Jane Summerhays
Encyclopedia
Jane Summerhays is an American
actress known for her work on stage, screen, and film. Her television credits include guest roles on One Life to Live
, All My Children
, Tales from the Darkside
, Working It Out
, The Cosby Mysteries
, New York News
, Law & Order
, Sex and the City
, and Ed
. Summerhays has also appeared in the 2001 film This Train in the role of Love and the 2005 film Backseat as the mother.
Summerhays is probably best known for her stage work. She first appeared as a member of the ensemble in the national tour of Nash at Nine in 1975. She next performed in the original 1976 Laurence Olivier Award winning London
production of A Chorus Line
as Sheila at the Drury Lane Theatre
. In 1978, Summerhays was cast as Lady Kay Wellington in the national touring production of Oh, Kay!
which included performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
. She then reprised the role the following year at the Royal Alexandra Theatre
in Toronto
. Later that year Summerhays made her Broadway
debut, replacing Kelly Bishop
, who originated the part on Broadway, as Sheila in A Chorus Line. In 1979, she played the role of Jane in the Broadway production of Sugar Babies
, replacing actress Ann Jillian
who originated the part. Summerhays also was the understudy for the lead role of Ann in the production and got to perform the role on a few occasions. In 1980, she played the roles of Zelda Fitzgerald and Sylvia Beach in the American Place Theatre's production of Paris Lights. In 1981, she performed in a production of Hey, Look Me Over! at Avery Fisher Hall
. In 1983, Summerhays returned to the Broadway production of A Chorus Line to once again play Sheila. In 1984, she appeared as Maria in On Approval at the Roundabout Theatre. In 1985, she played Jane and was the understudy for Ann in the national company tour of Sugar Babies. In 1986, Summerhays starred as Lady Jaqueline Carstone in the original Broadway production and Me and My Girl
for which she received a Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award nomination. She remained with the production for three years. Over the next two decades Summerhays appeared in several more Broadway productions including the roles of Diana in Lend Me a Tenor
, Elizabeth in Taking Steps
, Cynthia in The Real Inspector Hound
, the musical review Dream
, Fritzie and Fraulein Kost in Cabaret
, and Miss Madelaine True in The Wild Party
. Summerhays also appeared in several Off-Broadway and regional theater productions including Sympathy Jones
, Camilla
, Broadway Gypsies, Good News
, and Promises, Promises
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress known for her work on stage, screen, and film. Her television credits include guest roles on One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
, All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
, Tales from the Darkside
Tales from the Darkside
Tales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series produced by George A. Romero; it originally aired from 1983 to 1988. Similar to Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, and Tales From The Crypt, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot...
, Working It Out
Working It Out
Working It Out is an American situation comedy broadcast by NBC as part of its 1990 fall lineup. The series was created and executive produced by Bill Persky.-Synopsis:...
, The Cosby Mysteries
The Cosby Mysteries
The Cosby Mysteries is a American television mystery series that starred Bill Cosby. It was the first television series to star Cosby since The Cosby Show and lasted only one season...
, New York News
New York News
New York News was a newspaper drama which was broadcast in the United States by CBS as part of its 1995 fall lineup.-Premise:New York News was the story of the fictional New York Reporter, a struggling tabloid in the nation's largest, most competitive newspaper market, New York City...
, Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
, Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
, and Ed
Ed (TV series)
Ed is an NBC television program co-produced by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated, NBC Productions, and Viacom Productions that aired from 2000 to 2004....
. Summerhays has also appeared in the 2001 film This Train in the role of Love and the 2005 film Backseat as the mother.
Summerhays is probably best known for her stage work. She first appeared as a member of the ensemble in the national tour of Nash at Nine in 1975. She next performed in the original 1976 Laurence Olivier Award winning London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
production of A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
as Sheila at the Drury Lane Theatre
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
. In 1978, Summerhays was cast as Lady Kay Wellington in the national touring production of Oh, Kay!
Oh, Kay!
Oh, Kay! is a musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and a book by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse. It is based on the play La Presidente by Maurice Hanniquin and Pierre Veber. The plot revolves around the adventures of the Duke of Durham and his sister, Lady Kay, English...
which included performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
. She then reprised the role the following year at the Royal Alexandra Theatre
Royal Alexandra Theatre
The Royal Alexandra Theatre is a theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada located near King and Simcoe Streets. Built in 1907, the Royal Alex is the oldest continuously operating legitimate theatre in North America.-History:...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Later that year Summerhays made her Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut, replacing Kelly Bishop
Kelly Bishop
Carole "Kelly" Bishop is an American actress and dancer, best-known for her roles as matriarch Emily Gilmore on the series Gilmore Girls, and as the mother of Jennifer Grey's character in the film Dirty Dancing...
