Victoria Clark (born October 10, 1959) is an American actress,

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

, and director. Clark has performed in numerous Broadway musicals and in other theatre, film and television works. Her voice can also be heard on various cast albums and in several animated films. In 2008, she released her first solo album titled ''Fifteen Seconds of Grace''. A five-time Tony Award nominee, Clark won her first Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2005 for '' The Light in the Piazza''. She also won the

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

, Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Joseph Jefferson Award for the role. She won a second Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2023 for '' Kimberly Akimbo.''

Life and career

Clark was born and raised in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, the daughter of Lorraine and Banks Clark. She studied the piano and attended the Hockaday School, an all-girls school in Dallas. She attended the Interlochen Arts Academy before going to

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, graduating in 1982. At Yale, at the age of eighteen, she sang the role of Mabel in Gilbert and Sullivan's

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

'' The Pirates of Penzance''. She also sang the title role in Gilbert and Sullivan's ''

Patience or forbearance, is the ability to endure difficult or undesired long-term circumstances. Patience involves perseverance or tolerance in the face of delay, provocation, or stress without responding negatively, such as reacting with disrespect ...

'', and directed a production of '' Ruddigore'' for the Yale Gilbert & Sullivan Society. After college, Clark studied at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

's Musical Theatre Master's Program at Tisch as a stage director and began to direct operas and musicals professionally. Although she continues to direct, she has primarily focused on singing and acting. Clark's stage work includes understudying in the original Broadway production of '' Sunday in the Park with George'' (she never went on) and roles in the Broadway musicals '' Guys and Dolls'' (1992–93), '' A Grand Night for Singing'' (1993–94), '' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (1995–96, as Smitty), '' Titanic'' (1997–99, creating the role of Alice Beane), ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

'' (1999–2000, as Fraulein Kost) and '' Urinetown'' (2003, as Penelope Pennywise), as well as numerous roles

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

, in national tours and in regional theatre. She played Doris MacAfee in the City Center

Encores! Encores! is a Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, Tony-honored concert series dedicated to reviving United States, American Musical theatre, musicals, usually with their original orchestrations. Presented by New York City Center since 1994, E ...

production of '' Bye Bye Birdie'' in 2004. In 2005, Clark won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, a

, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Joseph Jefferson Award for her performance in the musical '' The Light in the Piazza'' (2005–06). ''Broadway.com'' commented on Clark's performance, "What is indisputable is that Victoria Clark has created a character for the ages. Lucas has done a superb job in fleshing out Margaret within the confines of a musical-theater libretto, and Clark responds with consummate precision and grace. Calling hers the musical performance of the year would be accurate. It would also be a drastic understatement." She appeared as former showgirl Sally Durant Plummer in the

staged concert presentation of '' Follies'' in February 2007 at City Center. She next created the role of Margaret Brennan in ''The Marriage of Bette and Boo'' Off-Broadway in 2008 for the

Roundabout Theatre Company The Roundabout Theatre Company is a nonprofit organization, non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fr ...

. Clark appeared in ''Prayer for My Enemy'', a new play by Craig Lucas Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons from November 14 through December 21, 2008. The play concerned the consequences that the Iraq war has had on an American family, co-starred Michele Pawk and Jonathan Groff, and was directed by Bartlett Sher. Victoria Clark

Clark has also appeared in movies, sung in several animated feature films, and appeared in roles in television episodes. She can be heard on a number of Broadway cast albums and other recordings. In 2008 she released her first solo album, ''Fifteen Seconds of Grace'', produced by PS Classics. Clark teaches voice and studies acting at the Michael Howard Studios and voice with Edward Sayegh. Clark received the 2006 Distinguished Artist Award from the New York Singing Teachers' Association. Clark played the Mother Superior in the Broadway production of '' Sister Act'', which opened on April 20, 2011. For this role she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Clark portrayed Sally in the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

/Broadway production of '' Follies'', running at the Center Theatre Group/ Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, from May 3 through June 9, 2012. In 2013, Clark starred in the Manhattan Theatre Club's production of ''The Snow Geese'' by Sharr White alongside Mary-Louise Parker and Danny Burstein. Previously, she starred as Marie/the Fairy Godmother in the Broadway production of ''

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

''. For this role, she received her second Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She returned to the Broadway production of ''Cinderella'' for a run lasting from January to September 2014. In December 2014 Clark appeared as Carrie Mathison's mother on the Season 4 finale of Showtime's series '' Homeland''. Clark played Mamita in the Broadway revival of '' Gigi'', which opened in April 2015. For this performance, Clark received another nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 2017, Clark appeared in the title role of ''Sousatzka'' in Toronto. It was intended to be a pre-Broadway tryout for controversial producer Garth Drabinsky. In 2022, she recorded Maury Yeston's '' December Songs'', featuring orchestration by Larry Hochman. After persuasion from longtime friend and composer Jeanine Tesori, Clark first donned the candy necklace and late 90s fashion of the title role of '' Kimberly Akimbo'' in its acclaimed and extended 2021 Off-Broadway run at the Linda Gross Theatre, produced by the Atlantic Theater Company, for which she garnered Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics Circle Awards. The musical debuted on Broadway in 2022, winning Clark her second

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

Personal life

Clark married Thomas Reidy on August 1, 2015, in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. Her son, T.L., is from her previous marriage.

Filmography

Stage credits

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * *
Broadway World's profile of ClarkExcerpts from reviews by the major NYC newspapersVictoria Clark
– ''Downstage Center'' interview at American Theatre Wing.org
TonyAwards.com Interview with Victoria ClarkTime Out New York Interview with Victoria Clark
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Victoria 1959 births American women singers American musical theatre actresses Drama Desk Award winners Living people Singers from Texas Tony Award winners Traditional pop music singers 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Dallas Yale University alumni Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development alumni American film actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Hockaday School alumni