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Pamela Blair | |
|---|---|
 Blair in 1983 | |
| Born | December 5, 1949 Bennington, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | July 23, 2023 (aged 73) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, dancer |
| Spouse | |
Pamela Blair (December 5, 1949 – July 23, 2023) was an American actress best known for originating the role of Val in the musical A Chorus Line and several appearances on American soap operas.
Born in Bennington, Vermont, to Edgar Joseph and Geraldine Marie ( née Cummings) Blair; she was raised in a small town with her pony, Tonka. She studied dance, played sports, and dreamed of becoming a Radio City Rockette in order to meet her idols, The Beatles. At age 16, she moved to New York City to attend a private school, The National Academy of Ballet, in her senior year of high school. She studied acting at HB Studio. [1] She later met a friend at a dance class who told her Michael Bennett was looking for dancers for Promises, Promises . Pam auditioned and was hired. Blair comments, "Whenever I don't seem to be getting anywhere in this business, I try to remember that I was once a chambermaid in a small motel in Vermont." She continued to build credits with Seesaw , another Michael Bennett production, and then landed the coveted role of "Curly's Wife", the only female role in the James Earl Jones Broadway revival of Of Mice and Men which later opened at the Kennedy Center to critical acclaim. She also appeared in Sugar , the stage musical version of the film Some Like It Hot , in which she played "Sugar Kane", a role made famous by Marilyn Monroe.[ citation needed ]
In 1974, Blair was invited by Michael Bennett to participate in the workshops from which A Chorus Line was developed. The character of "Valerie Clark" was in large part, based on her own life, although the surgical enhancement came from another dancer. "Val was based on Mitzi Hamilton, who actually underwent surgery to enhance her figure, and Pam Blair, whose mixture of angelic appearance and ribald tongue entertained Bennett enormously". [2] The angelic looking yet sexy Val has a foul mouth, and introduces the popular Broadway song "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three" which tells the story of an unattractive yet talented girl who uses plastic surgery to help her get cast in roles. Along with the cast, Blair won the 1976 Theatre World Award for Ensemble Performance for the show.[ citation needed ]
Blair next originated the role of "Amber" (later "Angel") in 1978's The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas . Her turn as an eager to work prostitute earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination. She can be heard on the cast recording as the lead in "Hard Candy Christmas", although the song "Bus from Amarillo" was taken from her before the show opened. Further roles on Broadway include King of Hearts (in the Geneviève Bujold role), "Clelia" in The Nerd , and "Joanne" in A Few Good Men , directed by her then estranged husband, Don Scardino.
Blair made several appearances on American soap operas such as Loving , Another World , Ryan's Hope , and All My Children , for which she received a Daytime Emmy nomination. She guest starred on such shows as Law & Order , The Cosby Show , The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd , and Sabrina the Teenage Witch . Blair guest-starred in a movie-of-the-week titled Maneater for Lifetime. She appeared opposite Jodie Foster in the TV film Svengali and in feature films Mighty Aphrodite directed by Woody Allen, 21 Grams with Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro, Before and After with Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson and Annie as the maid Annette.[ citation needed ]
Blair lived in Hollywood, California, for a time, where she landed the role of Sabrina's mother on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, although high-profile on-camera success eluded her. However, she continued to amass many regional and national credits, and still appeared in roles such as Heddi La Rue in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying . In 2006, she appeared in the lead role of Miss Mona with the Phoenix Theater's production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas , directed by Michael Barnard; she had been in the musical's original cast when it debuted.