, who originated the part on Broadway, as Sheila in A Chorus Line. In 1979, she played the role of Jane in the Broadway production of Sugar Babies
Sugar Babies
Sugar Babies is a musical revue conceived by Ralph G. Allen and Harry Rigby, with music by Jimmy McHugh, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Al Dubin and various others. The show is a tribute to the old burlesque era...
, replacing actress Ann Jillian
Ann Jillian
Ann Jillian is an American actress, who started acting at age 10. Her career reached its zenith in the 1980s, with her best-known role being that of waitress Cassie Cranston on the sitcom It's a Living.-Early life and career:...
who originated the part. Summerhays also was the understudy for the lead role of Ann in the production and got to perform the role on a few occasions. In 1980, she played the roles of Zelda Fitzgerald and Sylvia Beach in the American Place Theatre's production of Paris Lights. In 1981, she performed in a production of Hey, Look Me Over! at Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall is a concert hall, in New York City and is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, with a capacity of 2,738 seats.-History:...
. In 1983, Summerhays returned to the Broadway production of A Chorus Line to once again play Sheila. In 1984, she appeared as Maria in On Approval at the Roundabout Theatre. In 1985, she played Jane and was the understudy for Ann in the national company tour of Sugar Babies. In 1986, Summerhays starred as Lady Jaqueline Carstone in the original Broadway production and Me and My Girl
Me and My Girl
Me and My Girl is a musical with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay. It takes place in the late 1930s in Hampshire, Mayfair, and Lambeth....
for which she received a Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award nomination. She remained with the production for three years. Over the next two decades Summerhays appeared in several more Broadway productions including the roles of Diana in Lend Me a Tenor
Lend Me a Tenor
Lend Me a Tenor is a comedy by Ken Ludwig. The play was produced on both the West End and Broadway . Although it received seven Tony Award nominations, it won only one, for Best Actor. A Broadway revival opened in 2010. Lend Me a Tenor has been translated into sixteen languages and produced in...
, Elizabeth in Taking Steps
Taking Steps
Taking Steps is a 1979 play by British playwright Alan Ayckbourn. It is set on three floors of an old and reputedly haunted house, with the stage arranged so that the stairs are flat and all three floors are on a single level...
, Cynthia in The Real Inspector Hound
The Real Inspector Hound
The Real Inspector Hound is a short, one-act play by Tom Stoppard. The plot follows two theatre critics named Moon and Birdboot who are watching a ludicrous setup of a country house murder mystery, in the style of a whodunit...
, the musical review Dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
, Fritzie and Fraulein Kost in Cabaret
Cabaret (musical)
Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
, and Miss Madelaine True in The Wild Party
The Wild Party (LaChiusa musical)
The Wild Party is a musical with a book by Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe and music and lyrics by LaChiusa. It is based on the 1928 Joseph Moncure March narrative poem of the same name...
. Summerhays also appeared in several Off-Broadway and regional theater productions including Sympathy Jones
Sympathy Jones
Sympathy Jones is a new musical comedy, conceived by composer and lyricist Masi Asare. The book was written by Brooke Pierce.It tells the story of Sympathy Jones, a receptionist at an intelligence agency who dreams of being a spy...
, Camilla
Camilla
-People:* Camilla , including a list of people with the name* Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the wife of Charles, Prince of Wales-Arts and literature:* Camilla , daughter of King Metabus and Casmilla in Roman mythology...
, Broadway Gypsies, Good News
Good News (musical)
Good News is a musical with a book by Laurence Schwab and B.G. DeSylva, lyrics by DeSylva and Lew Brown, and music by Ray Henderson.The show opened on Broadway in 1927, the same year as Show Boat, but its plot was decidedly old-fashioned in comparison to Show Boats somewhat tragic and daring...
, and Promises, Promises
Promises, Promises
Promises, Promises is a musical based on the 1960 film The Apartment. The music is by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, and book by Neil Simon. Musical numbers for the original Broadway production were choreographed by Michael Bennett; Robert Moore directed and David Merrick produced...
.
Recordings
- Me and My GirlMe and My GirlMe and My Girl is a musical with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay. It takes place in the late 1930s in Hampshire, Mayfair, and Lambeth....
, Decca Broadway, 1987 - The Wild PartyThe Wild Party (LaChiusa musical)The Wild Party is a musical with a book by Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe and music and lyrics by LaChiusa. It is based on the 1928 Joseph Moncure March narrative poem of the same name...
, Decca Broadway, 2000