Mary Testa (born June 4, 1955) is an American stage and film actress. She is a three-time

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

nominee, for performances in revivals of

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

's '' On the Town'' (1998), '' 42nd Street'' (2001) and''

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

'' (2019).

Early life

Testa was born in Philadelphia and has one sister. At age four, her family moved to Rhode Island.Buckley, Michael
"Stage to Screens: A Chat with Mary Testa"
Playbill, December 21, 2003, accessed December 19, 2014 She studied acting at the

University of Rhode Island The University of Rhode Island (URI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Kingston, Rhode Island, United States. It is the flagship public research as well as the land-grant university of the state of Rhode Island ...

. Testa left school to move to New York in 1976 to pursue a performing career.Gans, Andrew
"Diva Talk: Chatting with ''Xanadu's'' Mary Testa Plus News of Buckley, Kuhn and Callaway"
Playbill, August 3, 2007, accessed December 19, 2014

Stage

Testa made her debut

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

Playwrights Horizons Playwrights Horizons is a not-for-profit Off-Broadway theater located in New York City dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, and to the production of their new work. Under the ...

as Miss Goldberg in

William Finn William Alan Finn (born February 28, 1952) is an American composer and lyricist. He is best known for his musicals, which include '' Falsettos'', for which he won the 1992 Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical, ''A New B ...

's one-act musical ''

In Trousers ''In Trousers'' is a musical theatre, musical, which premiered Off-Broadway in 1979, with book, music and lyrics by William Finn. It is the first in a trilogy of musicals, followed by ''March of the Falsettos'' and then ''Falsettoland''. Concept ...

'' (1979), part one of his "Marvin Trilogy." She next performed in Finn's ''

March of the Falsettos ''March of the Falsettos'' is a 1981 musical with a book, lyrics, and music by William Finn. It is the second in a trilogy of musicals, preceded by '' In Trousers'' and followed by '' Falsettoland''. ''March of the Falsettos'' and ''Falsettoland'' ...

'', and later in ''

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

'', at Playwrights. Her Broadway roles include Joyce Heth in ''

Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (; July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017) with James Anthony Bailey. He wa ...

'' (1982), movie columnist Hedda Hopper in '' Marilyn: An American Fable'' (1983), Angel in '' The Rink'' (1984), Domina in '' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' (1996–1997), Madame Dilly in '' On the Town'' (1998), Magdalena in ''

Marie Christine ''Marie Christine'' is a musical with music, lyrics, and book by Michael John LaChiusa. It opened on Broadway in 1999. Set in 1890s New Orleans and then 5 years later in Chicago; the story is loosely based on the Greek play ''Medea'', and uses el ...

'', Maggie Jones in '' 42nd Street'' (2001–2002), the Matron in ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

'' (2005), Melpomene in '' Xanadu'' (2007–2008), General Matilda B. Cartwright in ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

'' (2009), Madame Morrible in ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * '' Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' s ...

'' (2014), and Aunt Eller in ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...

'' (2019). She is a frequent collaborator with such acclaimed musical dramatists as William Finn (''Infinite Joy'', ''A New Brain'', ''In Trousers'') and

Michael John LaChiusa Michael John LaChiusa (born July 24, 1962) is an American musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for musically esoteric shows such as '' Hello Again'', ''Marie Christine'', '' The Wild Party'', and ''See Wha ...

(''Marie Christine'', ''See What I Wanna See'', ''First Lady Suite''), while also having appeared in the works of

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...

, Kander & Ebb, Flaherty & Ahrens, and

, among other Off-Broadway and regional theatre credits. She also frequently performs in concerts and cabaret shows. On December 28, 2020, it was announced that Testa would star as Skinner in a benefit concert presentation of ''

Ratatouille the Musical ''Ratatouille the Musical'' (also known as ''Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical'', ''Remy The Ratatouille'', or ''Ratatousical'') is an Internet meme and crowdsourced musical based on the 2007 Disney/Pixar film ''Ratatouille''. TikTok user Emily ...

'', an

internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...

that originated on

TikTok TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok is an international version ...

, inspired by the 2007

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

. The concert streamed exclusively on

TodayTix TodayTix is a digital ticketing platform for theatrical and cultural events. Founded by two Broadway producers, TodayTix's free mobile apps for iOS and Android (operating system), Android provide access to theatre, theater shows in New York Cit ...

on January 1, 2021.

Film, television and recording

Testa made her film debut in ''

Going in Style ''Going in Style'' is a 1979 American heist comedy film written and directed by Martin Brest and starring George Burns, Art Carney, Lee Strasberg (in his final film role) and Charles Hallahan. It was Brest's first commercial feature film. ...

'' (1979), and has appeared in numerous movie and television roles since, including Sophia in the 2003 sitcom '' Whoopi'', Zia Maria Luisa in the 2014 film ''

Big Stone Gap Big Stone Gap is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The town was economically centered around the coal industry for much of its early development. The population was 5,643 at the 2010 census. History The community was formerly kno ...

'', and Sister Clare in the 2004 film adaptation of ''

Tony n' Tina's Wedding ''Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding'' is an "environmental/immersive theatre" event based on a traditional Italian-American wedding and reception, with warm and intrusive stereotypes exaggerated for comic effect. Audience members are treated as guests at ...

''. She also appeared in such films as ''

The Business of Strangers ''The Business of Strangers'' is a 2001 American drama film that tells the story of an eventful night shared between a middle-aged businesswoman and her young assistant. The independent film was written and directed by Patrick Stettner. It stars S ...

