LaChanze [SEP] educated at
later Daniele
had a lasting impact on LaChanze's professional development as a performer. While she greatly enjoyed the dance world, LaChanze often felt limited and had the frequent urge to stop dancing and belt out a dramatic tune or to erupt into an intense monologue.
After high school, LaChanze studied Drama at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, before transferring to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she studied Theater and Dance. Her first summer job was as a tap dancer in the ensemble of "Uptown
, Actress (Musical), for her performance.
LaChanze participated in an Actors Fund of America benefit concert of "Funny Girl", with many performers portraying the character of "Fanny Brice", in September 2002.
In 2005 she played a runaway slave in the Ahrens and Flaherty musical "Dessa Rose". The musical opened Off-Broadway at the Mitzi Newhouse Theatre at Lincoln Center in March 2005. LaChanze received an Obie Award for Performance for "Dessa Rose".
LaChanze appeared as "Celie"