Luker, Rebecca 1961-

PERSONAL

Full name, Rebecca J. Luker; born April 17, 1961, in Birmingham, AL; father, a construction worker; mother, a high school treasurer; married Gregory Jbara (an actor and singer; divorced); married Danny Burstein (an actor and singer), June, 2000; stepchildren: Alex, Zach. Education: University of Montevallo, B.Mus., c. 1983; studied with Ben Middaugh and Joan Lader.

Addresses:

Agent—William Morris Agency, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019 and One William Morris Place, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Career:

Actress and singer. Appeared in advertisements. Windows on the World, New York City, waitress; also worked in temporary positions in offices.

Awards, Honors:

Runner-up in America's Junior Miss contest, Alabama, 1979; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding featured actress in a musical, 1991, for The Secret Garden; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actress in a musical, 1995, for Show Boat; DramaLogue Award, c. 1997, for Harmony; Outer Critics Circle Award nomination, outstanding actress in a musical, c. 1998, for The Sound of Music; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actress in a musical, Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding actress in a musical, and Outer Critics Circle Award nomination, outstanding actress in a musical, all 2000, for The Music Man; inducted into the Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame, 2001; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best featured actress in a musical, 2007, for Mary Poppins; Broadway Beacon Award, Inside Broadway, 2007.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

Anne, A Little Night Music (musical), Michigan Opera Theatre, Detroit, MI, c. 1983.

Joanna, Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (musical; also known as Sweeney Todd), Michigan Opera Theatre, 1984.

No, No Nanette (concert production of musical), Carnegie Hall, Carnegie Recital Hall, New York City, 1986.

X (opera; also known as X (The Life and Times of Malcolm X)), New York City Opera, Lincoln Center, New York State Theater, New York City, beginning 1986.

Member of ensemble, The Phantom of the Opera (musical), Majestic Theatre, New York City, beginning 1988.

Christine Daae, The Phantom of the Opera (musical), Majestic Theatre, c. 1989-90.

Lily, The Secret Garden (musical), St. James Theatre, New York City, 1991-93.

Gay Divorce (concert production of musical), Carnegie Hall, New York City, 1993.

Magnolia Hawks, Show Boat (musical), North York Performing Arts Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1993, and George Gershwin Theatre, New York City, 1994-97.

Something Wonderful (tribute revue; also known as Something Wonderful: A Celebration of Oscar Hammerstein II on His 100th Birthday), George Gershwin Theatre, 1995.

Fiona MacLaren, Brigadoon (musical), New York City Opera, Lincoln Center, New York State Theater, 1996.

Julia, Time and Again (musical), Old Globe, San Diego, CA, 1996.

The Art of the Lyricist: Ira Gershwin (concert; part of the Ira Gershwin Centennial Series; also known as The Art of the Lyricist and Ira Gerswhin—The Art of the Lyricist), Carnegie Hall, c. 1996.

Adriana, "The Boys from Syracuse," City Center Encores!, City Center Theatre, New York City, 1997.

Mary, Harmony (musical), La Jolla Playhouse, Mandel Weiss Theatre, La Jolla, CA, 1997.

Maria Rainer, The Sound of Music (musical), Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1998-99.

My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies, Carnegie Hall, 1999.

My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs, City Center Theatre, 2000.

Viva Broadway! (free outdoor concert), New York City, 2000.

Marian Paroo, The Music Man (musical), Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, 2000-2001.

Clara, Passion (musical), John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 2002.

A Romantic Journey (series of concerts), various venues in Connecticut, 2002.

The Vagina Monologues, Westside Theatre (Downstairs), New York City, 2002-2003.

Amalia Balash, She Loves Me (concert production of musical), Reprise! Broadway's Best in Concert, University of California, Los Angeles, Macgowan Hall, Freud Playhouse, Los Angeles, 2003.

Beth, Can't Let Go, Connelly Center, Connelly Theater, New York City, 2003.

Claudia, Nine (musical), Roundabout Theatre Company, Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York City, 2003.

Carousel (concert production of musical), Jefferson Convention Center Concert Hall, Birmingham, AL, 2004.

Political Follies (concert), Symphony Space, Leonard Nimoy Thalia, New York City, 2004.

Lucille, No, No Nanette (musical), Cape Playhouse, Dennis, MA, 2005.

Maggie Hartford, Saint Heaven (reading of musical), Sixth Annual TRU VOICES Musicals Readings Series, Blue Heron Arts Center, New York City, 2005.

Children and Art (benefit), New Amsterdam Theatre, New York City, 2005.

Jane, Indian Blood, Primary Stages, New York City, 2006.

Marian Paroo, The Music Man (benefit concert production of musical), TexARTS Organization, Paramount Theatre, Austin, TX, 2006.

Music in the Air (tribute; also known as Music in the Air: A Tribute to Jerome Kern), Town Hall, New York City, 2006.

Winifred Banks, Mary Poppins (musical), New Amsterdam Theatre, 2006-2007.

