LaChanze facts for kids

Quick facts for kids LaChanze
LaChanze at the 2022 Tony Awards
Born	Rhonda LaChanze Sapp (1961-12-16) December 16, 1961 (age 63) St. Augustine, Florida, U.S
Other names	LaChanze Sapp, La Chanze Sapp-Gooding, R. Lachanze Sapp
Occupation	Actress, singer, dancer
Years active	1986–present
Spouse(s)	Calvin J. Gooding ​ ​ (m. 1998; died 2001)​ Derek Fordjour ​ ​ (m. 2005; div. 2014)​
Children	2, including Celia Rose Gooding

LaChanze (born Rhonda LaChanze Sapp on December 16, 1961) is a talented American actress, singer, and dancer. She is famous for her powerful performances on Broadway. In 2006, LaChanze won a special award called the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Celie Harris Johnson in the musical The Color Purple. She has also won three more Tony Awards as a co-producer for other successful shows like Kimberly Akimbo, Topdog/Underdog, and The Outsiders.

Early Life and Education

LaChanze was born in St. Augustine, Florida. Her stage name, "LaChanze," means "the charmed one" in Creole, and it comes from her grandmother. When she was young, her family moved to Connecticut. LaChanze loved to sing and dance, so her mother enrolled her in the Bowen Peters Cultural Arts Center in New Haven. There, she discovered her passion for performing on stage.

After high school, LaChanze studied drama at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. She later transferred to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. At this school, she continued to study both theater and dance, preparing for her future career.

Broadway Career Highlights

LaChanze's first summer job was as a tap dancer in a show called Uptown... It's Hot! in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This show later moved to Broadway in January 1986, which marked the beginning of her professional acting career.

In 1990, LaChanze played the role of Ti Moune in the musical Once on This Island. Her performance earned her nominations for both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. Later, in 1998, she joined the cast of Ragtime on Broadway, taking over the role of Sarah. She also starred in an Off-Broadway show called The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin in 2000, for which she received another Drama Desk nomination.

LaChanze performing in 2006

In 2005, LaChanze played a runaway slave in the musical Dessa Rose. She won an Obie Award for her amazing performance in this show. From 2005 to 2006, LaChanze starred as Celie Harris Johnson in the Broadway musical The Color Purple. This role brought her the prestigious Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

LaChanze continued to appear in many other shows. In 2009, she played Glinda in a concert production of The Wiz. She also published her first children's book, Little Diva, in 2010. In 2014, she was part of the Broadway production of If/Then. In 2018, she received another Tony Award nomination for her role as Diva Donna/Mary Gaines in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. In 2019, she played the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol on Broadway.

In 2022, LaChanze starred in Trouble in Mind on Broadway, earning another Tony Award nomination for her performance.

Becoming a Broadway Producer

In 2022, LaChanze started a new part of her career: becoming a Broadway producer. She helped produce two successful shows, Topdog/Underdog and Kimberly Akimbo. For these shows, she won Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Revival of a Play in 2023.

In 2022, she also started Tima Productions with her friend Marylee Fairbanks. Together, they co-produced The Outsiders, which also won a Tony Award for Best Musical. In 2024, LaChanze launched her own multimedia company called LC Productions.

Personal Life and Family

LaChanze has two children. Her first husband, Calvin Gooding, sadly passed away during the September 11, 2001 attacks. He was working in the World Trade Center at the time. LaChanze has honored his memory through her performances. On September 6, 2002, she sang the National Anthem at a special meeting of Congress in New York. She also sang "Amazing Grace" at the dedication of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in 2014, dedicating her song to her late husband.

LaChanze remarried in 2005 to Derek Fordjour. They later divorced in 2014.

In 2019, something very special happened: LaChanze and her elder daughter, Celia Rose Gooding, were both starring in Broadway shows at the same time! LaChanze was in A Christmas Carol, and Celia Rose Gooding was in Jagged Little Pill. This is a rare event for a mother and child to both be on Broadway at the same time.

Acting Credits

LaChanze has appeared in many films, television shows, and theater productions.

Film

Television

Theatre

Video games

Discography

LaChanze has also recorded music for many of the shows she has been in, as well as other projects.

• Once On This Island (Original Broadway Cast Recording), 1990
• Disney's Princess Favorites, featured artist, 2002
• Dessa Rose (off-Broadway Cast Recording), 2005
• The Color Purple (Original Broadway Cast Recording), 2006
• Disney Collection 1, featured artist, 2006
• The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin (Studio Cast Recording), 2007
• Handel's Messiah Rocks: A Joyful Noise, featured artist, 2009
• Nice Fighting You: A 30th Anniversary Celebration Live at 54 Below, featured on four songs, 2014
• If/Then (Original Broadway Cast Recording), 2014
• Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording), 2018

Concerts

LaChanze has performed in many concerts and special events throughout her career.

• September 6, 2002 - Federal Hall National Memorial
• 2008 - Handel's Messiah Rocks, Emerson College
• Dec 1 & 2, 2008 - Joe's Pub
• December 5, 2010 - Playhouse Square Center
• December 16, 2012 - Birdland
• May 15, 2014 - National September 11 Memorial and Museum
• February 13, 2015 - Kennedy Center
• 2016/17 - Feeling Good Tour

Awards and Nominations

LaChanze has received many awards and nominations for her incredible talent in theater.