Lesley McKinnell is a native of Orange County, Southern California (commonly referred to as “The OC”, but surprisingly very unlike the popular TV show). The daughter of musicians, she developed a love and passion for music at a young age. She began playing piano at age five, and cello at age ten. Meanwhile, she sang with the Pacific Children’s Chorale and then the Southern California Children’s Chorus, founded by Lori Loftus. Throughout six years in Concert Chorus, she performed at venues like Carnegie Hall, The White House, the Vatican, and St. Peter’s Basilica in Italy.

Along with outside chorus involvement and community theatre, Lesley was involved with the vocal, orchestra, and theatre programs at her high school. She graduated El Dorado High School with honors from various arts and academic programs, including her Champion Mock Trial Team, which is her proudest nerdy moment. She went on to attend Cal State University Fullerton, where she was accepted into the BFA Musical Theatre program after two years of jurying. Lesley performed in seven productions in eight semesters at CSUF, including Under Milk Wood, June in Marisol, The Philadelphia Story, various ensemble including a Who and a liger in Seussical the Musical, Andy in Steppin’ Out, Allie Earp in I Married Wyatt Earp, and Alaura Kingsley in City of Angels. As a BFA class member, she performed in many concert productions with The Preeminents. Lesley also performed in three annual productions of CSUF’s scholarship fundraiser Front and Center at the Anaheim Pond (now Honda Center, home of The Ducks), with Gladys Knight, Chicago, and Stevie Nicks. She got her first professional theatre job at Musical Theatre West between her junior and senior years of college in The Pirates of Penzance.

After graduation in May of 2008, she signed with Kazarian Spencer and Associates in LA and NY (now KSR), and performed in The Wizard of Oz at MTW, Les Miserables with Brian Stokes Mitchell at the Hollywood Bowl under the direction of Richard Jay Alexander, the staged reading of An Italian Straw Hat at South Coast Repertory, and South Pacific at Performance Riverside as Ensign Dinah Murphey, which involved a very prominent three lines and jewel-rimmed glasses. In November 2008 Lesley was cast in the 1st National Tour of Wicked as a singer swing and understudy for Nessarose. She then moved to the 2nd National Tour of Wicked in February 2010 to be in a permanent ensemble track and understudy Glinda. Come out and see the show!