Micaela Diamond
Micaela Diamond (born July 17, 1999) is an American actress and singer recognized for her Broadway performances portraying complex historical and biographical figures.[1][2]
She achieved prominence with her debut as Babe, the youngest incarnation of Cher, in the original Broadway production of The Cher Show (2018–2019), for which she received the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance.[3][4]
Diamond garnered critical acclaim and a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for her leading role as Lucille Frank in the 2023 revival of Parade, a musical drama depicting the Leo Frank case.[3][5][6]
Her additional nominations for the role included the Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and Drama League Award.[3]
Beyond theater, she has appeared in film (tick, tick... BOOM!, 2021) and television (Grotesquerie, 2024).[7]
Early life and education
Family and upbringing
Micaela Diamond was born on July 17, 1999, in Margate City, New Jersey, to a Jewish family.[7][8] Her mother, Karen Diamond, played a central role in her early life and career aspirations.[8] Diamond has described her mother as her "favorite part of this world," highlighting their close bond.[8] Diamond spent her early childhood in Margate, a coastal community with a significant Jewish population, where she exhibited early signs of performative talent, often engaging in energetic and expressive activities.[9][10] In 2011, at around age 12, she relocated to New York City with her mother specifically to pursue opportunities in acting, marking a pivotal shift from her New Jersey roots to the professional theater scene.[11] This move underscored the family's support for her ambitions, as they had previously visited the city for summer stays to facilitate auditions.[11] No public information is available regarding her father or any siblings.Academic background
Diamond attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City, graduating in 2017.[12][13] The specialized public school emphasizes training in the performing arts, including theater and music, aligning with her early interest in musical theater.[2] In 2017, Diamond was accepted into the BFA musical theater program at Carnegie Mellon University, a competitive institution known for its rigorous conservatory-style training.[14][9] However, she declined enrollment one week before matriculation to accept the role of Babe in the Broadway production of The Cher Show, prioritizing professional experience over formal higher education.[15][10]Career
Professional debut and early roles
Micaela Diamond made her professional theater debut originating the role of Babe, the youngest version of Cher spanning ages 7 to 19, in the world premiere of the jukebox musical The Cher Show at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago. Directed by Jason Moore with a book by Rick Elice, the production featured three actresses portraying different stages of Cher's life, with Diamond alongside Stephanie J. Block as Star and Teal Wicks as Lady. Previews began on June 12, 2018, followed by the official opening on June 28, after an out-of-town tryout that included revisions to the score and staging.[16][17] The Chicago run, which concluded on July 15, 2018, marked Diamond's entry into professional performing after community theater involvement starting at age 12 and immediate post-high-school auditions, forgoing planned enrollment at Carnegie Mellon University. Critics noted her vocal prowess and embodiment of youthful Cher, with the production refining elements like song arrangements from Cher's catalog before transferring to New York. Diamond's casting was announced in April 2018, positioning her as a newcomer amid seasoned co-stars.[9][14] Following the pre-Broadway engagement, Diamond reprised Babe on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre, where The Cher Show opened on December 3, 2018, after previews starting November 22, and ran for 296 performances until its closure on June 23, 2019. Her performance earned the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance in 2019, recognizing her as one of Broadway's promising new talents. This role constituted her sole early professional credit prior to subsequent leading parts.[4][3]Broadway breakthrough
Micaela Diamond made her Broadway debut at age 19 as Babe, the youngest incarnation of Cher, in the musical The Cher Show, which premiered on December 3, 2018, at the Neil Simon Theatre.[18] In the role, she portrayed Cher from her early years through the 1965 breakthrough hit "I Got You Babe" with Sonny Bono, marking a pivotal entry into major commercial theater after auditioning mere weeks post-graduation from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.[19] The production, directed by Jason Moore, featured three actresses cycling through Cher's life stages, with Diamond's performance highlighting the character's youthful transformation amid personal and professional tumult.[20] Diamond deferred enrollment at Carnegie Mellon University upon securing the role just two days before her scheduled college start, opting instead for the eight-month run that concluded in June 2019 after 283 performances.[15] Her casting as a recent high school graduate underscored the production's appeal to emerging talent, though The Cher Show received mixed critical response overall, with some reviews praising Diamond's vocal prowess and stage presence as standout elements amid broader critiques of the bio-musical format.[4] This debut positioned her as a rising Broadway performer, building on prior ensemble work in the 2018 NBC telecast of Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.[4]Film and television expansion
