Sutton Lenore Foster (born March , ) is an American actress, singer
and dancer. She is known for her work on the Broadway stage, for which
she has received two Tony Awards for Best Performance by a Leading
Actress in a Musical, in for her role as Millie Dillmount in
Thoroughly Modern Millie, and in for her performance as Reno Sweeney
in Anything Goes. Her other Broadway credits include Little Women, The
Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein, Shrek the Musical, and Violet.
On television, Foster played the lead role in the short-lived ABC
Family comedy-drama Bunheads from to . Since March , she has starred
in the TV Land comedy-drama Younger.Foster was born on March , in
Statesboro, Georgia and raised in Troy, Michigan. At the age of , she
was a contestant on the reality competition show Star Search and also
auditioned for the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club. She left Troy High
School before graduating (she received her diploma via correspondence
courses) to join the national tour of The Will Rogers Follies directed
by Tommy Tune. She then attended Carnegie Mellon University for one
year, but left to pursue a theatrical career full-time. In May , she
received an honorary doctorate from Ball State University, "in
recognition of her outstanding career in theater, television and music
and for her contributions to the educational experience and
professional growth of Ball State students." Her older brother, Hunter
Foster, is also an actor.After touring in the role of Sandy Dumbrowski
in the musical Grease throughout , Foster transferred to the Broadway
production in . She left to appear in the ensemble of the Broadway
musical The Scarlet Pimpernel in , and after that closed she returned
as the Star to Be in the revival of Annie. In , Foster appeared in
What the World Needs Now at the Old Globe Theatre, before she began
touring with Les Misérables as Eponine Thenardier. She then
understudied the same role on Broadway in .Foster left Les Misérables
to join the ensemble of Thoroughly Modern Millie in its pre-Broadway
run at the La Jolla Playhouse. Original leading lady, Kristin
Chenoweth, landed a television series shortly after rehearsals began
and was replaced with Erin Dilly as Millie and Foster as her
understudy. After apparent clashes between the creative team, a
"mutual" decision was made for Dilly to leave the production. With
only nine days remaining before the first preview, Foster took over
the role of Millie Dilmount. During a hiatus (before Millie was set to
open on Broadway), Foster appeared in Dorian at Goodspeed Musicals,
The Three Musketeers at the American Musical Theatre of San Jose, and
South Pacific at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera.
and dancer. She is known for her work on the Broadway stage, for which
she has received two Tony Awards for Best Performance by a Leading
Actress in a Musical, in for her role as Millie Dillmount in
Thoroughly Modern Millie, and in for her performance as Reno Sweeney
in Anything Goes. Her other Broadway credits include Little Women, The
Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein, Shrek the Musical, and Violet.
On television, Foster played the lead role in the short-lived ABC
Family comedy-drama Bunheads from to . Since March , she has starred
in the TV Land comedy-drama Younger.Foster was born on March , in
Statesboro, Georgia and raised in Troy, Michigan. At the age of , she
was a contestant on the reality competition show Star Search and also
auditioned for the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club. She left Troy High
School before graduating (she received her diploma via correspondence
courses) to join the national tour of The Will Rogers Follies directed
by Tommy Tune. She then attended Carnegie Mellon University for one
year, but left to pursue a theatrical career full-time. In May , she
received an honorary doctorate from Ball State University, "in
recognition of her outstanding career in theater, television and music
and for her contributions to the educational experience and
professional growth of Ball State students." Her older brother, Hunter
Foster, is also an actor.After touring in the role of Sandy Dumbrowski
in the musical Grease throughout , Foster transferred to the Broadway
production in . She left to appear in the ensemble of the Broadway
musical The Scarlet Pimpernel in , and after that closed she returned
as the Star to Be in the revival of Annie. In , Foster appeared in
What the World Needs Now at the Old Globe Theatre, before she began
touring with Les Misérables as Eponine Thenardier. She then
understudied the same role on Broadway in .Foster left Les Misérables
to join the ensemble of Thoroughly Modern Millie in its pre-Broadway
run at the La Jolla Playhouse. Original leading lady, Kristin
Chenoweth, landed a television series shortly after rehearsals began
and was replaced with Erin Dilly as Millie and Foster as her
understudy. After apparent clashes between the creative team, a
"mutual" decision was made for Dilly to leave the production. With
only nine days remaining before the first preview, Foster took over
the role of Millie Dilmount. During a hiatus (before Millie was set to
open on Broadway), Foster appeared in Dorian at Goodspeed Musicals,
The Three Musketeers at the American Musical Theatre of San Jose, and
South Pacific at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera.
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