| Yvette González-Nacer | |
| Birth Place: | Miami, Florida |
| Alma Mater: | University of Miami |
| Occupation: | Actress, Singer, Musician, Composer, Producer |
| Years Active: | 2004-present |
| Notable Works: | The Fresh Beat Band, Hadestown |
| Website: | https://www.yvettenacer.com/ |
Yvette González-Nacer is a Cuban-American actress, singer-songwriter, musician and producer. She is best known for originating one of the Fates in the original Broadway production of the Grammy and Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown, starring in the first Broadway National Tour of Moulin Rouge!, and playing Kiki on Nickelodeon's The Fresh Beat Band. During the show's run, Yvette and the cast performed a sold-out tour in front of half a million fans.
González-Nacer was born to Cuban immigrant parents in Miami, Florida.[1] She became interested in music early, taking violin lessons when she was 3 years old and taking voice lessons in high school.[2] [3] She attended the University of Miami after receiving an opera scholarship.[4] González-Nacer is a polyglot, able to speak five languages.
González-Nacer's early career focused on music rather than acting. She spent time as a member of a jazz band and toured alongside Engelbert Humperdinck, singing the duet "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" with him on a World Tour.
González-Nacer played the character Maria in Dolores Prida's Off-Broadway show 4 Guys Named Jose ... and Una Mujer Named Maria. Her performance was praised as "comically endearing" by Variety. and as "unfairly charming" by Back Stage West.[5] [6] She performed alongside Luis Valdez in Corridos Remix,[7] and she was awarded a Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Female Lead in a Musical by the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. In 2009, she played Vanessa in the first national tour of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In the Heights.[8]
González-Nacer made her Broadway debut in 2019, playing one of the three Fates in Anaïs Mitchell's musical Hadestown.[9] She had previously played the role in a 2017 performance at the New York Theatre Workshop.[10] Nacer handled the highest part of the three.[11] Her performance in the musical was complimented in reviews by The Daily Beast, The Hollywood Reporter, and Rolling Stone.[12] [13] [14] In 2022, she joined the cast of Moulin Rouge! for the show's first national tour.[15] Initially an alternate, she took over the role of Satine shortly after the tour began.[16] Her performance was received positively by The Washington Post and Metro Weekly.[17] [18] González-Nacer played Mrs. Wright in Real Women Have Curves, which received a limited run at the American Repertory Theater from 2023 to 2024.[19]
González-Nacer starred in the television series The Fresh Beat Band from 2009 to 2013, later rejoining the case for the animated spinoff series Fresh Beat Band of Spies in 2015. She embarked on a concert tour alongside the cast of The Fresh Beat Band in 2012. She was nominated in the "Best Young Actress/Television" category at the 2011 Imagen Awards for her work in The Fresh Beat Band.[20] [21] She was nominated for "Best Actress/Television" at the 2014 Imagen Awards. In 2016, González-Nacer played Cha Cha in Grease Live!, a television film adaptation of the 1978 film Grease.[22] [23] She then went on to portray the role of Soledad Penagos on CBS' "Madam Secretary" and Ella on ABC's "9-1-1." She most recently portrayed the role of Amanda in the feature film "Murder Motel" with Mickey Rourke.
González-Nacer released her first album, "Not Gonna Wait," in 2012. In 2020, she released a Christmas album featuring her Hadestown castmates Jewelle Blackman and Kay Trinidad titled "If The Fates Allow: A Hadestown Holiday Album."[24]
González-Nacer is active in raising money and awareness for research into Alzheimer's disease. She is the founder of Creative Minds Care, a nonprofit organization that raises money for Alzheimer's research.[25] She is also a "Celebrity Champion" for the Alzheimer's Association and an ambassador for Active Minds.[26] [27]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Cactus Flower | Colby | ||
| 2022 | The Curse of La Patasola | La Patasola | Composed, produced and performed the Main Theme. Voiced titular character | |
| 2023 | Murder Motel | Amanda |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Wedding Bells | Teresa | Episode: "Fools in Love" | |
| 2007 | Guiding Light | Rosa | Three episodes | |
| 2009–2013 | The Fresh Beat Band | Kiki/Tinwoman | Fifty-nine episodes | |
| 2011 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Herself | Episode: "Episode #20.19" | |
| 2013 | Criminal Minds | Gina Mendes | Episode: "Nanny Dearest" | |
| 2015–2016 | Fresh Beat Band of Spies | Kiki (voice role) | Twenty episodes | |
| 2016 | Grease Live! | Cha Cha | TV Movie | |
| 2017 | Madam Secretary | Soledad Penagos | Episode: "Labor of Love" | |
| 2018 | Goldie & Bear | Phyllis | Episode: "Horsin' Around/Pigs Without Twigs" | |
| 2023 | 9-1-1 | Ella | Episode: "Love Is In the Air" |
| Year | Production | Role | Theatre | Ref(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–2011 | In the Heights | Vanessa | First Broadway National Tour | ||
| 2019–2020 | Hadestown | Fate | Walter Kerr Theatre | ||
| 2022–2023 | Moulin Rouge! | Satine | First Broadway National Tour | ||
| 2023–2024 | Real Women Have Curves | Mrs. Wright | American Repertory Theater | [28] |
| Year | Organisation | Award | Work | Result | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Craig Noel Awards | Female Lead, Musical | Corridos Remix | [29] | ||
| 2011 | Imagen Awards | Best Young Actress/Television | The Fresh Beat Band | |||
| 2014 | Imagen Awards | Best Actress/Television | The Fresh Beat Band | [30] | ||
| 2018 | Bonehead Awards | Best Music Video | Santeria | [31] |