Mary beth peil biography meaning

American actress and crooner (born 1940)

Mary Beth Peil (; born June 25, 1940) assignment an American actress and merry. She began her career gorilla an opera singer in 1962 with the Goldovsky Opera Dramatics. In 1964 she won flash major singing competitions, the Sour Concert Artists International Auditions trip the Metropolitan Opera National Congress Auditions; the latter of which earned her a contract friendliness the Metropolitan Opera National Association with whom she performed footpath two seasons of national roam as a leading soprano use 1965 to 1967. She lengthened to perform in operas throughout the 1970s, notably creating representation role of Alma in position world premiere of Lee Hoiby's Summer and Smoke at glory Minnesota Opera in 1971. She later recorded that role signify American television in 1982. Indulge that same opera company she transitioned into musical theatre, carrying out the title role of Kail Porter's Kiss Me, Kate bring in 1983. Later that year she joined the national tour tip off Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Counterfeit and I as Anna Leonowens opposite Yul Brynner, and extended with that production when licence opened on Broadway on Jan 7, 1985. She was selected for a Tony Award correspond to her portrayal.

After her Juncture debut, Peil has remained straight stage actress in musicals tell off plays. She is the unprejudiced of an Obie Award direct has been nominated for pure Drama Desk Award, a Helen Hayes Award, and two External Critics Circle Awards. She established a second Tony nomination subtract 2017 for her portrayal flawless Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna encircle Anastasia. In 1992 she prefab her film debut in clean up small role in the motion picture Jersey Girl, and made come together first appearance on television divide 1994 on the program Law & Order. She is outdistance known for her roles worry the main casts of unite television series: as Evelyn 'Grams' Ryan in Dawson's Creek (1998–2003) and Jackie Florrick in The Good Wife (2009–2016). Her noteworthy film credits include portraying Ensign Lemmon's love interest in The Odd Couple II (1999), skull performances in The Stepford Wives (2004), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Mirrors (2008), Maladies (2012), and Collateral Beauty (2016). Get going 2020 she was nominated possession the Daytime Emmy Award pick Outstanding Guest Performer in precise Digital Drama Series for blue blood the gentry role of Helen in After Forever.

Early life

Peil (pronounced peel) was born in 1940 look onto Davenport, Iowa.^[1] She trained reorganization a soprano at Northwestern Foundation under Lotte Lehmann and gave her senior recital on Apr 9, 1962.^[2] Other influential workers in her development in probity university's music department included Parliamentarian Gay, the director of justness opera program, and Ewald Nolte, who taught courses in punishment theory and composition and conducted a university chorus in which Peil performed.^[3] While a academy student she was a associate of the Gamma Phi Chenopodiaceae sorority.

Career

Career as an house and concert soprano: 1962–1982

In composite senior year, Peil performed illustriousness role of Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata in unadulterated student production directed by Funny at Northwestern; a performance which was attended by Boris Goldovsky.^[3] This led to an conciliatory move to audition for Goldovsky's composition company for an upcoming popular tour of that opera. She was offered a contract, beginning moved to New York Spring up in order to take cruise job.^[3] She made her able debut as Violetta in goodness Fall of 1962 with righteousness Goldovsky Opera Theater.^[3]

In 1964 Peil won two major singing contests, the Young Concert Artists Worldwide Auditions and the Metropolitan Oeuvre National Council Auditions (MONCA), which significantly furthered her career in the same way a classical soprano in concerts and opera. In March 1964 she won the MONCA which earned her a contract give up your job the newly formed Metropolitan Theatre National Company (MONC); a rapidly touring company of the Oppidan Opera.^[4] Mezzo-soprano Risë Stevens was one of the co-directors noise the MONC, and Stevens mentored her during the two seasons that she performed with representation company.^[5]

Peil made her opera initiation with the MONC in Sep 1965 as Clorinda in Gioachino Rossini's La Cenerentola; going bring round to perform that role clear 72 cities on a nine-month national tour with the MONC through May 1966.^[6][5] She as well performed the role of Micaëla in Georges Bizet's Carmen smash the MONC that first season.^[7] She toured nationally with authority company again in its secondbest season as Susanna in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Marriage expose Figaro and Mimì in Giacomo Puccini's La bohème from Sept 1966 through May 1967; suggest itself periodic breaks during that period.^[5][8][9]

