Christine Ebersole

Early life and education

Ebersole was born outside of Chicago in Winnetka, Illinois, the daughter of Marian Esther (née Goodley) and Robert "Bob" Ebersole. Her father was the president of a steel company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has Swiss-German and Irish ancestry.

Ebersole graduated from New Trier High School in 1971. She attended MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois, class of 1975, and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Career

She met Marc Shaiman when he was 19 and the musical director of her first club act. She appeared in two different parts on Ryan's Hope in 1977 (as a nurse) and 1980 (as Lily Darnell).

Ebersole was a cast member of Saturday Night Live during 1981–82, the first full season under new producer Dick Ebersol (their similar surnames being a coincidence), acting as "Weekend Update" co-anchor with Brian Doyle-Murray. Among her impersonations were Mary Travers, Cheryl Tiegs, Barbara Mandrell, Diana, Princess of Wales, and Rona Barrett.

Following SNL, she appeared in One Life to Live as daffy Maxie McDermott (receiving an Emmy nomination) and Valerie. She co-starred with Barnard Hughes on the sitcom The Cavanaughs, played the title role in the short-lived sitcom Rachel Gunn, R.N., and guest-starred on Will & Grace, Dolly!, Just Shoot Me, Murphy Brown, Ally McBeal, Samantha Who, Boston Legal, The Colbert Report, and Royal Pains. In 1991, she appeared as the titular Miss Jones in a pilot for an ABC series about a single mother, but the series was not taken up.

She appeared in the 1993 television film adaptation of Gypsy starring Bette Midler, and in the 2000 ABC-TV film Mary and Rhoda starring Mary Tyler Moore and Valerie Harper.

In 2011, she had a recurring role on the TV Land sitcom Retired at 35. In 2014, she played Carol Walsh on the TBS sitcom Sullivan & Son. She has a recurring role on the USA Network television show Royal Pains as Ms. Newberg.

Ebersole's films have included Tootsie (1982), Amadeus (1984), Mac and Me (1988), My Girl 2 (1994), Richie Rich (1994), Black Sheep (1996), and My Favorite Martian (1999).

Stage

Ebersole has found considerable success on stage. She appeared in Going Hollywood, a musical by David Zippel and Jeremy Shaeffer. She was in the chorus in 1983 with Jerry Mitchell. They were both excited about the possibility of going to Broadway but never made it. Off-Broadway, she has appeared in Three Sisters and Talking Heads, and her Broadway credits include On the Twentieth Century, the 1979 revival of Oklahoma! (as Ado Annie), the 1980 revival of Camelot and the 2000 revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man.

In 2001, she appeared in the Broadway revival of 42nd Street as Dorothy Brock, for which she won her first Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, She next appeared in the 2002 Broadway revival of Dinner at Eight as Millicent Jordan for which she was nominated for the Tony Award, Featured Actress in a Play. In 2005, she played M'Lynn in the Broadway production of Steel Magnolias.

In 2006, Ebersole took the dual roles of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale ("Big Edie") and Edith Bouvier Beale ("Little Edie") in Grey Gardens, a musical based upon the film of the same name. After a sold-out off-Broadway run, Ebersole remained with the roles when the production moved to Broadway in November 2006, and remained with the show through its closing in July 2007. For this role, she won her second Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. She appeared as Elvira in the 2009 Broadway revival of the Noël Coward comedy Blithe Spirit.

She appeared in the musical War Paint, which premiered at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago on June 28, 2016, for a run through August 2016. The show began previews at the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway on March 7, 2017, and opened on April 6, 2017. It closed on November 5, 2017. She played the role of Elizabeth Arden, opposite Patti LuPone as Helena Rubinstein. The musical had a book by Doug Wright with the music composed by Scott Frankel (music) and Michael Korie (lyrics).

