Sydney Lucas
Sydney Ellen Lucas (born July 11, 2003[1]) is an American child actress with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known for her portrayal of Small Alison Bechdel in both the original Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori's musical Fun Home; she won an Obie Award and Theater World Award and received nominations for a Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance. She currently stars in the main cast of AMC's western drama television series The Son as Jeannie McCullough.
Life and career
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Sydney moved with her parents and two older brothers to New York City when she was two years old. Her parents run a software consulting company.[2] In 2009, at age 6, Lucas underwent heart surgery to treat an atrial septal defect. Her older brother Jake Lucas is also a professional actor, and the two have appeared together in a commercial for Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup, and alongside Jennifer Aniston in the movie She's Funny That Way, which was released in 2015.[3] She has studied acting with Diane Hardin and singing with Badiene Magaziner.[2] She has also studied singing with her mother, Karri Lucas, who has a degree in vocal performance from DePauw University.[4] She currently is a student in Manhattan.
In 2014, at the age of 10, Lucas became the youngest individual to win an Obie Award for her portrayal of Small Alison in the original Off-Broadway cast of Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori's musical Fun Home.[5] That same year, she was also nominated for a Drama Desk Award, among other prestigious prizes. Lucas continued with the show when it moved to Broadway, winning a Theatre World Award,[6] and receiving a nomination for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2015 at the age of 11.[7] Lucas left the company of Fun Home on October 4, 2015.[8][9]
Lucas played Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden with Manhattan Concert Productions on February 21 and 22, 2016 at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall.[10]
Lucas has portrayed the younger version of two different characters played by Kristen Wiig in the films Girl Most Likely (2012) and The Skeleton Twins (2014).[11] Her television credits include guest roles on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Royal Pains, Saturday Night Live, and Team Umizoomi.[2] She has also appeared as Malcolm's Daughter in Giuseppe Verdi's Macbeth at the Metropolitan Opera in 2012.[4]
Theatre credits
Year | Show | Role | Dates | Theatre |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Macbeth | Malcolm's Daughter | Metropolitan Opera | |
2013–14 | Fun Home | Small Alison | September 12, 2013 – January 12, 2014 | Public Theater |
2015 | April 19 – October 4, 2015 | Circle in the Square Theatre | ||
2016 | The Secret Garden | Mary Lennox | February 21–22, 2016 | David Geffen Hall |
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | Girl Most Likely | Little Imogene | |
2013 | Fool's Day | Jamie | Short |
2014 | The Skeleton Twins | Young Maggie | |
She's Funny That Way | Josie Albertson | ||
2015 | Broadway Draft 2015 | Sideline Reporter | Short |
2018 | Dude | Olivia | |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Team Umizoomi | Voice | 1 episode |
2012 | Lalaloopsy Land | 1 episode | |
Sesame Street | Kid | 1 episode | |
2013 | Late Show With David Letterman | Screaming Kid | Pakistan Theme Park Segment |
Saturday Night Live | Jeremy Renner's daughter | Segment: "The Standoff" | |
2014 | Royal Pains | Larkin | 1 episode |
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Ryann Catalano | 1 episode | |
How and Why | Kitty | TV Pilot | |
The Sonnet Project | Actor | 1 episode | |
2015 | 69th Tony Awards | Performer | TV special |
2017–2019 | The Son | Jeannie McCullough | Series regular |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominated Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical | Fun Home | Nominated |
Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Nominated | ||
Obie Award | Performance | Won | ||
Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance Award | Nominated | ||
Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Nominated | ||
2015 | Tony Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Nominated | |
Broadway.com Audience Choice Award | Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Female)[12] | Nominated | ||
Theatre World Award | Won | |||
2016 | Grammy Award | Best Musical Theater Album | Nominated |
References
- Sydney Lucas [@SydneyLucasNYC] (July 11, 2016). "Thank you to everyone for the super sweet birthday wishes!! Having a great day & hope you are, too!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- Blank, Matthew (March 31, 2015). "Cue & A: Young Fun Home Star Sydney Lucas on Alison Bechdel, Her Showbiz Family and Learning to Burp on YouTube". Playbill.
- Beggs, Alex (March 27, 2015). What It's Like to Be 11 Years Old on Broadway. Vanity Fair.
- Cohen, Stefanie (April 16, 2015). "Young Siblings Jake and Sydney Lucas Manage Life on Broadway". The Wall Street Journal.
- Lucchesi, Nick (May 19, 2014). "Village Voice Announces Winners of 59th Annual Obie Awards, Names Tom Sellar Lead Theater Critic". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
- "Broadway Siblings Megan and Robert Fairchild Among 71st Annual Theatre World Award Winners". Retrieved October 6, 2015.
- Kenyon, Sandy (June 4, 2015). "11-Year Old Sydney Lucas Up For A Tony Award For "Fun Home"". Eyewitness News WABC-TV.
- Editorial Staff (September 17, 2015). "Sydney Lucas To Bid Farewell To Broadway's Fun Home". TheaterMania. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
- Brantley, Ben (December 26, 2013). Epiphanies at 'Home': Times Writers Share Last Chance Theater Picks. The New York Times.
- "Breaking News: Tony Nominee Sydney Lucas to Star in Manhattan Concert Productions' The Secret Garden in 2016". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
- Henderson, Kathy (December 26, 2013). "Pint-Sized Powerhouse Sydney Lucas on Her Amazing Off-Broadway Debut in Fun Home". http://www.broadway.com/.
- "Vote Now! Finding Neverland & It's Only a Play Lead 2015 Broadway.com Audience Choice Award Nominations". Retrieved October 4, 2015.