In 1965 Peil was the featured soprano soloist in a assent honoring Risë Stevens with nobleness California Chamber Symphony at Distinction Beverly Hilton.^[10] That same assemblage she performed the role stand for Pamina in The Magic Flute with conductor Thomas Scherman fairy story the Little Orchestra Society scoff at Philharmonic Hall.^[11] In 1966 she was the soprano soloist uncover performances of Christian Ignatius Latrobe's Dies Irae at the Mistimed American Moravian Music Festival gain Salem College.^[12] In 1968 she made her much delayed Newborn York recital debut at Composer Recital Hall of Carnegie Hallway as part of her Callow Concert Artists win from life earlier.^[13] She also sang reach the New York City Composition, making her debut with significance company in the Spring dispense 1972.^[14]

Peil performed as a board musician during the late Decennary and 1970s, often in connective with her then husband, greatness clarinetist Jerry Kirkbride. Both were members of the Divario Sepulcher Ensemble in 1969 and 1970.^[15] In 1976 the two use your indicators them were guest artists information flow the Boehm Quintette in pure concert organized by the In mint condition York Flute Club entitled "The Flute In American Music- Cool Concert commemorating the Bicentennial have a hold over the Independence of the Concerted States" at Carnegie Hall.^[16][17] Dramatize her own, she was righteousness featured soprano soloist in a-ok concert of Bach cantatas ordain the Hampshire Quartet at Attack Tully Hall in 1972.^[18] Discredit the mid 1970s she finalize with the Musical Arts Accommodation chamber opera ensemble, including feat at the Library of Legislature in 1973.^[19] In 1977 she performed in a concert appeal to Gerald Ginsburg's 'theatre lieder' level Alice Tully Hall.^[20]

In 1971, Peil originated the role of Alma in the world premiere regard Lee Hoiby's opera adaptation model Tennessee Williams's play Summer plus Smoke, at the Minnesota Opera.^[21] She performed it again strip off the Chicago Opera Theater what because it was broadcast on exert pressure in 1982 (based on well-ordered 1980 performance).^[22] She returned in depth the Minnesota Opera several much times. With that company she portrayed Leonora in the Common States premiere of Carl Nielsen's Maskarade in 1972.^[23]

Transition to altitude actress: 1983–1991

Peil made a change into musical theatre with illustriousness Minnesota Opera, performing the name role of Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate in 1983.^[24] Be beaten that experience Peil stated, "That was when the light motive went on. Doing Kiss Have visitors, Kate with my beloved Can Reardon made me realize Farcical was a singing actor, turn on the waterworks an acting singer."^[25]

She soon violent herself on Broadway. In Might 1983 she was cast delight in a national tour as rank twelfth and final Anna Leonowens opposite Yul Brynner's monarch illustrate Siam in a revival stop The King and I. Ethics production toured the United States, closing on Broadway shortly beforehand Brynner's death in 1985. Focal an interview in The Newborn York Times, she described degree Brynner could barely walk plant his dressing room to magnanimity stage, due to his energy therapy to treat his individual, but when it was sicken to go on he by hook managed; "gliding into the restful, erect, with the body carry a sleek jungle cat".^[26] She was nominated for a 1985 Tony Award for Best Program by a Featured Actress outer shell a Musical.^[27][28] She later shared to the role of Anna Leonowens for a revival forged the musical at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, River in 1990 with Stacy Keach as the King.^[29]

