Sorry it took me so long!
Nicest lady on Broadway. Best true triple threat. Little more than ten years ago she was known as "a great dancer who's a pretty good singer". Now, she does Shakespeare and Weill and Ayckbourn at some of the most pretigious regional theatres in the country. It's a fair bet that she will NOT be doing any big dance numbers in THE OPPOSITE OF SEX.
She could have stayed in CONTACT - it ran another 9 months after she left. She could have gone back into CHICAGO a few more times. She chose instead to "stretch herself" as a performer - working at non-profit regional theatres for much less money.
I've known her for ten years, and have probably spent a grand total of two hours in her company - the last time I saw her in person was a fifteen minute visit in her dressing room after CONTACT. The last time I talked to her on the phone was to congratulate her on her Tony nomination for NEVER GONNA DANCE - which closed before I could see it.
I consider myself a fan and an acquaintance, but she always introduces me to others has "my friend Jon".
When my dad died in 1996, she saw his obituary in "Variety" ( he was a theatre diector and actor), and sent me the nicest note.
In 1997, she was doing CHICAGO on Broadway, and the touring company was coming here to Chicago (the city). The producers decided that Amy Spanger, who was playing Roxie on tour, wasn't strong enough to face the local critics (and looked too young), so they had Karen leave the Broadway cast and join the tour for just the first two weeks of the run here in Chicago. This was a last-minute thing - they first tried to get Charlotte D'Amboise, who backed out of it. Karen found out on a Friday that she was flying to Chicago on the following Monday. She took the time to send me a note saying she'd be in town - since there would be no advance publicity about her doing the tour, and I might miss her in it.
By the way, her semi-nude Playboy shot is on display in my Fan Photos.
P.S. - she actually had one and a third shows written especially for her. The "Did You Move" segment of CONTACT was developed espcially for her. What a shame that Charlotte D'Amboises was on the broadcast. She danced fine, but couldn't act her way out of a paper bag.
Updated On: 9/1/04 at 07:23 PM