Valerie Adams Rigsbee

Washington D.C.-Based Actor & Singer

Valerie Adams Rigsbee, Washington DC-Based EMC Actor and Singer

Current

Miracle on 34th Street

Miracle on 34th Street

Miss Crookshank/Ensemble

Toby's Dinner Theatre

Shawn Kettering

Nov 10, 2023 - Jan 7, 2024

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About

she/her/hers
Equity Membership Candidate (EMC)
Soprano/Mezzo (C3-C6 - 3 Octave Range)
5’7” • Blonde Hair • Blue-Green Eyes



"Simultaneously relatable, sarcastic, sassy and endearing, [Valerie] represents the perfect combination of singer and actor, skillfully making her presence known in every scene without ever stealing the show." 'Into the Woods: Provocative and Pretty'
"Rigsbee positively sparkles on stage." 'Murder Most "Nile"'

Awards and Nominations


  • Ensemble member in numerous Helen Hayes Award winning and nominated productions
  • NH Theatre Awards Top 3 Finalist for Best Supporting Actress (Merry Wives of Windsor)
  • Three-time Virginia Princehouse Allen Awards Winner (Into the Woods and Heartbreak House)
  • SAFD Examiner’s Award for Excellence in Stage Combat

Theatre Experience

Sister Act

Sister Mary Patrick

Toby's Dinner Theatre

Mark Minnick

Helen Hayes Recommended

"Director and Choreographer Mark Minnick has directed a heartwarming show that audiences will adore. "
DC Theater Arts
"Sister Act is the most joyous show of the season, and that’s the God’s honest truth."
Hotchka

Escape to Margaritaville

Ensemble (Tammy u/s)

Toby's Dinner Theatre

Mark Minnick

Helen Hayes Recommended

"Great harmony, wonderful dancing...The ensemble is comprised of very talented singers and dancers."
MD Theatre Guide
"It’ll sweep you away awhile and return you with a hankering for a...little more Buffett in your regular life."
BroadwayWorld

Shakespeare in Love

Tilney / Sir Robert (Queen u/s)

Keegan Theatre

Ricky Drummond / Douglas Sebamala

7 Total Helen Hayes Nominations

"[I]t’s hard to imagine a better play, and cast...This choice is funny, loving, an overt ode to live theater."
Washington City Paper
"Don’t go to Shakespeare in Love for facts or history. Go to Shakespeare in Love for good, trashy fun."
DC Theater Arts

Museum 2040

Elizabeth O'Neil

4615 Theatre Company

Jordan Friend

"Rounding out the cast are Valerie Adams Rigsbee, whose sweet, emotional performance is underlined with a steely spine." BroadwayWorld
"[They] have achieved something remarkable. They have created a new art form that is complex, fully realized, and utterly compelling." DC Metro Theatre Arts

Hands on a Hardbody

Janis Curtis

Keegan Theatre

Elena Velasco / Mark A. Rhea

Helen Hayes Recommended

"[Valerie Adams Rigsbee] brings comedic charm to the fiery 'It’s A Fix.'"
Washington City Paper
"“If I Don’t Sleep” (beautifully sung by Valerie Adams Rigsbee and Gary DuBreuil), is a tenderly moving evocation of empathy, mutuality, and reciprocity in a marriage."
DC Metro Theater Arts

The Remains

Andrea u/s

Studio Theatre

David Muse

5 Total Helen Hayes Nominations

"Absorbing and meticulously crafted."
Knockout acting in Studio’s play of a marriage on the rocks." The Washington Post

The Skin of Our Teeth

Mrs. Antrobus / Ivy u/s

Constellation Theatre

Mary Hall Surface

1 Helen Hayes Nomination

"All praise to Constellation for bringing off a seemingly impossible task with supreme aplomb. You’ll be dazzled and delighted."
‘The Skin of Our Teeth’ Review: Tending the Fire of Civilization, The Wall Street Journal

Doctor Faustus

Evil Angel / Martino / Duke / Cardinal / Devil

Brave Spirits Theatre

Paul Reisman

"A stellar ensemble cast of seven play all the remaining multiple tracks to great effect. There are standout moments...from Valerie Adams Rigsbee. Overall, it’s a striking story, presented beautifully."
Review: ‘Doctor Faustus’ at Brave Spirits Theatre, DC Metro Theatre Arts

