Diane Phelan is a Filipino American actress, singer, director, producer, and concert artist based in New York City. Most recently, she appeared as Cinderella in the Broadway revival of Into the Woods, later reprising the role on the production’s national tour. Her Broadway credits also include The King and I at Lincoln Center Theater and School of Rock at the Winter Garden Theatre.
Her career has taken her from Broadway to stages around the world. She starred as Maria in West Side Story in Paris and has played such roles as Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Julie Jordan in Carousel, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, and Cassandra Austen in Austen’s Pride. She made history as the first Asian American woman to portray Maria von Trapp professionally in the United States. On screen, she appears as Sherri in the feature film Marry Harry.
Diane is also a concert artist and frequent guest soloist with symphony orchestras, including the Omaha Symphony and Steamboat Symphony Orchestra. Her concert work draws on a wide-ranging repertoire spanning musical theater, classical music, and the American Songbook.
Beyond her work as a performer, Diane has developed projects as a director and producer. She produced and directed the all-Asian benefit production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, bringing together an all-Asian company of Broadway artists and raising funds for Stop AAPI Hate. The production received a Telly Award. Her directing work also includes new plays and developmental work, alongside her work as a voice teacher and mentor to other performers.
Born in Taipei and raised between Taiwan and New Haven, Connecticut, Diane identifies as a Third Culture Kid, an experience that has deeply informed both her artistic life and her advocacy. Diane is a founding member of the Racism Is A Virus campaign and founder of Unapologetically Asian, both aimed at activating and empowering Asian Americans and redefining what it means to be American today. Her advocacy and creative work have been featured by The New York Times, Reuters, and media outlets across Asia.
She is a graduate of NYU and lives in New York City with her husband and a very large cat, Merman.
For more visit IG @dianicaphelan.