Mary Testa is an American stage and film actress. She is a three-time Tony Award nominee, for performances in revivals of Leonard Bernstein's On the Town (1998), 42nd Street (2001) and Oklahoma (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.Bird, Alan. Mary Testa, NewYorkTheatreGuide, December 20, 2010, accessed December 19, 2014 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 at Playwrights Horizons as Miss Goldberg in William Finn's one-act musical In Trousers (1979), part one of his "Marvin Trilogy." She next performed in Finn's March of the Falsettos, and later in Company, at Playwrights.
Her Broadway roles include Joyce Heth in Barnum (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, Maggie Jones in 42nd Street (2001–2002), the Matron in Chicago (2005), Melpomene in Xanadu (2007–2008), General Matilda B. Cartwright in Guys and Dolls (2009), Madame Morrible in Wicked (2014), and Aunt Eller in Oklahoma! (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 (Marie Christine, See What I Wanna See, First Lady Suite), while also having appeared in the works of Stephen Sondheim, Kander & Ebb, Flaherty & Ahrens, and Leonard Bernstein, 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, an internet meme that originated on TikTok, inspired by the 2007 Disney/Pixar film. The concert streamed exclusively on TodayTix on January 1, 2021.
Film, television and recording Testa made her film debut in Going in Style (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, and Sister Clare in the 2004 film adaptation of Tony n' Tina's Wedding. She also appeared in such films as The Business of Strangers (2001), Stay (2005), Eat Pray Love (2010), The Bounty Hunter (2010) and the TV series Law & Order, Whoopi's Littleburg, 2 Broke Girls, Smash, White Collar, Cosby, Sex and the City, and Life on Mars.
From 1999 to 2002, she appeared frequently as the voice of Shirley the Medium on Courage the Cowardly Dog.
In addition to her show albums, Testa and Michael Starobin released an album, Have Faith, in 2014. It contains contemporary interpretations of songs by artists such as Alanis Morissette, Prince, The Beach Boys, Leonard Cohen, Finn and LaChiusa."Wicked's Mary Testa and Michael Starobin Release Have Faith Album", TheatreMania, November 4, 2014Holdenjan, Stephen. Music Review; "Fleeting Sweetness, and Pits; Mary Testa, Onstage With Selections From Have Faith". New York Times. January 6, 2015
Selected stage credits Year Title Role Theatre 1979 In Trousers Miss Goldberg Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway 1984 The Rink Angel Antonelli (standby/replacement) Martin Beck Theater, Broadway 1988 Lucky Stiff Rita La Porta Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway 1996 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Domina St. James Theater, Broadway 1997 On the Town Madame Maude P. DillyDelacorte Theatre, The Public Theater, Off-Broadwa1998 Gershwin Theatre, Broadway A New Brain Lisa Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, Off-Broadway 1999 Marie Christine Magdalena Vivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 Fanny Brice Encores! Production, New York City Center, Off-Broadway 2000 Tartuffe Dorine Delacorte Theatre, The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 2001 42nd Street Maggie Jones Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Broadway 2003 String of Pearls Various Roles Lucky Stiff Rita La Porta 2004First Lady Suite Lorena Hickock The Connelly Theatre, Off-Broadway 2005Chicago Matron "Mamma" Morton Ambassador Theatre, Broadway 2006See What I Wanna See The Medium/Aunt Monica The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 2007Xanadu Melpomene Hayes Theater, Broadway 2009Guys and Dolls General Cartwright Nederlander Theatre, Broadway 2010Love, Loss, and What I Wore Performer 2011Queen of the Mist Anna Edson Taylor The Gym at Judson Memorial Church, Off-Broadway 2014Wicked Madame Morrible Gershwin Theatre, Broadway 2016First Daughter Suite Barbara Bush Anspacher Theatre, The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 2018Oklahoma!Aunt Eller St. Ann's Warehouse, Off-Broadway 2019 Circle in the Square Theater, Broadway 2020-2021Ratatouille: The Musical Chef Skinner Online Production2023Oliver! Widow Corney Encores! Production, New York City Center, Off-BroadwayThe Gardens of Anuncia Granmama Magdalena Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, Off-Broadway2025Night Side Songs Desirée Under the Radar Festival at Lincoln Center, Philadelphia Theatre Company, American Repertory Theater
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 YearAward CategoryWorkResultRef.1999Tony AwardBest Featured Actress in a MusicalOn The Town200142nd StreetOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a Musical2004Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalFirst Lady Suite2005Outstanding Featured Actress in a PlayString of Pearls2006Outstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalSee What I Wanna See2008Xanadu2012Special AwardQueen of the Mist2016Outstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalFirst Daughter SuiteIrvine International Film FestivalBest ActressThe MotherMaverick Movie AwardsBest Actress: ShortMelbourne Indie Film FestivalBest Actress in a ShortPortsmouth International Film FestivalLeading Actress in a ShortWild Rose Independent Film FestivalBest Actress - Short Film2018Outer Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a PlayThe Government Inspector2019Tony AwardBest Featured Actress in a MusicalOklahoma!Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a Musical 2020Grammy AwardBest Musical Theater Album2026Lucille Lortel AwardOutstanding EnsembleNight Side Songs
References
External links