NATASCIA DIAZ

News

THE KENNEDY CENTER HONORS

See Natascia perform on The Kennedy Center Honors on CBS this month honoring her father, Justino Diaz.

OUR TOWN

Natascia will play Mrs. Gibbs in

Shakespeare Theatre's production of

Our Town by Thorton Wilder

February 17-March 20, 2022

About

Most widely known for her impactful presence in the Broadway documentary, EVERY LITTLE STEP, this award winning triple threat performer has worked professionally since the age of nine. Born to the theatre family of Italian prima ballerina Anna Aragno and 2021 Kennedy Center Honoree Puerto Rican Opera singer Justino Diaz, Natascia grew up in New York City, beginning her training at The School Of American Ballet, going on to receive a BFA with Honors from Carnegie Mellon University.

After dancing the role of Anita with the New York City Ballet for their ‘West Side Story Suites’ helmed by Jerome Robbins, she became the last Anita ever to have been hand picked by both Jerome Robbins himself and librettist Aurthur Laurents to perform the role in the subsequent National tour of WEST SIDE STORY. Her breakout performance as Anita garnered Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Award and St. Louis's Kevin Klein Award, and was met with critical acclaim across the country and internationally with headline reviews; "Diaz Shines In Soaring 'Story'" (Denver Post), "Show-Stealer Keeps Things Fresh in old 'Story' (Boston Tab), and ''Anita Makes A Star Out Of Diaz" (Boston Globe).

Her Broadway credits include the original Broadway companies and cast albums of Paul Simon’s THE CAPEMAN (Yolanda), SEUSSICAL (Bird Girl), and the 2004 revival of MAN OF LA MANCHA (Antonia), in which she also understudied the role of Aldonza, performing the role opposite Brian Stokes Mitchell. Off-Broadway credits include the role of Susan in the original run of tick, tick...BOOM! opposite New Kid On The Block Joey McIntyre, the original cast of Sondheim’s SATURDAY NIGHT, Esmeralda Agron the the Public Theatre's remount of THE CAPEMAN directed by Diane Paulus, JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS (Helen Hayes Award, 2014), and Rafaela in the NY City Center Encores! production of GRAND HOTEL.

Her path in Washington DC theatre first began in the storied Sondheim Festival playing Petra in Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, and was later offered the titular role in KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN at Signature Theatre. At the 2009 Helen Hayes Awards, for her transformation into Scottish punk-rocker Monica P. Miller in the two-hander musical ROOMS at MetroStage, she cemented her presence in the D.C. theater community by winning her first Helen Hayes Award for Best Actress in A Musical in a tie with theatre legend, Chita Rivera. Her second Helen Hayes Award for Best Actress in A Musical came for her performance in MetroStage's production of JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS, and in 2018, performing in Signature Theatre's production of Sondheim's PASSION, she took home her third Helen Hayes Award for her "obsessively watchable and gorgeously sung" (Washington Post) in a "career-defining performance" (BroadwayWorld) as Fosca. Other favorite roles include Jenny in THE THREEPENNY OPERA , which captured the headline of The Washington Post review; “At Signature, 'Threepenny Opera' s heart beats strongest with Natascia Diaz’s Jenny on stage”, Mariana in MEASURE FOR MEASURE, Savage in SAVAGE IN LIMBO, and originating the role of Betty #3 in the world premiere of COLLECTIVE RAGE by Jen Silverman at Woolly Mammoth Theatre.

Her television credits include Oz, Law & Order, SVU, The Jury, Nurse Jackie, Damages. She can be seen in her recurring role on FBI (CBS) as Detective Cantrell.

Gallery

Photos by Justin Patterson

Awards & Nominations

2022 St. Louis Theatre Circle Award WINNER, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL for Gloria Fajardo in ON YOUR FEET (The Muny, St. Louis)

2019 Helen Hayes Award WINNER, OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL for Fosca in PASSION
2017 Helen Hayes Award Nomination, OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL for Anita in WEST SIDE STORY
2013 Helen Hayes Award WINNER, OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL for Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well and Living In Paris
2015 Helen Hayes Nomination, OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL for Jenny in THREEPENNY OPERA
2009 Helen Hayes Award WINNER, OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL, (in a tie with Chita Rivera) as Monica P. Miller in ROOMS
2013 Suzie Bass Award Nomination, for Inez in ZORRO (Alliance Theatre, Atlanta)
2012 St. Louis Theatre Critics Nomination, for Velma in CHICAGO (The Muny, St. Louis)
2006 St. Louis Kevin Klein Award WINNER, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL, for Anita in WEST SIDE STORY (The Muny, St. Louis)
2006 Ovation Award Nomination BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL, for Susan in TICK TICK BOOM! (Los Angeles)
1996 Joseph Jefferson Award WINNER, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL, for Anita in WEST SIDE STORY, International Tour (Chicago)

view resume

download as PDF