Rachel Bay Jones

Last updated

Rachel Bay Jones
Rachel Bay Jones stage door pippin.jpg
Jones in 2013
BornNovember 8, 1969
New York City, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1989–present
PartnerBenim Foster
Children1

Rachel Bay Jones is an American actress and singer. She has played the roles of Catherine in the 2013 Broadway revival of Pippin and Evan Hansen's mother, Heidi Hansen, in Dear Evan Hansen . The latter earned her an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and the 2017 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She emerged as one of few artists to have received three of the four major American entertainment awards.

Contents

Early life

Jones was born on November 8, 1969 in New York City and grew up in Boca Raton, Florida. Her mother is Jewish. [1] Her parents were both Shakespearean actors. She dropped out of high school to perform in a local play, then moved to New York City to pursue acting at 19. [2]

Career

Jones's first Broadway role was as an understudy for the lead role of Esther in Meet Me in St. Louis in 1989. [2] [3]

In the early 1990s, she was in the touring company of Grand Hotel , as well as other national and international tours, performing Rent in German and Evita in Spanish. [2] She performed in the 2009 Broadway revival of Hair as the replacement for Mother, Buddahdalirama, and Member Of The Tribe. [4] She was one of the original cast members starring in the revival of Pippin , [2] playing Catherine, Pippin's lover, during the entire run. [5] [6]

Jones and fellow Dear Evan Hansen cast member Ben Platt with their Tony Awards Ben Platt & Rachel Bay Jones with their Tony Awards.jpg
Jones and fellow Dear Evan Hansen cast member Ben Platt with their Tony Awards

Jones portrayed Evan's mother Heidi in the musical Dear Evan Hansen , which premiered at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. in July 2015. [7] She reprised the role in the Off-Broadway production at the Second Stage Theatre in May 2016, [8] and then on Broadway starting in November 2016. [9] At the 71st Tony Awards, she won for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Heidi Hansen. [10]

After leaving Dear Evan Hansen on August 5, 2018, Jones performed at several small venues in Something Beautiful, a one-woman cabaret show that draws music from her expansive career and bringing meaning from her life into the lyrics. [11] [12]

In 2018, Jones appeared in the CBS television drama series God Friended Me , playing the role of Susan. [13] [14] She has also had guest roles on Modern Family and Grey's Anatomy .

She appeared in the concert of Sweet Charity at the Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Music Center on June 17, 2019, presented by the Transport Group. [15]

From January 29 to February 3, 2020 she starred as Diana in Next to Normal at the Kennedy Center Broadway Center Stage series. [16] [17]

In 2021, Jones joined the cast of The Good Doctor as Salen Morrison. [18] This reunited her with former Dear Evan Hansen co-star Noah Galvin (who played the title role, the son of Jones's character, Heidi).

Jones originated the role of Marianne in Stephen Sondheim's Here We Are in 2023. [19]

Personal life

She has a daughter, Miranda, and is partner to actor Benim Foster. [12] Jones has one sibling, her brother Darren. [2]

Acting credits

Film

YearFilmRoleNotes
2018 Ben Is Back Beth
2020 Critical Thinking Principal Kestel
2024 Bob Trevino Likes It Jeanie

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2015 Louie BarbaraEpisode: "Untitled"
2016 The Family SallyEpisode: "Election Day"
2018 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit TeresaEpisode: "In Loco Parentis"
2018 God Friended Me Susan6 episodes
2019 Modern Family Farrah Marshall3 episodes
2019 Grey's Anatomy CarlyEpisode: "Breathe Again"
2021 Panic Sherri Nill6 episodes
2021 Why Women Kill Maisie Moran3 episodes
2021–2022 United States of Al LoisRecurring role
2021–2022 The Good Doctor Salen Morrison10 episodes
2022–2024 Young Sheldon Audrey McAllisterRecurring role [20]
2024 Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage Main cast

Theatre

Source: Internet Broadway Database [21]

YearProductionRoleNotes
1989 Meet Me in St. Louis Ensemble The Gershwin Theatre
1990 Grand Hotel Hildegarde Bratts / TrudeNational tour
2000 Fiddler on the Roof HodelNational tour
2009–2010 Hair Mother / Buddahdirama / Ensemble Al Hirschfeld Theatre
2010 Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Swing Belasco Theatre
2011 A Christmas Story: The Musical [22] MotherUS National tour
2011 Hello Again [23] The ActressOff-Broadway, Transport Group
2011 The King and I Anna LeonowensKansas City Starlight Theatre
2012 Pippin Catherine American Repertory Theatre
2013–2015 Music Box Theatre
2015 First Daughter Suite [24] Rosalynn Carter / Laura BushOff-Broadway, The Public Theatre
2015 Dear Evan Hansen Heidi Hansen Arena Stage
2016 Second Stage
2016–2018 Music Box Theatre
2020 Next to Normal [25] Diana Goodman Kennedy Centre
2023–2024 Here We Are Marianne BrinkOff-Broadway, The Shed

