Tamika Lawrence

Tamika Sonja Lawrence is an American actress and singer.

Early life

Lawrence was born on January 11, 1987 in Columbus, Ohio. She moved to Phoenix, Arizona at the age of four, where she later attended South Mountain High School. After high school, she attended the University of Arizona and graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre.

Career

Lawrence made her off-Broadway debut understudying Joanne Jefferson in the musical Rent. She made her Broadway debut in 2012 as a replacement Mrs. Brown in The Book of Mormon, before understudying Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Wormwood in Broadway's Matilda, and starring as Elena in If/Then, in which she also understudied Kate. She also played Ceres in The Tempest off-Broadway in 2015. In 2016, she starred in the film White Girl, and she played a munchkin in the 2015 TV film The Wiz Live!. Also in 2016, she returned to Broadway as Shirelle and Janelle Woods in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

Tamika and the Slay

Lawrence is also the head singer of the rock/soul band Tamika and the Slay, which was founded in early 2014 and frequently performs in venues across New York. The group has songs on YouTube and SoundCloud. Along with Lawrence, the band features Damien Bassman, Drew Coles, Craig Magnano, and Marc Schmeid.

Theatre credits

Broadway

• The Book of Mormon, Mrs. Brown, Mar. 27 - Dec. 16, 2012
• Matilda, Ensemble/Mrs. Wormwood (u/s)/Mrs. Phelps (u/s), Apr. 11 - Sep. 15, 2013
• If/Then, Elena/Kate (u/s), Mar. 30, 2014 - Mar. 22, 2015
• Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Shirelle/Janelle Woods, 2016

Off-Broadway

• Rent, Joanne (u/s)
• The Tempest, Ceres, May/June 2015

Regional theatre

• The Miracle Worker, Viney, Arizona Repertory Theatre
• Violet, Ensemble, Arizona Repertory Theatre
• Loves Labors Lost, Rosaline, dir. Brent Gibbs, Arzona Repertory Theatre
• The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Jewel, dir. Samantha Wyer, Arizona Repertory Theatre
• To Kill a Mockingbird, Helen Robinson/Calpurnia (u/s), Arizona Theatre Company
• Hair, Tribe/Dionne (u/s), Arizona Theatre Company
• Ain't Misbehavin', Swing, dir. Kent Gash
• Shout!, Red Girl, dir. Patty Wilcox

Screen credits

Film

• Love the Coopers, sings "O Holy Night", 2015
• White Girl, Co-Star, 2016
• Breakable You, Tara, 2016

Television

• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Mignon, 1 episode, 2011
• Christmas in Rockefeller Center, Playback singer, TV special, 2014
• Idina Menzel: Holiday Wishes, Singer, iHeart Radio concert special, 2014
• Blue Bloods, Nina, 1 episode, 2015
• Show Me a Hero, Young Mother, 2 episodes, 2015
• The Wiz Live!, Deputy Munchkin, TV film, 2015
• Vinyl, Starr, 2016

Discography

• Matilda (Original Broadway Cast Recording), background vocals, 2013
• If/Then (Original Broadway Cast Recording), 2014
• Love the Coopers (Original film soundtrack), 2015

References

• https://www.facebook.com/Tamika-and-The-Slay-1474284976181539/timeline/?ref=page_internal
• http://www.tamika.nyc/tamika-and-the-slay.html
• http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4753579/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
• http://www.tamika.nyc/resume.html
• http://www.tamika.nyc/whats-playing.html
• http://www.playbillvault.com/Person/Detail/123024/Tamika-Lawrence
• http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4753579/?ref_=nmbio_bio_nm