Howard has appeared on Broadway in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, 9 to 5, South Pacific and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
She has toured with Les Misérables and performed at regional theatres including Pitt Civic Light Opera, St. Louis Muny, Olney Theatre Center and Kansas City Starlight.
Her debut solo CD, Songs of Innocence and Experience, is available on iTunes.
| Name: | Lisa Howard |
| Where you were born/where you were raised: | Akron, Ohio |
| Zodiac Sign: | Scorpio |
| What your parents did/do for a living: | Both retired now. Mom was an elementary school teacher and dad was an accountant for Firestone Tire & Rubber. |
| Siblings: | 2 older brothers - Joe and Brian |
| Current audition song/monologue: | No one song, my audition rep is always in flux. |
| Special skills: | I can whistle. |
| First Broadway show you ever saw: | The revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum - with Nathan Lane |
| Current show other than your own you have been recommending to friends: | Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time |
| Favorite showtune of all time: | Meadowlark |
| Some favorite modern musicals: | The Book of Mormon, Spelling Bee, Les Miz, Beauty and the Beast, Lion King |
| Some favorite classic musicals: | The Sound of Music, Grease |
| Broadway or screen stars of the past you would have most loved to perform with: | Lucille Ball |
| Your personal vocal idols, living or dead: | Karen Carpenter and Barbra Streisand |
| The one performance – attended - that you will never forget: | National tour of Les Miz when I was in high school |
| Music that makes you cry, any genre: | Musical theatre songs |
| MAC or PC? | MAC |
| Most played song on your iPod: | "Thomas the Tank Engine" |
| Most-visited websites: | Netflix, Sendout Cards |
| Favorite Tweeters: | I follow God |
| Last book you read: | The Outlander Series, book 6 |
| Must-see TV show(s): | "The Walking Dead" |
| Last good movie you saw: | "The Theory of Everything" |
| Some films you consider classics: | "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Coming to America" |
| Performer you would drop everything to go see: | Edward Hibbert |
| Pop culture guilty pleasure: | HGTV shows |
| Three favorite cities: | London, New York and Venice |
| First CD/Tape/LP you owned: | Billy Joel |
| First stage kiss: | 9th grade in high school – in Guys and Dolls |
| Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: | Velma in Chicago |
| Moment you knew you wanted to perform for a living: | 11th grade when my voice teacher asked me what I wanted to do |
| Favorite pre-/post- show meal: | Pre-show—Saigon 48—shrimp pad thai and vegetable la satom soup. Post show—Glass House Tavern. |
| Favorite liquid refreshment: | Iced coffee |
| Pre-show rituals or warm-ups: | I warm up my voice, but no strange rituals. |
| Most challenging role you have ever played: | Fosca in Passion in college |
| What drew you to this new project and what has been the biggest challenge so far? | This role is perfect for me and I've been a part of this show for a long time. The biggest challenge is the demanding schedule with my two young children. |
| Worst flubbed line/missed cue/onstage mishap: | In Les Miz, instead of saying, "If Fantine doesn’t look out, watch how she goes," I said, "If Fantine doesn't lock out, locka she low!" |
| Worst costume ever: | Worst BEST costume ever was my step-sister dress in Cinderella at the MUNY. |
| Craziest audition story: | In my audition for South Pacific, I couldn’t seem to understand what the director wanted me to do. He kept saying, "Make it bigger. Make it stronger. More force."
I must have read the scene 7 times before I finally asked, "Do you want it butch?" And then I ran the scene like that, they laughed, and I got the part. |
| Leading lady role you've been dying to play: | I don’t think it'll ever happen, but I would love to play Maria in The Sound of Music. |
| Leading man role you wish you could play: | Jean Valjean in Les Miz |
| Something about you that surprises people: | That I met my husband on the subway |
| Something you are incredibly proud of: | My kids, and the fact that I’m still doing what I love |
| Something you're embarrassed to admit: | On my day off, I often stay in my pajamas all day. |
| Career you would want if not a performer: | A voice teacher |
| Three things you can't live without: | Ricola cough drops, coffee, my iPhone |
| "I'll never understand why…" | … people don't understand the concept of waiting until people get off the train for them to get on. |
| Words of advice for aspiring performers: | Keep with it, don’t give up, and find your own path! |