Appeared in other productions, including Jubilee, Town Hall. Performer of songs from The New Voices Collective in a concert in the American Songbook Series, Lincoln Center, Frederick P. Rose Hall, New York City, 2005; performed in a tribute to female songwriters at Feinstein's at Loews Regency, New York City, 2006. Also performed at numerous other recital, cabaret, concert, and benefit performances.

Television Appearances; Specials:

"Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II" (also known as "Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II"), Great Performances, PBS, 1995.

71st Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, NBC, 1997.

Maria Rainer, Backstage at "The Sound of Music," 1999.

"My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies," Great Performances, PBS, 1999.

"The Rodgers & Hart Story: Thou Swell, Thou Witty," Great Performances, PBS, 1999.

Annette, "Cupid & Cate," Hallmark Hall of Fame, CBS, 2000.

Broadway on Broadway, NBC, 2000.

"My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs," Great Performances, PBS, 2001.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The 52nd Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1998.

The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 2001.

The 61st Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2007.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Matlock, NBC, c. 1988.

Herself, Larry King Live, Cable News Network, 1994.

Herself, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1998.

Herself, "Salute to Meredith Wilson," Evening at Pops, PBS, 2001.

Wendy Campbell, "Poison," Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order's Sex Crimes, Law & Order: SVU, and Special Victims Unit), NBC, 2004.

Appeared in other programs.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Live Broadway, syndicated, 1998.

Film Appearances:

(Uncredited) Member of chorus, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (animated; also known as Beauty and the Beast 2), Walt Disney Home Video, 1997.

Singer at the ball, Spectropia, Bustlelamp Productions, 2006.

Radio Appearances; Episodic:

Herself and (in archive footage) Marian Paroo, Fresh Air with Terry Gross (also known as Fresh Air), National Public Radio (NPR), 1999.

Herself, Radio Playbill, Sirius Satellite Radio, 2003.

RECORDINGS

Solo Albums:

Anything Goes: Rebecca Luker Sings Cole Porter (also known as Anything Goes), Varese Sarabande, 1996.

Leaving Home, PS Classics/Image Entertainment, 2004.

Albums; Cast Recordings:

Annie Get Your Gun (studio cast recording), Capitol, c. 1990.

Strike Up the Band (studio cast recording), Nonesuch Records, c. 1990.

Brigadoon 1991 London studio cast), Angel Records, c. 1991.

The Secret Garden (also known as The Secret Garden: The Original Broadway Cast Album), Sony, 1991.

Show Boat, EMI, 1995.

Rodgers and Hart: The Boys from Syracuse (also known as The Boys from Syracuse), DRG/RCA, 1998.

The Sound of Music (also known as The Sound of Music: The New Broadway Cast Recording), RCA Victor Broadway, 1998.

Wonderful Town: First Complete Recording (studio cast recording; also known as Wonderful Town), Jay Records, 1998.

The Music Man (also known as Meredith Willson's "The Music Man"), Q Records, 2000.

Brownstone (studio cast recording; also known as Brownstone the Musical), Original Cast, 2003.

Everybody's Gettin' into the Act (studio cast recording), Fynsworth Alley, 2003.

Appeared in other recordings, including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Jay Records.

Albums; with Others; Various Artists:

Broadway Showstoppers, EMI Classics/Angel Records, 1993.

Jerome Kern Treasury, Angel Records, 1993.

Unsung Sondheim, Varese Sarabande, 1993.

Lost in Boston III, Varese Sarabande, 1995.

Aria, Astor Place, 1997.

Bernstein Dances, Deutsche Grammophon, 1998.

George & Ira Gershwin: Standards & Gems, Nonesuch Records, 1998.

Simple Gifts: Carols from the Abbey, BC/EFA, 1998.

A Special Place: Songs from the Heart, 1998.

Aria 2: New Horizon, Astor Place, 1999.

A Little Bit in Love—Broadway Love Songs (also known as A Little Bit in Love), Jay Records, 1999.

The Only Other Broadway CD You'll Ever Need, RCA Victor, 1999.

Essential Bernstein, Deutsche Grammophon, 2001.

My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs, Hybrid Records, 2001.

Richard Rodgers's 100th Birthday, DRG, 2002.

Sweet Appreciation: Rusty Magee Live at the West Bank (also known as Sweet Appreciation), 2002.

Believe … The Songs of the Sherman Brothers, Varese Sarabande, 2003.

Best of City Center Encores!, DRG, 2003.

Jeepers Creepers: Great Songs from Horror Films (also known as Jeepers Creepers), Scarlet Street, 2003.

Aria 3: Metamorphosis, Koch Records, 2004.

Jule Styne in Hollywood, PS Classics, 2006.

Appeared in other recordings, including albums by other artists. Some sources cite an appearance in tribute album to Doris Day.

WRITINGS

Writings for the Stage:

Created material for a tribute to female songwriters at Feinstein's at Loews Regency, New York City, 2006.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Opera News, April, 2005, pp. 14-15.

Playbill, August 4, 2006.

Electronic:

Playbill Online,http://www.playbill.com, July 11, 2000.

Rebecca Luker,http://www.rebeccaluker.com, January 16, 2008.