Concerts

Ebersole appears in concerts and cabaret engagements at venues such as the Cinegrill and Cafe Carlyle. She won the 2010 Nightlife Award for Outstanding Cabaret Vocalist in a Major Engagement for her 2009 Café Carlyle cabaret. In 2009 she performed with Michael Feinstein at his club, Feinstein's at Loews Regency, (New York City) in a cabaret titled "Good Friends". She was one of the performers on the Playbill Cruise in September 2011. In November 2011, she performed for two sold-out nights at Birdland in New York City with jazz violinist Aaron Weinstein and his trio.

In 2015, Ebersole toured her show Big Noise from Winnetka, which included the 1938 jazz song Big Noise from Winnetka and a stop in Illinois.

Recording

She also has appeared on several albums. She was featured on the Bright Lights, Big City concept album. She also voiced White Diamond in Steven Universe.

Personal life

Ebersole has been married twice, to actor Peter Bergman from 1976 through 1981, and since 1988 to Bill Moloney, with whom she has adopted three children. She lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, with her family.

Ebersole claims to have experienced psychic phenomena. In 2012, Ebersole appeared on InfoWars' radio program The Alex Jones Show, expressing her misgivings about the Federal Reserve System and the Council on Foreign Relations. She has professed belief in the conspiracy theory that the September 11 attacks were carried out by the United States government.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. Press, The Associated. (2025-02-10). "Celebrity birthdays for the week of Feb. 16-22".
2. Zwecker, Bill. (February 16, 1997). "Good 'Ink'". [[Chicago Sun-Times]].
3. (1998). "Penn State Alumni Directory". Penn State Alumni Association.
4. Witchel, Alex. (June 3, 2007). "Between a Mother and a Daughter". [[The New York Times]].
5. (August 21, 1988). "Ebersole Hoping A Bit O'luck Falls On 'Cavanaughs'". [[Chicago Tribune]].
6. LeVasseur, Andrea. "Christine Ebersole biography". The New York Times.
7. Timberg, Scott. (October 26, 2011). "Influences: Actress and singer Christine Ebersole". [[Los Angeles Times]].
8. Cerasaro, Pat. (October 22, 2010). "InDepth InterView: Christine Ebersole".
9. Hamlin, Jesse.[https://archive.today/20130202172047/http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-04-22/entertainment/20859565_1_global-warming-christine-ebersole-bay-area-cabaret "Christine Ebersole wraps up S.F. cabaret"] ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'', April 22, 2010
10. Prouty, Howard H.. (1994). "'Miss Jones' (Fri. (12), 9:30-10 p.m., ABC-TV)". Taylor & Francis.
11. Gans, Andrew. (January 19, 2011). "New Comedy 'Retired at 35', With Christine Ebersole, George Segal, Jessica Walter, Debuts Jan. 19". [[Playbill]].
12. Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/royal-pains-tv-series-with-tony-winner-ebersole-debuts-june-4-161490# "'Royal Pains' TV Series, with Tony Winner Ebersole, Debuts June 4"] ''Playbill'', June 4, 2009
13. Abrams, Natalie. [http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/28/royal-pains-taps-nba-star-muggsy-bogues-premiere-cameo "First Look: NBA star Muggsy Bogues cameos on 'Royal Pains'"] ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', May 28, 2015
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15. Jones, Kenneth and [[Simonson, Robert]]. [https://archive.today/20120910174545/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/68223-Tony-Winner-Ebersole-Returns-to-42nd-Street-March-12 "Tony-Winner Ebersole Returns to '42nd Street' March 12"] ''Playbill'', March 12, 2002
16. Gans, Andrew. (May 17, 2003). "Christine Ebersole Surprised By 2003 Tony Nomination".
17. Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/93799-Still-Teasing-Steel-Magnolias-Plays-Its-100th-Performance-June-30 "Still Teasing: 'Steel Magnolias' Plays Its 100th Performance June 30"] {{webarchive. link. (2010-05-23 ''Playbill'', June 30, 2005)
