Rachel York (born August 7, 1971) is an American actress and singer. She is known for stage roles in '' City of Angels'', ''

The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in London, having ...

'', ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'', '' Victor/Victoria'', ''

Kiss Me, Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-sta ...

'', ''Sly Fox'', '' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' and ''

Anything Goes ''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap ...

''. She also has many film and television credits, including her portrayal of

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Gold ...

in the CBS biographical film '' Lucy''.

Career

At age 19, York approached talent agent Bill Timms. She performed monologues from ''

Nuts Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...

'' and '' Sophie's Choice'' and gave him a demo tape with songs from '' Evita''. Timms signed her immediately and described her as being able to "... do anything."

Theatre

York made her Broadway debut as Mallory in the musical '' City of Angels'', and her performance won critical acclaim. After ''City of Angels'', she has been in many performances on stage, including Fantine in ''

'', Irene St. Claire in ''Crucifer of Blood'', The Younger Woman in Stephen Sondheim's '' Putting It Together'' (with

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy ...

), which earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination, Norma Cassidy in '' Victor/Victoria'' (for which she won a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

), Marguerite in ''

'', Lili Vanessi/Katharine in ''

'', Reno Sweeney in ''

'', Dorothy in ''Summer of '42'', Miss Fancy in ''Sly Fox'', Ruth Sutton in ''

Dessa Rose ''Dessa Rose'' is a novel by Sherley Anne Williams published in 1986 by HarperCollins. The book is a neo-slave narrative, incorporating many elements of traditional slave narratives. The book is divided into three sections: "The Darky", "The We ...

'', earning her another nomination for a Drama Desk Award, Mother in ''

Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott ...

'', Christine Colgate in '' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'', and in ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...

'' as Elsa Shraeder at the

Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its disti ...

. She appeared as Guenevere in the National Tour of ''

Camelot Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as the ...

'' in the 2006–2007 season, for which she earned the Golden Icon Award from Travolta Family Entertainment for Best Actress in a Touring Production as well as the Carbonell Award. In 2008, she played Dixie Wilson in Turn of the Century directed by Tommy Tune at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. In 2009, she played Dolly Levi in the Reagle Music Theatre production of '' Hello, Dolly!'' in

Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, ...

and won an IRNE Award for her performance. In 2010, York returned to the Reagle Music Theatre in its production of ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

'' where she played the Witch and won another IRNE Award for the role. That same year she played the Lady of the Lake in the Ogunquit Playhouse production of ''

Spamalot ''Spamalot'' (also known as ''Monty Python's Spamalot'') is a musical comedy with music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, and lyrics and book by Idle. It is adapted from the 1975 film '' Monty Python and the Holy Grail''. Like the motion pictu ...

''. In 2011, she starred as Billie Burke in the musical ''Ghostlight'' Off-Broadway at the Signature Theatre. She then played Anna in the 2011

Walnut Street Theatre The Walnut Street Theatre, founded in 1809 at 825 Walnut Street, on the corner of S. 9th Street in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia, is the oldest operating theatre in the United States. The venue is operated by the Walnut ...

production of ''

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the child ...

''. She starred in Encores! concert series production of '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' as Dorothy Shaw, which earned her and the production rave reviews. The live concert lasted May 9–13, 2012 and was a New York Times Critic's Pick. York played the role of Reno Sweeney in the national tour of the 2011

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 Elizabeth ...

Broadway revival of ''

'', which began October 2, 2012. For this role, she won the

Helen Hayes Award The Helen Hayes Awards are theater awards recognizing excellence in professional theater in the Washington, D.C. area since 1983. The awards are named in tribute of Helen Hayes, who is also known as the "First Lady of American Theatre." They ar ...

for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Visiting Production. In February 2014, she played Young Belle in the

Encores! Encores! is a Tony-honored concert series dedicated to performing rarely heard American musicals, usually with their original orchestrations. Presented by New York City Center since 1994, Encores! has revived shows by Irving Berlin, Rodgers & ...

concert of '' Little Me''. In May 2015, it was announced that York would appear in the musical '' Grey Gardens'' taking the role of Little Edie Bouvier Beale at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, NY. She played the role of Morticia Addams in '' The Addams Family'' with 3D Theatricals later that year in Los Angeles. She returned to Broadway in the musical ''

Disaster! Disaster!: A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring You! was a dark ride attraction at Universal Studios Florida. Set on a soundstage of a fictitious movie company, ''Disaster!'' was based on the park's former Earthquake: The Big One ride, which ...

