Alison Fraser is an American actress, voice actress and singer who has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in television and film. In concert, she has performed at such venues as

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

The White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 whe ...

, Town Hall, The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The Tisch Center for the Arts, The Folger Shakespeare Library, The Wilma, The Emelin, Joe's Pub, 54 Below, and

Symphony Space Symphony Space, founded by Isaiah Sheffer and Allan Miller, is a multi-disciplinary performing arts organization at 2537 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Performances take place in the 760-seat Peter Jay Sharp Theat ...

Career

Fraser is a two-time

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 ...

nominee for ''

The Secret Garden ''The Secret Garden'' is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in ''The American Magazine'' (November 1910 – August 1911). Set in England, it is seen as a classic of English c ...

'' and '' Romance/Romance'', a

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 ...

nominee for both ''

'', and ''First Daughter Suite'' and a Carbonell Award winner for '' Romance/Romance''. Fraser is a Callaway Award-winner for ''

Heartbreak House ''Heartbreak House: A Fantasia in the Russian Manner on English Themes'' is a play written by Bernard Shaw during the First World War, published in 1919 and first performed in November 1920 at the Garrick Theatre, New York, followed by a West ...

''. She played "Tessie Tura" in the

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...

and Broadway productions of ''

Gypsy {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

'' starring

Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer. After starting her professional career with The Acting Company in 1972, she soon gained acclaim for her leading performances on the Broadway and West End stage. Known f ...

under the direction of

Arthur Laurents Arthur Laurents (July 14, 1917 – May 5, 2011) was an American playwright, theatre director, film producer and screenwriter. With a career spanning seven decades he received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, a Drama Desk Award, ...

. She was the first ever recipient of Philadelphia's

Barrymore Award The Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre is an annual, nationally-recognized award program that is sponsored by Theatre Philadelphia for professional theater productions in the Greater Philadelphia area. Each season culminates with an awards ...

for Best Actress for her portrayal of "The Blonde" in Marion Adler, Scott Wentworth and Craig Boehmler's film noir musical, ''Gunmetal Blues'' under the direction of Jiri Zizka. She reprised the role of "The Blonde" in ''Gunmetal Blues'' opposite Patrick Quinn at the George Street Playhouse. She returned there to play "Diana" in '' Lend Me a Tenor'', directed by David Saint. She was the original "Trina" (Marvin's ex-wife) in

William Finn William Alan Finn (February 28, 1952 – April 7, 2025) was an American composer and lyricist. He was best known for his musicals, which include ''Falsettos'', for which he won the 1992 Tony Awards for Tony Award for Best Original Score, Best O ...

's ''

March of the Falsettos ''March of the Falsettos'' is a 1981 musical with book, lyrics, and music by William Finn. It is the second in a trilogy of musicals, preceded by '' In Trousers'' and followed by '' Falsettoland''. ''March of the Falsettos'' and ''Falsettoland'' l ...

'' and ''In Trousers'' (

Playwrights Horizons Playwrights Horizons is a not-for-profit American Off-Broadway theater located in New York City dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, and to the production of their new work. ...

). She also did vocal orchestrations for both shows. She played "Miss Drumgoole" in

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Nazz and Utopia. He is known for his sophistica ...

's adaptation of

Joe Orton John Kingsley Orton (1 January 1933 – 9 August 1967), known by the pen name of Joe Orton, was an English playwright, author, and diarist. His public career, from 1964 until his murder in 1967 committed by his partner, was short but highly i ...

's ''Up Against It'' ( New York Shakespeare Festival), "Uta" in Charles Busch and Rusty Magee's '' The Green Heart'' (

Manhattan Theatre Club Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Lynne Meadow has been the company’s Artistic Director and visionary since 1972. Barry Grove joined the company in 19 ...

), "Connie"/"Petula"/"Brenda" in ''Beehive'' at the

Village Gate The Village Gate was a nightclub at the corner of Thompson and Bleecker Streets in Greenwich Village, New York. Art D'Lugoff opened the club in 1958, on the ground floor and basement of 160 Bleecker Street. The large 1896 Chicago School structu ...

