2015 STARS Hall of Fame

Kate Levering

Kate Levering Jahangiri, actress, dancer, and singer, is a Carmichael native and graduate of El Camino High School.  Her early training was right here in Carmichael with the LaVerne Krei Studio and Broadway Dance Academy. Spotted early on by Leland Ball and the Music Circus organization, Kate spent her high school years performing every summer with Music Circus. At 15 she traveled to Vienna, Austria with the cast of West Side Story for a two-week performance and by the time she was 18 had earned her Actors Equity card and its entrée to the Great White Way.  

She decided to forgo college and take a shot at Broadway.  An NYC casting call for the first national tour of “Chicago” was all it took.  Out of 500 auditioning, she was one of the 12 selected. 

She signed a 6-month contract and never looked back.  She has had the good fortune to work with some of the most well known and productive people in the theater and television business.  She has worked with Cy Coleman, Susan Stroman, Bernadette Peters, Josh Berman, Mira Sorvino, Taye Diggs, Christina Hendricks, and Harry Connick, Jr. to name a few.

Her work on Broadway includes “The Life," “A Christmas Carol," “Annie Get Your Gun,” “The Music Man,” “42nd Street,” and “Thou Shalt Not."

In 2001 and 2002 she was nominated for the “Astaire Award for Best Female Dancer on Broadway,” winning that title in 2001.  Also in 2001, Kate was nominated for a Tony award for “Best Featured Role by an Actress in a Musical” for her the role of Peggy Sawyer in “42nd Street."

Television came calling in 2002.  Kate spent a year in Toronto as part of the cast of “Kevin Hill” starring Taye Diggs.  She moved to Los Angeles when “Kevin Hill” was not picked up for a second season and was then cast in the TV movie “Martin & Lewis” playing Dean Martin’s wife, Jeannie.  

Then came guest appearances on many well-known television shows including Law & Order,

NCIS: Los Angeles, White Collar, Ghost Whisperer, Medium, Cold Case, Las Vegas, CSI: Miami among others.

In 2008 Kate made her first feature length film based on a novel by Karen Kingsbury, “Like Dandelion Dust."  In 2009 came her most recent television series, “Drop Dead Diva”, playing the role of Kim Kaswell.  DDD was on the Lifetime channel for six seasons.  By the end of the show’s run Kate had become a wife and mother.

After an almost 15 year hiatus from theater, in May 2014, Music Circus beckoned her once again - this time for the role of Cassie in “A Chorus Line."  Kate dusted off her dancing shoes and worked harder than any role she can remember.  Doing this show in this theater with longtime friend Jeny Foote was a truly special time.

Kate is married to businessman and entrepreneur, Reza Jahangiri.  They have two young sons and reside in Newport Beach, CA.  At the moment she is content to play her most important role of “mother” to her growing family.