Song:Everybody's Girl
Album:Broadway Scene Stealers: The Women
When Debra Monk appears on TV or in films, she tends to fade into the background like a lot of character actors. But her first love is the Broadway stage and she is a Tony winner and she was nominated for her performance in the 1997 show Steel Pier. Everybody's Girl is a show stopper. She is also an Emmy nominee. She was born Feb. 27, 1949 in Middletown, OH. She went to high school in Silver Springs, MD and graduated from Frostburg State University in Maryland. Then she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. After moving to New York, she worked as a secretary while attending auditions. She started writing with her co-worker Cass Morgan and the end result was the 1982 hit Broadway show Pump Boys and Dinettes. Though the show was a hit, it was an ensemble piece. It didn't make Debra a star and she returned to off-Broadway shows. She returned to Broadway in the 1990 show Prelude To A Kiss and made her film debut in the 1992 film of the play. Then she won a Tony for the 1993 play Redwood Curtain and also appeared in the 1995 TV movie of the play. The 1997 show Steel Pier was written by the legendary team of John Kander and Fred Ebb who have written Cabaret among other shows. It was supposed to be a tribute to the Warner Bros. movie musicals of the 30s. The show only ran for two months and was critically panned. But performances by Karen Ziemba and Debra Monk were praised and both received Tony nominations. There was an original cast CD but it is out of print. But you can get Debra's performance of Everybody's Girl on this various artists budget CD compiled by Playbill and released by Sony Classical. Debra was nominated for an Emmy in 1999 for playing the recurring role of Katie Sipowicz in NYPD Blue. And she has had a recurring role on Grey's Anatomy. And she was a regular on the A&E series A Nero Wolfe Mystery. Debra got another Tony nomination for the 2007 show Curtains. Her latest role is as Big Mama in the 2013 Broadway revival of Cat On A Hot In Roof starring Scarlett Johansson. She will celebrate her 65th birthday on Feb. 24, 2014 with a special show to benefit Broadway Cares. Victor Garber and Andrea Martin are among those appearing on this show. This just shows that some great performers are underneath the radar. Maybe Debra Monk prefers that. Here's Debra Monk performing Everyobody's Girl on the 1999 PBS special My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies.
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