Rising Broadway Stars That Hail From Charlotte
These six stage stars have roots in the Queen City
Huntersville native Reneé Rapp achieved stardom as Regina George in the Broadway musical Mean Girls from 2019 to 2020. She reprised the role in the 2024 musical film and contributed to its soundtrack. Rapp released her debut studio album, Snow Angel, in 2023, and her Snow Hard Feelings tour ran through March 2024. Since 2021, Rapp has starred in the Max comedy series The Sex Lives of College Girls.
Phillip Johnson Richardson, Photo by Bailey Lecat
Northwest School of the Arts alumnus Phillip Johnson Richardson first performed in The Wiz as a seventh grader at Piedmont Middle School. In 2023, the Huntersville native landed the role of the Tin Man in the Broadway version of the Tony-winning musical. In October, the 28-year-old joined the cast of Hell’s Kitchen, a musical set to the songs of Alicia Keys.
Cassidy Stoner
Cassidy Stoner trained at Albemarle Academy of Dance and studied musical theater at Pace University before she starred in the Tony Award-winning production of Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway. In 2023, Stoner debuted her solo show, Looking Out For You, a tribute to Brandi Carlile, at The Green Room 42 in New York City’s Theater District.
TyNia René Brandon (Photo by Jared Siskin/Getty Images)
TyNia René Brandon attended Butler High School in Matthews, won the title of Miss Queen City in 2013, and studied musical theater at Catawba College. She has starred in Broadway hits that include Some Like It Hot, The Lion King, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
Liam Pearce, Photo by Matt Rodin
Liam Pearce, a 2018 graduate of the Northwest School of the Arts, studied musical theater at New York’s Pace University and went on to star in the Broadway musical How to Dance in Ohio. The show is based on the award-winning 2015 documentary of the same name and tells the story of seven autistic young adults preparing for a spring formal. In 2024, Pearce joined the cast of Broadway’s & Juliet at the Stephen Sondheim Theater.
Eva Noblezada
Eva Noblezada attended Northwest School of the Arts before she made her professional debut in the West End revival of Miss Saigon. At 21, she earned a Tony Award nomination for her performance as Kim in the Broadway revival of the show. Additional theater credits include leading roles in Les Misérables, Hadestown, and The Great Gatsby.
