Lara Teeter

{{Short description|American dancer, actor, singer, theater director and professor}} {{Use American English|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox actor | name = Lara Teeter | image = | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|2|3}} | birth_place = Guthrie, Oklahoma, United States | origin = | death_date =  | death_place = | occupation = Dancer, actor, singer, theater director, college professor | years_active = 1980–present | spouse = Kristen Teeter (m. 1998) | children = 4, including Elizabeth }}

'''Lara Teeter''' (born February 3, 1955) is an American dancer, actor, singer, theater director and college professor.

==Biography== Born in Guthrie, Oklahoma,<ref>[http://m.newsok.com/oklahoma-native-nominated-for-tony-award/article/2025303# "Oklahoma Native Nominated for Tony Award"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406231527/http://m.newsok.com/oklahoma-native-nominated-for-tony-award/article/2025303 |date=2017-04-06 }} newsok.com, May 18, 1993</ref> Teeter earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oklahoma City University.<ref>[http://www.okcu.edu/admissions/alumni-success/distinguished-alumni/index "Distinguished Alumni"] okcu.edu, accessed September 29, 2015</ref>

He made his Broadway debut in the short-lived 1980 musical ''Happy New Year'',<ref>[http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/2381/Happy-New-Year "'Happy New Year' Broadway Production"] playbillvault.com, accessed September 29, 2015</ref> followed by another short-lived musical, the stage adaptation of ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'', which ran on Broadway in 1982 for five performances.<ref>[http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/873/Seven-Brides-for-Seven-Brothers "'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' Broadway Production"] playbillvault.com, accessed September 29, 2015</ref>

For his third stage effort, the 1983 revival of ''On Your Toes'' he won critical recognition and a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, as "The Hoofer" and "Junior",<ref name=toes/> originally played by Ray Bolger in 1936.<ref>[http://ibdb.com/production.php?id=12114 "'On Your Toes' 1936 Broadway Listing"] ibdb.com, accessed September 30, 2015</ref> He also won the 1983 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Debut Performance.<ref>[http://www.playbillvault.com/Person/Detail/42841/Lara-Teeter "Lara Teeter Broadway Credits and Awards"] playbillvault.com, accessed September 29, 2015</ref> The show ran for 505 performances.<ref name=toes>[http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/5246/On-Your-Toes "'On Your Toes' Broadway Production"] playbillvault.com, accessed September 29, 2015</ref>

Additional Broadway credits include ''The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'' and ''The Pirates of Penzance'' (chorus).<ref name=pirates/> Off-Broadway and national touring credits include the Scarecrow in ''The Wizard of Oz'' (in 1998),<ref>Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/oz-tour-will-be-kitt-less-yellow-brick-road-resumes-in-philly-dec.-26-78262# "'Oz' Tour Will Be Kitt-Less; Yellow Brick Road Resumes in Philly Dec. 26"] Playbill, November 5, 1998</ref><ref>[http://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/The-Wizard-of-Oz-7899.html ''The Wizard of Oz''] broadwayworld.com, accessed September 29, 2015</ref> ''The Robber Bridegroom'', ''She Loves Me'' as Kodaly in 1987 at the Ahmanson Theatre,<ref>Shirley, Don. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-01-ca-40-story.html "Stage Review : A Nice And Easy 'She Loves Me'"] ''Los Angeles Times'', July 4, 1987</ref> ''My Fair Lady'' as Henry Higgins at the North Shore Music Theatre (Beverly, Massachusetts) in 1999,<ref>[http://www.nsmt.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=404 "'My Fair Lady', 1999"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001033821/http://www.nsmt.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=404 |date=2015-10-01 }} nsmt.org, accessed September 30, 2015</ref> ''Little Shop of Horrors'', ''Follies'' in 2005 as "Buddy"<ref>Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/starry-follies-begins-barrington-run-june-23-126640# "Starry 'Follies' Begins Barrington Run June 23"] Playbill, June 23, 2005</ref> and ''Oklahoma!'' (national tour).<ref name=pirates/>

