Biography
Panamanian actress and vocalist Daphne Rubin-Vega first gained widespread recognition portraying the free-spirited, ill-fated Mimi in the Tony-winning Broadway production Rent. Long before settling into that stage persona as a New York City performer, she had fronted the all-female group Pajama Party, which issued the little-heralded LPs Can't Live Without It and Up All Night on Atlantic and topped the dance charts with its early-’90s single “Yo No Se.” Although those recordings hinted at her vocal range, an earlier episode revealed even more about her drive: as a wide-eyed teenager she approached David Bowie producer Arif Mardin and convinced him to place her on the soundtrack for the 1986 George Lucas picture Labyrinth.
After Pajama Party, Rubin-Vega tried to launch a solo career through several dance tracks on the Maxi imprint; those efforts preceded her 1994 casting in Rent, which she secured after steady appearances at Caroline’s Comedy Club with the Latino ensemble El Barrio, USA. Impressed by those showcases, directors invited her to audition, and by 1996 she had claimed the part of Mimi, drawing praise for costumes she supplied from her own wardrobe—outfits that later inspired a Bloomingdale’s clothing line tied to the show. When the production transferred from off-Broadway to Broadway, she remained in the role until Rosario Dawson succeeded her as Mimi in 1997, by which time Rubin-Vega had earned Tony and Drama Desk nominations.
Having tasted Broadway acclaim, she returned to recording with the 1997 Mercury album Souvenirs, which drew uneven notices, and appeared in the minor films Wild Things and Flawless. In 2001 she resurfaced on Broadway as Magenta in the star-studded revival of The Rocky Horror Show, drawn from the cult Tim Curry movie. That same adventurous theatrical spirit earned her another Tony nod in 2004 for Anna in the Tropics opposite Jimmy Smits. Two years afterward she issued the eclectic set Redemption Songs, blending pop, Latin folk, rock, and reggae, at the very moment she made her debut as Fantine in the Broadway revival of Les Miserables.
After Pajama Party, Rubin-Vega tried to launch a solo career through several dance tracks on the Maxi imprint; those efforts preceded her 1994 casting in Rent, which she secured after steady appearances at Caroline’s Comedy Club with the Latino ensemble El Barrio, USA. Impressed by those showcases, directors invited her to audition, and by 1996 she had claimed the part of Mimi, drawing praise for costumes she supplied from her own wardrobe—outfits that later inspired a Bloomingdale’s clothing line tied to the show. When the production transferred from off-Broadway to Broadway, she remained in the role until Rosario Dawson succeeded her as Mimi in 1997, by which time Rubin-Vega had earned Tony and Drama Desk nominations.
Having tasted Broadway acclaim, she returned to recording with the 1997 Mercury album Souvenirs, which drew uneven notices, and appeared in the minor films Wild Things and Flawless. In 2001 she resurfaced on Broadway as Magenta in the star-studded revival of The Rocky Horror Show, drawn from the cult Tim Curry movie. That same adventurous theatrical spirit earned her another Tony nod in 2004 for Anna in the Tropics opposite Jimmy Smits. Two years afterward she issued the eclectic set Redemption Songs, blending pop, Latin folk, rock, and reggae, at the very moment she made her debut as Fantine in the Broadway revival of Les Miserables.
Albums
Singles
