Daphne Rubin-Vega life and biography

Daphne Rubin-Vega is a dancer, singer, and actress. She is best known for originating the role of Mimi Marquez in the Broadway musical Rent, and the role of Lucy, in the Off-Broadway play Jack Goes Boating.

Rubin-Vega was born in Panama City, Panama, the daughter of Daphine Vega, a nurse, and Jose Mercedes Vega, a carpenter. Her stepfather, Leonard Rubin, was a writer. She began her musical career as the lead singer for the Latin freestyle group Pajama Party, placing three songs on the Hot 100 in 1989 and 1990. As a solo artist her biggest success is on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where in 1996 she hit #1 with the song "I Found It." She returned to the top of the dance/club play charts in 2003 with a dance version of Elton John's "Rocketman". In 2001 she recorded her debut full-length rock album of original songs ("Souvenirs") but it fell through the cracks when her record company Mercury merged.

Ms. Rubin-Vega is perhaps best known for the roles she originated, including Mimi ("RENT") and Conchita ("Anna in the Tropics"), both Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway shows for which she was nominated for the Tony award. She also originated the role of Rahmi ("Gum"), Sofia (Nilo Cruz' "Two Sisters and a Piano"), Canary Mary (Suzan-Lori Parks' "Fucking A") (Lucille Lortel nomination) and Lucy ("Jack Goes Boating") at the Public Theater, as well as starred in the Broadway revivals of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (Magenta) and "Les Miserables" (Fantine). Film credits include detective Gloria Perez in "Wild Things", starring Kevin Bacon and Matt Dillon (Blockbuster Award for Best Supporting Actress), Tia ("Flawless", opposite Robert De Niro), and most recently, reprising the role of Lucy in the film version of "Jack Goes Boating", Phillip Seymour Hoffman's film directorial debut. Other films include, "Justice", "Skeleton Woman" (New York Independent Film award), "Virgin", "Sex and the City", and "I Like It Like That". Daphne Rubin-Vega is recognized for her singing as much as her acting. She was a member of the girl group Pajama Party, whose single "Yo No Se" was number one on the Billboard dance charts. They made two albums on Atlantic Records before Daphne began writing and recording solo singles for the indie dance label Maxi. In 1997, Rubin-Vega cut her first album of original music, "Souvenirs" on the subsequently defunct Mercury label and in 2006; she produced, performed, and primarily wrote "Redemption Songs" (Sh-K- Boom). Daphne has contributed to various musical projects, including her notorious version of "Feliz Navidad" for Broadway Cares and her club smash cover of "Rocketman".

In 2005, she received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Kean University. "Dr." Rubin-Vega was born in Panama and raised in New York City where she lives with her husband and son.

Discography:

With Pajama Party:
1989 - Up All Night
1991 - Can't Live Without It

Solo-work:
1994 - When You Love Someone (Single)
1995 - Change (Single)
1995 - I Found It (Single)
2001 - Souvenirs
2003 - Rocket Man (EP)
2006 - Redemption Songs

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