Paige O'Hara
Paige O'Hara ( born May 10, 1956 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as Donna Paige Helmintoller ) is an American singer, actress and voice actress. She was the singing and speaking voice of the main female character Belle in the animated film the Walt Disney Studios Beauty and the Beast (1991 ).
Life
Paige O'Hara was born Donna Paige Helmintoller in Fort Lauderdale in Florida and attended Nova High School in Davie, Florida. She performed in shows with the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre on.
O'Hara had her first appearance on Broadway as Ellie May Chipley in the revival of the musical Showboat in 1983 with Donald O'Connor. She repeated this role in 1989 in a production by the Houston Grand Opera. With this production, she appeared in Egypt, in performances at the Cairo Opera House. She sang this role in 1989 in the Grammy-nominated recording of the musical with Jerry Hadley, Frederica von Stade, Teresa Stratas, conducted by John McGlinn, was released by Angel Records ( EMI Label).
Her other appearances on American stages included the title role in The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Broadway and national tour from 1985 to 1987 ) and Ado Annie in a U.S. touring production of the musical Oklahoma! directed by William Hammerstein. At the international level O'Hara played the role of Nellie Forbush in the musical South Pacific. In April 2011, she took over the role of Judy Garland in From Gumm to Garland: Judy, The Musical at the Tempe Center for the Arts in Tempe, Arizona.
O'Hara lives with her husband Michael Piontek in Las Vegas.