'', which played from February to May 2016 at the Nederlander Theatre. York appeared alongside

Seth Rudetsky Seth Dennis Rudetsky (born February 28, 1967) is an American musician, actor, writer and radio host. He currently is the host of ''Seth's Big Fat Broadway'' and ''Seth Speaks'' on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's '' On Broadway''. The show focuses on ...

, Adam Pascal, Kerry Butler, and Tony-nominated Jennifer Simard. In July 2016, York and

Betty Buckley Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American actress and singer. Buckley is the winner of a Tony Award, and was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Olivier Award. In 2012, she was inducted into the American ...

, with whom she previously starred in '' Grey Gardens'' in New York, began a limited run of the production at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles, CA. York went on to originate the role of Gynecia in the Broadway musical, '' Head Over Heels''. She next appeared as Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent in ''

Ever After The Musical ''Ever After'' is a 2015 musical, with book and lyrics by Marcy Heisler and music by Zina Goldrich, based on the 1998 film of the same name written by Susannah Grant, Andy Tennant, and Rick Parks. It is loosely based on fairy tale ''Cinderell ...

''. In October 2021, York once again played Reno Sweeney, this time in the London revival of ''Anything Goes'' at the

Barbican Theatre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exh ...

, where she succeeded

Sutton Foster Sutton Lenore Foster (born March 18, 1975) is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is known for her work on the Broadway stage, for which she has won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical twice, in 2002 for her role as Millie Di ...

in the role.

Film

Her film credits include '' One Fine Day'', '' Billy Bathgate'', ''Dead Center'', ''Second Honeymoon'', ''Terror Tract'', ''Au Pair II'', and the TV movie ''Lucy'' in which she played

. Her performance in the London production of ''

'' is available on DVD/video. She also played Lori, The Mystery Woman in Sasha Gordon's highly praised film ''It Had To Be You''.

Television

She also has many credits in television, including appearances on '' Reba'', ''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...

'', '' Arli$$'', ''

Spin City ''Spin City'' is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 to April 30, 2002, on ABC. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show is set in a semi-fictionalized version of the New York City mayor' ...

'', '' The Naked Truth'', '' Diagnosis: Murder'', and also provides the voices of Bitty on '' Higglytown Heroes'' and

Circe Circe (; grc, , ) is an enchantress and a minor goddess in ancient Greek mythology and religion. She is either a daughter of the Titan Helios and the Oceanid nymph Perse or the goddess Hecate and Aeëtes. Circe was renowned for her vast kno ...

on ''

Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 United States, American superhero fiction, superhero List of animated television series, animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. ...

''. In 2008, she also guest starred on an episode of ''

Hannah Montana ''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart ( Miley Cyrus), ...

'', playing Isis on the episode Yet Another Side of Me. York filmed for the TV series '' Power'' in 2015 and is featured in Episode 7 "You're Not the Man" as Tina Schulman. She was also guest starred in ''

'' as Dinah or "Officer Nasty" in the episode "To Thine Old Self Be True" (Season 7, Episode 20).

Singing

York released her debut album ''Let's Fall in Love'' in early 2005, produced by

Tor Hyams Tor Hyams (born May 28, 1969) is an American songwriter and record producer. History Hyam's roster of artists include Joan Osborne, Edwin McCain, Vivian Campbell, Billy Gibbons, Lou Rawls, Rachel York, Lisa Loeb, Perry Farrell and Deborah Harry. ...

under the HyLo Entertainment label and was exclusively distributed by Barnes and Noble. She can also be heard on the Cast recordings of '' City of Angels'', '' Victor/Victoria'', ''

: Encore!'', ''Dessa Rose'', '' Putting It Together'', ''Summer of '42'', the soundtrack of ''Billy Bathgate'', and recordings of ''Opal and Celebration of Life''.

Personal life

She married actor Ayal Miodovnik on July 29, 2009. They have a daughter, Olivia.

Theater

;Broadway *'' City of Angels'' (1989) – Mallory Kingsley *''

'' – Fantine *'' Victor/Victoria'' (1995) – Norma Cassidy *''

'' (1998) – Marguerite *'' Sly Fox'' (2004) – Miss Fancy *'' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' (2006) – Christine *''

'' (2016) – Jackie *'' Head Over Heels'' (2018) – Gynecia ;Off-Broadway *''

'' (2005) – Ruth *''Ghostlight'' (2011) – Billie Burke ;West End/London *''

'' (2002) – Lilli Vanessi/Kate *''

'' (2021) - Reno Sweeney ;National tours *''

'' (2001) – Lilli Vanessi/Kate *''

'' (2007) –

Guenevere Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...