Bonnie & Clyde

Cumie Barrow / Stella / Governor Miriam Ferguson

Monumental Theatre

Ryan Maxwell

"Many of the actors played numerous parts and their range was beyond remarkable.... Valerie Adams Rigsbee['s] attention to physicality and vocal patterns make[s] the multiple rolls believable."
'Review: ‘Bonnie & Clyde The Musical’ at Monumental Theatre Company' by Kendall Mostafavi, DC Metro Theatre Arts

Much Ado About Nothing

Margaret / Seacol

Next Stop Theatre

Abbie Fine

"The acting in this show is superb. Each actor shows so much attention to emotional nuance...Even the smaller parts were expertly played, such as...Valerie Adams Rigsbee's Margaret."
'Much Ado About Nothing at NextStop (review)' by RK Pendergrass, DC Theatre Scene

Urinetown

Soupy Sue (Penny Pennywise / Jo Strong u/s, perf)

Constellation Theatre

Alison Stockman

4 Total Helen Hayes Nominations

"The big cast snaps smartly across the small stage in number after number."
''Tis the (campaign) season for 'Urinetown'' by Nelson Pressley, Washington Post

Sue's Sorry

A blog from the not-so-reasonable mind of Soupy Sue, as played by Valerie Adams Rigsbee.

Next to Normal

Diana u/s, perf

Keegan Theatre

Mark A. Rhea and Colin Smith

Helen Hayes Winner for Outstanding Musical and Direction of a Musical (8 Total Nominations)

"Directors [and] cast have honored Kitt and Yorkey's revelatory work with an unforgettable production."
'Next to Normal at Keegan Theatre (review)' by Ben Demers, DC Theatre Scene

James and the Giant Peach

Spiker / Sponge u/s, perf 10x

Adventure Theatre

Michael Baron

Helen Hayes Winner for Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical (6 Total Nominations)

"Karen Vincent and Valerie Adams Rigsbee immediately endear themselves as the amusingly despicable villains."
'Review: James and the Giant Peach at Adventure Theatre MTC' by Kendall Mostafavi, DC Metro Theatre Arts

Same Time, Next Year

Doris

Papermill Theatre Co.

Kim Barber Knoll

"Valerie Adams Rigsbee DuBreuil spent time with [Jean's Playhouse] in 2014 summer and fall and winter shows before that. This is absolutely her best role ever. Don't miss this show."
Ken Chapman, Facebook Review

Wait Until Dark

Suzy Hendrix

Acadia Repertory Theatre

Michael Kissen

Hansel and Gretel

Gretel

Acadia Repertory Theatre

Cheryl Willis

Sherlock...Suicide Club

Club Secretary

Acadia Repertory Theatre

C. Andrew Mayer

"We saw a production of Sherlock Holmes and the Suicide Club. This was one of my son's first memorable experiences with a theatre production, and he was completely engrossed from the first scene. Small theatre, quality cast, very enjoyable evening."
adventureplanner3, Trip Advisor Review

A Christmas Carol

Mrs. Cratchit

U.S. National Tour

Scott Severance

National tour venues included:

Ferguson Center for the Arts (VA), The Grand Theatre (KY), Tilson Auditorium (IN), The Grand 1894 Opera House (TX), Strand Theatre of Shreveport (LA), Reynolds Performance Hall (AR), Leach Theatre (MO), Arkansas State University (AR), The Villages (FL), Flagler Auditorium (FL), Largo Cultural Center (FL), Delray Beach Center for the Arts (FL), The Palace Theatre (PA)

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Mistress Quickly

Advice to the Players

Candice Clift

NH Theatre Awards Top 3 Finalist for Best Supporting Actress as Mistress Quickly (6 Total Nominations)

The Winter's Tale

Lady / Shepherdess

The Guthrie Theatre

Jonathan Munby

"The talented cast makes music with his poetic language, while the designers deliver one interesting idea after another."
'Theater review: 'The Winter’s Tale'' by Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press:

The Merry Widow

Dodo

Skylark Opera

Steven Stucki

"Neu and Freeh manage to dress a small stage with lots of performers who move about with admirable precision. The overall result is homage to traditional operetta as well as to the winking broadness of old-style musical theater."
'Skylark Opera's 'Merry Widow' charms, produces chuckles' by David Hawley, Pioneer Press