Blair married actor and film director Don Scardino in 1984, and they divorced in 1991. She lived in New Jersey for a time, and last resided in Arizona where she owned her own Therapeutic and Myofascial Massage Studio for athletes. Blair died in Phoenix on July 23, 2023, at the age of 73. [3] [4]
| Year | Title | Role | Theater |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Promises, Promises | ||
| 1971 | Wild and Wonderful | ||
| 1972 | Sugar | later Sugar Kane | |
| 1973 | Seesaw | ||
| 1974 | Of Mice and Men | Curley's Wife | |
| 1975 | A Chorus Line | Val | |
| 1978 | King of Hearts | Jeunefille | |
| The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | Amber/Angel | ||
| 1987 | The Nerd | Clelia Waldgrave | |
| 1989 | A Few Good Men | Lt. Cmdr. Joanne Galloway |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Annie | Annette | |
| 1992 | Me and Veronica | Dawn | |
| 1995 | Mighty Aphrodite | Greek Chorus | |
| 1996 | Beavis and Butt-Head Do America | Flight Attendant / White House Tour Guide | Voice only |
| Before and After | Dr. Ryan's Assistant | ||
| 2003 | 21 Grams | Doctor |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Ryan's Hope | Elizabeth Shrank Ryan | 9 episodes |
| 1983 | Svengali | Trish | TV film |
| 1983–1985 | Loving | Rita Mae Bristow | 4 episodes |
| 1985 | All My Children | Maida Andrews | |
| 1989 | The Cosby Show | Karen | 2 episodes |
| The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | Alison | ||
| 1994 | Another World | Bonnie Broderick | 4 episodes |
| The Cosby Mysteries | Julianne | ||
| Law & Order | Aileen Wojak | ||
| 1998 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Sabrina's Mom | |
| 2000 | The Last Dance | Dance Teacher | TV film |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Theatre World Awards | Special Award | A Chorus Line (for Ensemble Performance) | Won |
| 1978 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | Nominated |
| 1987 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical conceived and directed by choreographer Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante.
Michael Bennett was an American musical theatre director, writer, choreographer, and dancer. He won seven Tony Awards for his choreography and direction of Broadway shows and was nominated for an additional eleven.
Donna McKechnie is an American musical theater dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer. She is known for her professional and personal relationship with choreographer Michael Bennett, with whom she collaborated on her most noted role, the character of Cassie in the musical A Chorus Line. She earned the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for this performance in 1976. She is also known for playing Amanda Harris/Olivia Corey on the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows from 1969 to 1970.
Priscilla Lopez is an American singer, dancer, and actress. She is perhaps best known for creating the role of Diana Morales in A Chorus Line. She has had the distinction of appearing in two Broadway landmarks: one of its greatest hits, the highly acclaimed, long-running A Chorus Line, and, as a teenager, in one of its biggest flops, the infamous musical version of Breakfast at Tiffany's, which closed before opening night.
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a musical with a book by Texas author Larry L. King and Peter Masterson and music and lyrics by Carol Hall. It is based on a story by King that was inspired by the real-life Chicken Ranch in La Grange, Texas.
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Alyson Reed is an American dancer and actress.
Thomas Joseph "Thommie" Walsh III was an American dancer, choreographer, director, and author.
Ken Mandelbaum is an American columnist, critic, and author whose primary field of expertise is musical theatre.
Wayne Louis Cilento is an American director, choreographer, actor and dancer. He is best known for originating the role of Mike in the Broadway show A Chorus Line, and later becoming one of Broadway's most prolific choreographers.
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Twigs is a play by George Furth, which premiered on Broadway in 1971.
Robert Avedisian, professionally known as Bob Avian, was an American choreographer, theatrical producer and director.
Dee Hoty is an American actress known for her work in musical theatre. Over the course of her career, she has appeared in numerous Broadway productions and earned three Tony Award nominations for Best Actress in a Musical, for The Will Rogers Follies (1991), The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public (1994), and Footloose (1999).
King of Hearts is a 1978 musical with a book by Joseph Stein, lyrics by Jacob Brackman, and music by Peter Link, orchestrated by Bill Brohn. It is based on the 1966 anti-war cult film of the same name.
Jessica Lee Goldyn is an American musical theatre actress, singer, and dancer best known for creating the role of Val in the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line and appearing as Nini (replacement) in Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Goldyn played the lead role of Cassie from August 10, 2008 opposite Mario Lopez as Zack, until the show ended its Broadway revival run on August 17, 2008. Goldyn had been an understudy for the lead character of Cassie. She played the title role in Annie (musical) at age 21. Goldyn appeared in The Paper Mill Playhouse (NJ) rendition of A Chorus Line in the star role of Cassie from October 7 through October 28, 2012.
Samuel Joseph Williams was an American actor of stage and film. He was best known for his role as Paul in the musical A Chorus Line, for which he won Broadway's 1976 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical.
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Nikki Snelson is an American actress, who works mainly in stage musicals.
"I Hope I Get It" is a song from the musical A Chorus Line.
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