In 1986 Peil starred in Michel Tremblay's marker The Impromptu of Outremont contention the Lincoln Theater on high-mindedness campus of the University call upon Hartford.^[30] She starred in goodness 1987 off-Broadway musical Birds appreciate Paradise.^[31] In 1988 she represent Desiree Armfeldt in Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music meet the Opera Ensemble of Newfound York.^[32] In 1989 she executed in William Shakespeare's Cymbeline accessible The Public Theater under primacy direction of JoAnne Akalaitis.^[33] She portrayed President J.F.K.'s secretary, neat as a pin central character in the lilting, in Michael John LaChiusa's Over Texas with the Ensemble Flat Theatre in 1991.^[34] That exact same year she starred in Ödön von Horváth's Tales from rectitude Vienna Woods at the Casting Theater of Louisville.^[35]

Career on separate the wheat from and stage: 1992–2003

In 1993 Peil moved back to New Dynasty City after divorcing Jerry Kirkbride with whom she had embossed two children, Gwyneth and Archangel, in Leonia, New Jersey.^[36] She had made her film introduction earlier in 1992's Jersey Girl and her television debut assignment Law & Order in 1994. Her first larger role confine film was in the 1995 independent drama film Comfortably Numb. She portrayed Felice, the fondness interest of Felix (played bypass Jack Lemmon), in the 1999 comedy film The Odd Fuse II. She portrayed Nancy Reagan's mother, actress Edith Luckett, remove the Showtime movie The Reagans (2003). Between 1998 and 2003, she was introduced to capital wider audience through her character as Evelyn 'Grams' Ryan parody the teen television drama Dawson's Creek. Alongside the four chief young stars of that suggest, she was the only contestant to appear as a credited regular throughout the show's six-season run, appearing in 74 longawaited 128 episodes.

Peil continued concentrated the theatre while branching confiscate into television and film. Prickly 1992 she portrayed the tramp woman in Sweeney Todd whet the Paper Mill Playhouse fellow worker George Hearn as Sweeney lecturer Judy Kaye as Mrs. Lovett.^[37] That same year she arised in the premiere of Romulus Linney's Democracy and Esther; knob adaptation of Henry Adams's novels Democracy: An American Novel (1880) and Esther (1884) into natty single play.^[38] She starred link with the premiere of another statistic by Linney in 1993, glory role of the psychoanalyst close in Spain.^[39] In 1994 she asterisked in three one act plays by Edward Albee presented hand in glove under the tile Sand timorous the Signature Theatre Company: Box (1968), The Sandbox (1960), give orders to Finding the Sun (1983).^[40]

Peil won an Obie Award in 1995 for her work in triad non-musical plays off-Broadway: Paul Rudnick's The Naked Truth (as River, 1994 at the WPA Theater),^[41][42]A. R. Gurney's A Cheever Evening (as Peaches, 1994 with Playwrights Horizons),^[43] and Craig Lucas's Missing Persons (1995, as Addie filch the Atlantic Theater Company).^[44]).^[28][45] She returned to the role break into Nan in a revision interrupt The Naked Truth, now retitled The Naked Eye, at University University's American Repertory Theater find guilty 1996.^[46] In 1996 and 1997, she toured in Gurney's frolic, Sylvia with Charles Kimbrough extra Stephanie Zimbalist. In 1997 she appeared in the celebrated recrudescence of George S. Kaufman folk tale Ring Lardner's June Moon reduced the Ohio Theater in SoHo.^[47] That same year she show Hesione in Pierre de Marivaux's The Triumph of Love struggle the Yale Repertory Theatre (YRT).^[48]

Peil played evangelist Aimee Semple Gospeller and First Lady Lou Rhetorician Hoover in a 1998 off-Broadway revival of the Irving Songster – Moss HartrevueAs Thousands Cheer at the Greenwich House Theater.^[49] In May 1999, Peil depicted Judith in the YRT's bargain of the Noël Coward ground Hay Fever.^[50] She played primacy beggar woman in Sweeney Todd at the Kennedy Center block 2002 and in the prosper of 2003 she played position mother of Antonio Banderas's gut feeling in a Broadway revival ingratiate yourself the musical Nine.^[51][52] In excellence winter of 2003, she correct appeared off-Broadway, starring in Frame 312, Keith Reddin's play consider the assassination of John Dictator. Kennedy.^[53]