Diamond first ventured into television with a supporting role in the NBC live concert production of Jesus Christ Superstar on April 1, 2018, marking an early foray beyond stage work.[2] This appearance preceded her Broadway commitments and highlighted her vocal and performance versatility in a high-profile broadcast event featuring stars like John Legend and Sara Bareilles.[2] Her film debut came in 2019 with the short film Final Callback, a modest project that served as an initial screen credit.[7] The following year, in 2021, Diamond secured a noticeable role as Peggy, a participant in an advertising focus group, in Lin-Manuel Miranda's Netflix adaptation of the musical tick, tick... BOOM!, which dramatized composer Jonathan Larson's struggles and featured Andrew Garfield in the lead.[21] This ensemble part aligned with her musical theater background, contributing to the film's ensemble-driven narrative amid its critical acclaim for capturing off-Broadway energy on screen. Television opportunities expanded in the early 2020s, including a guest role as a shop assistant in the second season of HBO's period drama The Gilded Age in 2022.[18] She followed with a brief appearance as Girl from Anthro in the 2023 Hulu limited series Up Here, a musical comedy exploring mental health and relationships.[7] More substantial recurring roles emerged in 2024, with Diamond portraying Detective Edwards in the CBS procedural Elsbeth, a spin-off from The Good Wife universe centered on quirky investigations.[22] Concurrently, she played Sister Megan Duval, a nun entangled in supernatural horrors, in Ryan Murphy's Grotesquerie, the thirteenth season of the American Horror Story anthology, which premiered on FX and Hulu and drew attention for its gothic thriller elements and ensemble cast including Niecy Nash-Betts.[23] These parts represented a shift toward genre and network television, diversifying her portfolio from musicals to dramatic and horror formats.[23]Performing credits
Theater
![Micaela Diamond in 2023][float-right] Micaela Diamond's theater career features prominent Broadway roles alongside Off-Broadway appearances.[4]| Year | Production | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–2019 | The Cher Show | Babe (youngest Cher) | Neil Simon Theatre, Broadway | Broadway debut; originated the role in the bio-musical.[18] [4] |
| 2023 | Parade | Lucille Frank | Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Broadway | Revival production; opened March 16, 2023.[3] [24] [4] |
| 2024 | Here We Are | Fritz | The Shed, Off-Broadway | Stephen Sondheim's final musical; ran through January 21, 2025.[25] [4] |
| 2025 | The Seat of Our Pants | Sabina | The Public Theater, Off-Broadway | World premiere of new musical.[4] [26] |
Film
Diamond made her film debut in the short Final Callback (2019), portraying The Vocalizer in a story about an actress enduring a surreal audition process.[27] She next appeared in the Netflix musical drama tick, tick... BOOM! (2021), directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, as Peggy, a supporting role in the biographical film about composer Jonathan Larson.[4] Diamond is slated to appear in the independent drama Our Bodies & Other Shames, marking actress Jenny Lester's directorial debut; the film centers on three childhood friends reuniting in Brooklyn after one receives a breast cancer diagnosis, with Diamond starring alongside Gideon Adlon and Malka Wallick.[28][29]Television
Diamond's television debut came in 2022 with a guest role as a Shop Assistant in the HBO period drama The Gilded Age. In 2023, she appeared as the Girl from Anthro in the Hulu limited series Up Here, a musical romantic comedy. From 2024 onward, Diamond has taken on recurring roles, including Detective Edwards in the CBS procedural Elsbeth, featured in episodes such as "Artificial Genius" and "Elsbeth Flips the Bird". That same year, she portrayed Sister Megan Duval, a street-savvy nun, in all 10 episodes of the FX horror series Grotesquerie, created by Ryan Murphy.[30][31]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | The Gilded Age | Shop Assistant | 1 episode, HBO |
| 2023 | Up Here | Girl from Anthro | Hulu limited series |
| 2024–present | Elsbeth | Detective Edwards | Recurring, CBS |
| 2024 | Grotesquerie | Sister Megan Duval | 10 episodes, FX[32] |
Awards and nominations
Major theater awards
Diamond won the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance for portraying Babe in the Broadway musical The Cher Show in 2019.[3][4] For her role as Lucille Frank in the 2023 Broadway revival of Parade, Diamond received nominations across several prominent awards: the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical.[3][4]| Award | Year | Category | Production | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theatre World Award | 2019 | Outstanding Debut Performance | The Cher Show | Winner |
| Tony Award | 2023 | Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Parade | Nominee |
| Drama Desk Award | 2023 | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical | Parade | Nominee |
| Drama League Award | 2023 | Distinguished Performance | Parade | Nominee |
| Outer Critics Circle Award | 2023 | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical | Parade | Nominee |