Stanley made her Broadway debut as April in the 2006 revival of Stephen Sondheim's
Company. In 2008, she originated the role of Allison in
Cry-Baby, a musical adaption of
the film of the same name. The following year, she starred as Clio in the first national tour of
Xanadu. In 2010, she originated the role of Dyanne in the Broadway production of
Million Dollar Quartet. In 2014, she played Claire de Loone in the Broadway revival of
On the Town. For this role, she was nominated for a
Drama Desk Award for
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. In 2015, she starred as Francesca in the national tour of
The Bridges of Madison County. Stanley originated the role of Mary Jane Healy in the
American Repertory Theater production of
Jagged Little Pill, a musical based on
Alanis Morissette's
album of the same name. For this role, she was nominated for an
Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Award and the
Boston Theater Critics Association's
Elliot Norton Award. In 2019, she reprised the role for the Broadway production. This role earned her nominations for the 2020
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical and the 2020
Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. In 2022, Stanley,
Nikki Renee Daniels,
Jeff Kready, and Tamar Greene performed renditions of songs from the satirical animated series
South Park with a 30-piece orchestra, celebrating the show’s 25th anniversary. Arranged by Broadway orchestrator
Stephen Oremus, the orchestral versions included tracks such as "
Gay Fish" and the show's theme song. ==Personal life==