Career
As a result of winning the contest, she played Maria, the lead, in the Toronto revival of The Sound of Music from October 2008 through January 2010. She went on to star as Sherrie in Mirvish Productions" Rock of Ages at Toronto"s Royal Alexandra Theatre from April 2010 through January 2011 and on the first United States. tour. She appeared as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Ross Petty Productions" 2011 pantomime at Toronto"s Elgin Theatre from November 2011 through January 2012.
MacKenzie is currently represented by Toronto agency The Talent House.
MacKenzie was born in Moncton, New Brunswick. A self-described tomboy growing up in Surrey, British Columbia, she participated in children"s choirs and various singing competitions.
Her first job was at age 15, at De Dutch Pannekoek House in Vancouver. At age 16 she auditioned for Canadian Idol but was passed over because she sounded "too musical theatre".
She graduated in 2008 from the musical theatre program at Capilano College, and had major roles in productions such as High School Musical in North Vancouver in 2007, in which she portrayed Gabriella.
On How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? Composer and judge Andrew Lloyd Webber referred to MacKenzie as "the dark horse" of the competition. The role of Maria was her first professional acting cartulary-register Reviews of the Toronto show weren almost uniformly positive, and the show"s success, despite the recession, was credited largely to MacKenzie.
She played the role of Sherrie Christian in the Toronto production of the musical Rock of Ages and on the first United States. tour.
