Jeff Sumner

About Jeff

​Jeff Sumner is an actor; award-winning short-film and stage director; comedy writer; and educator whose stage and screen career spans more than thirty years — and whose closet contains even more wigs.

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He created the roles of Senator Lindsey Graham and the Co-Exist Lady in the smash hit 44: The Obama Musical, which is heading Off-Broadway following record-breaking runs in Los Angeles at The Kirk Douglas Theatre and Chicago at The Studebaker Theater. ​

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Originally from Skokie, Illinois, Jeff received a B.F.A. in Music/Theatre Performance from Illinois Wesleyan University before moving to New York City to study Meisner Technique at the Gately/Poole Studios and voice with Liz Caplan.

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Theatre Credits

Jeff’s eclectic stage career includes a mix of classic musicals to comic, cross-dressing rock operas. In his multi-decade career, he has been very privileged to work with top theatre professionals.

 

Jeff is perhaps best known to California audiences as the hilarious Genie in Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular, a role he played for over 8 years at Disney California Adventure, earning laughs, heartwarming ovations from audiences of all ages, and several viral videos - including the infamous "Genie Loses Beard" on YouTube. 

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Notable credits include:

• Annie at The Hollywood Bowl (Bundles, Harold Ickes, and more) opposite Ana Gasteyer, David Alan Grier, Steven Weber & Lea Salonga. Directed by Michael Arden.

• Happy Days – National Tour (with Garry Marshall and Paul Williams)

• The Legend of Georgia McBride – International City Theatre (Miss Tracy Mills)

• Lythgoe Family Panto: Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight, A Cinderella Christmas, Aladdin and His Winter Wish, The Winter of Oz

• Experimental Rock musicals: Skullduggery, CarnEvil, Exorcistic, Tonya & Nancy – A Rock Opera, and Dr. Nympho vs. The Sex Zombies

• Other principal roles include Little Shop of Horrors, (Seymour), Big River (Tom Sawyer), Godspell (Jeffrey), The Nerd (Rick Steadman), and Leader of the Pack (Jeff Barry) and many more.

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Film & Television

Some of Jeff's screen credits include:

 

Film: Dumb and Dumber To,  Like You Mean It, Shoot or Be Shot, Seasons of Love, Dirty Talk, Luber

 

TV: Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Rosewood, Clipped, Togetherness, I'm Dying Up Here

 

Jeff has had the good fortune of sharing the screen with some incredible talents including: Kathleen Turner, Betty White, Jack Black, Eva Longoria, Beck, Fred Willard, Harry Hamlin, George Wendt, to name a few.

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Who's That Lady?

 

Jeff is no stranger to a wig and high heels. Following in the footsteps of celebrated drag artists Charles Ludlam, Charles Bush and Barry Humphries, Jeff has created many memorable performances on stage, TV and Film with his hilarious, biting and sometimes painfully unaware female characters. Like the afore mentioned artists, Jeff's approach to drag involves creating full, well-grounded characters with elaborate backstories. In interviews, he often borrowed a quote from Charles Bush - "I am not a drag queen...I am a male actress."

 

In the early 90s, Jeff landed in Los Angeles and took a part-time job selling Tupperware between auditions. Never one to do things halfway, he created a fictional character — a platinum-blonde, lipstick-smeared sales diva named Pam Teflon (later Pam Tastic), transforming Tupperware parties into full-blown theatrical events. His creation turned into a national phenomenon, making Jeff the #1 Tupperware salesperson in the U.S. and Canada for many years. As Pam, he appeared on The Roseanne Show, Crook and Chase, TBS Dinner and a Movie, and NPR’s Marketplace. Pam’s iconic image has been featured in U.S. News & World Report, The National Enquirer, and the book Tupperware: The Promise of Plastic in America.

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In 2006, Jeff performed in "Best In Drag Show" the notorious, Los Angeles, fake, beauty pageant held at the historic Orpheum Theatre, that raises thousands of dollars for people living with HIV/AIDS. (Now the subject of the documentary "The Little Pageant That Could"). Jeff created the character, Miss Illinois - Hannah Schevitz: a wise-cracking, red-head that looked like she got caught in a wind-tunnel. She came in 4th and was pissed. So Jeff decided to leave the pageant life behind forever. Until the following year.

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In 2007, Jeff won "Best In Drag Show" as Bollywood princess Bindi Dundat (Miss Minnesota) by creating iconic moments that are still talked about to this day.

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Some of Jeff's other side-splitting creations include Liza Minnelli in the web-series "Liza Tries It!" and as Cassie (renamed "Sassy") in a spoof of "A Chorus Line" which he wrote and danced the original Michael Bennett choreography to "Music and the Mirror". Kinda

 

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Writer & Director

 

Jeff is the writer/director of the award-winning short film Dirty Talk (HBO Audience Award – Miami G&L Film Festival), which screened at over 50 festivals globally. He also directed the award-winning web series DogGoneIt starring the late Leslie Jordan, and the short film Luber — which he also starred in.

 

Educator, Acting and Vocal Coach

As a musical theatre educator and coach, Jeff works with children, teens, and adult professionals through private coaching, master classes, and school programs. His teaching emphasizes confidence, honesty, and unlocking performance potential in a safe and joyful environment. His students range from rising stars to working professionals. He has taught at many schools throughout LAUSD with JAXX Theatricals, headed up the musical theatre program at Alverno Heights Academy and regularly teaches summer programs for kids at California State University Northridge (CSUN).

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Dog Dad

 

An avid dog-lover, Jeff lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful and spotlight-stealing Duffy, who often helps him teach classes. Some of her videos can also be found on this website.