Pamela Blair (born December 5, 1949), known as Pam, is an American
actress, singer, and dancer best known for originating the role of
"Val" in the musical A Chorus Line and several appearances on American
soap operas.Born in Bennington, Vermont, to Edgar Joseph and Geraldine
Marie (Cummings) Blair; she was raised in a small town with her pony,
Tonka. She studied dance, played sports, and dreamed of becoming a
Radio City Rockette in order to meet her idols, The Beatles. At age
16, she moved to New York City to attend a private school, The
National Academy of Ballet, in her senior year of high school. She
studied acting at HB Studio. She later met a friend at a dance class
who told her Michael Bennett was looking for dancers for Promises,
Promises. Pam auditioned and was hired. Blair comments, "Whenever I
don't seem to be getting anywhere in this business, I try to remember
that I was once a chambermaid in a small motel in Vermont." She
continued to build credits with Seesaw, another Michael Bennett
production, and then landed the coveted role of "Curly's Wife", the
only female role in the James Earl Jones Broadway revival of Of Mice
and Men which later opened at the Kennedy Center to critical acclaim.
She also appeared in Sugar, the stage musical version of the film Some
Like It Hot, in which she played "Sugar Kane", a role made famous by
Marilyn Monroe.In 1974, Blair was invited by Michael Bennett to
participate in the workshops from which A Chorus Line was developed.
The character of "Valerie Clark" was in large part, based on her own
life, although the surgical enhancement came from another dancer. "Val
was based on Mitzi Hamilton, who actually underwent surgery to enhance
her figure, and Pam Blair, whose mixture of angelic appearance and
ribald tongue entertained Bennett enormously". The angelic looking yet
sexy Val has a foul mouth, and introduces the popular Broadway song
"Dance: 10; Looks: 3" which tells the story of an unattractive yet
talented girl who uses plastic surgery to help her get cast in roles.
The song is also known by its chorus, "Tits and Ass". Val is one of
the larger roles, and Blair received much attention. Along with the
cast, Blair won the 1976 Theatre World Award for Ensemble Performance
for the show.She next originated the role of "Amber" (later "Angel")
in 1978's The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Her turn as an eager to
work prostitute earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination. She can be
heard on the cast recording as the lead in Hard Candy Christmas,
although the song "Bus from Amarillo" was taken from her before the
show opened. Further roles on Broadway include King of Hearts (in the
Geneviève Bujold role), "Clelia" in The Nerd, and "Joanne" in A Few
Good Men, directed by her then estranged husband, Don Scardino.
actress, singer, and dancer best known for originating the role of
"Val" in the musical A Chorus Line and several appearances on American
soap operas.Born in Bennington, Vermont, to Edgar Joseph and Geraldine
Marie (Cummings) Blair; she was raised in a small town with her pony,
Tonka. She studied dance, played sports, and dreamed of becoming a
Radio City Rockette in order to meet her idols, The Beatles. At age
16, she moved to New York City to attend a private school, The
National Academy of Ballet, in her senior year of high school. She
studied acting at HB Studio. She later met a friend at a dance class
who told her Michael Bennett was looking for dancers for Promises,
Promises. Pam auditioned and was hired. Blair comments, "Whenever I
don't seem to be getting anywhere in this business, I try to remember
that I was once a chambermaid in a small motel in Vermont." She
continued to build credits with Seesaw, another Michael Bennett
production, and then landed the coveted role of "Curly's Wife", the
only female role in the James Earl Jones Broadway revival of Of Mice
and Men which later opened at the Kennedy Center to critical acclaim.
She also appeared in Sugar, the stage musical version of the film Some
Like It Hot, in which she played "Sugar Kane", a role made famous by
Marilyn Monroe.In 1974, Blair was invited by Michael Bennett to
participate in the workshops from which A Chorus Line was developed.
The character of "Valerie Clark" was in large part, based on her own
life, although the surgical enhancement came from another dancer. "Val
was based on Mitzi Hamilton, who actually underwent surgery to enhance
her figure, and Pam Blair, whose mixture of angelic appearance and
ribald tongue entertained Bennett enormously". The angelic looking yet
sexy Val has a foul mouth, and introduces the popular Broadway song
"Dance: 10; Looks: 3" which tells the story of an unattractive yet
talented girl who uses plastic surgery to help her get cast in roles.
The song is also known by its chorus, "Tits and Ass". Val is one of
the larger roles, and Blair received much attention. Along with the
cast, Blair won the 1976 Theatre World Award for Ensemble Performance
for the show.She next originated the role of "Amber" (later "Angel")
in 1978's The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Her turn as an eager to
work prostitute earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination. She can be
heard on the cast recording as the lead in Hard Candy Christmas,
although the song "Bus from Amarillo" was taken from her before the
show opened. Further roles on Broadway include King of Hearts (in the
Geneviève Bujold role), "Clelia" in The Nerd, and "Joanne" in A Few
Good Men, directed by her then estranged husband, Don Scardino.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.