'' (2001), ''

Stay Stay may refer to: Places * Stay, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the US Law * Stay of execution, a ruling to temporarily suspend the enforcement of a court judgment * Stay of proceedings, a ruling halting further legal process in a tri ...

'' (2005), ''

Eat Pray Love ''Eat Pray Love'' is a 2010 American biographical romantic drama film starring Julia Roberts as Elizabeth Gilbert, based on Gilbert's 2006 memoir of the same name. Ryan Murphy co-wrote and directed the film, which was released in the United St ...

'' (2010), '' The Bounty Hunter'' (2010) and the TV series ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...

Whoopi's Littleburg ''Whoopi's Littleburg'' is a musical miniseries of three specials produced for Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block. It was created by Jonny Belt and Robert Scull, the latter of whom co-directed the show along with Tim Hill. The show uses a blend of p ...

, 2 Broke Girls, Smash, White Collar, Cosby,

Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City (newspaper column), newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the ...

'', and ''

Life on Mars The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date, no proof of past or present life has been found on Mars. Cumulative evidence suggests that during the ...

''. From 1999 to 2002 she appeared frequently as the voice of Shirley the Medium on ''

Courage the Cowardly Dog ''Courage the Cowardly Dog'' is an American animated comedy horror television series created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. It was produced by Dilworth's animation studio, Stretch Fil ...

''. In addition to her show albums, Testa and

Michael Starobin Michael Starobin (born January 25, 1956) is an orchestrator, conductor, composer, arranger, and musical director, primarily for the stage, film and television. He won Tony Awards for the orchestrations of '' Assassins'' (2004) and ''Next to No ...

released an album, ''Have Faith'', in 2014. It contains contemporary interpretations of songs by artists such as

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

, Finn and LaChiusa.

Selected stage credits

*Miss Goldberg in ''

'' (1979) *Angel Antonelli in ''The Rink'' (1984) *Rita La Porta in ''

Lucky Stiff ''Lucky Stiff'' is a musical farce. It was the first collaboration for the team of Lynn Ahrens (book and lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music). The show is based on the 1983 novel ''The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo'' by Michael Butt ...

'' (1988 & 2003) *Domina in '' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' (1996) *Lisa in ''

A New Brain ''A New Brain'' is a musical with music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Finn and James Lapine. Though many of Finn's previous musicals were to some extent autobiographical, ''A New Brain'' dealt directly with his own harrowing experience ...

'' (1998) *Madame Maude P. Dilly in ''On the Town'' (1998) *Magdalena in ''

'' (1999) *

Fanny Brice Fania Borach (October 29, 1891 – May 29, 1951), known professionally as Fanny Brice or Fannie Brice, was an American comedienne, illustrated song model, singer, and theater and film actress who made many stage, radio, and film appearances. S ...

in ''Ziegfeld Follies of 1936'' (

Encores! Encores! is a Tony-honored concert series dedicated to performing rarely heard American musicals, usually with their original orchestrations. Presented by New York City Center since 1994, Encores! has revived shows by Irving Berlin, Rodgers & Ha ...

Production) (1999) *Dorine in ''

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; french: Tartuffe, ou l'Imposteur, ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical thea ...

'' (2000) *Maggie Jones in ''42nd Street'' (2001) *Various roles in ''String of Pearls'' (2003) *Lorena Hickock in ''

First Lady Suite ''First Lady Suite'' is a chamber musical by Michael John LaChiusa. The musical contains four separate segments about four of the First Ladies of the United States of America and the people surrounding them. They are: Eleanor Roosevelt, Mamie Eise ...

'' (2004) *Matron "Mamma" Morton in ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

'' (2005) *The Medium/Aunt Monica in ''

See What I Wanna See ''See What I Wanna See'' is a musical by Michael John LaChiusa based on three short stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa: "Kesa and Morito", "In a Grove" (1922, the inspiration for Akira Kurosawa's 1950 film ''Rashomon'') and '' Dragon: the Old Pott ...

'' (2006) *Melpomene in '' Xanadu'' (2007) *General Cartwright in ''Guys and Dolls'' (2009) *''

Love, Loss, and What I Wore ''Love, Loss, and What I Wore'' is a play written by Nora and Delia Ephron based on the 1995 book of the same name by Ilene Beckerman. It is organized as a series of monologues and uses a rotating cast of five principal women. The subject matter ...

'' (2010) * Anna Edson Taylor in ''

Queen of the Mist ''Queen of the Mist'' is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Michael John LaChiusa. ''Queen'' tells the story of Annie Edson Taylor. Produced by Transport Group Theatre Company, the musical first opened Off-Broadway in 2011. Production The ...

'' (2011) *Madame Morrible in ''

'' (2014) *Aunt Eller in ''

'' (2018–2019) *Chef Skinner in '' Ratatouille: The Musical'' (2020-2021)

Selected concert appearances

*''Broadway Unplugged 2004'' ("Hard-Hearted Hannah: The Vamp of Savannah") *''Broadway Unplugged 2005'' ("The Thrill is Gone") *''The Broadway Musicals of 1930'' ("I Happen to Like New York" and "My First Love—My Last Love") *''The Broadway Musicals of 1933'' ("I'll Be Hard to Handle" and "Harlem on My Mind")

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Testa, Mary 1955 births American stage actresses American musical theatre actresses Living people American film actresses American television actresses 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Philadelphia Actresses from Rhode Island University of Rhode Island alumni