View source for Mara Davi

{{short description|American actress and dancer (born 1984)}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Mara Davi
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1984|1|22}}
| birth_place        = [[Alameda County, California]], U.S.
| alma_mater         = [[California State University, Fullerton]]
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actress|dancer|singer}}
| spouse             = Aaron Gaines (married 2008–present)
}}
'''Mara Davi''' (born January 22, 1984, [[Alameda County, California]]) is an American actress, singer, and dancer; she made her [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut as Maggie Winslow in the 2006 revival of ''[[A Chorus Line]]''.
==Biography==
Mara Davi grew up in [[Highlands Ranch, Colorado|Highlands Ranch]], [[Colorado]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2009-12-21|title=On the Rise: Mara Davi|url=https://www.dancemagazine.com/on-the-rise-mara-davi-2306881295.html|access-date=2021-06-29|website=Dance Magazine|language=en}}</ref> She began [[dance]] lessons at three years old at a local studio but later transferred to the Academy of Theatre Arts in [[Englewood, Colorado|Englewood]], Colorado.<ref name=":0" /> She studied several styles of dance, including [[ballet]], [[Tap dance|tap]], and [[Jazz dance|jazz]], but enjoyed tap the most.<ref name=":0" /> Her family moved to [[Folsom, California]], where she attended [[Folsom High School]]. During high school, Davi shifted her focus away from dance to [[Musical theatre|musical theater]].<ref name=":0" /> She appeared in numerous regional productions including: ''[[Annie (musical)|Annie]]'', ''[[The Sound of Music]]'', ''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]'', ''[[Baby (musical)|Baby]]'', ''[[Grease (musical)|Grease]]'', and ''[[Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]]''.
Davi attended [[CSU Fullerton|California State University, Fullerton]] where, during her sophomore year, she was chosen for the lead in the U.S. and Japan tour of ''[[42nd Street (musical)|42nd Street]]''.<ref>[http://baltimore.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=20484 "Mara Davi: Showin' Off"], broadwayworld.com, August 6, 2007</ref><ref>[http://cmd.ophth.uiowa.edu/hancher/42street.html University of Iowa 42nd Street credits] uiowa.edu, January 2005  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060903043728/http://cmd.ophth.uiowa.edu/hancher/42street.html |date=September 3, 2006 }}</ref><ref>Bornstein, Lisa.[http://m.rockymountainnews.com/news/2006/Oct/09/stepping-in-line/ "Dancing in Denver shows since age 8, Mara Davi lands Broadway role"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715195215/http://m.rockymountainnews.com/news/2006/Oct/09/stepping-in-line/ |date=July 15, 2011 }}, Rocky Mountain News, October 9, 2006</ref>
==Career==
Davi played the role of Maggie in the Broadway revival of ''[[A Chorus Line]]'', in 2006.<ref>Moore, John.[http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_4520020 "Broadway break delights teachers"], Denver Post, October 22, 2006</ref><ref name=bway/> She joined ''[[The Drowsy Chaperone]]'' on Broadway on July 30, 2007, succeeding [[Sutton Foster]] in the lead role of Janet van de Graaff.<ref name=bway>[http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=423545 "Mara Davi Broadway"] Internet Broadway Database, accessed November 16, 2016</ref> In March 2008, she was featured in the premiere of the musical stage version of ''[[The Band Wagon]]'' at the [[Old Globe Theatre]] in San Diego, in the role played by [[Cyd Charisse]].<ref>Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/article/new-sun-in-the-sky-mara-davi-will-be-dancing-in-the-dark-in-san-diego-com-146614# "New Sun in the Sky: Mara Davi Will Be Dancing in the Dark in San Diego"], Playbill, January 7, 2008, accessed November 17, 2016</ref><ref>Stevens, Rob.  [http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/13155 "Dancing in the Dark"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924085811/http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/13155 |date=2008-09-24 }}, theatermania.com, March 17, 2008</ref>
Davi returned to New York for the May 2008 [[Encores!]] concert presentation of ''[[No, No, Nanette]]'' in the title role, playing alongside [[Rosie O'Donnell]], [[Sandy Duncan]], Shonn Wiley, and [[Fred Willard]].<ref>Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/article/mara-davi-is-nanette-for-city-center-encores-beginning-may-8-com-149903# "Mara Davi Is Nanette for City Center Encores! Beginning May 8"], Playbill, May 8, 2008, accessed November 17, 2016</ref> In 2012 she was in a musical adaptation of ''[[The Toxic Avenger (musical)|The Toxic Avenger]]'' at The Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas. [[The Toxic Avenger (musical)|''The Toxic Avenger'' musical]] had plans on transferring on Broadway in the near future.<ref>Blank, Matthew. [http://www.playbill.com/article/photo-call-first-look-at-constantine-maroulis-as-the-toxic-avenger-com-186377# "First Look at Constantine Maroulis as 'The Toxic Avenger'"] Playbill, January 11, 2012</ref>
Davi made her [[Birdland (jazz club)|Birdland]] cabaret debut in May 2008.<ref>Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/article/drowsys-davi-to-make-birdland-debut-in-may-com-149387# "Drowsy's Davi to Make Birdland Debut in May"] Playbill, April 21, 2008</ref> She appeared on the Broadway stage as Judy Haynes in the 2009 New York production of [[Irving Berlin]]'s ''[[White Christmas (film)|White Christmas]]''. She played Daisy Parker who blackmails Derek Wills for a role in the fictional ''Hit List'' on the second season of ''[[Smash (U.S. TV series)|Smash]]''. From 2011 to 2012 she played the role of Bianca Sanfino in "A Night on the Town",<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2054911/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_7 "A Night on the Town"] imdb.com</ref> "Moonlighting",<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2108696/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_7 "Moonlighting"] imdb.com</ref> and "Women with Guns"<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2256995/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_7 "Women with Guns"] imdb.com</ref> the 5th, 9th, and 16th episodes of the second season of the [[CBS]] police procedural drama ''[[Blue Bloods (TV series)|Blue Bloods]]''.
From 2011, Davi and pianist/composer Adam Waite have appeared as the band "Mara and the Bitter Suite" and released an album in 2012 titled ''Unspoken.''<ref>[http://www.maradavi.com/ "About"] Mara Davi site, accessed November 16, 2016</ref><ref>Music News Desk. [http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Mara-Davi-Announces-Upcoming-Album-Set-for-July-1-Release-20120630 "Mara Davi Releases Album"] broadwayworld.com, July 1, 2012</ref>
Davi starred as Joan in the Broadway revival of "[[Dames at Sea]]", which ran from September 2015 to January 2016.<ref>Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/dames-at-sea-taps-its-way-onto-broadway-tonight-363613# "'Dames at Sea' Taps Its Way Onto Broadway Tonight"] Playbill, September 24, 2015</ref>
==Personal life==
Davi married actor Aaron Gaines on June 8, 2008. They currently reside in [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Fierberg|first=Ruthie|date=December 2, 2017|title=Smash’s Mara Davi and Husband Expecting Their First Child|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/smashs-mara-davi-and-husband-expecting-their-first-child|access-date=2021-06-29|website=Playbill|language=en}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb name|3581600}}
* [http://www.maradavi.com/ Mara Davi web site]
*[http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/111064.html "Chatting with Drowsy's Mara Davi Plus News of Peters and Bundy", playbill.com, September 14, 2007]{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Davi, Mara}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Actors from Alameda County, California]]
[[Category:American musical theatre actresses]]
[[Category:American female dancers]]
[[Category:American tap dancers]]
[[Category:People from Folsom, California]]
[[Category:American stage actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]
[[Category:1984 births]]