Ann Morrison

Ann Morrison (born April 9, 1956) is an American actress, best known for her Broadway debut as Mary Flynn in the Stephen Sondheim/George Furth musical, Merrily We Roll Along directed by Harold Prince for which she won the 1982 Theatre World Award. Off-Broadway she played Lizzie in the highly acclaimed Polly Pen/Peggy Harmon musical Goblin Market which garnered her a 1986 Drama Desk Award Nomination as Best Actress in a Musical and a Best Plays Theatrical Yearbook Citation as Best Actress in a Musical.

Born in Sioux City, Iowa, her family moved to the Chicago area when she was seven. Her family co-created a summer theater company called The Banner Players performing on the shores of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin when Ann was a teenager. This experience taught her true cooperation as she would star in Gigi one week and work on the back stage crew the next. Her high school plays and musicals gave her an outlet during the school year and her parents would continually have her join their programs and performances at George Williams College where they both were teachers. With graduation she won a scholarship to a new musical theater training program at Boston Conservatory of Music.

Morrison left Boston Conservatory, attended the HB Studios in New York, spent time in San Francisco before arriving back in Chicago. At 19, she joined The Benny Kim Show, a 7-member family band created by Korean Big Band leader Benny Kim. As Emcee and singer/trombone player She wore a black afro wig and a '70s white jump suit with glitter and fringe. They played nightclubs and Holiday Inns in and around Chicago for the next year. This ended when while on stage it was announced that she would marry the second eldest son and left the show.

Morrison was admitted to an apprentice program that Burt Reynolds was sponsoring at his Jupiter, Florida dinner theater. Besides singing in the lobby before performances the 10 member group would work back stage on the crew. This gave Ann the chance to watch and get to know the TV and film stars (Tyne Daly, Sally Field, and Kate Jackson) some of whom were making a stage debut. She was given an opportunity when it was decided she would play the Girl in The Fantastiks.

...
Wikipedia