Betsy Struxness

Betsy Struxness grew up in Kansas City, Missouri training and performing with the Kansas City Ballet. Alongside the rigors of a professional ballet track, Struxness earned top academic and vocal performance awards throughout her childhood. As a young girl she attended the prestigious summer training programs of Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle and School of American Ballet in New York City, and in off summers she would perform with Starlight Theater, The Lyric Opera of Kansas City, or her personal favorite, Worlds of Fun, the local amusement park.

After graduating high school, Struxness attended The Juilliard School in New York City and earned a BFA in Dance. Picking up valuable performance insights and technical prowess, her love for dance grew and solidified beyond ballet, but the lack of singing opportunity and education was felt, so she became singularly intent on one goal: Broadway. Where she could do it all.

Working her way through the ranks of professional theater, Struxness performed on a cruise ship, at regional theaters, and then toured the country with productions of Oklahoma! and All Shook Up before landing in Wicked in 2007 in Chicago. Shortly after closing in Chicago, Struxness was asked to join Wicked in San Francisco, and then made her Broadway debut in Wicked at the top of 2010. Once on Broadway, Struxness quickly joined the newly opened musical, Memphis, before its triumphant TONY win for Best New Musical. Always looking for new challenges, Struxness wanted to originate new musicals. A couple of original flops (Leap of Faith, Scandalous) and originating a British transfer (Matilda), paved the way for her to be hired to help develop a new show, one that would stick, and would change her life, Hamilton (workshop, off-Broadway, Broadway).

After the journey with Hamilton, Struxness shifted gears and moved to Los Angeles, for more artistic freedom and creative control. Struxness has been part of numerous developmental projects from stage to screen, is active in various mediums and facets of the entertainment business both behind the scenes and as front person, and can navigate the waters between art, business and emotion adeptly through her extensive work as a union liaison, a conduit between performer and management. She is a huge advocate for performers and the hard work that goes into the lives they lead.