Randy Graff

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

Randy Graff
Graff in 2004
Born	(1955-05-23) May 23, 1955 (age 69) 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

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]