American actress
Was awarded an Army ROTC scholarship while studying Environmental Engineering at UCLA, but turned down the scholarship to perform professionally for the first national tour of Miss Saigon where she played Mimi and Miss Chinatown. Marie returned to UCLA during the Hollywood Writers strike and graduated in 2008.
With Ariel Felix , created a school called Vivace Conservatory for the Performing Arts. With many former cast members of "Miss Saigon" and a mission to create a positive difference on Asian-American youth, the Conservatory originated in a living room in Carson, CA, and moved to Los Angeles Chinatown. The school was open for a decade from 1999-2009.
Her conservatory, Vivace School Of The Performing Arts, include faculty members Ariel Felix , Blythe Matsui , Kerry Wee , Paul Martinez , Olivia Tracey , Dexter Echiverri, April Malina, Chieko Hidaka , and Anthony Begonia.
Studied piano since age four and attended music conservatory. Her parents were strict and she was required to practice from two to four hours a day.
Minae Noji and Hazel Anne Raymundo were her best friends while on the road with "Miss Saigon", where they would write and sing songs in three-part harmony.
