Voted "best personality" by graduating class at Wheaton High School in Silver Spring, Maryland A former waitress and rockabilly singer in her salad days, she co-wrote and starred in a musical "Pump Boys and Dinettes, based on her early experiences, which started off-off Broadway and ended up winning a Tony nomination for 'Best Musical' in 1982. Won Broadway's 1993 Tony Award as Best Actress (Featured Role - Play) for "Redwood Curtain." She also received Tony nominations two other times: in the following year, 1994, and in the same category, for a revival of William Inge's "Picnic;" and in 1997 as Best Actress (Featured Role - Musical) for "Steel Pier."