He appeared with the New York City Opera in ''Naughty Marietta'' in 1979 as "Private Silas Slick"<ref>Dietz, Dan. "''Naughty Marietta'' at the New York State Theatre, August 30, 1979 to September 2, 1979, The New York City Opera Company", ''The Complete Book of 1970s Broadway Musicals'', Rowman & Littlefield, 2015, {{ISBN|1442251662}}, p. 464</ref> and ''The Most Happy Fella'' at Lincoln Center in 1991 as "Herman".<ref>Rothstein, Edward. [https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/06/theater/review-city-opera-bride-arrives-without-her-fidelity.html?pagewanted= "Review/City Opera; Bride Arrives, Without Her Fidelity"] ''The New York Times'', September 6, 1991</ref>

He performed in many productions at St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre, commonly called The Muny, in St. Louis, Missouri, including "Scuttle" in ''The Little Mermaid'', with his daughter Elizabeth playing "Flounder" in 2011. Teeter commented "At Webster, I teach it. At the Muny, I do it..."<ref>[http://websterjournal.com/2011/08/17/lara-elizabeth-teeter-bring-talents-to-the-little-mermaid/ "Lara, Elizabeth Teeter bring talents to 'The Little Mermaid'"] websterjournal.com, August 17, 2011</ref> He performed the role of Don in ''Singin' in the Rain'' at the Muny in 1995.<ref>Pollack, Joe. [https://www.questia.com/read/1P2-32949654/singin-in-the-rain-shifts-nicely-from-movie-classic "'Singin' in the Rain' Shifts Nicely from Movie Classic to Muny Stage"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930104457/https://www.questia.com/read/1P2-32949654/singin-in-the-rain-shifts-nicely-from-movie-classic |date=2015-09-30 }} excerpt from St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 19, 1995</ref>

He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2000 portraying Henry Higgins in a tribute to the work of Lerner and Loewe<ref>Ehren, Christine. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/cabaret-goulet-chenoweth-sing-lerner-loewe-and-more-at-carnegie-hall-june-1-89947# "Cabaret, Goulet, Chenoweth Sing Lerner & Loewe and More at Carnegie Hall June 14-15"] Playbill, June 14, 2000</ref> and his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut in 2001 performing the role of Steve Sankey in ''Street Scene''.<ref>[http://www.operapassion.com/cd11299.html "'Street Scene' Recording, 2001"] operapassion.com, accessed September 29, 2015</ref>

His regional directing credits include ''My Fair Lady'' (Opera Pacific) in 1989,<ref>Smith, Mark Chalon. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-26-ca-3242-story.html "O. C. Stage review. Refined 'My Fair Lady' Hits All the High Notes"] ''Los Angeles Times'', June 26, 1989</ref> ''The Pirates of Penzance'', at both the San Bernardino Civic Light Opera and the Light Opera Works of Chicago (in 2002),<ref name=pirates>Murphy, H. Lee. [https://www.chicagotribune.com/2002/12/27/light-opera-works-pirates-is-old-hat-for-artistic-director/ "Light Opera Works' `Pirates' is old hat for artistic director"] ''Chicago Tribune'', December 27, 2002</ref> ''Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris'' (Hollywood Cinegrill) and ''The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'' (Fullerton Civic Light Opera) in 1994.<ref>Herman, Jan. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-07-15-ca-15828-story.html "Taking Libertines With the Costumes..."] ''Los Angeles Times'', July 15, 1994</ref>

