Christine Ebersole
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CHRISTINE EBERSOLE Christine grew up in Winnetka, Illinois, where she discovered her passion for acting in high school. Upon graduation, Christine attended MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois, before moving to New York to study acting for another two years at the famed American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1976, she appeared in her first Broadway play, Angel Street. She went on to star in such Broadway hits as I Love My Wife with Joanna Gleason and James Naughton; Hal Prince’s On the 20th Century with Kevin Kline and comic legend Imogene Coca and put her indelible imprint on the role of Ado Annie, the girl who “Cain’t Say No,” in Agnes de Mille’s revival of Oklahoma! She starred Camelot opposite Richard Burton and in Stephen Sondheim’s non-musical mystery, Getting Away With Murder, as well as The Paper Mill Playhouse’s production of “Paper Moon.” Off-Broadway, she starred in a critically acclaimed production of Chekhov’s Three Sisters with Dianne Wiest and Sam Waterson. At a time when a single critic’s bad review could close a show, that was exactly what befell the ill-fated Harrigan n’ Hart, which closed after three days and propelled Christine to Hollywood to pursue her burgeoning film and television career full-time. Christine’s feature film credits include the Academy Award-winning Best Picture of 1984, Amadeus, Tootsie, Thief of Hearts, Bill Cosby’s Ghost Dad, Dead Again with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, Folks! with Tom Selleck and Don Ameche, My Girl 2, Richie Rich with Macauley Culkin, Black Sheep with Chris Farley and David Spade, the romantic comedy ‘Til There Was You with Jeanne Tripplehorn and Dylan McDermott, and Disney’s My Favorite Martian, opposite Jeff Daniels and Christopher Lloyd. Christine was a cast member of the 1981-82 season of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, with fellow Not Ready For Prime Time Players Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo and Mary Gross. She received an Emmy Award nomination during her one-year stint as Maxie McDermott on the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live and her television credits also include starring roles in the CBS series The Cavanaughs, Rachel Gunn, R.N. and Valerie. She co-starred on the CBS comedy, Ink, opposite Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, playing terminally chic “On the Town” columnist, Belinda Carhardt. She has made guest-starring appearances in such series as Will and Grace, Madigan Men and Ally McBeal. Her television movie credits include CBS’ remake of the musical Gypsy with Bette Midler (playing irrepressible “Gotta Have a Gimmick” stripper Tessie Tura) and Dying to Love You, also for CBS. She co- starred with Jane Fonda in the critically-acclaimed The Dollmaker and opposite Stockard Channing in the USA Network’s An Unexpected Family and its sequel. Recent televison films have included the highly-anticipated reunion of Mary and Rhoda and Double Platinum with Diana Ross and Brandy Norwood. She appeared on the television special, “Ira Gershwin at 100: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall,” part of the PBS Great Performances series (earning a performer’s ultimate kudo — “show-stopping” — from USA Today). She earned more plaudits in PBS’ broadcast of “The Rodgers & Hart Story: Thou Swell, Thou Witty,” performing “The Lady is a Tramp” from the 1937 musical Babes in Arms. In 1997, Christine triumphed in her first appearance on the cabaret stage in 17 years. Her two standing-room-only engagements at The Hollywood Roosevelt’s Cinegrill in Los Angeles led to the recording of her first solo CD, Christine Ebersole: Live at the Cinegrill. The CD tells of Christine’s personal journey as a performer, wife and mother, employing an eclectic array of musical styles, including ballads, jazz, pop, opera, torch, swing and even country. Her unique repertoire covers songs originally recorded by a diverse group of vocalists, ranging from Judy Garland to Joni Mitchell and Jeannette MacDonald. After 14 years in Los Angeles, Christine returned to the East Coast two years ago – having never quite abandoned the siren’s call of the Broadway stage – and she has hasn’t stopped working since. While continuing her film and television career, she was invited to play the title role in The Paper Mill Playhouse’s production of Mame, after producers saw her onstage in the Encores! Series production of Ziegfeld Follies of 1936. She performed in a musical tribute to Arthur Schwartz in the American Songbook Series at Lincoln Center and segued into David Marshall Grant’s Current Events and Gore Vidal’s all-star The Best Man (with Charles Durning, Chris Noth, Spalding Gray, Michael Learned and Elizabeth Ashley) before bringing the house down with her rendition of “To Keep My Love Alive” in the Encores! Series concert presentation of the musical A Connecticut Yankee. In 42nd Street, Broadway welcomed her back with open arms. The critics were unanimous in their praise: New York Times critic Ben Brantley proclaimed that “the droll Ms. Ebersole [has] a sophisticated feel for the vocal styles of the period and an enjoyable relish for her character’s nastiness.” New York Newsday’s Linda Winer said, “Christine Ebersole is delicious as the diva, a musical-comedy treasure who can color bitchy tones with melancholy,” citing the star’s “torchy virtuosity.” New York Post’s Clive Barnes called her Dorothy Brock a “comedy riot act” and New York Daily News’ Howard Kissel puts it simply, but succinctly: “Christine Ebersole is smashing…her great voice too long absent from Broadway musicals.” Her performance was reward with the Tony award for Best Actress in 2002. She followed that up in 2004 with the Broadway revival production of Steel Magnolias in the role of M’Lynn. Christine most recently starred on Broadway in Grey Gardens at the Walter Kerr Theatre. She has drawn unanimous praise from critics and audiences alike for her groundbreaking performance in the dual roles of Edith Bouvier Beale and “Little” Edie Beale. While Grey Gardens was in its Off Broadway run Christine won the Outer Critics Circle Award, The Obie Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Musical and was given a special citation from the New York Drama Critics and Drama League for Performance of the Year. Christine won the Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for the role, as well. Christine currently resides in New Jersey (“honey, they don’t call it The Garden State for nothing,” says the newly-reformed ‘New York snob’) with her husband, William, and their three children, two dogs and two cats. .