Biography: Carmen Cusack (born April 25, 1971) is an American musical theater actress and singer. She is known for playing Elphaba in the Chicago, North American Tour, and Melbourne productions of the musical Wicked and for originating the roles of Alice Murphy and Clare Boothe Luce in the Broadway musicals Bright Star and Flying Over Sunset, respectively. Her performance in Bright Star, which was her Broadway debut, was highly praised and earned her a Tony Award nomination and a 2016 Theatre World Award. She received a second Tony Award nomination for her performance in Flying Over Sunset.