The Life of Galileo

Virginia

Theatre Pro Rata

Carin Bratlie

"Valerie Rigsbee gives a touching performance as Galileo's daughter, demonstrating the human cost of this clash between science and politics when she is jilted by her fiancé."
'Galileo vs. the Church' by Lisa Brock, Star Tribune

Richard III

Queen Margaret

Advice to the Players

Andrew Codispoti

New Hampshire Theatre Award Finalist for Best Actor

"Much of the cast is very strong...Valerie Rigsbee gives a suitably crazed and over-the-top performance as Queen Margaret."
Advice to the Players offers compelling take on 'Richard III' by Alec Kerr, The Conway Daily Sun

Nunsense

Rev. Mother Mary Regina

Papermill Theatre Co.

Sharon Paquette

Henry V

Katherine

Theatre in the Round

Craig Johnson

Spanish Tragedy

Pedringano / Ambassador

Theatre Pro Rata

Carin Bratlie

“…a giddy, blood-soaked amusement park of a story that careens wildly from dark humor to romance to one outrageous killing after the next.”
TC Daily Planet

Love Letters / Hate Mail

Melissa / Dahlia

Papermill Theatre Co.

Patrick Stinson

Babe: An Olympic Musical

Lilly (Lead)

Theatre Unbound

Carolyn Gage

"The emotional heart of the play is Didrikson's focus on striving for success at the price of intimacy and love with other women. Gage shows Didrikson's emotional foundation with her mother (Amy Lithander) and sister, Lilly (Valerie Rigsbee), who both turn in strong performances."
'Babe' hits the pin' by Lydia Howell, TC Daily Planet

Peter Pan-tomime

Captain Hook

Acadia Repertory Theatre

Cheryl Willis

Murder on the Nile

Christina Grant

Acadia Repertory Theatre

Cheryl Willis

"Valerie Rigsbee positively sparkles on stage, imbuing the long-suffering Christina Grant an inner strength and self-possession that makes the character's development completely believable, something that is often missed by actors in this role."
'Murder Most "Nile"' by Melinda Rice, Mount Desert Islander

Stich, Bitch n’ Die

Rose (Lead)

Joking Envelope Productions

Craig Johnson

“With Scrimshaw caricaturing the critic and the detective in strokes broader than 8-gauge yarn, the remaining cast members took the cue to make similarly merry with their characters—gulping at box wine and sarcastically sniping at one another.”
Jay Gabler, TC Daily Planet

Yaargh! A Pirate Musical

Rosie/Toadmoor (Lead)

Fortune’s Fool Theatre

Melissa Hart

The Sound of Music

Sister Berthe

Papermill Theatre Co.

Kate Arrechi

Frankenstein Incarnate

Jane Williams (Supp)

Theatre Unbound

Carin Bratlie

Hunchback of Notre Dame

Jeanette le Slut (Supp)

Cromulent Shakespeare

Leah Cooper

Much Ado About Nothing

Margaret

Theatre in the Round

Craig Johnson

The Horse, Bird, Monkey, Dancer

Ensemble

Sandbox Theatre

Ryan Hill and Lisa Moreira

Foreman's Paradise Hotel

Flight Attendant

The BRiNK

George McConnell

Shakespeare's Land of the Dead

Soldier / Zombie

Walking Shadow Theatre

Amy Rummenie

The Holiday Pageant

Soprano

Open Eye Figure Theatre

Michael Sommers

Sherlock Holmes...Hamlet

Gertrude / Player

Advice to the Players

Mark Woollett

Oklahoma!