*''

101 Dalmatians Musical ''The 101 Dalmatians Musical'' is a musical produced by Luis Alvarez, directed by Jerry Zaks, and sponsored by Purina Dog Chow. The music written by former Styx member Dennis DeYoung, who also co-wrote the lyrics with the musical's book author B. ...

'' (2009) –

Cruella de Vil Cruella de Vil is a fictional character in British author Dodie Smith's 1956 novel ''The Hundred and One Dalmatians''. A pampered and glamorous London heiress and fashion designer, she appears in Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Productions' Lis ...

Jones, Kennet
"Who Let the Dogs Out? 101 Dalmatians Musical Parks and Barks in Minneapolis"
playbill.com, October 13, 2009 *''

'' (2012) – Reno Sweeney ;Regional Theater Credits *'' The Crucifer of Blood'' – Irene St. Claire *'' Putting It Together'' – The Younger Woman *''

'' – Mother *'' Hello Dolly!'' – Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi *''

'' – The Witch *''

'' – The Lady of the Lake *''

'' –

Anna Leonowens Anna Harriette Leonowens (born Ann Hariett Emma Edwards; 5 November 1831 – 19 January 1915) was an Anglo-Indian or Indian-born British travel writer, educator, and social activist. She became well known with the publication of her memoirs, b ...

*'' The Addams Family'' –

Morticia Addams Morticia Addams (née Frump) is a fictional character from the '' Addams Family'' multimedia franchise created by American Charles Addams in 1933. She plays the role of the family's reserved matriarch. Morticia Addams has been portrayed in seve ...

*'' Grey Gardens'' – Little Edie Bouvier Beale & Edith Bouvier Beale *''

'' – Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent ;Concerts *''

'' – Elsa Schraeder *'' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' – Dorothy Shaw *'' Little Me'' – Young Belle

Filmography

Film

*'' Billy Bathgate'' – Embassy Club Singer *'' Mad Dog Coll'' (aka Killer Instinct) – Lotte * ''Taking the Heat'' – Susan *''Deadline'' – Marci Fenner *''Dead Center'' – Mary *''Second Honeymoon'' – Gloria *'' One Fine Day'' – Liza *'' Terror Tract'' – Sarah Freemont *''

Au Pair II ''Au Pair II'' (also known as ''Au Pair II: The Fairytale Continues'') is a 2001 American made-for-television romantic comedy film starring Gregory Harrison and Heidi Lenhart and is the second installment in the ''Au Pair'' trilogy. Synopsis A ...

'' – Cassandra Hausen *''Cradle Swapping'' – Mrs. Burnett

Television

*''

'' – Lili Vanessi/Katherine *'' Lucy: The Lucille Ball Story'' –

*'' The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' – Lisa *''

'' –

*'' Diagnosis: Murder No. 96. (A Mime is a Terrible Thing to Waste)'' – Randy Wolfe *''

'' – Isis *''

'' ("To Thine Old Self Be True" - Season 7, Episode 20) - Dinah aka Officer Nasty *'' Power'' – Tina Schulman *''

Elementary Elementary may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Elementary'' (Cindy Morgan album), 2001 * ''Elementary'' (The End album), 2007 * ''Elementary'', a Melvin "Wah-Wah Watson" Ragin album, 1977 Other uses in arts, entertainment, a ...

'' – Carla Giovanni *'' The Mick'' – Dr. Goodby

Video games

*'' Neverwinter Nights 2'' – Shandra Jerro

Recordings

* City of Angels – 1990 Original Broadway Cast Recording * Putting It Together – 1993 Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording * Victor/Victoria – 1995 Original Broadway Cast Recording *

: Encore! – 1998 Broadway Revival Cast Recording *

– 2005 Original Lincoln Center Cast Recording * Summer of '42 – Sept 2006, Original Cast Recording * ''

'' – 2016 Original Broadway Cast Recording * Opal, Honky Tonk Highway and Other Theatre Songs by Robert Nassif Lindsey * Let's Fall in Love – Solo album released under

HyLo Entertainment Hylo is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within Lac La Biche County. It is located approximately south of Highway 55 and west of Cold Lake. Demographics Lac La Biche County's 2016 municipal census counted a population of 31 in Hylo. ...

and produced by

Awards

References

External links

* *
''BroadwayWorld.com'' interview with Rachel York, September 4, 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:York, Rachel 1971 births Living people American film actresses American musical theatre actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Drama Desk Award winners Actresses from Orlando, Florida 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses