Changes: Sonia Manzano

Revision as of 23:08, 2 July 2015

1977 CTW shot

Soniamanzano-deathwish — Sonia Manzano in *Death Wish*

Sonia Manzano (b. June 12, 1950) is an actress who has played Maria on Sesame Street since 1971. In June 2015, it was announced that she would be retiring from Sesame Street.^[1] Her autobiography Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx, will be released in August 2015.

Born in Manhattan to Puerto Rican parents, Manzano attended the High School for the Performing Arts as a teenager. While going to college at Carnegie Melon University, she originated the eponymous role of Sonia in the off-Broadway musical Godspell (appearing on its original cast album as well), and continued to play the role through her first season on Sesame Street. She became part of the increasingly ethnically diverse cast and recalled that "It was such a social force... I never wanted to be on a kids’ show, but I always wanted to be on Sesame Street." ^[2] In addition to her portrayal of Maria, Manzano showed her versatility in pantomime segments, impersonating Charlie Chaplin's The Tramp, and like other cast members, frequently narrated film inserts.

In the 1980s, Manzano tried her hand at script writing, and has since become a key member of the Sesame Street writing staff, sharing several Emmy awards, and scripting several Sesame videos, including Sesame Street Visits the Hospital. She also wrote lyrics for "Muppets Rhyme in School," "You Say Hola and I Say Hola," "Thirteen," "Yell," and "Don't Be a Tough Nut to Crack." Other writing credits include episodes of the Nickelodeon animated series Little Bill, a parenting column for Sesameworkshop.org, an essay in the Marlo Thomas anthology Thanks & Giving All Year Long, and the 2004 children's book No Dogs Allowed, adapted as a stage musical in 2010. Manzano has received two Emmy award nominations for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Television Series and received the 2002 Hispanic Heritage Award for education, in addition to other awards and shows of recognition.

Married to Richard Reagan, president of the Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Manzano gave birth to daughter Gabriela Rose Reagan in 1988, a year before Maria gave birth to Gabi. Her real-life daughter played the part in Season 21 and Season 22.

The majority of Manzano's screen acting career has been spent on Sesame Street and related projects (including both Follow That Bird and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland) as Maria, and voicing some characters including Smart Tina and Rosita's Abuela. She also made appearances as herself in the documentaries Sesame Street Unpaved and A&E Biography: Sesame Street. Her other credits run the gamut, and include bit parts in the Michael Winner action films Death Wish (as a grocery store clerk annoyed by Jeff Goldblum) and Firepower (with James Coburn, as a stewardess). In television, she guest starred on B. J. and the Bear starring Greg Evigan (as Chattanooga in the 1981 episode "Snow White and the Seven Lady Truckers") and on Law & Order in the 2004 episode "Hands Free." On stage, she performed in The Vagina Monologues and The Exonerated. On radio, she has been a frequent narrator for the NPR dramatized fiction series Selected Shorts.

Interviews

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation interviewed Manzano in 2004 for the Archive of American Television. The hour and a half interview was posted on YouTube in 2008.

File:Sonia Manzano interview 2004

Sources

↑ "After 45 years on Sesame Street, @SoniaMManzano will no longer appear on the next season." American Libraries on Twitter with response from @SoniaMManzano, June 29, 2015
↑ AARP- Diversity, Family, Languages: Birds of a Feather

External links

[1] "After 45 years on Sesame Street, @SoniaMManzano will no longer appear on the next season." American Libraries on Twitter with response from @SoniaMManzano, June 29, 2015

