Wanda Richert
Wanda Richert | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 18, 1958 |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, director |
| Years active | 1975–2007 |
Wanda Richert (born April 18, 1958) is an American former musical theatre actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, and director.
Early life and career[edit]
Early life[edit]
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Wanda Richert was the daughter of George Richert, a chief petty officer in the Coast Guard, and his wife, Lola, an executive secretary. Richert began studying tap and ballet at the age of five. By the time she was in high school, she was already dancing at a Chicago dinner theater, and soon after, began working full-time on the regional theatre circuit.[1]
Career[edit]
Richert got her big break in 1976 when she joined the national company of A Chorus Line. For two and a half years she understudied and played several roles in the production including the role of Cassie.[2]
On August 25, 1980, Wanda Richert made her Broadway debut as Peggy Sawyer in the original Broadway production of 42nd Street.[3] However, the opening night triumph was overshadowed by tragedy. After a lengthy curtain call and a standing ovation, producer David Merrick came onstage and announced that Gower Champion, the director and choreographer of 42nd Street, had died earlier that day.[4]
Richert was nominated for a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in 42nd Street. She won the Theatre World Award in 1981 in recognition of her outstanding New York City stage debut performance.[5]
In 1983, Richert replaced Anita Morris in the Broadway production of Nine.[6] In 1985 Michael Bennett asked her to come back into A Chorus Line on Broadway and she played the role of Cassie intermittently for the next five years.[7]
Broadway credits[edit]
- 1980: 42nd Street (Peggy Sawyer)
- 1983: Nine (Carla)
- 1985: A Chorus Line (Cassie)
Film and television credits[edit]
- 1981: 35th Tony Awards (Self/Nominee/Performer)
- 1982: The Doctors (Julie)
- 1985: 39th Tony Awards (Self/Presenter)
- 1986: Hardcastle and McCormick
- 1990: Law and Order (Aimee)
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ Chambers, Andrea (September 22, 1980). "One Light on Broadway Goes Out, Another Goes Up: a Star Named Wanda Richert Is Born". People. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Biederman, Patricia Ward (January 26, 1992). "Now She'll Star in Show That Gave Her a Start in '76 : Theater: A dancer moves here from the East and comes home again to the musical 'Chorus Line,' in which she was an understudy as a teen-ager". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Harrison 2011, p. 129.
- ^ "Like No Business I Know: That Night on Broadway". New York Magazine. 13 (25). New York Media, LLC: 12. September 8, 1980. ISSN 0028-7369. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ "Wanda Richert Awards". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Keating, Rian (August 1983). "Wanda Richert Public Access Interview". YouTube.com. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Walsh, Winifred (November 26, 1991). "'Chorus Line' actress a survivor on stage and in real life, too". Baltimore Evening Sun. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
Sources[edit]
- Harrison, Thomas (2011). Music of the 1980s. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-0-313-36600-0.
External links[edit]
- Wanda Richert Broadway & Theatre Credits
- Wanda Richert at the Internet Broadway Database
- Wanda Richert at IMDb
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