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Sheryl Carbonell is a multifaceted performer, born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, to Jamaican parents who spent time in London, England, as part of the Windrush Generation. From a young age, Sheryl knew she was destined for a life in the spotlight, beginning her musical journey at seven years old with piano and singing, and taking on solo performances by age eight. Her first major role came at twelve, when she played July, the orphan, in the musical "Annie" at the Windsor Light Opera, despite the director's initial desire to cast her as Annie, due to the rarity of a child of color in the role.
This formative experience had a lasting impact on Sheryl, instilling in her the resilience to overcome the cultural and racial barriers she would face later in life, particularly after moving to the United States to complete her education. Initially, Sheryl's passion for performance wavered, and she focused solely on music education at the University of Central Florida. However, she soon rediscovered her love for vocal performance and earned a dual degree in music education and vocal performance.
Sheryl's professor at the university introduced her to the Orlando Opera Company, allowing her to pursue her dual passions, teaching music by day and performing opera by night. She went on to sing with the company's ensemble, sharing the stage with renowned opera icons, including Sherrill Milnes and Denyce Graves, before landing her first principal operatic role in "The Magic Flute" just before the company's eventual closure.
The company's shutdown coincided with a significant moment in Sheryl's personal life, as she had recently given birth to her first son and left teaching. With no artistic outlet, Sheryl decided to dedicate herself to the study of acting, a discipline she had previously approached intuitively, without fully understanding the craft.
Since then, Sheryl has appeared in national commercials for prominent clients, including Honda Financial, HSN, KitchenAid, and Zaxby's, as well as hosting over a dozen episodes of MSN.com's streaming show, "Mom's Homeroom," which took her across the United States, allowing her to write her own stories and interview innovators in arts and physical education, creating outstanding educational programs for youth.
Sheryl has also had the opportunity to perform iconic theatre roles, including Cleopatra in Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra," opposite Michael Dorn, and Ruth Younger in "A Raisin in the Sun," which earned her a best actress nomination in the Orlando Sentinel. Her growing television and film resume is evident on her IMDb credits, with her production company, Creativeology Music and Film LLC, currently producing films, including a documentary series that she is also directing.
