Sharon Leal mini-bio: Sharon was born on October 17 in Tuscon, Arizona, and was raised in Fresno, California by her mother Angelita, a homemaker; her father Jesse, a retired master sergeant in the US Air Force, who is now an elementary school teacher; and her stepfather Elmer Manankil. Has a younger sister, Kristina Manankil. At the age of two, Sharon sang into a microphone, and her parents taped her "performances." This later led to acting, which she began doing in community theater productions when she was 13. Sharon graduated from Roosevelt High School of the Arts in Fresno and attended Diablo Valley Junior College, where she studied acting while privately studying voice. In 1989, she won a vocal scholarship at the Santa Cruz Jazz Festival, which enabled her to study with Seth Riggs (Michael Jackson's voice coach). Sharon has also performed in various rap and R&B music videos. She has sung in cabaret productions at B. Smith's, The Violet, and Steve McGraw's, all in New York City, and played teenager Dahlia Creed on the daytime soap opera "Guiding Light" in the mid-90's. At New York Theatre Workshop: Bright Lights, Big City. Regional credits include Little Shop of Horrors-Arizona Theatre Co., Into the Woods-Theatreworks CA and other shows like Ain't Misbehavin, West Side Story, Me and My Girl and Nunsense to name a few. Last performed on Broadway as Mimi in RENT. In her spare time, she enjoys roller blading, ice skating, dancing at clubs, and reading. Played music teacher Marilyn Sudor on David Kelley's "Boston Public."