Awards and nominations

YearAwardsCategoryWorkResult
2016 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical [26] Dear Evan Hansen Nominated
2017 Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Musical [27] Won
Drama League Awards Distinguished Performance [28] Nominated
Lucille Lortel Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical [29] Won
2018 Grammy Awards Best Musical Theater Album Won
Emmy Awards – Daytime (Daytime Creative Arts Emmys) Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program [30] Won

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References

  1. ↑ "A Jewish Guide to the Tonys - Atlanta Jewish Times".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Tony Awards: Rachel Bay Jones' 'Dear Evan Hansen' Nomination Caps Three-Decade Quest". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  3. ↑ Meet Me in St. Louis playbill (vault), accessed March 29, 2019
  4. ↑ Hair playbill (vault), accessed March 29, 2019
  5. ↑ Champion, Lindsay. "Rachel Bay Jones on Being Scared of Clowns, Her 'Terrifying' Evita Story & Joining the Pippin Circus" broadway.com, June 13, 2013
  6. ↑ Blank, Matthew. "CUE & A: Pippin Star Rachel Bay Jones" playbill, April 9, 2013
  7. ↑ Gioia, Michael (July 30, 2015). "Pasek and Paul's Dear Evan Hansen, About the High School Struggle to Fit In, Premieres in D.C." Playbill. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Tickets Go on Sale Today for Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen – Playbill". Playbill. June 19, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Dear Evan Hansen Opens on Broadway December 4 – Playbill". Playbill. December 4, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  10. ↑ Sullivan, Lindsey (June 11, 2017). "Good for You! Dear Evan Hansen's Rachel Bay Jones Wins Her First Tony Award". Broadway.com. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Rachel Bay Jones: Something Beautiful" theatermania.com, accessed March 29, 2019
  12. 1 2 "Rachel Bay Jones Brings 'Something Beautiful' to Feinsteins at the Nikko" broadwayworld.com, July 19, 2018
  13. ↑ Fierberg, Ruthie. " Dear Evan Hansen's Rachel Bay Jones Lands CBS Comedy Pilot" Playbill, March 26, 2018
  14. ↑ "Listings 'God Friended Me', Air Date March 31, 2019" thefutoncritic.com, retrieved May 17, 2019
  15. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Rachel Bay Jones, Santino Fontana, More Set for 'Sweet Charity in Concert'" Playbill, May 17, 2019
  16. ↑ McPhee, Ryan. "Rachel Bay Jones to Star in 'Next to Normal' at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center; New Season Also Includes 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Tour Premiere" playbill, March 28, 2019
  17. ↑ "Broadway Center Stage: Next to Normal" . Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  18. ↑ "The Good Doctor's 'Internal Nemesis' Revealed in Game-Changing Season 5 Premiere — Grade the Episode!". www.yahoo.com. September 28, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Here We Are".
  20. ↑ Campione, Katie (October 26, 2022). "'Young Sheldon': Rachel Bay Jones & Will Sasso Join CBS Comedy As Recurring". MSN. Deadline. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Rachel Bay Jones Broadway and Touring" ibdb.com, accessed August 25, 2020
  22. ↑ Blank, Matthew. "PHOTO CALL: 'A Christmas Story, The Musical!' on Tour" playbill, November 11, 2011
  23. ↑ Jones, Kenneth. "Alan Campbell, Max von Essen, Elizabeth Stanley Among Interlocking Lovers in NYC Hello Again" Playbill, January 11, 2011
  24. ↑ First Daughter Suite iobdb.com, accessed August 25, 2020
  25. ↑ Gans, Andrew (February 28, 2020). "Watch Rachel Bay Jones, Brandon Victor Dixon, More in Scenes From Kennedy Center's Next to Normal". Playbill. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  26. ↑ Fierberg, Ruthie (June 5, 2016). "Drama Desk Awards Name Shuffle Along Best Musical". Playbill. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  27. ↑ Hetrick, Adam. "The Complete List of 2017 Tony Winners: 'Dear Evan Hansen' and 'Hello, Dolly!' Lead the Pack" playbill, June 11, 2017
  28. ↑ "Ben Platt, Sutton Foster, and Josh Groban Among 2017 Drama League Award Nominees – Playbill". Playbill. April 19, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  29. ↑ BWW News Desk. "OSLO Big Winner at the 2017 Lucille Lortel Awards, Full List!". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  30. ↑ McPhee, Ryan. "Ben Platt and Dear Evan Hansen Co-Stars Win Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Award" Playbill, April 28, 2018
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