Victoria Clark is an American actress, musical theatre soprano, and director. Clark has performed in numerous Broadway musicals and in other theatre, film and television works. Her voice can also be heard on various cast albums and in several animated films. In 2008, she released her first solo album titled Fifteen Seconds of Grace. A five-time Tony Award nominee, Clark won her first Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2005 for The Light in the Piazza. She also won the Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Joseph Jefferson Award for the role. She won a second Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2023 for Kimberly Akimbo.
Life and career Clark was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, the daughter of Lorraine and Banks Clark. Playbill.com
At Yale, at the age of eighteen, she sang the role of Mabel in Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. She also sang the title role in Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience, and directed a production of Ruddigore for the Yale Gilbert & Sullivan Society. After college, Clark studied at New York University's Musical Theatre Master's Program at Tisch as a stage director and began to direct operas and musicals professionally. Although she continues to direct, she has primarily focused on singing and acting.
Clark's stage work includes understudying in the original Broadway production of Sunday in the Park with George (she never went on) and roles in the Broadway musicals Guys and Dolls (1992–93), A Grand Night for Singing (1993–94), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1995–96, as Smitty), Titanic (1997–99, creating the role of Alice Beane), Cabaret (1999–2000, as Fraulein Kost) and Urinetown (2003, as Penelope Pennywise), as well as numerous roles Off-Broadway, in national tours and in regional theatre. She played Doris MacAfee in the City Center Encores! production of Bye Bye Birdie in 2004.
In 2005, Clark won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Joseph Jefferson Award for her performance in the musical The Light in the Piazza (2005–06). Broadway.com commented on Clark's performance, "What is indisputable is that Victoria Clark has created a character for the ages. Lucas has done a superb job in fleshing out Margaret within the confines of a musical-theater libretto, and Clark responds with consummate precision and grace. Calling hers the musical performance of the year would be accurate. It would also be a drastic understatement." She appeared as former showgirl Sally Durant Plummer in the Encores! staged concert presentation of Follies in February 2007 at City Center. She next created the role of Margaret Brennan in The Marriage of Bette and Boo Off-Broadway in 2008 for the Roundabout Theatre Company.
Clark appeared in Prayer for My Enemy, a new play by Craig Lucas Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons from November 14 through December 21, 2008. The play concerned the consequences that the Iraq war has had on an American family, co-starred Michele Pawk and Jonathan Groff, and was directed by Bartlett Sher.
Clark has also appeared in movies, sung in several animated feature films, and appeared in roles in television episodes. She can be heard on a number of Broadway cast albums and other recordings. In 2008 she released her first solo album, Fifteen Seconds of Grace, produced by PS Classics. Clark teaches voice and studies acting at the Michael Howard Studios and voice with Edward Sayegh. Clark received the 2006 Distinguished Artist Award from the New York Singing Teachers' Association.
Clark played the Mother Superior in the Broadway production of Sister Act, which opened on April 20, 2011. For this role she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Clark portrayed Sally in the Kennedy Center/Broadway production of Follies, running at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, from May 3 through June 9, 2012.
In 2013, Clark starred in the Manhattan Theatre Club's production of The Snow Geese by Sharr White alongside Mary-Louise Parker and Danny Burstein. Previously, she starred as Marie/the Fairy Godmother in the Broadway production of Cinderella. For this role, she received her second Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She returned to the Broadway production of Cinderella for a run lasting from January to September 2014. In December 2014 Clark appeared as Carrie Mathison's mother on the Season 4 finale of Showtime's series Homeland. Clark played Mamita in the Broadway revival of Gigi, which opened in April 2015. For this performance, Clark received another nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
In 2017, Clark appeared in the title role of Sousatzka in Toronto. It was intended to be a pre-Broadway tryout for controversial producer Garth Drabinsky. In 2022, she recorded Maury Yeston's December Songs, featuring orchestration by Larry Hochman.Gans, Andrew. "New Recording of Maury Yeston's December Songs, With Tony Winner Victoria Clark, Released November 11", Playbill, November 11, 2022
After persuasion from longtime friend and composer Jeanine Tesori, Clark first donned the candy necklace and late 90s fashion of the title role of Kimberly Akimbo in its acclaimed and extended 2021 Off-Broadway run at the Linda Gross Theatre, produced by the Atlantic Theater Company, for which she garnered Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics Circle Awards. The musical debuted on Broadway in 2022, winning Clark her second Tony Award.
In 2025, Clark joined the cast of The Gilded Age as Joan Carlton.
Personal life Clark married Thomas Reidy on August 1, 2015, in North Carolina. Her son is from her previous marriage.
