Rachel York

Rachel York (born August 7, 1971)^[1] is an American actress and singer. She is known for stage roles in City of Angels, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Les Misérables, Victor/Victoria, Kiss Me, Kate, Sly Fox, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Anything Goes. She also has many film and television credits, including her portrayal of Lucille Ball in the CBS biographical film Lucy.

Rachel York
Born	Rachel Lemanski (1971-08-07) August 7, 1971 (age 51) Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Occupations	Actress singer
Years active	1989–present
Spouse	Ayal Miodovnik ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	1
Website	rachelyork.net

Career

At age 19, York approached talent agent Bill Timms. She performed monologues from Nuts 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."^[2]

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 Les Misérables, Irene St. Claire in Crucifer of Blood, The Younger Woman in Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together (with Julie Andrews), which earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination, Norma Cassidy in Victor/Victoria (for which she won a Drama Desk Award), Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Lili Vanessi/Katharine in Kiss Me, Kate, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Dorothy in Summer of '42, Miss Fancy in Sly Fox, Ruth Sutton in Dessa Rose, earning her another nomination for a Drama Desk Award, Mother in Ragtime, Christine Colgate in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and in The Sound of Music as Elsa Shraeder at the Hollywood Bowl. She appeared as Guenevere in the National Tour of Camelot 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.^[3] In 2009, she played Dolly Levi in the Reagle Music Theatre production of Hello, Dolly! in Waltham, Massachusetts and won an IRNE Award for her performance.^[4]

In 2010, York returned to the Reagle Music Theatre in its production of Into the Woods where she played the Witch^[5] and won another IRNE Award for the role.^[6] That same year she played the Lady of the Lake in the Ogunquit Playhouse production of Spamalot.^[7]

In 2011, she starred as Billie Burke in the musical Ghostlight Off-Broadway at the Signature Theatre.^[8] She then played Anna in the 2011 Walnut Street Theatre production of The King and I.^[9]

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.^[10]

York played the role of Reno Sweeney in the national tour of the 2011 Roundabout Theatre Broadway revival of Anything Goes, which began October 2, 2012.^[11] For this role, she won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Visiting Production.^[12] In February 2014, she played Young Belle in the Encores! concert of Little Me.^[13]

In May 2015, it was announced that York would appear in the musical Grey Gardens taking the role of Little Edie Bouvier Beale^[14] 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.^[15]

She returned to Broadway in the musical Disaster!, which played from February to May 2016 at the Nederlander Theatre. York appeared alongside Seth Rudetsky, Adam Pascal, Kerry Butler, and Tony-nominated Jennifer Simard.^[16][17]

In July 2016, York and Betty Buckley, 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.^[18] York went on to originate the role of Gynecia in the Broadway musical, Head Over Heels.^[19] She next appeared as Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent in Ever After The Musical.^[20] In October 2021, York once again played Reno Sweeney, this time in the London revival of Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre, where she succeeded Sutton Foster in the role.^[21]

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 Lucille Ball. Her performance in the London production of Kiss Me, Kate 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, Arli$$, Spin City, The Naked Truth, Diagnosis: Murder, and also provides the voices of Bitty on Higglytown Heroes and Circe on Justice League Unlimited. In 2008, she also guest starred on an episode of Hannah Montana, 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 Frasier 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 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, The Scarlet Pimpernel: 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.^[22] They have a daughter, Olivia.^[23][24][25]

Theater

Broadway

• City of Angels (1989) – Mallory Kingsley
• Les Misérables – Fantine
• Victor/Victoria (1995) – Norma Cassidy
• The Scarlet Pimpernel (1998) – Marguerite
• Sly Fox (2004) – Miss Fancy
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2006) – Christine
• Disaster! (2016) – Jackie
• Head Over Heels (2018) – Gynecia

Off-Broadway

• Dessa Rose (2005) – Ruth
• Ghostlight (2011) – Billie Burke

West End/London

• Kiss Me, Kate (2002) – Lilli Vanessi/Kate^[26]
• Anything Goes (2021) - Reno Sweeney

National tours

• Kiss Me, Kate (2001) – Lilli Vanessi/Kate^[27]
• Camelot (2007) – Guenevere^[28]
• 101 Dalmatians Musical (2009) – Cruella de Vil^[29]
• Anything Goes (2012) – Reno Sweeney^[30]

Regional Theater Credits

• The Crucifer of Blood – Irene St. Claire
• Putting It Together – The Younger Woman
• Ragtime – Mother
• Hello Dolly! – Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi
• Into the Woods – The Witch
• Spamalot – The Lady of the Lake
• The King and I – Anna Leonowens
• The Addams Family – Morticia Addams
• Grey Gardens – Little Edie Bouvier Beale & Edith Bouvier Beale
• Ever After The Musical – Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent

Concerts

• The Sound of Music – 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 – Cassandra Hausen Cradle Swapping – Mrs. Burnett

