Marin Mazzie facts for kids

Marin Joy Mazzie (born October 9, 1960 – died September 13, 2018) was an American actress and singer. She was famous for her amazing work in musical theatre, which are plays where the story is told through songs and dances.

Marin Mazzie was nominated three times for a Tony Award, which is a very important award for Broadway shows. She was recognized for her roles as Clara in Passion (1994), Mother in Ragtime (1998), and Lilli Vanessi/Katherine in Kiss Me, Kate (1999). For her role in Kiss Me, Kate, she also received nominations for a Drama Desk Award and an Olivier Award. She won an Outer Critics Circle Award for this role.

Besides acting in many stage musicals, Mazzie also performed concerts with her husband, Jason Danieley.

Early Life and Theatre Dreams

Marin Mazzie was born in Rockford, Illinois. She went to Western Michigan University and earned degrees in theatre and music. Marin loved the theatre from a young age. She started singing in her church choir when she was 8 and began voice lessons at 12.

She continued acting in school and college. She also performed in "summer stock" theatre, which are plays put on during the summer, often by young actors learning their craft. She was an apprentice at the Barn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan. While there, she became friends with a composer named Jonathan Larson, who later wrote the famous musical Rent.

A Career on Stage

After finishing college in 1982, Marin Mazzie moved to New York City. She made her first New York stage appearance in 1983 in a musical called Where's Charley?. She played the role of Kitty Verdun.

In 1991, she appeared in an off-Broadway show called And the World Goes 'Round. Off-Broadway shows are usually smaller than Broadway productions and often feature new or experimental plays. She then toured with this show for 10 months. Marin went on to star in many Broadway shows and also created her own "cabaret act," which is a performance of songs and stories in a smaller, more personal setting. She also appeared on television.

Famous Broadway Roles

In 1994, Marin Mazzie created the role of Clara in the musical Passion. In 1998, she was the first to play the role of Mother in the musical Ragtime. She also played two roles, Lilli Vanessi and Katharine, in the 1999 revival of Kiss Me, Kate on Broadway. She later performed these roles in London in 2001. All three of these roles earned her nominations for a Tony Award.

In May 2008, she played Guenevere in a special concert version of Camelot with the New York Philharmonic orchestra. This performance was even shown on TV across the country on PBS.

Mazzie also appeared in the play ENRON on Broadway in April 2010. She played Claudia Roe, a corporate vice president. Later, she took over the role of Diana in Next to Normal on July 19, 2010. Her real-life husband, Jason Danieley, played Dan in the show. They performed together until the show closed in January 2011.

In 2009, Marin Mazzie performed in a reading of a new version of the musical Carrie, playing Margaret White. She continued with the production when it opened Off-Broadway in 2012.

Marin Mazzie also played Helen Sinclair in the musical Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical, which ran on Broadway from April to August 2014. She then took over the lead role of Anna Leonowens in The King and I at Lincoln Center. Marin started performances on May 3, 2016, and stayed with the show until it closed on June 26, 2016.

Honors and Recognition

Marin Mazzie was honored by being inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2017. This special ceremony took place at the Gershwin Theatre in November 2017. In April 2019, it was announced that Mazzie would receive a special Tony Award after her death. This award recognized her important work as an advocate for women's health.

Concerts, TV, and Recordings

Marin Mazzie also appeared on television. In the sitcom Still Standing, she and Kevin Nealon played a neighbor couple who sometimes argued.

She often performed in cabarets and concerts. In 1998, she appeared in a big charity concert at Carnegie Hall called "My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies," hosted by Julie Andrews. She and her husband, Jason Danieley, performed a concert tribute to composer Jerry Herman in Utah in 2003. They also did a similar tribute with the Boston Pops in May 2003.

Mazzie and her husband performed their "Opposite You" program in San Francisco in October 2005. In November 2005, they released an album with the same name, Opposite You, which featured songs from their cabaret show.

Personal Life

Marin Mazzie was married to fellow Broadway actor Jason Danieley. They met in 1996 while performing in a play together called Trojan Women: A Love Story.

Her Passing

Marin Mazzie passed away on September 13, 2018. She had been bravely battling ovarian cancer for three years. She was survived by her husband, her mother, and her brother. To honor Marin's amazing career and contributions, the lights of every single Broadway theatre were dimmed for one minute on September 19, 2018. This is a special tradition to remember important people in the theatre world.

Stage Appearances (Selected)

Note: Broadway unless noted

• Big River (1985): Mary Jane Wilkes (replacement)
• Into the Woods (1987): Rapunzel, (understudy Witch, Cinderella, Florinda, Lucinda) (replacement)
• Passion (1994): Clara (original)
• Out of This World (Encores! staged concert) (1995): Helen
• Ragtime (1998): Mother (original)
• Kiss Me, Kate (revival) (1999): Lilli Vanessi/Katharine
• Man of La Mancha (revival) (2002): Aldonza (Dulcinea) (replacement)
• 110 in the Shade (revival, Los Angeles) (2004): Lizzie Curry
• Brigadoon (revival, Los Angeles) (2004): Fiona MacLaren
• Spamalot (2006–2008): The Lady of the Lake (replacement)
• Camelot (New York Philharmonic staged concert) (2008): Guenevere
• ENRON (2010): Claudia Roe (original)
• Next to Normal (2010): Diana Goodman (replacement)
• Carrie (revival, off-Broadway) (2012): Margaret White
• Bullets Over Broadway (original) (2014): Helen Sinclair
• The King and I (revival) (2016): Anna Leonowens (replacement)
• Fire and Air (original, off-Broadway) (2018): Misia Sert

Awards and Nominations