Randy Graff

Randy Graff
Graff in 2004
Born	(1955-05-23) May 23, 1955 (age 70) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Wagner College
Occupation(s)	Actress, singer
Awards	Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
Website	Randygraff.com

Randy Graff (born May 23, 1955) is an American actress and singer.

Early years

Born in Brooklyn, New York on May 23, 1955, ^[1] Graff was part of a musically oriented family. Her grandmother "was the lead soprano in temple", and her uncle sang with, and arranged for, vocal groups of the swing era. ^[2] She graduated from Port Richmond High School and Wagner College. ^[3]

Career

Graff's professional debut occurred at the Village Dinner Theater ^[4] in Raleigh, North Carolina, ^[2] in 1976. ^[4] She has been in feature films such as Keys to Tulsa and Rent as well as being in television shows such as NBC's Law & Order a number of times. In addition to film and television, Graff has been in several Broadway shows.

In 1990 Graff won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for her work in City of Angels , ^[5] and in 2001 she was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in A Class Act . ^[6]

She originated the role of Fantine in the musical Les Misérables when the production opened on Broadway in 1987, which included "I Dreamed a Dream", also on the soundtrack released in 1990. ^[7]

According to Graff, she was the first person to sing "I Dreamed a Dream" in the U.S., which is not entirely true. Patti LuPone sang it on The Joan Rivers Show shortly before the show opened in New York. ^[8] She has also appeared in Broadway revivals of the musicals Damn Yankees and Fiddler on the Roof .

Graff teaches at the Manhattan School of Music. ^[9]

Filmography

• Working It Out: "Pilot" (1990) TV Episode – Andy #1
• Law & Order
  • "Sonata for Solo Organ" (1991) TV Episode – Dr. Martha Kershan
  • "Attorney Client" (2002) TV Episode – Hillary Morton
  • "Publish and Perish" (2005) TV Episode – Helen DeVries
• Drexell's Class (1991) TV Series – Principal Francine E. Itkin
• Mad About You: "Bedfellows" (1993) TV Episode – Sharon, Paul's older sister
• Bless This House: "Pilot" (1995) TV Episode – Marion
• Keys to Tulsa (1997) – Louise Brinkman
• Ed: "The Stars Align" (2001) TV Episode – Attorney
• Rent (2005) - Mrs. Cohen
• Learning to Drive (2014) – Attorney

Theatre

Broadway

• Grease (1972)
• Saravá (1979)
• Les Misérables (1987) – Original Broadway cast
• City of Angels (1989) – Original Broadway cast, Tony Award winner for Best Featured Actress in a Musical
• Falsettos (1992)
• Laughter on the 23rd Floor (1993)
• Moon Over Buffalo (1995)
• High Society (1998)
• A Class Act (2001) – Original Broadway cast, Tony Awards nominee for Best Actress in a Musical
• Fiddler on the Roof (2004) – Revival
• Mr. Saturday Night (2022)

Off-Broadway

• A... My Name Is Alice (1983 and 1984) ^{[10] [11]}
• Do Re Mi (1999) Encores!, New York City – Kay Cram
• Hotel Suite (2000) – Millie
• A Class Act (2000) – Sophie
• Damn Yankees (2008) – Revival
• The Babylon Line (2016–2017) Lincoln Center Newhouse Theater – Frieda Cohen; Lucille Lortel Award for Featured Actress

Regional

• A Little Night Music (2002) – "Charlotte", Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC ^[12]
• Elegies: A Song Cycle (2006) – "Reprise! Broadway's Best "Marvelous Musical Mondays", Los Angeles, California ^[13]
• Hello, Dolly! (2007) – "Dolly", The Muny, St. Louis, Missouri ^[14]
• Broadway: Three Generations (2008) – Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC ^[15]
• Damn Yankees (2008) – The New York City Center ^[16]
• Motherhood Out Loud (2009) – Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor, New York ^[17]

References

1. Benjamin, Ruth (2006). Who Sang What on Broadway, 1866-1996 . Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 307. ISBN   0-7864-2189-4. "3735. Randy Graff (May 23, 1955- ) B: Brooklyn, NY. Les Miserables (Broadway, “Fantine,” Mar. 12, 1987)"
2. Morrison, Bill (June 3, 1990). "From Raleigh to the Great White Way". The News and Observer. North Carolina, Raleigh. pp.  H 1, H 5 . Retrieved March 30, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
3. Seaberg, Maureen (December 17, 1995). "Living the actors' nightmare". Staten Island Advance. p. E 1. Retrieved March 30, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
4. Morrison, Bill (October 13, 1993). "They come to praise Caesar". The News and Observer. North Carolina, Raleigh. p. D 1. Retrieved March 30, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
5. Seaberg, Maureen (December 10, 1993). "Randy Graff is settling in on the '23rd Floor'". Staten Island Advance. p. C 3. Retrieved March 30, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
6. "The Nominees for Best New Musical". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). New York, Melville. June 3, 2001. p. D 12. Retrieved March 30, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
8. Ferri, Josh (February 4, 2014). "The Game Changer! Tony Winner Randy Graff Looks Back on Being Broadway's First Fantine". BroadwayBox.
9. Gans, Andrew (April 23, 2020). "Checking in With… Tony Winner Randy Graff, Star of Les Misérables, City of Angels, More". Playbill.com. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
11. Rich, Frank."Theater: 'My Name Is Alice,' At American Place", The New York Times , February 27, 1984
12. Gans, Andrew."Sixth Sondheim Starts: A Little Night Music Begins Perfs. in D.C. Aug. 2", Playbill.com, August 2, 2002.
13. Gans, Andrew."L.A. Elegies — with Randy Graff, Liz Callaway and Malcolm Gets — Offered Sept. 11", Playbill.com, September 11, 2006
14. Gans, Andrew."Well, Hello, Randy: Tony Winner Graff Begins Dolly! Run at the Muny July 9", Playbill.com, July 9, 2007
15. Gans, Andrew.Graff, Ashmanskas, Brescia, Osnes, von Essen Explore Broadway: Three Generations Oct. 2-5", Playbill.com, October 2, 2008
17. Hetrick, Adam.Graff and Kellerman Added to Motherhood Out Loud at Bay Street", Playbill.com, July 27, 2009

External links

• The Official Website for Randy Graff
• Randy Graff at the Internet Broadway Database
• Randy Graff at the Internet Off-Broadway Database (archived)
• Randy Graff at IMDb
• TonyAwards.com Interview with Randy Graff