Biography
The youngest of four children, York's love for music and acting began at an early age. Influenced by her mother's love for the arts, she made her professional debut in a local production of Kiss Me, Kate in the chorus. That same year, she earned a scholarship to the American Center for Music Theatre at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. She moved to Los Angeles and began studying with acting coach Aaron Speiser, who then encouraged her to move to New York City.
When she was 19 years old, she moved to New York City and confidently walked up to the office of agent Bill Timms. She performed monologues from Nuts and Sophie's Choice and gave him a demo tape with songs from Evita. Timms signed her on the spot and described her as being able to "... do anything."
York made her Broadway debut as Mallory in the musical City of Angels, and her performance won critical acclaim. After City of Angels, she has been in many performances on stage, including Fantine in Les Misérables, Irene St. Claire in Crucifer of Blood, The Younger Woman in Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together (with Julie Andrews), Norma Cassidy in Victor/Victoria (for which she won a Drama Desk Award), Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Lili Vanessi/Katharine in Kiss Me, Kate, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Dorothy in Summer of '42, Miss Fancy in Sly Fox, Ruth Sutton in Dessa Rose, Mother in Ragtime, Christine Colgate in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and most recently in The Sound of Music as Elsa Shraeder at the Hollywood Bowl. York is one of the few actresses who have received rave reviews from notoriously picky New York critic John Simon.
Her film credits include One Fine Day, Billy Bathgate, Dead Center, Second Honeymoon, Terror Tract, Au Pair II, and the TV movie Lucy in which she played Lucille Ball. Her performance in the London production of Kiss Me, Kate is available on DVD/video.
She also has many credits in television, including appearances on Reba, Frasier, Arli$$, Spin City, The Naked Truth, Diagnosis: Murder, and also provides the voices of Bitty on Higglytown Heroes and Circe on Justice League Unlimited. In 2008, she also guest starred on an episode of Hannah Montana, playing Isis on the episode Yet Another Side of Me.
York released her debut album Let's Fall In Love in early 2005, under the Barnes & Noble label. She can also be heard on the Cast Recordings of City of Angels, Victor/Victoria, The Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore!, Dessa Rose, Putting It Together, Summer of '42, the soundtrack of Billy Bathgate, and recordings of Opal and Celebration of Life.
She appeared as Guenevere in the National Tour of Camelot in the 2006-2007 season, for which she earned the Golden Icon Award from Travolta Family Entertainment for Best Actress in a Touring Production.
In 2010, York played the Witch at the Reagle Music Theatre production of Into the Woods in Waltham, Massachusetts and won an IRNE Award for the role.
In 2011, she starred as Billie Burke in the musical Ghostlight Off-Broadway at the Signature Theatre.
York will play the role of Reno Sweeney in the national tour of the 2011 Roundabout Theatre Broadway revival of Anything Goes, which will launch October 2, 2012.
Read more about this topic: Rachel York
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