvish Productions again under the direction of Gordon Greenberg and retitled Piaf/Dietrich, A Legendary Affair at which time Louise reprised her role as Edith Piaf opposite Jayne Lewis as Marlene Dietrich.[31]

Theatre awards & nominations
Year Award Category Title Role Result
2020Dora Mavor Moore AwardOutstanding Performance in a Leading Role - Musical Theatre DivisionPiaf/DietrichEdith PiafNominated
2019Dora Mavor Moore AwardOutstanding Performance in a Featured Role - Musical Theatre DivisionNext To NormalDoctor Madden (Doctor Fine)Nominated
2018METAs (Montreal English Theatre Awards)Outstanding Lead Performance by an ActressThe Angel & The SparrowEdith PiafNominated
2016Critter Award (Calgary Theatre Critics’ Awards)Best Supporting Actress in a MusicalThe Little PrinceSnakeWon
2014Jeff AwardBest Actress in a Principal Role in a MusicalGypsyMama RoseNominated
2011Toronto Critics Circle AwardBest Actress in a MusicalA Year With Frog and ToadToadWon
Dora Mavor Moore AwardBest Actress in a MusicalA Year With Frog and ToadToadNominated
2010Dora Mavor Moore AwardBest Actress in a MusicalThe Toxic AvengerMayorWon
2006Dora Mavor Moore AwardBest Actress in a MusicalSong & DanceLeadNominated
2004Barrymore AwardOutstanding Supporting Actress in a MusicalThe Great OstrovskyRoseNominated
Betty Mitchell AwardBest Actress in a MusicalSweeney ToddMrs. LovettWon
2002Tony AwardBest Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a MusicalMamma Mia!DonnaNominated
Theatre World AwardBest Actress in a Musical for Debut Performance on BroadwayMamma Mia!DonnaWon
Outer Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Actress in a MusicalMamma Mia!DonnaNominated
Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Actress in a MusicalMamma Mia!DonnaNominated
2001Dora Mavor Moore AwardBest Actress in a MusicalMamma Mia!DonnaWon
San Francisco Critics Award/National Broadway AwardBest Actress in a MusicalMamma Mia!DonnaWon
1994Dora Mavor Moore AwardBest Actress in a MusicalPiafPiafWon
1989Dora Mavor Moore AwardBest Actress in a MusicalBlood BrothersMrs. JohnstoneWon
(Sources: Dora Awards, Jeff Awards, Broadway World, Tony Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, Barrymore Awards, Theatre World Awards, METAs Louise Pitre website)

Discography

Solo albums
Year Title
2011La vie en rouge
2004Shattered
1998All Of My Life Has Led To This
1995Songs My Mother Taught Me
(Sources: Apple Music, AllMusic, Louise Pitre website)

Musicals; cast recording credits
Year Title / Role
2013On The Rocks / Self
2009Kristina At Carnegie Hall / Ulrika
2006Could You Wait? / Mary
1991Les Misérables / Fantine
(Sources: Apple Music, AllMusic, Louise Pitre website)

See also

References
  1. "Niagara's Louise Pitre lays herself bare in new show". John Law, Niagara Falls Review, September 6, 2013
  2. PLAYBILL ON-LINE'S BRIEF ENCOUNTER with Louise Pitre Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine. October 16, 2001. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
  3. "Joni Mitchell: River follows the arch of a love affair through the artist’s classic songs". By Joe Belanger, The London Free Press, October 19, 2016
  4. James Neufeld; Charles Foster; Mel Atkey; Martin Hunter; Sheila M.F. Johnston; Ward McBurney (26 December 2013). Dundurn Performing Arts Library Bundle — Theatre: Broadway North / Let's Go to The Grand! / Once Upon a Time in Paradise / Passion to Dance / Sky Train / Romancing the Bard / Stardust and Shadows. Dundurn. pp. 2033–. ISBN 978-1-4597-2830-1.
  5. Stevenson, William. Louise Pitre.
  6. Vercammen, Paul. Old ABBA hits go from radio to stage, April 20, 2001. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
  7. Cdn. Mamma Mia star 'shattered' by Bush win, November 8, 2004. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
  8. Oxman, Steven. Mamma Mia! February 28, 2001. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
  9. Brantley, Ben. THEATER REVIEW; Mom Had a Trio (And a Band, Too), October 19, 2001. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
  10. Winn, Steven. Mamma's' a guilty pleasure for ABBA fans despite its weaknesses, November 18, 2000. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
  11. 'Mamma Mia!' It's Louise Pitre And Her Tony Nomination. CBS News, May 31, 2002. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
  12. Gans, Andrew. Playbill News: Mamma Mia!'s Louise Pitre Is Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd. Playbill, September 16, 2003. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
  13. Gans, Andrew. Playbill News: Mamma Mia!'s Louise Pitre Finds Next Musical Role. April 13, 2005. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
  14. "Final Three Weeks to Laugh Your Head Off!". Dancap Toxic Avenger Press Release. Dancap Productions. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  15. Ouzounian, Richard (18 November 2010). "Gentle show is good family fare". Toronto Star. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  16. "DORA Past Awards Nominees". Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  17. Nestruck, Kelly (6 June 2011). "Toronto theatre critics name inaugural award winners". The Globe and Mail Inc. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  18. Ouzounian, Richard (22 December 2010). "Louise Pitre heads all-star cast for Sisters, Theatre 20's first project". Toronto Star. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  19. Jones, Kenneth (12 April 2011). "Colm Wilkinson, Louise Pitre and New Musical Amelia Will Be Heard in Toronto Concert Series". Playbill. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  20. Leong, Melissa (2011-05-27). "Similar types: Louise Pitre and Charlotte Moore compare resumes". National Post. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  21. "La Vie En Rouge". iTunes Apple. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  22. "Music Notes". Louise Pitre/Albums. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  23. "Upcoming Appearances - Concerts". Louise Pitre Website. Louise Pitre. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  24. "Theatre 20's 'Company' a disappointment: review". Toronto Star, Richard Ouzounian, June 27, 2014
  25. "Review: This River a journey of love and life’s illusions". MORRIS LAMONT, The London Free Press, October 22, 2016
  26. "Have yourselves a Coal Mine Christmas". Toronto Star, December 5, 2016, page E4.
  27. Burke, Jim; April 11, Special to Montreal Gazette Updated; 2018 (2018-04-11). "When Dietrich met Piaf: The Angel and the Sparrow takes flight | Montreal Gazette". Retrieved 2019-04-26.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  28. "2017-2018 Nominees and Recipients". 2018-08-06. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  29. Franklin, Marc J. (March 5, 2019). "See the Cast and Creative Team of Marie, Dancing Still Meet the Press". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  30. Henry, Alan. "Ma-Anne Dionisio and Louise Pitre Will Lead NEXT TO NORMAL in Toronto". Broadwayworld. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  31. "Louise Pitre and Jayne Lewis Will Star in Toronto Premiere of Piaf/Dietrich, A Legendary Affair". 2019-07-22.
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