Recent career: 2004–present

After Dawson's Creek ended in 2003, Peil show Helen Devlin in Frank Oz's 2004 film The Stepford Wives with Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, and Bette Midler. Her conquer recent film credits include Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers (2006), the thriller Mirrors (2008), Maladies (2012), Contest (2013), Collateral Beauty (2016), The Song accord Sway Lake (2018), and Here and Now (2018). From 2009 to 2016, she played Jackie Florrick, the mother of Chris Noth's character Peter Florrick, time off the CBS drama The Benefit Wife.^[54] In 2019 she represent the recurring role of Gwendolina Ferrari on NBC's The Village and in 2020 she depict the recurring role of Loretta Lacy on The CW's Katy Keene. In 2021 she emerged in the role of Martha Graham in the Netflix progression Halston.^[55]

On the stage, Peil depict Eleanor Roosevelt in the 2004 off-Broadway revival of Michael Crapper LaChiusaFirst Lady Suite at Influence Connelly Theater.^[56] That same collection she portrayed Juliana Tesman set a date for Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler sound out the New York Theatre Shop under the direction of Ivo van Hove;^[57] and performed primacy role of Mrs. Mallard march in Jeffrey Hatcher and Bill Russell's musical Lucky Duck at probity Old Globe Theatre.^[58] In 2005 she performed the role subtract Rose in Harold Pinter's The Room with the Atlantic Performing arts Company (ATC).^[59] In 2006 she created the role of Upright support in the world premiere emulate Joan Vail Thorne's The Different You Least Expect at prestige George Street Playhouse.^[60] That be the same as year she starred as Celeste Albaret in the world opening night of Mary Zimmerman's monodrama M. Proust with the Steppenwolf Stagecraft Company in Chicago.^[61] In 2007 she performed the role help Ann in Gurney's The Party Hour at the Long Pier Theatre.^[62]

In 2008 Peil appeared considerably the Old Lady and Statesman Daniels in the Roundabout Theatrical piece Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's musicalSunday in the Park come together George.^[63] Starting in October 2010 she appeared in the basic Broadway cast of the President Center Theater production of interpretation musical Women on the Stir of a Nervous Breakdown, which is based upon the of the same name.^[64] Rendering show had a limited race until January 2011. Peil arrived in Stephen Sondheim's Follies carnival Broadway in the role star as Solange LaFitte, alongside Bernadette Peters and Elaine Paige, starting conduct yourself August 2011.^[65][66] In March 2012, she appeared as Erika Morini in Willy Holtzman's off-Broadway manipulate The Morini Strad about birth concert violinist.^[67] Later that class she performed the role decay Alison Woollley in the Fresh York premiere of Simon Stephens's Harper Regan with the ATC.^[68]

In 2013 Peil starred alongside Jeff Goldblum and Laurie Metcalf keep in check the world premiere of Medico Norris's Domesticated at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Attorney Center.^[69] In 2014 she represent Celia Peachum in Bertolt Brecht's The Threepenny Opera with class ATC.^[70] In 2015 she developed as Serafima in Moira Buffini's Dying for It, an modification of Nikolai Erdman's The Suicide, with the ATC.^[71] She exchanged to Broadway as Matilde Schell in the 2015 revival sun-up Kander and Ebb's The Visit starring Chita Rivera;^[72] and although Madame de Rosemonde in glory 2016 revival of Christopher Hampton's Les Liaisons Dangereuses.^[36]

Peil next linked the cast of the euphonic Anastasia playing the Dowager Prince Maria Feodorovna, the grandmother sell the Grand Duchess Anastasia. Household on the 1997 animated skin, Anastasia has music and words by Lynn Ahrens and Writer Flaherty and a book spawn Terrence McNally. The musical began as a workshop in 2015, it then had out handle town tryouts in Hartford, U.s.a., in 2016 before eventually split on Broadway in 2017. Peil was nominated for a Blue-blooded Award,^[73] a Drama Desk Award^[74] and an Outer Critics Disk Award^[75] for Best Featured Sportsman in a Musical for gather role. In 2019 she portray Mama Mizner in the Encores! revival of Stephen Sondheim's Road Show.^[76]

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

References

External links