Filmography + Film Year Title Role Notes 1996 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Chorus (singing voice) 1997 Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas Chorus (singing voice) Direct-to-video 1997 Anastasia Ensemble and Character Vocals (voice) 1999 Cradle Will Rock Dulce Fox 2008 The Happening Nursery Owner's Wife 2009 Tickling Leo Madeline Pikler 2010 Harvest Anna Monopoli 2010 Main Street Miriam 2011 Dirty Movie Teacher 2012 Archaeology of a Woman Kate
+ Television Year Title Role Notes 1975 My Father's House Zozo TV film 1998 Law & Order Detective Episode: "Bait" 2003 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Margaret Melia Episode: "Choice" 2006 Live from Lincoln Center Margaret Johnson / Herself Episode: "The Light in the Piazza" 2009 Mercy Mrs. Simanski Episode: "You Lost Me with the Cinderblock" 2001 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Concert Beggar Woman TV film 2013 Late Show with David Letterman Fairy Godmother Season 20, episode 125 2014 Homeland Ellen Mathison Episode: "Long Time Coming" 2016 The Good Wife Shannon Janderman Episode: "Verdict" 2018 The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair Adult Jenny Quinn 10 episodes 2019–2020 Almost Family Diane Doyle 8 episodes 2020 Little America Tracy Episode: "The Jaguar" 2020 One Royal Holiday Queen Gabriella TV film 2021 Pose Vanessa Episode: "Series Finale (Part I)" 2021 The Blacklist Mrs. French 2 episodes 2025 Elsbeth Deborah Jordan Episode: "Tearjerker" 2025 The Gilded Age Joan Carlton 2 episodes
Stage credits + Theatre Year Title Role Notes 1986 Cats Jellylorum First US National Tour 1987 Les Misérables Madame Thénardier First US National Tour 1988 Splendora Performer New York 1989 The Secret GardenMartha Sowerby Virginia Stage Company 1992 Guys and Dolls Martha u/s Miss AdelaideBroadway 1993 A Grand Night for Singing Performer Broadway 1995 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Smitty Broadway 1997 Titanic Alice Beane Broadway 1999 Cabaret Fräulein Kost; Fritzie Broadway 2001 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Beggar Woman Concert 2003 Urinetown Penelope Pennywise Broadway 2003 Baby Arlene McNally New York 2004 Bye Bye Birdie Doris MacAfee Encores! Concert 2004The Light in the PiazzaMargaret Johnson Chicago 2005 Broadway 2007 Follies Sally Encores! Concert 2008 The Marriage of Bette and Boo Margaret Brennan Off-Broadway 2008 Prayer for My Enemy Dolores Off-Broadway 2009 Love, Loss, and What I Wore Performer Off-Broadway 2010 When the Rain Stops Falling Gabrielle York Off-Broadway 2011 Sister Act Mother Superior Broadway 2012 Follies Sally Ahmanson Theatre 2013 Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella Marie Broadway 2013 The Snow Geese Clarissa Hohmann Broadway 2015 Gigi Inez Alvarez Kennedy Center; Broadway 2017 Sousatzka Madame Sousatzka Toronto 2017 Assassins Sara Jane Moore Encores! 2017 Damn Yankees Meg Boyd Concert 2017 The Trouble with Doug Director Fredericia Theatre, Denmark 2019 Lady in the Dark Liza Elliott New York City Center 2021Kimberly AkimboKimberly Levaco Off-Broadway 2022 Broadway2025Love LifeDirectorEncores!2025PunchJoanBroadway
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult2005Tony AwardBest Actress in a MusicalThe Light in the PiazzaDrama Desk AwardOutstanding Actress in a MusicalOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Actress in a MusicalDrama League AwardDistinguished Performance2010Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a PlayWhen the Rain Stops Falling2011Tony AwardBest Featured Actress in a MusicalSister ActDrama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Actress in a MusicalDrama League AwardDistinguished Performance2013Tony AwardBest Featured Actress in a MusicalRodgers + Hammerstein's CinderellaOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a Musical2015Tony AwardBest Featured Actress in a MusicalGigiOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a Musical2022Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Actress in a MusicalKimberly AkimboLucille Lortel AwardsOutstanding Leading Performer in a MusicalOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Actress in a MusicalDrama League AwardDistinguished Performance2023Tony AwardBest Actress in a MusicalDorian AwardOutstanding Lead Performance in a Broadway Musical 2024 Grammy Awards Best Musical Theater Album
References
External links
Broadway World's profile of Clark Excerpts from reviews by the major NYC newspapers Curtainup review of Clark's performance Victoria Clark – Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org TonyAwards.com Interview with Victoria Clark Time Out New York Interview with Victoria Clark