Madeleine Suddaby was born and raised in Vancouver. She is a graduate of Capilano University’s Musical Theatre Program and Decidedly Jazz Danceworks’ Professional Training program. She has performed on stages across the country, notably in Mirvish’s production of “Kinky Boots” in Toronto, in which she was a swing understudy, covering five different performer tracks—no mean feat! In 2024, she played the role of Adelaide in the Arts Club Theatre Company’s production of “Guys and Dolls” to great critical acclaim, and is currently playing Paulette in Theatre Under the Stars’ production of “Legally Blonde.” She is highly respected in the theatre community for her powerhouse singing voice and quirky comic chops, and is considered one of Vancouver’s very best musical theatre performers. She also has a sizeable following on YouTube for her makeup tutorials, and has worked on several productions in both theatre and film as a makeup artist.
-Written by Andrew Cownden, friend, actor and writer
I’m lucky enough to start my day here, sitting at my table with a cup of coffee, a running list of to-dos, and often a script to memorize – either an audition or an ongoing project. As a self-ascribed Luddite, I still write down all my tasks and schedules on paper.My daily work commute can look different depending on how I want to get from point A to point B – if I’m feeling particularly whimsical, I can hop on a ferry to get to the other side of False Creek. More often than not, I’m choosing to bike to work this year; it’s a great physical warm-up for the show and an excuse to enjoy the views from the seawall. It’s not lost on me how privileged I am to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.Since most of my time before, during, and after the show is spent in my dressing room, I make sure to set up a comfortable, cozy environment for myself to do my makeup and decompress before hitting the stage.It’s also important to have an inviting space for my castmates to come visit me! I love having an open-door policy for pre-show chats.Being a Vancouver institution for 85 years, The Malkin Bowl’s backstage is filled with history. It’s tradition to leave your mark on the walls with your signature on closing night. My favourite game to play is “Find the Oldest Signature in the Room”.Here’s the company of Legally Blonde celebrating opening night! We’re super proud of what we’ve created, and we hope you come spend an evening in Stanley Park with us soon!It’s not lost on me how privileged I am to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.This was the view with dinner the other night, and I think this might be my favourite view in the city.
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Which ’hood are you in?
I currently live in the Olympic Village!
What do you do?
I’m an actor/singer/dancer by trade, primarily working in musical theatre.
What are you currently working on?
I recently played Paulette in Legally Blonde with Theatre Under The Stars, which ran until August 16th at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park.
Where can we find your work?
Next up, you can catch me in Disney’s Frozen this winter at Arts Club Theatre Company! If you want to keep up-to-date with my current projects, you can find me on Instagram and YouTube.
Emilea Semancik was born in North Vancouver. Emilea has always always wanted to work as a freelance writer and currently writes for the Vancouver Guardian. Taking influence from journalism culture surrounding the great and late Anthony Bourdain, she is a recipe author working towards publishing her own series of books. You can find her food blog on Instagram:
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