Natalie Venetia Belcon
Natalie Venetia Belcon | |
|---|---|
 Belcon at 78th Tony Awards 2025 | |
| Born | April 5, 1969 |
| Education | Carnegie Mellon University (BFA) |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1991–present |
Natalie Venetia Belcon (born April 5, 1969) is a Trinidadian-born American actress and singer. She is best known for originating the role of former child television star Gary Coleman in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q and her performance as Omara in Buena Vista Social Club, for which she won the 2025 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Her Broadway credits also include Joanne Jefferson in Rent, and Matilda the Musical.
Theater
Belcon has performed on the original cast recordings of Avenue Q, The Glorious Ones and The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin.[1]
She appeared as Columbina in the world premiere of the musical The Glorious Ones (based on the novel of the same name by Francine Prose) at the Pittsburgh Public Theater in April 2007.[2] She appeared Off-Broadway in the same role later in 2007, in which a reviewer commented that her "seductive presence is matched by her smoky voice."[3]
Belcon has performed in various productions and workshops of The Last Smoker in America, an original 4 character musical by Bill Russell and Peter Melnick, which received its world premiere at CATCO in Columbus, Ohio. A workshop production was previously presented in the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival. The Last Smoker in America began performances Off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre on July 11, 2012 and closed in September 2012. She was in Matilda the Musical on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre as Mrs Phelps, replacing Karen Aldridge.
In March 2025, she opened the Broadway production of Buena Vista Social Club in the lead role of Omara in which she "excels at dropping dry cut-downs with the hauteur of someone who does not suffer fools or amateurs".[4] She won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.[5]
Television
Belcon appeared as an HR Rep in Damages.[6] Before this she was seen in Johnny and the Sprites until its end with her Avenue Q co-star, John Tartaglia. She plays Gwen, the neighbor of Tartaglia's character, Johnny T.
Belcon had recurring roles on the television shows The Education of Max Bickford, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Roc. Her most notable guest star appearance came in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, as JoAnn Morgan. She also guest starred in episodes of Martin, Living Single, and The Cosby Show.
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin | Emily/Nilda/Sandra | Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway | [7] |
| 2001 | Rent | Joanne Jefferson | Nederlander Theatre, Broadway | |
| 2003 | Avenue Q | Gary Coleman | John Golden Theatre, Broadway | |
| 2007 | The Glorious Ones | Columbina | Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, Off-Broadway | |
| 2009 | Wicked | Madame Morrible | 2nd U.S. National Tour | |
| 10 Things to Do Before I Die | Vida | McGinn-Cazale Theatre, Off-Broadway | ||
| 2012 | The Last Smoker in America | Phyllis | Westside Theatre, Off-Broadway | |
| 2013 | Matilda the Musical | Mrs. Phelps | Shubert Theatre, Broadway | |
| 2023 | Buena Vista Social Club | Omara | Atlantic Theatre Company, Off-Broadway | |
| 2025 | Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, Broadway |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Lucille Lortel Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical | Buena Vista Social Club | Won | [8] |
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical | Nominated | |||
| 2025 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Nominated | ||
| Tony Awards | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Won |
Personal
Belcon is a 1991 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.[9]
References
- ^ Portantiere, Michael (March 23, 2007). "Bubbly Black Girl Recording Will Be Released on April 3". TheaterMania. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
- ^ Lipton, Brian Scott (March 5, 2007). "Belcon, Kelly, Powers, Schoeffler, et al. Set for The Glorious Ones". TheaterMania. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
- ^ Isherwood, Charles (November 6, 2007). "Those Smutty, Nutty Kids With Heart, Treading the Boards in Merry Olde Italy". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
- ^ Vincentelli, Elisabeth (March 20, 2025). "'Buena Vista Social Club' Brings the Thrill of Music Making to Broadway". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 1, 2025). "2025 Tony Award Nominations: Buena Vista Social Club, Death Becomes Her, Maybe Happy Ending Lead the Pack". Playbill. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
- ^ "Natalie Venetia Belcon". IMDb.
- ^ "Natalia Venetia Balcon". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Natalia Venetia Balcon". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Carnegie Mellon Alumni Win Tony Awards". Carnegie Mellon Today. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
External links
- Natalie Venetia Belcon at the Internet Broadway Database
- Natalie Venetia Belcon at IMDb
- Biography Archived March 29, 2006, at archive.today from the Avenue Q Web site.
- The Glorious Ones information from the Pittsburgh Public Theater.