Sylvia Lester, Danielle Lester and Samantha Lester-The Family That Acts Together Stays Together

Entertainment — By Buddy Sampson on March 31, 2011 at 12:17 pm

Sylvia Lester, Danielle Lester and Samantha Lester

The Family That Acts Together Stays Together

Sylvia Lester and her daughters, Danielle and Samantha, have quite a talented family. Each of them has forged a path in the entertainment industry and are very talented singers, dancers and actresses.

Sylvia has an impressive resume. The stunning lady has graced many theater stages, becoming a staple of South Texas Musical Theater. She interpreted the roles of Johanna in the production “Sweeney Todd,” Roxy Hart in “Chicago,” Morales in “A Chorus Line,” Anna in “The King And I,” and Maria in “The Sound Of Music,” among many other theater productions. An accomplished dancer, she has extensive dance experience in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Mexican Folklorico, among many various styles of dance. She’s a dance teacher, choreographer and has done several films, television shows and commercials, including “Niger Delta,” and “Johnny Be Good.”

Born in El Paso, Texas, Sylvia was a natural as a singer and dancer. “I was one of those little kids with a brush in my hands singing to the mirror, ” said Sylvia Lester. She remembers one of her first musical experiences in front of an audience. “I was in the second grade and I sang ‘White Christmas’ for a PTA meeting,” she laughed. As a young lady, she studied dance and ballet and became terrific at her craft. Later, at age 15, she landed the part of “Maria” in “West Side Story.” “It was a lot of fun,” she reflected. “But it was a lot of work.” Sylvia studied for two years at West Texas A&M University, majoring in Music, with a specialization in Vocal Performance. But along the way, she had to take some odd jobs, including a stint doing singing telegrams. “I was once Pocahantas,” she laughed. Too young to carry alcohol to her appearances, she always had a person that came along with her to help her. “I always had a bodyguard,” she said. “I wasn’t allowed to carry the champagne, so my bodyguard, who was also the owner of the company, carried the champagne. I sang ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ a lot.” Later in her career, after having her second daughter, Danielle, 9 months later, she was back on stage doing “Little Shop of Horrors.” She soon discovered, however, that doing film was her passion and landed a role in “The Grief Tourist,” with Melanie Griffith and Michael Cudlitz. The film project also featured her daughters Danielle and Samantha, who were born in Harlingen, Texas, a city in the heart of Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, 30 miles away from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

Danielle Lester, at a young age, also realized that she had a passion for the entertainment industry and studied with a familiar family member. “My mom was my dance teacher,” said Danielle, laughing. “She once kicked me out of class for talking.” Danielle had a passion for music, but fate took her in another direction.”I originally wanted to do music,” she said. “But acting happened by chance.” In high school, she played the part of Cecily in the play “Dark and Stormy Night,” and in one of the performances, had a harrowing experience. “They put me in a box and I was tied up and they forgot about me,” she reflected. “I was yelling for them to get me out.” Danielle graced the stage in other high school productions and eventually landed a part in the television series “Criminal Minds.” “It was really cool,” said Danielle. “I was 15 and my first time on a real set. It was a big learning experience for me and everyone on the set was really nice.” Danielle Lester also acted in the movie “Black Gold,” which featured Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen and well, you guessed it, Sylvia Lester, her mother, and her sister, Samantha, who also had a bug for entertainment.

“I think I came out of the womb wanting to be an actress and performer,” said Samantha Lester. “I wanted to be a singing, acting, dancing, doctor on Broadway.” Samantha, as with her mom and sister, started ballet at age three and ended up in her first play, “She Loves Me,” because of circumstances. “My mom was in it and they ended up putting me in the play because my mom wasn’t able to get a babysitter.” Samantha also has extensive theater experience, working in community theater. She attended an acting school in New York, Stage Door Manor. “It was the same school that Natalie Portman went to,” she said. “It was exciting to be in that environment, you eat, drink and sleep theater.” She found working in “The Grief Tourist” to be an amazing experience. “I played a waitress with Melanie Griffith,” she said. “I’m going, ‘my gosh, I’m working with Melanie Griffith!'”

The Lester family seems to love each other very much and enjoy working with each other. “I appreciate my mom, because she’s not a crazy stage mom, because she’s an actress as well,” said Samantha. Look for this trio of actresses to work in more productions together. Yes, because for Sylvia Lester, Danielle Lester and Samantha Lester, the family that acts together stays together.

Their websites:

www.sylvialester.com.

www.daniellelester.com.  

www.samanthalester.com.