Katharine McPhee
Singer and actress Katharine McPhee brings pop songs, standards and Broadway favorites to records and the stage, with roles in Smash, Scorpion and Waitress along the way.
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Latest
Katharine’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus her backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
- Christmas Songs2023 · Album with David Foster
Loma Vista - Waitress2018–2020 · Jenna on Broadway and in London
Broadway / West End - Scorpion2014–2018 · Paige Dineen
CBS - The Music of Smash2012 · Cast vocalist as Karen Cartwright
NBC - Terrified2010 · Duet with Zachary Levi
VEVO - Katharine McPhee2007 · Debut album featuring Over It
RCA
Overview
- From
- Los Angeles, California
- Work
- Singer and actress
- Breakout
- Runner-up on American Idol season five, 2006
- Stage debut
- Broadway’s Waitress, 2018
- Label
- Melody Place
Mini bio
How it started.
Katharine grew up in Los Angeles with a vocal coach for a mother and a television producer for a father. Seeing Chicago and Les Misérables in New York as a teenager helped spark her interest in musical theatre. She went on to study at Boston Conservatory.
The breakout.
She finished second on American Idol in 2006. Her self-titled debut followed in January 2007 and entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2. Songs such as “Over It” and her later duet “Terrified” gave fans more to follow after the competition.
From television to the diner.
She played Karen Cartwright in Smash and Paige Dineen in Scorpion before making her Broadway debut as Jenna in Waitress in April 2018. She also originated Jenna in the West End production and later starred as Bailey in Netflix’s Country Comfort.
On record and on the road.
Her music moves between pop, jazz and standards. She and David Foster released the full Christmas Songs album in 2023 and continue to tour together. Her label, Melody Place, says she is recording new original material in Nashville; in June 2026 she joined Dan Seals’ voice on “The Healing Kind”.
Creditschronological, newest first
Music
- 2026The Healing KindDuet vocalist with Dan Seals
- 2023Christmas SongsVocalist with David Foster
- 2010TerrifiedDuet vocalist with Zachary Levi
- 2007Katharine McPheeDebut studio album
Television
- 2025The ArtistEnsemble cast
- 2021Country ComfortBailey
- 2014–2018ScorpionPaige Dineen
- 2012–2013SmashKaren Cartwright
- 2006American Idol, season fiveRunner-up
Awards
Quotes
Singing ‘The Healing Kind’ was both emotional and beautiful.Katharine McPhee, 117 Entertainment release
She reflected on recording the 2026 duet using the late Dan Seals’ vocals.
Trivia
- She attended Boston Conservatory for three semesters, as she recalled in a Playbill interview.
- She appeared in high school productions of Into the Woods and The Pajama Game.
- Before playing Jenna herself, she grew up watching her mother perform in regional productions of Show Boat and Man of La Mancha.
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