Lea Michele Sarfati (born August 29, 1986 in the Bronx, New York City, U.S), known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele debuted on Broadway in 1995 as a replacement in the role of Young Cosette in the original New York production of Les Miserables. This was followed by her performance of the role of Tateh’s daughter, the Little Girl, in the 1998 original Broadway cast of Ragtime.

In 2004, Michele played “Shprintze” and “Chava” in the Broadway revival of the musical Fiddler on the Roof.