Mary Testa
Encyclopedia
Mary Testa is an American
stage actress. She is a two-time Tony Award
nominee, for performances in revivals of Leonard Bernstein
's On the Town (1998) and 42nd Street
(2001).
She made her debut as Miss Goldberg in William Finn
's one-act musical In Trousers
(1979), part one of his "Marvin Trilogy," winning audiences over with her rendition of "Set Those Sails" and "I Am Wearing a Hat," as well as "The Rape of Miss Goldberg by Marvin."
She returned to Broadway
in July, 2007
in the musical-theater remake
of the 1980 film Xanadu
for which she received a Drama Desk Award nomination.
She is a frequent collaborator with such acclaimed musical dramatists as William Finn
(Infinite Joy, A New Brain, In Trousers) and Michael John LaChiusa
(Marie Christine, See What I Wanna See, First Lady Suite), while also having made outings in the works of Stephen Sondheim
, Kander
& Ebb
, Flaherty & Ahrens
, and Leonard Bernstein
, among others. She is also a frequent soloist in the Broadway by the Year concert series and the Broadway Unplugged! concert series.
From 1999 to 2002 she appeared frequently as the voice of Shirley the Medium on Courage the Cowardly Dog
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stage actress. She is a two-time Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nominee, for performances in revivals of Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
's On the Town (1998) and 42nd Street
42nd Street (musical)
42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren. The 1980 Broadway production, directed by an ailing Gower Champion and orchestrated by Philip J. Lang, won the Tony Award for Best Musical and became a long-running hit...
(2001).
She made her debut as Miss Goldberg in William Finn
William Finn
William Alan Finn is an American composer and lyricist of musicals. His musical Falsettos received the 1992 Tony Awards for Best Music and Lyrics and for Best Book.-Biography:...
's one-act musical In Trousers
In Trousers
In Trousers is a musical, first produced in 1979, with a book, lyrics, and music by William Finn.The one-acter centers on Marvin, who has an unnamed wife and a son, Jason...
(1979), part one of his "Marvin Trilogy," winning audiences over with her rendition of "Set Those Sails" and "I Am Wearing a Hat," as well as "The Rape of Miss Goldberg by Marvin."
She returned to Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in July, 2007
July 2007
July 2007 is the seventh month of that year. It began on a Sunday and 31 days later, ended on a Tuesday.-International holidays:* July 1 – Canada Day * July 1 – July Morning * July 1 – Republic Day...
in the musical-theater remake
Xanadu (musical)
Xanadu is a musical comedy with a book by Douglas Carter Beane, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, based on the 1980 cult classic film of the same name which was, in turn, inspired by the 1947 Rita Hayworth film Down to Earth. The title is a reference to the poem, Kubla Khan, or A...
of the 1980 film Xanadu
Xanadu (musical)
Xanadu is a musical comedy with a book by Douglas Carter Beane, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, based on the 1980 cult classic film of the same name which was, in turn, inspired by the 1947 Rita Hayworth film Down to Earth. The title is a reference to the poem, Kubla Khan, or A...
for which she received a Drama Desk Award nomination.
She is a frequent collaborator with such acclaimed musical dramatists as William Finn
William Finn
William Alan Finn is an American composer and lyricist of musicals. His musical Falsettos received the 1992 Tony Awards for Best Music and Lyrics and for Best Book.-Biography:...
(Infinite Joy, A New Brain, In Trousers) and Michael John LaChiusa
Michael John LaChiusa
Michael John LaChiusa is an American musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for complex, musically challenging shows such as Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party, and See What I Wanna See...
(Marie Christine, See What I Wanna See, First Lady Suite), while also having made outings in the works of Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
, Kander
John Kander
John Harold Kander is the American composer of a number of musicals as part of the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb.-Life and career:Kander was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Bernice and Harold S. Kander...
& Ebb
Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera....
, Flaherty & Ahrens
Stephen Flaherty
Stephen Flaherty is an American composer of musical theatre. He works most often in collaboration with the lyricist/bookwriter Lynn Ahrens...
, and Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
, among others. She is also a frequent soloist in the Broadway by the Year concert series and the Broadway Unplugged! concert series.
From 1999 to 2002 she appeared frequently as the voice of Shirley the Medium on Courage the Cowardly Dog
Courage the Cowardly Dog
Courage the Cowardly Dog is an American animated television series created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network. Its central plot revolves around a somewhat anthropomorphic dog named Courage who lives with his owners, Muriel and Eustace Bagge, an elderly, married farming couple in the "Middle of...
.
Selected stage credits
- Miss Goldberg in In Trousers (1979)
- Angel Antonelli in The Rink (1984)
- Rita La Porta in Lucky Stiff (1988 & 2003)
- Domina in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart....
(1996) - Lisa in A New Brain (1998)
- Madame Maude P. Dilly in On the Town (1998)
- Magdalena in Marie Christine (1999)
- Dorine in TartuffeTartuffeTartuffe is a comedy by Molière. It is one of his most famous plays.-History:Molière wrote Tartuffe in 1664...
(2000) - Maggie Jones in 42nd Street (2001)
- Fanny Brice in Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 (2001)
- Various roles in String of Pearls (2003)
- Lorena Hickock in First Lady Suite (2004)
- Matron "Mamma" Morton in ChicagoChicago (musical)Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
(2005) - The Medium/Aunt Monica in See What I Wanna See (2006)
- Melpomene in XanaduXanadu (musical)Xanadu is a musical comedy with a book by Douglas Carter Beane, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, based on the 1980 cult classic film of the same name which was, in turn, inspired by the 1947 Rita Hayworth film Down to Earth. The title is a reference to the poem, Kubla Khan, or A...
(2007) - General Cartwright in Guys and Dolls (Revival) (2009)
Selected concert appearances
- Broadway Unplugged 2004 ("Hard-Hearted Hannah: The Vamp of Savannah")
- Broadway Unplugged 2005 ("The Thrill is Gone")
- The Broadway Musicals of 1930 ("I Happen to Like New York" and "My First Love — My Last Love")
- The Broadway Musicals of 1933 ("I'll Be Hard to Handle" and "Harlem on My Mind")