Meg Bussert

{{Infobox musical artist | name = Meg Bussert | image = | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = | background = solo_singer | birth_name = {{birth date and age|1949|10|21}} | birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, United States | origin = | death_date =  | death_place = | genre = Musical theater | occupation = Actress, singer, university professor | years_active = 1973–present | label = | associated_acts = | website =  }} '''Meg Bussert''' (born October 21, 1949) is an American actress, singer and a university professor.

==Early life== Born in Chicago, Illinois,<ref name=film>[http://www.filmreference.com/film/20/Meg-Bussert.html "Meg Bussert Biography"] filmreference.com, accessed April 19, 2015</ref> Bussert received her BA degree from Purchase College and her MAT from Manhattanville College.<ref name=nyu/>

==Career== Bussert made her Broadway debut in the 1973 revival of ''Irene'' as the Debutante. <ref name=vault>[http://www.playbillvault.com/Person/Detail/92708/Meg-Bussert "Meg Bussert Broadway Credits"] playbillvault.com, accessed April 19, 2015</ref> She was the standby for Lettie and Hope Langdon in ''Something's Afoot'' in 1976.<ref name=vault/>

Her big break came in 1980 when she was cast in two revivals: ''The Music Man'' (with Dick Van Dyke) as Marian Paroo, and ''Brigadoon'' (with Martin Vidnovic) as Fiona MacLaren.<ref name=vault/> She won the Theatre World Award for her performance in both, and a Tony Award nomination as Best Actress in a Musical for the latter.<ref name=vault/> This revival of ''The Music Man'' closed after just 21 performances.

Bussert appeared as Guinevere opposite Richard Harris as King Arthur in a national tour and 1981 Broadway revival of ''Camelot''.<ref>[http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/11529/Camelot " 'Camelot' Broadway, 1981"] playbillvault.com, accessed April 19, 2015</ref> The production was taped for broadcast by HBO <ref>Suskin, Steven. [http://www.playbill.com/features/article/the-dvd-shelf-lerner-loewes-camelot-with-harris-sondheims-a-little-night-mu-141546 "THE DVD SHELF: Lerner & Loewe's 'Camelot' With Harris; Sondheim's 'A Little Night Music' With Liz"] playbill.com, June 17, 2007</ref> and she was nominated for a CableACE Award. In 2005 she was the standby for the character of Florence Foster Jenkins in the Broadway production of ''Souvenir''.<ref name=world>[http://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Meg-Bussert/ "Meg Bussert Credits"] broadwayworld.com, accessed April 19, 2015</ref> Bussert's regional theatre credits include ''The Music Man'', ''South Pacific'' (US tour, 1985 as Nellie),<ref name=world/>''Phantom'' (at the Westchester Broadway Theater in 1992), <ref>Klein, Alvin. [https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/13/nyregion/theater-yet-another-phantom-in-elmsford.html "Theater: Yet Another 'Phantom' in Elmsford"] ''The New York Times'', September 13, 1992</ref>''Damn Yankees'', ''The Most Happy Fella'', and ''Cabaret''. In 2010, she performed in ''The Sound of Music'' at the Ogunquit Playhouse as Mother Abbess.<ref>[http://www.ogunquitplayhouse.org/2010-press/sound-of-music "Press Release, 'Sound of Music'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419135554/http://www.ogunquitplayhouse.org/2010-press/sound-of-music |date=2015-04-19 }} ogunquitplayhouse.org, June 22, 2010</ref> She had previously performed this role at the Paper Mill Playhouse in 2003.<ref name=world/>

She performs in concerts, recitals, and cabarets. In 2013 she performed in a concert performance at the Laurie Beechman Theatre (New York City), titled "Two Legit to Quit: a Riff-Free Evening".<ref>Gioia, Michael. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/meg-bussert-leenya-rideout-jeremy-morse-and-more-set-for-two-legit-to-quit--204018 "Meg Bussert, Leenya Rideout, Jeremy Morse and More Set for Two Legit to Quit: a Riff-Free Evening in Manhattan"] playbill.com, April 2, 2013</ref> She has appeared in opera and operettas, including concert performances of ''The New Moon'' and ''The Firefly'' at the Town Hall, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera’s ''The Student Prince'' and the Mirvish’s North American tour of ''H.M.S. Pinafore''.<ref>[http://www.bwaydirect.com/webpages/SCCC-7-19-07.html "Bussert Bio"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120192503/http://www.bwaydirect.com/webpages/SCCC-7-19-07.html |date=2008-11-20 }} bwaydirect.com, July 19, 2007</ref> She appeared in the Portland Opera production of ''Lucy's Lapses'' in 1990.<ref name=nyu/><ref>[http://myculturallandscape.blogspot.com/2010/07/meanwhile-down-on-peninsula.html "Meanwhile Down on the Peninsula"] myculturallandscape.blogspot.com, July 25, 2010</ref>

Bussert presently is a full-time associate professor in Vocal Performance teaching Acting and Music Theatre Studies at New York University, in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.<ref name=nyu>[http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/faculty/Meg_Bussert "Meg Bussert"] steinhardt.nyu.edu, accessed April 19, 2015</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDB name}} * {{IBDB name}} * [http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/music/faculty_bios/view/Meg_Bussert NYU faculty biography] * [http://www.ogunquitplayhouse.org/docs/2012/Stars-of-OP-updated-091912.pdf]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bussert, Meg}} Category:American stage actresses Category:American operatic sopranos Category:American cabaret singers Category:Purchase College alumni Category:Manhattanville University alumni Category:Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development faculty Category:Actresses from Chicago Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:American women academics