Christine "Christy" Altomare is an American actress and singer-songwriter. Altomare played the role of Wendla in the first national tour of the rock musicalSpring Awakening, played Sue Snell in the off-Broadway revival of Carrie, and made her Broadway debut as Sophie in Mamma Mia!. She originated the titular role in the Broadway premiere of Anastasia, earning favorable reviews. The show's final Broadway performance was on March 31, 2019, playing a total of 808 regular shows and 34 previews.
In December 2018, Altomare announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend Philip “Pete” Browning.
Career
Altomare began writing songs at the age of twelve. She has three independent CDs: Not Yet Over You, Waiting For You, and an EP entitled After You. When she was sixteen, she signed with her current manager, Edie Robb. She looks to Jewel and Joni Mitchell as her biggest influences. In 2008, Altomare joined the first national touring cast of the hit Broadway musicalSpring Awakening in the lead role of Wendla, beginning previews on August 15, 2008 in San Diego. She traveled to 44 different cities and gave over 600 performances. She stayed with the tour until its final performance on May 23, 2010. Altomare received generally positive reviews throughout the tour. Seth Kubersky of Orlando Weekly called her "appropriately innocent and adorable as the inevitable victim" while Eric Rezsnyak of the Rochester City Paper praised her "piercing, haunting soprano voice," and how "even her most difficult melodic passes seem totally effortless." Following the Spring Awakening tour, Altomare appeared as Sue Snell in MCC Theater's limited engagement run of the Off-Broadway revival of Carrie at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. She can be heard on the official cast recording of the production, released by Ghostline and Sh-K-Boom Records. On June 4, 2012, Altomare made her Broadway debut in Mamma Mia! at the Winter Garden Theatre, where she replaced Liana Hunt resuming the role of Sophie Sheridan. She stayed with the Broadway company for a year, ending her contract on June 1, 2013, and was replaced by Laurie Veldheer. From October 30, 2014 until January 4, 2015, she starred as Guinevere in the Drury Lane Theatre's production of Camelot. On March 9, 2016, it was announced that Altomare will be starring in the World Premiere of the musical adaptation of the 1997 animated film Anastasia in the title role. The show ran from May 13 - June 19, 2016 at Hartford Stage in Connecticut. Altomare received critical acclaim for her performance, winning the Connecticut Critics Circle Award. She reprised the role on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. Previews began March 23, 2017 and the show officially opened April 24, 2017 at the Broadhurst Theatre. Her performance in the Broadway production earned her positive reviews and numerous Award wins and nominations including a 2017 Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical. She continued with the production through to its final Broadway performance on March 31, 2019. She played the part of Nellie in a concert version of South Pacific at the Aspen Music Festival on July 22, 2019. On January 16, 2020, it was announced that Altomare will be starring in the new musical The Wanderer in the role of Susan alongside Wicked alums Michael Wartella as Dion DiMucci and Joey McIntyre as Johnny, running May 28-June 28 at Paper Mill Playhouse prior to a Broadway transfer. However, the production was pushed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
