Hope made her professional debut as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium in 2011, after winning the BBC's "Over The Rainbow" casting competition.
She has performed at The Royal Variety Performance and the Macmillan Centenary Gala, presented at the Children's BAFTAs and judged at the Stephen Sondheim Society Competition and Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Prize.
Ms. Hope concludes her run in Les Miz on June 15.
| Full given name: | Danielle Hope |
| Where you were born/where you were raised: | Born in Manchester UK |
| Zodiac Sign: | Taurus |
| What your parents did/do for a living: | Nothing theatrical! |
| Current audition song/monologue: | Forever changing (as in material, not the name of a song!) |
| Special skills: | Horse riding |
| Something you're REALLY bad at: | Whistling and math |
| First Broadway/West End show you ever saw: | Broadway: In the Heights West End: The Lion King |
| Did you have any particular mentors or inspirations when first starting out? | I admired various people within the industry especially after seeing shows down in London and on Broadway. It was always so inspiring. |
| If you could go back in time and catch any Broadway or West End show, what would it be? | Ooooh well, I would have loved to have seen Judy Garland do anything live for starters. And the original production of My Fair Lady or Barnum with Michael Crawford. |
| Current show other than your own you have been recommending to friends: | War Horse, always. |
| Favorite showtune(s) of all time: | If I even begin to answer this you’ll have pages and pages of songs! |
| Some favorite modern musicals: | Next to Normal, In the Heights, Rooms, Love Story, Into the Woods |
| Some favorite classic musicals: | West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma! |
| The one performance – attended - that you will never forget: | The West End production of Three Days of Rain starring James McAvoy and Nigel Harman. Just incredible. |
| Music that makes you cry, any genre: | Irish Folk, anything with emotion really. Usually music that I listened to whilst growing up. |
| MAC or PC? | MAC although I’m still terrible on it! |
| Most played song on your iPod: | "Set Fire to the Third Bar" by Snow Patrol and "Sweet Disposition" by Temper Trap |
| Favorite Tweeters: | Christian Louboutin, @lifetools, and my cast mates |
| Last book you read: | "Eleven" by Mark Watson |
| What Lindsey Kelk book would you recommend to the first-time reader? | ALWAYS "I Heart New York," because you HAVE to read all of them. If a film is ever made I’d die to play Angela Clark!! Even if it's just for the shoes! |
| Must-see TV show(s): | "Homeland" |
| Last good movie you saw: | "Skyfall" and "Bourne Legacy" |
| Some films you consider classics: | Ohh I’m sooo bad with films. I need to sit down and watch SO many that most people consider as classics! So work in progress! |
| Performer you would drop everything to go see: | Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard, James McAvoy |
| Pop culture guilty pleasure: | It's got to be 90’s R&B and bands from naughties (90’s) as it reminds me of growing up. |
| Three favorite cities: | New York, Rome, London |
| Favorite sport/team/player: | Anything Equestrian, I adore |
| First CD/Tape/LP you owned: | Janet Jackson tape of "Again." It was broken so you had to stick your finger in to rewind it back. |
| When you first realized you could sing: | I don’t think I realized I could. I was just forever mimicking my mum’s tapes in the car! |
| First stage kiss: | West Side Story at college |
| What are some of your most memorable roles as a kid or teenager and how old were you? | Maria in West Side Story |
| Moment you knew you wanted to perform for a living: | At school, because I wasn’t very good or very interested in anything else! |
| Favorite liquid refreshment: | Starbucks coffee |
| Pre-show rituals or warm-ups: | A huge breath and a smile |
| Most challenging role you have ever played: | Dorothy was so physically demanding, lifting/skipping/dancing with the dogs in arms. I think every role challenges you in a different way and that’s what makes it so rewarding. |
| Single most difficult song you have performed live or on television: | Probably the pressure of singing “Over the Rainbow” to the nation on live television. It is one of the most famous songs in the world, could you imagine forgetting the words to that??? |
| Craziest audition story: | Probably auditioning over three months with your auditions being broadcast to the nation every week. Auditions are terrifying anyway! |
| Worst flubbed line/missed cue/onstage mishap: | Tripping over the dog leash on my exit after "Over the Rainbow" and falling flat on my face onstage, when my mum was watching for the first time. Gutted!! |
| Worst costume ever: | I played a line dancing oyster in a primary school adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Huge grey cardboard sheet with a small hole cut out in the middle for my head. |
| If you could trade roles with anyone in the cast for a week, who would it be? | Probably Javert |
| Leading lady role you've been dying to play: | Mary Poppins |
| Leading man role you'd like a shot at: | Usnavi in In the Heights |
| Is performing on Broadway something you aspire to? | Definitely. New York is a second home. I adore it. |
| Something you are incredibly proud of: | My independence |
| Career you would want if not a performer: | To work with horses everyday. Teaching/riding/cleaning. Just anything. |
| Three things you can't live without: | Music, my friends and animals |
| Words of advice for aspiring performers: | Be strong, be daring, be forgiving and kind to yourself. Be supportive and love what you do. Just be you! |