Vivian

Lakeshore Players

Janice Murphy Roman

Le Nozze Di Figaro

Marcellina

Ars Musica

Gregory Stavrou

Proof

Claire

Bottom Line Theatre

Jacob Stoebel

Into the Woods

Baker’s Wife

Pomona College

Diosdado Pascual

Virginia Princehouse Allen Acting Award

"The star of the show is unmistakably Rigsbee as the Baker’s Wife. Simultaneously relatable, sarcastic, sassy and endearing, she represents the perfect combination of singer and actor, skillfully making her presence known in every scene without ever stealing the show."
'Into the Woods', The Student Life

Heartbreak House

Lady Utterword

Pomona College

Leonard Pronko

Virginia Princehouse Allen Acting Award

Spoonriver Anthology

Various

Pomona College

Tom Leabhart

The Master Builder

Kaja

Pomona College

Leonard Pronko

SPECIAL SKILLS

Voice

  • 3-octave singing range with very high mix
  • Skilled sightreader
  • Linklader vocal training

Dance & Movement

  • Competitive ballroom dance: social (bronze medal with honors), Latin (bronze medal), international standard, English folk
  • Musical theatre, modern, jazz training
  • LeCoq and Laban movement training

Stage Combat

  • Recognized SAFD actor/combatant in small sword (recommended)
  • Broad sword, hand-to-hand and rapier experience

Languages

  • English
  • French (working proficiency)

Dialects

  • Minnesotan, RP British, Cockney, French, German, Scottish, Amarican southern and others

Sports

  • Volleyball setter
  • Fastpitch softball pitcher & third base
  • Golfer

EDUCATION, TEACHERS & COACHES

Formal Training

  • B.A. in Theatre Performance through Pomona College
  • London Dramatic Academy (three month program with BADA, RADA, and LAMDA professors and West End professionals)
  • Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory: Character and Emotion

Acting

  • Raye Birk
  • Leonard Pronko
  • Alan Blumenfeld
  • Michael Winter
  • Richard Digby Day
  • Hilary Wood

Voice

  • Craig Fields
  • Jennifer Goltz
  • Tess Dignan

Dance

  • Chris Witt
  • Sue Goodman
  • Laurie Cameron

Stage Combat

  • Richard Ryan
  • Marlon Bulger


OTHER PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE

Concert & Oratorio

  • By George (Gershwin) - Soloist - Magestic Theatre
  • Puttin on the Ritz - Soloist - The Palace Theatre
  • Messiah (Handel) - Soloist - Ars Musica Chorale

Choral & Acapella

  • 42nd Street Singers - Mixed Quartets, 4 yrs
  • Mood Swing - Mixed acappella, soloist, 3 yrs
  • The Vibes - Women’s Quintet, soloist, album released

Albums & Recordings

  • True North: A Musical
  • The Vibes

Staged Readings

  • Charles Barnett (Playwright/Composer), MD (Breseis, Spectre of Death, True North)
  • Solas Nua, DC (Our Island)
  • Pinky Swear Productions, DC (Blight)
  • Shakespeare in the Pub, DC (Edward II, Pericles, Twelfth Night)
  • Playwright's Forum, DC (Princess Georgie)
  • Advice to the Players, NH (The Tempest)
  • Playwright's Center, MN (A Matter of Honor)

Film & Voiceover Experience

  • Robert Altman's A Praire Home Companion (Featured Extra)
  • Industrials, TV Commercials, Web Videos & Voiceovers (conflicts on request)

OTHER THEATER EXPERIENCE

Admin & Marketing

  • Marketing & Web Designer (Keegan Theatre, DC, Theatre Alliance, DC, and more)
  • Development Intern (Guthrie Theatre, MN)
  • Marketing/Front-of-House/Education Intern (Park Square Theatre, MN)
  • Box Office Associate (Acadia Repertory, ME, Stages Theatre Company, MN)

Board

  • President & Chair (Brave Spirits Theatre, VA, Theatre Pro Rata, MN)
  • Marketing Committee Member (North Country Center for the Arts, NH, Advise to the Players, NH)

Production Team

  • Directing Apprentice (Park Square Theatre, MN)
  • Props Head (Pomona College, CA)
  • Paint Charge (Mounds Park Academy, MN)
  • Set Painting & Construction (Pomona College, CA, Mounds Park Academy, MN)

Media

"Moments" from Into the Woods (LIVE)



"My Ship" from Lady in the Dark

"Let the Boys Lead the Dance" from Babe, An Olympic Musical (LIVE)


"Waiting for Love" (clip) from True North

"Nothing Short of Wonderful" from Dogfight



"Mr. Sandman" (Lead Vocals) from The Vibes

Contact

Based out the Washington, D.C. area, but availble for projects around the country!