Celebrity crush: Lucia Micarelli

Today's entry features a beautiful and wicked good violinist who also does some acting as part of the large ensemble on HBO's New Orleans drama Treme.

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Name: Lucia Micarelli (images | Web site | Twitter)
Hometown: Born in the New York City borough of Queens to a Korean mother and Italian-American father, according to her Wikipedia profile and her IMDB writeup linked above. The IMDB profile notes that the family moved to Hawaii when she was 5, and she debuted with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra. She also trained at The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music.
Best Known For: Lucia has been making music for several years longer than she's been an actress; Treme is her sole acting credit so far. But she's toured with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Josh Groban and Chris Botti as well as performing with Jethro Tull.

(I'm listing her solo albums and at least some albums on which she's a guest performer below, but I've no real way of knowing what other recordings might feature her. Lucia's site doesn't list them in detail; it's possible she's on studio albums by Groban and TSO and Botti, but also possible she's only worked with them in concert.)
Humble Beginnings: She kinda started out as a big deal. Treme is, as I said, her first acting role, and it's seen her expand her music into jazz quite capably. I probably would have guessed she had a training in classical music from her style on the show, but her music blends in well with the beautiful sounds of the show.

David Simon and company really can't cast a bad actor or actress; she's a good find for Treme, playing a street musician who we first meet in season 1 three months after Katrina with a boyfriend who might as well have Well-Intentioned Train Wreck tattooed on his forehead. I've not finished season 1 yet (grad school happened, and the show was only released on iTunes a few weeks ago), but we see her coming into her own as a musician and a woman over the course of season 1 and, I suspect, on into season 2.
Why Ye Olde Podcaster Likes Her: She plays beautifully, and she looks like this. If you need more explanation than that, you must hate America.

Music videos and concert films: "Treme: Gold Watch and Chain" by Steve Earle and Lucia Micarelli (iTunes) * "Treme: Homage a Poullard" by the Pine Leaf Boys and Lucia Micarelli (iTunes) * "Treme: I'm Gone" by Shawn Colvin (iTunes) * Chris Botti in Boston (Amazon | iTunes) * Chris Botti: Live (With Orchestra and Special Guests) (Amazon | iTunes) * Josh Groban: Awake Live (Amazon | iTunes) * Josh Groban Live at The Greek (Amazon | iTunes) * The Love Project Journey (Amazon | iTunes) * Soundstage Presents: Josh Groban - An Evening in New York City (Amazon | iTunes)
TV credits: Treme, season 3 (Amazon | iTunes) * Treme, season 2 (Amazon | iTunes) * Treme, season 1 (Amazon | iTunes)

Musical works: Interlude (Amazon | iTunes) * Music From a Farther Room (Amazon | iTunes) * Treme: Music from The HBO Original Series, Season 1 (Amazon | iTunes) * Become Your Dream by Blue Massive (Amazon | iTunes) * Beyond by William Joseph (Amazon | iTunes) * Chris Botti in Boston (Amazon | iTunes) * Hurricane by Eric Benet (Amazon | iTunes) * Josh Groban Live at The Greek (Amazon | iTunes) * Love Project Journey by Yael (Amazon | iTunes) * Nine Lives, a Musical Adaptation (Vol. 1) by John Boutte (Amazon | iTunes) * Noel by Josh Groban (Amazon | iTunes) * Welcome to My Bad Behavior by Ediblered (Amazon | iTunes) * Wave to the Moon by Aeroplane Pageant (Amazon | iTunes) * Within by William Joseph (Amazon | iTunes)