Susanna Velasquez

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Susanna grew up in an arts oriented Mexican-American family with deep and influential roots in the city's musical community. Her maternal great-grandparents migrated to Kansas City from Salamanca, Mexico in 1926 and gave birth to three generations of musical talent which from early childhood inspired Susanna's multi-faceted ambitions in the entertainment industry. Her musical theater career included lead and supporting roles in shows such as "The King and I" (with Shirley Jones), "West Side Story", "The Lone Star", "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream". She also contributed her talents to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Florida where she had the privilege of performing with stars such as Rosemary Clooney, Smokey Robinson, Tommy Tune, Carol Lawrence, and Ben Vereen. Susanna performed as Emcee and Lead Vocalist in the World Dancer shows at Epcot Center, as well as portrayed the role of Pocahontas in the stage production of "Pocahontas and Her Forrest Friends". Branching out to film and television, Susanna has appeared in several commercials and TV shows such as "The Young and the Restless", "General Hospital", "Gilmore Girls",and "The Shield". She hosted the Orlando-based weekly music video show "Control Track" in which she interviewed numerous recording artists from the contemporary Christian/Gospel music scene. That show was honored with three Angel Awards, two Telly Awards and a Gospel Music Association Award. Outside the film and television industry, Susanna invests her time with various non-profit organizations. She periodically takes weekend trips to Tijuana, Mexico with her church where they distribute food, clothes and medicine to the community.