Sutton Foster

Foster was born in Statesboro, Georgia on March 18, but has been adamant about not revealing her birth year, although some sources have estimated it at 1975. At the age of fifteen, she was a contestant on the television show Star Search and also auditioned for the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club. She attended Carnegie-Mellon University for one year, then left to pursue a theatrical career full-time.

Her big break was reminiscent of the film 42nd Street when, during the pre-Broadway run of Thoroughly Modern Millie at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, she was pulled from the chorus to replace the leading lady. Any apprehension about an unknown playing the lead in a nearly $10 million Broadway production was proven unfounded when she opened to primarily rave reviews.

Foster is scheduled to star as Jo March in the musical stage version of the Louisa May Alcott classic Little Women in 2005.

Her brother is Hunter Foster, who is also a theatrical performer. He was nominated for a Tony Award for the revival of Little Shop of Horrors in the same year in which his sister won hers for Millie.

Broadway shows