Television Kiss Me, Kate – Lili Vanessi/Katherine Lucy: The Lucille Ball Story – Lucille Ball The Courtship of Eddie's Father – Lisa Justice League Unlimited – Circe Diagnosis: Murder No. 96. (A Mime is a Terrible Thing to Waste) – Randy Wolfe Hannah Montana – Isis Frasier ("To Thine Old Self Be True" - Season 7, Episode 20) - Dinah aka Officer Nasty Power – Tina Schulman Elementary – 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
• The Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore! – 1998 Broadway Revival Cast Recording
• Dessa Rose – 2005 Original Lincoln Center Cast Recording
• Summer of '42 – Sept 2006, Original Cast Recording
• Disaster! – 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 and produced by Tor Hyams

Awards

Year	Role and Production	Award	Result
1993	The Younger Woman in Putting It Together	Drama Desk Award	Nominated
1995	Norma Cassidy in Victor/Victoria	Drama Desk Award	Won
2005	Ruth Sutton in Dessa Rose"	Drama Desk Award	Nominated
2007	Guenevere in Camelot	Golden Icon Award	Won
		Carbonell Award	Won
2009	Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!	IRNE Award	Won
2010	The Witch in Into The Woods	IRNE Award	Won
2012	Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes	Helen Hayes Award	Won

References

1. Rachel York at the Internet Broadway Database
2. "About. Official Site" rachelyork.net. Retrieved November 28, 2013
3. Turn of the Century directed by Tommy Tune September 19 – November 2, 2008 in Goodman's Albert Theatre
4. Kenny Leon, Maureen McGovern, Diane Paulus, Rachel York et al. Receive IRNE Awards theatermania. Retrieved April 22, 2014
5. "Rachel York Stars in 'Into the Woods'". BroadwayWorld.com. June 23, 2010.
6. Hetrick, Adam. "Rachel York, Daniel Jenkins, Estelle Parsons and Kenny Leon Win IRNE Awards" December 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, April 2011
7. Charles Shaughnessy and Rachel York to Star in Ogunquit Spamalot February 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine playbill, July 2010
8. "Michael Hayden and Rachel York Join Ziegfeld Follies-Set Musical Ghostlight at NYMF". Playbill. September 1, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
9. Rachel York Will "Whistle a Happy Tune" in Walnut Street's King and I, With Mel Sagrado Maghuyop February 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine playbill, October 2011
10. Brantley, Ben (May 13, 2012). "Lorelei Is Back, Head Over Carats (Published 2012)". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
11. Jones, Kenneth. "National Tour of 'Anything Goes' Lays Down Its Gangplank in Cleveland; Rachel York, Fred Applegate, Erich Bergen Star" Playbill, October 2, 2012
12. A CHORUS LINE, HELLO, DOLLY!, STUPID F**KING BIRD, BOOK OF MORMON, Rachel York and More Top 30th Annual Helen Hayes Awards in D.C. – All the Winners! broadwayworld. Retrieved April 22, 2014
13. Photo Flash: First Look at Christian Borle, Rachel York & More in Encores! LITTLE ME broadwayworld, February 2014
14. Betty Buckley and Rachel York Will Tend Grey Gardens This Summer Playbill, May 28, 2015
15. "3-D Theatricals – Broadway is closer than you think!". 3dtheatricals.org.
16. Photo Flash: Meet the Cast of Broadway's DISASTER!; Nederlander Theatre Box Office Opens Today Broadway World. Retrieved January 13, 2016
17. Disaster! Announces Closing Date, retrieved May 13, 2016
18. Grey Gardens with Betty Buckley and Rachel York is LA Bound Playbill. Retrieved July 15, 2016
19. They Got the Beat! Meet the Cast of HEAD OVER HEELS- Now in Previews! Broadway World. Retrieved January 28, 2019
20. "Sierra Boggess, Rachel York, Among Stars of EVER AFTER in Atlanta". Broadway World. December 4, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
21. Sullivan, Lindsay (September 24, 2021). "Rachel York to Step in for Sutton Foster in London's Anything Goes". Broadway.com. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
22. . Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
23. "Rachel York, the 'Anything Goes' mama on the go". Los Angeles Times. December 23, 2012.
24. . Rachelyork.net. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
25. "Motherhood pushes actress Rachel York toward comedy". Orange County Register. November 26, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
26. "KISS ME KATE"CAST CHANGES Londontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved January 28, 2019
27. Lefkowitz, David and Jones, Kenneth. "Rex Smith and Rachel York to Tour in Kiss Me, Kate" July 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine January 31, 2001
28. Jones, Kenneth."Rachel York Will Be Camelot's Guenevere in New North American Tour" May 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, November 7, 2006
29. Jones, Kenneth."Who Let the Dogs Out? 101 Dalmatians Musical Parks and Barks in Minneapolis" June 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, October 13, 2009
30. "Rachel York to Set Sail in ANYTHING GOES National Tour; Kicks Off October 2". BroadwayWorld.com.

External links

• Official website
• Rachel York at IMDb  
• BroadwayWorld.com interview with Rachel York, September 4, 2007