, and "Marion Ames" in ''Swingtime Canteen''. In 1988, she appeared on Broadway in ''Romance/Romance'', a musical starring herself and ''

Quantum Leap Quantum leap or ''variation'', may refer to: In general * Quantum leap (physics), also known as quantum jump, a transition between quantum states ** Atomic electron transition, a key example of the physics phenomenon * Paradigm shift, a sudden ch ...

'' star,

Scott Bakula Scott Stewart Bakula (; born October 9, 1954) is an American actor. He played Sam Beckett on ''Quantum Leap'' – for which he was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards (winning one) – and Captain Jonathan Arc ...

. For her dual-role as Josefine/Monica, Fraser received her first Tony Award Nomination. In 1991, Fraser appeared in ''The Secret Garden,'' a musical based on the

children's story "Children's Story" is a song recorded by British-American hip hop artist Slick Rick. Taken as the second single from his album ''The Great Adventures of Slick Rick'', the song was a Top 5 hit on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot R&B Singles a ...

Frances Hodgson Burnett Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett (24 November 1849 – 29 October 1924) was a British-American novelist and playwright. She is best known for the three children's novels ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' (1886), ''A Little Princess'' (1905), a ...

. For originating the role of Martha, Fraser earned a second Tony Award Nomination. ''The Secret Garden'' also featured

Mandy Patinkin Mandel "Mandy" Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television, and film. As a critically acclaimed Broadway (theatre), Broadway performer he has collaborated with Step ...

, Daisy Eagan,

John Cameron Mitchell John Cameron Mitchell (born April 21, 1963) is an American actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, producer and director. He is known as the writer, director and star of the 2001 film ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film), Hedwig and t ...

and

Rebecca Luker Rebecca Luker (April 17, 1961 – December 23, 2020) was an American actress, singer, and recording artist, noted for her "crystal clear operatic soprano" and for maintaining long runs in Broadway musicals over the course of her three-decade-lo ...

. Fraser stars in the one-woman show ''A Tennessee Williams Songbook'' conceived and directed by David Kaplan with musical direction by Allison Leyton-Brown. The show premiered at The Tennessee Williams Festival in Williams' birthplace of

Columbus, Mississippi Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, Mississippi, Lowndes County, on the eastern border of Mississippi, United States, located primarily east, but also north and northeast of the Tombigbee River, which is also part of the ...

and went on to great acclaim at the annual Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival. An original cast album titled ''Tennessee Williams: Words and Music'' was released on Sh-K-Boom Records in 2013. Fraser portrayed the flamboyant but clueless "Babs Caplan" on the award-winning

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

series, ''

Between the Lions ''Between the Lions'' is an American animated/live-action/puppet educational children's television series designed to promote reading. The show is a co-production between WGBH in Boston, Sirius Thinking, Ltd., in New York City, and Mississipp ...

''. She has appeared on the TV series '' Gotham'', ''

High Maintenance ''High Maintenance'' is an American anthology comedy-drama television and web series created by ex-husband and wife team Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld. The show follows The Guy, a cannabis courier (played by Sinclair), as he delivers his p ...

'', '' Smash'', '' Law and Order: Special Victims Unit'', '' Happy!'', and ''

Third Watch ''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 23, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced ...

''. She played the recurring roles of "Aunt Heidi" in the award-winning web-series ''Jack in a Box'', written and produced by Michael Cyril Creighton, and "Veronica Bailey" on Wesley Taylor and Mitchell Jarvis’s '' It Could Be Worse'' (the latter web series was broadcast on

Pivot Pivot may refer to: *Pivot, the point of rotation in a lever system *More generally, the center point of any rotational system *Pivot joint, a kind of joint between bones in the body *Pivot turn, a dance move Companies *Incitec Pivot, an Austra ...

and was later picked up by

Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...

). Her feature films include ''Socks and Bonds'', ''Family Games'', ''Blowtorch'', ''Commentary'', ''Jack and His Friends'' (with

Sam Rockwell Sam Rockwell (born November 5, 1968) is an American actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for playing troubled police officer Jason Dixon in ''Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'' (2017). He was nominated i ...