Teeter was the artistic director of Light Opera Works (Evanston, Illinois), starting in August 1999, and directed many shows there, starting with the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta ''The Gondoliers'' in May 2000<ref>Christiansen, Richard. [https://web.archive.org/web/20151001053855/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-05-28/news/0005280033_1_gondoliers-first-chicago-lara-teeter "Theater Lara Teeter, the affable new artistic..."] ''Chicago Tribune'', May 28, 2000</ref> and including ''Ragtime'' (Light Opera Works of Chicago) in 2003<ref>Jones, Chris. [https://www.chicagotribune.com/2003/06/09/ragtime-shows-a-few-flashes/ "'Ragtime' shows a few flashes"] ''Chicago Tribune'', June 9, 2003</ref> and ''Candide'' (Light Opera Works of Chicago) in 2004.<ref name=web>Behrens, Web. [https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/08/13/in-candide-light-opera-tackles-show-with-many-faces/ "In 'Candide,' Light Opera tackles show with many faces"] ''Chicago Tribune'', August 13, 2004</ref>

===Teaching=== Teeter's academic credits include positions at California State University, Fullerton, where he helped start the pilot program for a BFA in Musical Theatre and was an associate professor with the theatre and dance department.<ref>[http://www.orlok.com/cyberbil/hair/product2.html "Pacific Musical Theatre"] orlok.com, accessed September 30, 2015</ref> He held positions at Northwestern University<ref name=web/> and Shenandoah University.<ref name=web/> Since 2007 he has been a faculty member at The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, where he now serves as an associate professor of theatre and head of musical theatre.<ref>[https://www.webster.edu/fine-arts/departments/conservatory/faculty/ "Faculty, Conservatory"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006154944/https://www.webster.edu/fine-arts/departments/conservatory/faculty/ |date=2015-10-06 }} Webster University, accessed September 29, 2015</ref>

==Select recordings== Teeter's recordings include ''On Your Toes'' (Broadway Revival Cast, 1983),<ref>[http://www.jayrecords.com/recording/on-your-toes/ "'On Your Toes' Original 1983 Broadway Cast"] jayrecords.com, accessed September 29, 2015</ref> ''Lady, Be Good!'' (Studio Cast, Roxbury Recordings, 1992),<ref>Carnovale, Norbert. " ''Lady Be Good'', Elektra Nonesuch (Roxbury Recordings)79308-2 CD (1992)", ''George Gershwin: A Bio-bibliography'', Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000, {{ISBN|0313260036}}, p.162</ref> ''The Musicality of Rodgers & Hart'' (Compilation, 1997)<ref>[http://www.allmusicstores.com/music/060528890132/The_Musicality_of_Rodgers__Hart.html "'The Musicality of Rodgers & Hart' Listing"] allmusicstores.com, accessed September 29, 2015</ref> and ''The Wizard of Oz'' (Original New York Cast, 1998 Grammy nomination).<ref name=ken>Mandelbaum, Ken. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/ken-mandelbaums-musicals-on-disc-tvts-paper-mill-pair-follies-oz-77672/ "Ken Mandelbaum's Musicals On Disc: TVT's Paper Mill Pair: 'Follies' & 'Oz'"] Playbill, October 4, 1998</ref><ref>Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/grammy-favors-lion-king-cast-recording-shakespeare-kiddie-disc-80266/ "Grammy Favors 'Lion King' Cast Recording, Shakespeare Kiddie Disc"] Playbill, February 25, 1999</ref>

*''On Your Toes'' (1983) *''Lady Be Good'' (1992) *''The Wizard of Oz'' (Grammy Award nominated) (1998)

==Personal== Teeter and his wife, Kristen, a dancer and teacher of jazz and contemporary dance classes, married at a Sonoma Valley winery in 1998. Cast members from the tour of ''The Wizard of Oz'' attended. They celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary in 2013. They have four children.<ref>Russell, Stefene. [http://www.stlmag.com/family/A-Full-House/ "A Full House: The Teeter Family Signs Up For Adventure"] ''St. Louis Magazine'', March 21, 2013.</ref>

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== *{{IBDB name}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teeter, Lara}} Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:American male dancers Category:American male musical theatre actors Category:American theatre directors Category:Oklahoma City University alumni Category:Ponca City High School alumni Category:Male actors from Tulsa, Oklahoma Category:Webster University faculty Category:20th-century American dancers Category:20th-century American male actors Category:21st-century American dancers Category:21st-century American male actors