Karen Akers
Encyclopedia
Karen Akers is an American actress and singer, who has appeared on Broadway
, cabaret
and film
.
on October 13, 1945. Her ancestry was a mixture of European stock: her immigrant father, Heinrick C. Orth-Pallavicini (reportedly a member of the European nobility who dropped his title when he came to America) was of Austrian and Swiss/Italian heritage, and her American-born mother, Mary, had Russian, Norwegian, and French forebears on one side of her family and Scots-Irish ones on the other. Her younger sister, Nicole Orth-Pallavicini, is also an actress. Another younger sister, Marie Orth-Pallavicini, is married to David Baker Cadman, a grandson of John Cadman, 1st Baron Cadman
.
in New York. It was her second marriage. She has two sons from her first marriage to Jim Akers, which ended in divorce.
, a musical directed by Tommy Tune
and based on the Federico Fellini
film 8½
, playing the part of Luisa Contini, the wife of promiscuous film director Guido Contini (Raul Julia
). The show opened May 9, 1982, and had a successful run of 732 performances, closing February 4, 1984. Akers won a Theatre World Award
for her performance and was one of three actresses in the show nominated for the Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Musical, losing to her fellow cast member Liliane Montevecchi
.
She appeared again on Broadway in Grand Hotel
, a musical adaptation of the novel and film, again directed by Tommy Tune with a score by Robert Wright
, George Forrest
, and Maury Yeston
. The show opened November 12, 1989, for a successful run of 1,018 performances through April 19, 1992. In Grand Hotel, Akers was reunited with Motevecchi and Kathi Moss, another Nine cast member.
She also covered Sooner or Later
on her 1991 song album
"Unchained Melodies"; the song was originally performed by Madonna
the year before.
She appeared in the Woody Allen
film The Purple Rose of Cairo
as a celluloid
chanteuse, and in Heartburn as the mistress of Jack Nicholson's character.
A review in Variety
described her as "a contralto with uncommon dramatic depth", and a "sultry chanteuse."
She appeared in one episode of "Cheers
" as Cliff Claven's shy, Plain Jane gal pal in 1987.
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...
, cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
.
Background
She was born Karen Orth-Pallavicini in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on October 13, 1945. Her ancestry was a mixture of European stock: her immigrant father, Heinrick C. Orth-Pallavicini (reportedly a member of the European nobility who dropped his title when he came to America) was of Austrian and Swiss/Italian heritage, and her American-born mother, Mary, had Russian, Norwegian, and French forebears on one side of her family and Scots-Irish ones on the other. Her younger sister, Nicole Orth-Pallavicini, is also an actress. Another younger sister, Marie Orth-Pallavicini, is married to David Baker Cadman, a grandson of John Cadman, 1st Baron Cadman
John Cadman, 1st Baron Cadman
John Cadman, 1st Baron Cadman FRS, GCMG was a British mining engineer, petroleum technologist and public servant.-Early life:...
.
Family
On September 19, 1993, she married Kevin Patrick Power, a vice president of Orion Network Systems, a satellite communications company in a Roman Catholic ceremony at St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York. It was her second marriage. She has two sons from her first marriage to Jim Akers, which ended in divorce.
Career
She first appeared on Broadway in the original production of NineNine (musical)
Nine is a musical with a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The story is based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
, a musical directed by Tommy Tune
Tommy Tune
Thomas James "Tommy" Tune is an American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer. Over the course of his career, he has won nine Tony Awards and the National Medal of Arts.-Early years:...
and based on the Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century...
film 8½
8½
8½ is a 1963 Italian fantasy film directed by Federico Fellini. Co-scripted by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, and Brunello Rondi, it stars Marcello Mastroianni as Guido Anselmi, a famous Italian film director...
, playing the part of Luisa Contini, the wife of promiscuous film director Guido Contini (Raul Julia
Raúl Juliá
Raúl Rafael Juliá y Arcelay was a Puerto Rican actor.Born in San Juan, he gained interest in acting while still in school. Upon completing his studies, Juliá decided to pursue a career in acting. After performing in the local scene for some time, he was convinced by entertainment personality Orson...
). The show opened May 9, 1982, and had a successful run of 732 performances, closing February 4, 1984. Akers won a Theatre World Award
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
for her performance and was one of three actresses in the show nominated for the Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Musical, losing to her fellow cast member Liliane Montevecchi
Liliane Montevecchi
Liliane Montevecchi is a French actress, dancer, and singer.Montevecchi began her career as a prima ballerina in Roland Petit's dance company...
.
She appeared again on Broadway in Grand Hotel
Grand Hotel (musical)
Grand Hotel is a musical with a book by Luther Davis and music and lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest, with additional lyrics and music by Maury Yeston....
, a musical adaptation of the novel and film, again directed by Tommy Tune with a score by Robert Wright
Robert Wright (writer)
Robert [Craig] Wright was an American composer-lyricist for Hollywood and the musical theatre best known for the Broadway musical and musical film Kismet, for which he and his professional partner George Forrest adapted themes by Alexander Borodin and added lyrics...
, George Forrest
George Forrest (author)
George Forrest was a writer of music and lyrics for musical theatre best known for the show Kismet, adapted from the works of Alexander Borodin.-Biography:...
, and Maury Yeston
Maury Yeston
Maury Yeston is an American composer, lyricist, educator and musicologist.He is known for writing the music and lyrics to Broadway musicals, including Nine in 1982, and Titanic in 1997, both of which won Tony Awards for best musical and best score. He also won a Drama Desk Award for Nine...
. The show opened November 12, 1989, for a successful run of 1,018 performances through April 19, 1992. In Grand Hotel, Akers was reunited with Motevecchi and Kathi Moss, another Nine cast member.
She also covered Sooner or Later
Sooner or Later (Madonna song)
"Sooner or Later" is a song recorded by the American pop singer Madonna, and written by the American composer Stephen Sondheim, for the 1990 film, Dick Tracy...
on her 1991 song album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
"Unchained Melodies"; the song was originally performed by Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
the year before.
She appeared in the Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
film The Purple Rose of Cairo
The Purple Rose of Cairo
The Purple Rose of Cairo is a 1985 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. Inspired by Sherlock, Jr., Hellzapoppin, and Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author, it is the tale of a film character who leaves a fictional film of the same name and enters the real...
as a celluloid
Celluloid
Celluloid is the name of a class of compounds created from nitrocellulose and camphor, plus dyes and other agents. Generally regarded to be the first thermoplastic, it was first created as Parkesine in 1862 and as Xylonite in 1869, before being registered as Celluloid in 1870. Celluloid is...
chanteuse, and in Heartburn as the mistress of Jack Nicholson's character.
A review in Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
described her as "a contralto with uncommon dramatic depth", and a "sultry chanteuse."
She appeared in one episode of "Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
" as Cliff Claven's shy, Plain Jane gal pal in 1987.
As an Actress
- 1985: The Purple Rose of CairoThe Purple Rose of CairoThe Purple Rose of Cairo is a 1985 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. Inspired by Sherlock, Jr., Hellzapoppin, and Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author, it is the tale of a film character who leaves a fictional film of the same name and enters the real...
- 1986: HeartburnHeartburnHeartburn, also known as pyrosis or acid indigestion is a burning sensation in the chest, just behind the breastbone or in the epigastrium...
- 1988: Vibes
External links
- Karen Akers on e-music.com
- Karen Akers article at Playbill