Jane Summerhays (born October 11, 1944 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is an American

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

known for her work on stage, screen, and film. Her television credits include guest roles on '' One Life to Live'', '' All My Children'', ''

Tales from the Darkside ''Tales from the Darkside'' is an American anthology horror TV series created by George A. Romero. Debuting in October 1983 with a pilot episode and then being picked up for syndication in September 1984, the show ran for 4 seasons through Ju ...

'', ''

Working It Out ''Working It Out'' is an American sitcom television series starring Jane Curtin and Stephen Collins that aired on NBC from August 22 to December 12, 1990. The series was created and executive produced by Bill Persky. Synopsis ''Working It Out'' i ...

'', ''

The Cosby Mysteries ''The Cosby Mysteries'' is an American mystery drama television series starring Bill Cosby that aired on NBC from September 21, 1994, to April 12, 1995. 19 episodes were made. It was the first television series to star Cosby since ''The Cosby Sh ...

'', ''

New York News ''New York News'' is an American newspaper drama television series created by Michelle Ashford, which was broadcast in the United States by CBS from September 28 to November 30, 1995 as part of its 1995 fall lineup. Cast * Gregory Harrison a ...

'', '' Law & Order'', ''

Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...

'', and '' Ed''. Summerhays has also appeared in the 2001 film ''This Train'' in the role of Love and the 2005 film ''Backseat'' as the mother. Summerhays is probably best known for her stage work. She first appeared as a member of the ensemble in the national tour of '' Nash at Nine'' in 1975. She next performed in the original 1976 Laurence Olivier Award winning

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

production of ''

A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is centered on seventeen Broadway dancers ...

'' as Sheila at the

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drur ...

. In 1978, Summerhays was cast as Lady Kay Wellington in the national touring production of '' Oh, Kay!'' which included performances at the

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

. She then reprised the role the following year at the

Royal Alexandra Theatre The Royal Alexandra Theatre, commonly known as the Royal Alex, is a theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located near King and Simcoe Street. Built in 1907, the 1,244-seat Royal Alex is the oldest continuously operating legitimate theatre in Nort ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

. Later that year Summerhays made her

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut, replacing

Kelly Bishop Carole "Kelly" Bishop (born February 28, 1944) is an American actress and dancer, best known for her roles as matriarch Emily Gilmore on the series ''Gilmore Girls'' and as Marjorie Houseman, the mother of Jennifer Grey's Frances "Baby" Housema ...

, who originated the part on Broadway, as Sheila in ''A Chorus Line''. In 1979, she played the role of Jane in the Broadway production of '' Sugar Babies'', replacing actress

Ann Jillian Ann Jillian (born Ann Jura Nauseda; January 29, 1950) is a retired American actress and singer whose career began as a child actress in 1960. She is best known for her role as the sultry Cassie Cranston on the 1980s sitcom ''It's a Living''. Ea ...

who originated the part. Summerhays also was the understudy for the lead role of Ann in the production and got to perform the role on a few occasions. In 1980, she played the roles of Zelda Fitzgerald and Sylvia Beach in the

American Place Theatre The American Place Theatre was founded in 1963 by Wynn Handman, Sidney Lanier, and Michael Tolan at St. Clement's Church, 423 West 46th Street in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, and was incorporated as a not-for-profit theatre in that year. Tenness ...

's production of '' Paris Lights''. In 1981, she performed in a production of '' Hey, Look Me Over!'' at

Avery Fisher Hall David Geffen Hall is a concert hall in New York City's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic. The facility, desi ...

. In 1983, Summerhays returned to the Broadway production of ''A Chorus Line'' to once again play Sheila. In 1984, she appeared as Maria in '' On Approval'' at the

Roundabout Theatre The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading 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 Fried and Elizab ...

. In 1985, she played Jane and was the understudy for Ann in the national company tour of ''Sugar Babies''. In 1986, Summerhays starred as Lady Jaqueline Carstone in the original Broadway production and '' Me and My Girl'' for which she received a Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award nomination. She remained with the production for three years. Over the next two decades Summerhays appeared in several more Broadway productions including the roles of Diana in ''

Lend Me a Tenor ''Lend Me a Tenor'' is a comedy by Ken Ludwig. The play was produced on both the West End (1986) and Broadway (1989). It received nine Tony Award nominations and won for Best Actor (Philip Bosco) and Best Director (Jerry Zaks). A Broadway re ...

'', Elizabeth in '' Taking Steps'', Cynthia in ''

The Real Inspector Hound ''The Real Inspector Hound'' is a short, one-act play by Tom Stoppard. The plot follows two theatre critics named Moon and Birdboot who are watching a ludicrous setup of a country house murder mystery, in the style of a whodunit. By chance, th ...

'', the musical review ''

Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

'', Fritzie and Fraulein Kost in ''

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

'', and Miss Madelaine True in '' The Wild Party''. Summerhays also appeared in several Off-Broadway and regional theater productions including '' Sympathy Jones'', '' Camila'', '' Broadway Gypsies'', '' Good News'', and '' Promises, Promises''.Jane Summerhays Biography ((?)-)
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Recordings

* '' Me and My Girl'', Decca Broadway, 1987 * '' The Wild Party'', Decca Broadway, 2000

References

External links

* *
''Playbill'' article 2002

{{DEFAULTSORT:Summerhays, Jane Living people Drama Desk Award winners Actresses from Salt Lake City 1944 births 21st-century American women