# Mary Testa

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. She studied acting at the University of Rhode Island. Testa left school to move to New York in 1976 to pursue a performing career.

## 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.

## 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. Dilly | Delacorte Theatre, The Public Theatre, Off-Broadwa |
| 1998 | On the Town | Madame Maude P. Dilly | Gershwin Theatre, Broadway |
| 1998 | A New Brain | Lisa | Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 1999 | Marie Christine | Magdalena | Vivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway |
| 1999 | Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 | Fanny Brice | Encores! Production, New York City Center, Off-Broadway |
| 2000 | Tartuffe | Dorine | Delacorte Theatre, The Public Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 2001 | 42nd Street | Maggie Jones | Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Broadway |
| 2003 | String of Pearls | Various Roles |
| 2003 | Lucky Stiff | Rita La Porta |
| 2004 | First Lady Suite | Lorena Hickock | The Connelly Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 2005 | Chicago | Matron "Mamma" Morton | Ambassador Theatre, Broadway |
| 2006 | See What I Wanna See | The Medium/Aunt Monica | The Public Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 2007 | Xanadu | Melpomene | Hayes Theatre, Broadway |
| 2009 | Guys and Dolls | General Cartwright | Nederlander Theatre, Broadway |
| 2010 | Love, Loss, and What I Wore | Performer |
| 2011 | Queen of the Mist | Anna Edson Taylor | The Gym at Judson Memorial Church, Off-Broadway |
| 2014 | Wicked | Madame Morrible | Gershwin Theatre, Broadway |
| 2016 | First Daughter Suite | Barbara Bush | Anspacher Theatre, The Public Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 2018 | Oklahoma! | Aunt Eller | St. Ann's Warehouse, Off-Broadway |
| 2019 | Oklahoma! | Aunt Eller | Circle in the Square Theater, Broadway |
| 2020-2021 | Ratatouille: The Musical | Chef Skinner | Online Production |
| 2023 | Oliver! | Widow Corney | Encores! Production, New York City Center, Off-Broadway |
| 2023 | The Gardens of Anuncia | Granmama Magdalena | Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, Off-Broadway |

## 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

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 1999 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | On The Town | Nominated |
| 2001 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | 42nd Street | Nominated |
| 2001 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | 42nd Street | Nominated |
| 2004 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | First Lady Suite | Nominated |
| 2005 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | String of Pearls | Nominated |
| 2006 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | See What I Wanna See | Nominated |
| 2008 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Xanadu | Nominated |
| 2012 | Drama Desk Award | Special Award | Queen of the Mist | Won |
| 2016 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | First Daughter Suite | Nominated |
| 2016 | Irvine International Film Festival | Best Actress | The Mother | Nominated |
| 2016 | Maverick Movie Awards | Best Actress: Short | The Mother | Won |
| 2016 | Melbourne Indie Film Festival | Best Actress in a Short | The Mother | Won |
| 2016 | Portsmouth International Film Festival | Leading Actress in a Short | The Mother | Nominated |
| 2016 | Wild Rose Independent Film Festival | Best Actress - Short Film | The Mother | Won |
| 2018 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | The Government Inspector | Nominated |
| 2019 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Oklahoma! | Nominated |
| 2019 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Oklahoma! | Nominated |
| 2020 | Grammy Award | Best Musical Theater Album | Oklahoma! | Nominated |