), ''Me and Him'', ''Mixing Nia'', ''In the Blood'', ''The Mice War'', ''Tommy Battles the Silver Sea Dragon'', '' The Thing About My Folks'', and '' Landscape with Invisible Hand''. She can also be seen in the ''Bright Eyes'' music video for their song, First Day of My Life, directed by her ''Secret Garden'' co-star,

. She authored an interview with

Anthony Newley Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, director, comedian, singer, and composer. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest ...

which was published in '' Time Out''. Fraser also appeared in video games ''

Grand Theft Auto IV ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's ''Grand Theft Auto: San And ...

'', ''

Grand Theft Auto V ''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...

'' and ''

Mafia III ''Mafia III'' is a 2016 action-adventure video game developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K. It was released in October 2016 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, in May 2017 for macOS, and in October 2021 for Google Stadia. It is the ...

''. She has made three solo albums, ''A New York Romance,'' ''Men in My Life'' and ''Tennessee Williams: Words and Music.'' In 2004, Fraser sang the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...

. In 2009,

cast Fraser in an original play, ''Come Back, Come Back, Wherever You Are'' which premiered at the George Street Playhouse. The play was directed by Laurents himself and featured Tony-winning actress,

Shirley Knight Shirley Knight Hopkins (July 5, 1936 – April 22, 2020) was an American actress who appeared in more than 50 feature films, television films, television series, and Broadway and Off-Broadway productions in her career, playing leading and char ...

. Also with Knight, Fraser appeared in the 2012 world premiere of Tennessee Williams' final full-length play ''In Masks Outrageous and Austere''. In 2010, playwright and performer Charles Busch cast Fraser in his new comedy, ''The Divine Sister'', a play satirizes the cinematic portrayal of nuns. Fraser played Sister Walburga. Fraser then originated the role of Arsinoe in David Ives' comedy ''The School For Lies'' at

Classic Stage Company Classic Stage Company, or CSC, is a classical Off-Broadway theater company. Founded in 1967, Classic Stage Company is one of Off-Broadway's oldest theater companies. CSC is led by Producing Artistic Director Jill Rafson. John Doyle previously ...

. On December 16, 2013, Fraser joined the First National Tour of ''Wicked'' in the role of Madame Morrible. In 2015, Fraser appeared in four episodes of the Showtime television series '' Happyish'' as both Ma Keebler and Boots. From October 6 to November 22, 2015, Fraser performed in the world premiere of

Michael John LaChiusa Michael John LaChiusa (born July 24, 1962) is an American musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for musically esoteric shows such as '' Hello Again'', '' Marie Christine'', '' The Wild Party'', and '' See W ...

's musical ''First Daughter Suite'' at the

Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: A ...

, in the roles of

Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress who was the first lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989, as the second wife of President Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in ...

and

Betty Ford Elizabeth Anne Ford (; formerly Warren; April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011) was First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. As first lady, she was active in social policy, and set a precedent as a politi ...

. For her performance, Fraser received nominations for both the Lucille Lortel Award and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. In the fall of 2017, Fraser performed a limited run of playwright Aaron Mark's new play ''Squeamish.'' The one woman show was presented by All For One Theater (AFO) at Theatre Row's Beckett Theatre. ''Squeamish'' ran October 6 – November 11, 2017. For ''Squeamish,'' Fraser received a 2018 Outer Critics Circle nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance. In April 2021, AudioFile named Fraser a recipient of its Earphones Award for her audiobook narration of Alexander Nemerov's novel, ''Fierce Pose''. In 2023, the Off-Broadway Alliance honored Fraser with its "Legend of Off-Broadway" award.

Personal life

Fraser is the widow of composer and performer Benjamin Rush "Rusty" Magee, with whom she has one son, Nathaniel Fraser Magee, who is an editor in New York City.

Theatre credits

* '' In Trousers'' * ''

'' * ''

Falsettos ''Falsettos'' is a sung-through musical theatre, musical with a book by William Finn and James Lapine, and music and lyrics by Finn. The musical consists of ''March of the Falsettos'' (1981) and ''Falsettoland'' (1990), the last two installment ...