[2] AARP- Diversity, Family, Languages: Birds of a Feather

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 [[Image:SoniaCTW.jpg|thumb|300px|1977 CTW shot]]
 [[Image:Soniamanzano-deathwish.jpg|frame|Sonia Manzano in ''Death Wish'']]
-'''Sonia Manzano''' (b. June 12, 1950) is an actress who has played [[Maria]] on ''[[Sesame Street]]'' since [[1971]]. She also provided the voice of [[Smart Tina]] in the [[Roosevelt Franklin Elementary School]] segments.
+'''Sonia Manzano''' (b. June 12, 1950) is an actress who has played [[Maria]] on ''[[Sesame Street]]'' since [[1971]]. In June 2015, it was announced that she would be retiring from ''Sesame Street''.<ref>[https://twitter.com/amlibraries/status/615598035867844608 "After 45 years on Sesame Street, @SoniaMManzano will no longer appear on the next season."] American Libraries on [[Twitter]] with response from @SoniaMManzano, June 29, 2015</ref> Her autobiography ''[[Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx]]'', will be released in August 2015.
-Born in [[New York City|Manhattan]] to [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican]] parents, Manzano attended the [[The Cast of Fame|High School for the Performing Arts]] as a teenager. While going to college at Carnegie Melon University, she originated the eponymous role of Sonia in the off-Broadway musical ''Godspell'' (appearing on its original cast album as well), and continued to play the role through her first season on ''Sesame Street''. She became part of the increasingly ethnically diverse cast and recalled that "It was such a social force... I never wanted to be on a kids’ show, but I always wanted to be on ''Sesame Street''." <ref>[http://www.segundajuventud.org/english/entertainment/2003-april/maria.htm AARP- Diversity, Family, Languages: Birds of a Feather]</ref> In addition to her portrayal of Maria, Manzano showed her versatility in pantomime segments, impersonating [[Charlie Chaplin]], and like other cast members, frequently narrated film inserts.
+Born in [[New York City|Manhattan]] to [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican]] parents, Manzano attended the [[The Cast of Fame|High School for the Performing Arts]] as a teenager. While going to college at Carnegie Melon University, she originated the eponymous role of Sonia in the off-Broadway musical ''Godspell'' (appearing on its original cast album as well), and continued to play the role through her first season on ''Sesame Street''. She became part of the increasingly ethnically diverse cast and recalled that "It was such a social force... I never wanted to be on a kids’ show, but I always wanted to be on ''Sesame Street''." <ref>[http://www.segundajuventud.org/english/entertainment/2003-april/maria.htm AARP- Diversity, Family, Languages: Birds of a Feather]</ref> In addition to her portrayal of Maria, Manzano showed her versatility in pantomime segments, impersonating [[Charlie Chaplin]]'s [[The Tramp (Sesame Street)|The Tramp]], and like other cast members, frequently narrated film inserts.
-In the 1980s, Manzano tried her hand at script writing, and has since become a key member of the ''[[Sesame Street]]'' writing staff, sharing several [[Emmy]] awards, and scripting several ''Sesame'' videos, including ''[[Sesame Street Visits the Hospital]]''. She also wrote lyrics for "[[Thirteen]]" and "[[Don't Be a Tough Nut to Crack]]." Other writing credits include episodes of the [[Nickelodeon]] animated series ''Little Bill'', a parenting column for [[Sesameworkshop.org]], an essay in the [[Marlo Thomas]] anthology ''[[Thanks & Giving All Year Long]]'', and the [[2004]] children's book ''No Dogs Allowed''. Amongst numerous other awards, including many from Hispanic activist groups, Manzano has received two Emmy award nominations for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Television Series, and received the [[2002]] Hispanic Heritage Award for education.
+In the 1980s, Manzano tried her hand at script writing, and has since become a key member of the ''[[Sesame Street]]'' writing staff, sharing several [[Emmy]] awards, and scripting several ''Sesame'' videos, including ''[[Sesame Street Visits the Hospital]]''. She also wrote lyrics for "[[Muppets Rhyme in School]]," "[[You Say Hola and I Say Hola]]," "[[Thirteen]]," "[[Yell]]," and "[[Don't Be a Tough Nut to Crack]]." Other writing credits include episodes of the [[Nickelodeon]] animated series ''Little Bill'', a parenting column for [[Sesameworkshop.org]], an essay in the [[Marlo Thomas]] anthology ''[[Thanks & Giving All Year Long]]'', and the 2004 children's book ''No Dogs Allowed'', adapted as a stage musical in 2010. Manzano has received two Emmy award nominations for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Television Series and received the 2002 Hispanic Heritage Award for education, in addition to other awards and shows of recognition.
-Married to Richard Reagan, president of the Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Manzano gave birth to daughter [[Gabriela Rose Reagan]] in [[1988]], a year before Maria gave birth to [[Gabi]]. Her real-life daughter played the part in [[Season 21]] and [[Season 22]].
+Married to Richard Reagan, president of the Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Manzano gave birth to daughter [[Gabriela Rose Reagan]] in 1988, a year before Maria gave birth to [[Gabi]]. Her real-life daughter played the part in [[Season 21]] and [[Season 22]].
-The majority of Manzano's screen acting career has been spent on ''Sesame Street'' and related projects (including both ''[[Follow That Bird]]'' and ''[[The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland]]''), plus appearances as herself in ''[[Sesame Street Unpaved (special)|Sesame Street Unpaved]]'' and ''[[A&E Biography: Sesame Street]]''. Her other credits run the gamut, and include bit parts in the Michael Winner action films ''Death Wish'' (as a grocery store clerk harassed by [[Jeff Goldblum]]) and ''Firepower'' (with [[James Coburn]], as a stewardess).  In television, she guest starred on ''B. J. and the Bear'' starring [[Greg Evigan]] (as Chattanooga in the [[1981]] episode "Snow White and the Seven Lady Truckers") and on ''[[Law & Order]]'' in the [[2004]] episode "Hands Free."  On stage, she performed in ''The Vagina Monologues'' and ''The Exonerated''. On radio, she has been a frequent narrator for the NPR dramatized fiction series ''Selected Shorts''.
+The majority of Manzano's screen acting career has been spent on ''Sesame Street'' and related projects (including both ''[[Follow That Bird]]'' and ''[[The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland]]'') as Maria, and voicing some characters including [[Smart Tina]] and [[Rosita's Abuela]]. She also made appearances as herself in the documentaries ''[[Sesame Street Unpaved (special)|Sesame Street Unpaved]]'' and ''[[A&E Biography: Sesame Street]]''. Her other credits run the gamut, and include bit parts in the Michael Winner action films ''Death Wish'' (as a grocery store clerk annoyed by [[Jeff Goldblum]]) and ''Firepower'' (with [[James Coburn]], as a stewardess). In television, she guest starred on ''B. J. and the Bear'' starring [[Greg Evigan]] (as Chattanooga in the 1981 episode "Snow White and the Seven Lady Truckers") and on ''[[Law & Order]]'' in the 2004 episode "Hands Free." On stage, she performed in ''The Vagina Monologues'' and ''The Exonerated''. On radio, she has been a frequent narrator for the NPR dramatized fiction series ''Selected Shorts''.
+==Interviews==
+The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation interviewed Manzano in 2004 for the Archive of American Television. The hour and a half interview was posted on YouTube in 2008.
+[[File:Sonia Manzano interview 2004|660px|center]]
 ==Sources==