Evanston’s Jessie Mueller Wins Tony Award

Jessie Mueller, an Evanston native from a family of performers, who cut her teeth on Chicago’s stages, won a Tony Award Sunday night for best lead actress in a musical for playing a young Carole King in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.”

Mueller debuted on Broadway only three years ago, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune, making the award that much more notable. She also performed a duet with King during the award show, which she said was thrilling.

You can listen to her sing "You've Got a Friend" in the video above.

She comes by her talent rightly. Meuller’s parents, well-regarded actors Roger and Jill Mueller, raised four children, all of whom are successful performers, according to the Tribune.

Jessie, Abby, Andrew and Matt were raised watching their parents perform on Chicago-area stages. They started out performing “Peter Pan” in their Evanston backyard, according to a profile in the New York Post.

Jessie Mueller made her Broadway debut in 2011 opposite Harry Connick Jr. in “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,” according to an article in the Chicago Sun-Times. She is a 2001 graduate of Evanston Township High School.

Do you know Jessie Mueller or the rest of her Evanston family? Share your congratulations in the comments section below.

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