'' * '' Lady in the Dark'' * '' Lips Together, Teeth Apart'' * '' Lend Me a Tenor'' * ''

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; , ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy (or more specifically, a farce) by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical theat ...

'' * ''

The Mystery of Edwin Drood ''The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' is the final novel by English author Charles Dickens, originally published in 1870. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, it focuses more on Drood's uncle, John Jasper, a precentor, choirm ...

'' * ''Secret Garden'' * ''Up Against It'' * ''The Green Heart'' * ''Beehive'' * '' Honk!'' * '' Prodigal'' * ''Lizzie Borden'' * ''Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams'' * ''

High School Musical ''High School Musical'' is a 2006 American Musical film, musical television film produced by and aired on Disney Channel as part of the network's List of Disney Channel original films, slate of original television films. The first installmen ...

'' * ''A Quarrel of Sparrows'' * ''

'' * ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * ''Wicked'' (Maguire novel), a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', a 1997 novel series collaboration between Australian children's authors Paul Jennings and Morris ...

'' * ''Come Back, Come Back, Wherever You Are'' * '' The Divine Sister'' * ''Archy and Mehitabel'' * ''Love, Loss, and What I Wore'' * ''The School For Lies'' * ''A Charity Case'' * ''In Masks Outrageous and Austere'' * ''Love Therapy'' * ''First Daughter Suite'' * ''The Sandbox'' * ''Funnyhouse of a Negro'' * ''Squeamish'' * '' the shards of an honor code junkie'' * ''A Blanket Of Dust'' * ''Heartbreak House'' * ''Steel Magnolias'' * ''Enter Laughing'' * ''Cinderella'' * ''Deathtrap'' * ''Paradise Lost'' * '' Romance/Romance'' * ''

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a 1955 American three-act play by Tennessee Williams. The play, an adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", was written between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his ...

'' *''

The Drowsy Chaperone ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' is a Canadian musical with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, and a book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. The story concerns a middle-aged, asocial musical theater fan who, feeling "blue", decides to pl ...

Filmography

Film

*1988: ''Me and Him'' *1992: '' Jack and His Friends'' *1997: ''The Amazing Feats of Young Hercules'' (voice) *1998: ''Mixing Nia'' *2003: '' The Thing About My Folks'' *2006: ''In The Blood'' *2006: ''Spectropia'' *2012: ''Commentary'' *2014: ''Socks and Bonds'' *2016: ''Blowtorch'' *2017: ''The Mice War'' (voice) *2017: ''Family Games'' *2017: ''Hard'' *2018: ''Tommy Battles the Silver Sea Dragon'' *2019: ''The Sound of Silence'' *2019: ''Impossible Monsters'' *2019: ''In The Campfire Light'' *2020: '' It Cuts Deep'' *2023: '' Landscape with Invisible Hand''

Television

*1995: '' Ace Ventura: Pet Detective'' (voice) *2000–2001: ''

'' – Babs Caplan *2001: '' Spy Groove'' – Mimi LeVerne, Kathy Lee Gifford (voices) (2 episodes) *2003: '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' *2003: ''

'' *2015: '' Happyish'' – Boots, Ma Keebler (voices) (2 episodes) *2016: ''

'' *2017: '' Happy!'' – Mrs. Claws *2018: '' Gotham'' – Gertrude Haverstock (Episode: "That's Entertainment") *2023: '' Blue Bloods'' – Bobbi Gallo

Videogame

*2008: ''

'' – Gertrude Leneau, The Crowd of Liberty City *2013: ''

'' – Additional Voices *2016: ''

'' – Additional Voices

References

External links

Official website
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, Alison American stage actresses American women singers American musical theatre actresses American television actresses Living people Actresses from Manhattan Singers from New York City Actresses from Massachusetts Musicians from Massachusetts People from Natick, Massachusetts Fordham University alumni Fordham University faculty Natick High School alumni Year of birth missing (living people) American women academics 21st-century American women