18. Gans, Andrew, and Jones, Kenneth.[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/109252-Grey-Gardens-Will-Close-on-Broadway-July-29 "'Grey Gardens 'Will Close on Broadway July 29"] {{webarchive. link. (2011-11-03 playbill.com, July 2, 2007)
19. Gans, Andrew.[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/127278-Blithe-Spirit-Revival-with-Lansbury-Ebersole-and-Everett-Opens-on-Broadway-March-15 "'Blithe Spirit' Revival, with Lansbury, Ebersole and Everett, Opens on Broadway March 15"] {{webarchive. link. (2013-12-11 ''Playbill'', March 15, 2009)
20. Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/article/patti-lupone-and-christine-ebersole-apply-war-paint-starting-tonight# "Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole Apply 'War Paint', Starting Tonight"] Playbill, June 28, 2016
21. Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/article/patti-lupone-and-christine-ebersole-apply-war-paint-on-broadway-starting-march-7# "Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole Apply 'War Paint' on Broadway, Starting March 7"] ''Playbill'', March 7, 2017
22. Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/146518-Tony-Winner-Christine-Ebersole-Begins-Carlyle-Engagement-Jan-11 "Tony Winner Christine Ebersole Begins Carlyle Engagement Jan. 11"] {{webarchive. link. (2011-01-12 ''Playbill'', January 11, 2011)
23. Holden, Stephen. [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/arts/music/11feinstein.html?ref=christineebersole "Channeling a Chummier Time, in Tandem"] ''The New York Times'', September 11, 2009
24. Rudetsky, Seth. [http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/154949-ONSTAGE-BACKSTAGE-A-Playbill-Cruise-With-Christine-Ebersole-Brian-Stokes-Mitchell-Andrea-Martin-and-Debra-Monk "Onstage & Backstage: A Playbill Cruise With Christine Ebersole, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Andrea Martin and Debra Monk"] {{webarchive. link. (2011-11-30 playbill.com, Sep 26, 2011)
25. Gans, Andrew. [https://archive.today/20120906104216/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/156869-Christine-Ebersole-Will-Offer-Strings-Attached-Concerts-at-Birdland "Christine Ebersole Will Offer Strings Attached Concerts at Birdland"] ''Playbill'', November 22, 2011
26. DeVore, Sheryl. (October 20, 2015). "Christine Ebersole returns to roots with 'Big Noise from Winnetka'". Chicago Tribune.
27. Drexel, Paul. [https://njmonthly.com/articles/jersey-living/night_and_day/ "Night and Day"] ''[[New Jersey Monthly]]'', December 19, 2007
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29. Witchel, Alex. (2007-06-03). "Between a Mother and a Daughter". The New York Times.
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31. (2012-04-08). "Actress Singer Christine Ebersole Pt2".
32. "Christine Ebersole – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB".
33. (27 September 1993). "Paper Moon". Variety.
34. (5 March 1994). "Review/Theater: Allegro; Revival of a Famous Pair's First Flop". New York Times.
35. (6 May 1994). "Review/Theater; Fashion, Freud And Frigidity, With 40's Fizz". New York Times.
36. (27 March 1999). "THEATER REVIEW; No-Frills 'Follies' Still Has Songs and Legs". New York Times.
37. (15 September 1999). "THIS 'MAME' IS LAME". New York Post.
38. (14 June 2000). "Current Events". Variety.
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40. (7 April 2003). "THEATER REVIEW; Life a Bit of a Mess? Just Carry On, Dear". New York Times.
41. (2 November 2006). "The East Hampton Star". New York Magazine.
42. (9 February 2008). "An Indomitable Diva Played by, Well, an ...". New York Times.
43. "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike: Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
44. (1 June 2015). "Review: 'Ever After,' a Slipperless Cinderella Tale, at the Paper Mill Playhouse". New York Times.
45. (19 July 2016). "Chicago Theater Review: 'War Paint' Starring Patti LuPone, Christine Ebersole". Variety.
46. "New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards Past Winners".