Sutton Foster
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| Sutton Foster | |||||||
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| Born | March 18, 1975 Statesboro, Georgia |
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| Spouse(s) | Christian Borle | ||||||
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Sutton Foster (born March 18, 1975) is a Tony Award-winning American actress, singer, and dancer. Her brother, Hunter Foster, is also a Tony-nominated actor.
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[edit] Biography
Foster was born in Statesboro, Georgia and raised in Troy, Michigan. At the age of fifteen, she was a contestant on the television show Star Search and also auditioned for the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club. She left Troy High School, where she had been active in the Troy Theatre Ensemble, before her senior year (she received her diploma via correspondence courses) to be in the national tour of The Will Rogers Follies directed by Tommy Tune. She then attended Carnegie Mellon University for one year, but left to pursue a theatrical career full-time.
Foster's big break was reminiscent of 42nd Street when, during rehearsals of the pre-Broadway run of Thoroughly Modern Millie at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, she was pulled from the chorus to replace the leading lady. Any apprehension about an unknown playing the lead in a nearly $10 million Broadway production was proven unfounded when she opened at the Marquis Theatre to primarily rave reviews. Foster went on to win the 2002 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her performance.
In 2005, Foster starred as Jo March opposite Maureen McGovern as Marmee in the short-lived musical adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott classic Little Women, for which she was nominated for her second Tony Award.
Foster returned to the Marquis Theatre on Broadway in May 2006 in The Drowsy Chaperone, a spoof of 1920s musicals. She played the role of Janet van de Graff, a famous Broadway starlet who opts to forgo a stage career in favor of married life. Her performance in Chaperone earned her a third Tony nomination.
In 2007, Foster was offered two television acting roles. The first as the sister of host Johnny on Johnny and the Sprites, a children's musical puppet show. Next came the role of Coco, the girlfriend of central character Bret, in a three episode story arc on the HBO television series Flight of the Conchords.
Foster is currently starring in Mel Brooks' new musical theater production of Young Frankenstein. She plays the German yodeling fraulein Inga [1].
Her next role will be Fiona in the musical adaptation of Shrek, according to New York Post theatre columnist Michael Riedel (playbill.com article, Feb. 8, 2008)
In 2008, as a thank you to her former high school, Foster returned to her hometown to help future budding stars in their own local production of Thoroughly Modern Millie.
[edit] Broadway credits
- Shrek, the Musical (2008) (planned)
- Young Frankenstein (2007)
- The Drowsy Chaperone (Apr 3, 2006 - Apr 15, 2007)
- Little Women (2005)
- Thoroughly Modern Millie (Mar 19, 2002 - Feb 15, 2004)
- Les Misèrables (2000)
- Annie (1997)
- The Scarlet Pimpernel (1997)
- Grease (1996)
[edit] Regional theatre credits
- Me and My Girl (Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera)
- What the World Needs Now (Old Globe)
- Dorian (Goodspeed Opera House)
- The Three Musketeers (San Jose Musical Theatre)
- South Pacific (Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera)
[edit] Films
- p.s. (2004)
[edit] Television
- Johnny and the Sprites (2007)
- Flight of the Conchords (2007)
[edit] Recordings
- Young Frankenstein Original Cast Recording
- The Drowsy Chaperone Original Cast Recording
- Little Women Original Cast Recording
- The Maury Yeston Songbook
- Thoroughly Modern Millie Original Cast Recording
- Jule Styne in Hollywood
[edit] Awards & Nominations
- 2006 Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical (The Drowsy Chaperone, nominee)
- 2006 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (The Drowsy Chaperone, nominee)
- 2006 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (The Drowsy Chaperone, nominee)
- 2005 Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Little Women, nominee)
- 2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Little Women, nominee)
- 2006 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Little Women, nominee)
- 2002 Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Thoroughly Modern Millie, winner)
- 2002 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Thoroughly Modern Millie, winner)
- 2002 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Thoroughly Modern Millie, winner)
- 2002 Fred Astaire Award for Best Actress (Thoroughly Modern Millie, winner)
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Christine Ebersole for 42nd Street |
Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical 2002 for Thoroughly Modern Millie |
Succeeded by Marissa Jaret Winokur for Hairspray |
[edit] External links
- Sutton Foster at the Internet Broadway Database
- Sutton Foster at the Internet Movie Database
- Article on her role in Thoroughly Modern Millie
- Sutton Foster - Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org, May 2005
- Performance - Working in the Theatre Seminar video at American Theatre Wing.org, April 2003
- TonyAwards.com Interview with Sutton Foster
