Denée Benton '10

Denée Benton, acclaimed star of the Broadway musical “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812”, got her start at our very own Trinity Prep. During her time at Trinity, Denée, who began her TPS stage career in 9th grade, participated in every show that she could which served to strengthen her love for performing. In an interview with Michael Gioia of Playbill, Benton said, “My parents brought me to New York City in the seventh grade to see Wicked, and I cried the entire time, and I was like, ‘I’ll be back if it’s the last thing I do!’”

And Benton certainly did come back. During her senior year at Carnegie Mellon, Denée was offered the lead female role of Nabulungi in the national tour of “The Book of Mormon.” Carnegie Mellon allowed her a semester of travel, and “The Book of Mormon” tour ended in Orlando, where Denée performed in the newly-built Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, with many local friends and family in the audience. She was then able to return to Carnegie Mellon, not only to graduate with her class, but also to participate in her class’s senior showcase. Denée reprised the role with the London company of “The Book of Mormon” on the West End. She broke into the television world with her recurring role as Ruby on “UNREAL” on the Lifetime Channel. Next she landed the title role in “Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812” opposite Josh Groban on Broadway. Her performance won her a Tony nomination for “Best Leading Actress in a Musical.”

As both current students and alumni know, Trinity is celebrated for its academic rigor. Thankfully, this did not stunt Deneé’s passion for performing; rather, it taught her how to find a balance between school commitments and performing. Recently, Denée returned to Trinity to teach a master class with Amanda LaMotte ‘07, where she fondly reminisced about doing geometry homework on the floor of the auditorium during downtime at numerous rehearsals. Both women agreed that the sense of discipline Trinity Prep instilled in them ultimately helped them adjust to the intensity of life as Broadway performers. Denée said that she is grateful for the many opportunities that the Trinity Prep theater department gave her. Her experiences at the school set her on the road to success, both academically and professionally.