The Broadway at Birdland concert series has announced that Tony Award Nominated actress & singer Anita Gillette will be presenting a wonderful evening of music and memories while taking an intimate, touching, and hilarious look behind the scenes from Broadway to Hollywood in her new autobiographical one-woman show “After All.”
“After All” takes audiences backstage with Gillette as a young showgirl starting out in the original cast of Gypsy with Ethel Merman onwards into the worlds of David Merrick and Gower Champion in Carnival through a building career that leads to a Tony nominated performance in the Neil Simon comedy Chapter Two. From Major Feature films playing roles such as Ms. Mona in MOONSTRUCK, co-starring in hit television shows like QUINCY and Game Show classics, to playing Tina Fey’s Mother in 30 ROCK, Gillette will surprise, delight and is certain to entertain!
Anita Gillette is a Broadway veteran with fourteen Broadway shows to her credit, including CHAPTER TWO (Tony Nomination, LA Drama Critics Award) CABARET, CARNIVAL, GYPSY, GUYS & DOLLS, DON’T DRINK THE WATER, ALL AMERICAN, JIMMY, THEY’RE PLAYING OUR SONG, BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, MR. PRESIDENT, THE GAY LIFE, KELLY, SHOWBOAT and ENCORES’ BLOOMER GIRL and 70 GIRLS 70. Off Broadway and Regional credits include: LOVE, LOSS & WHAT I WORE, THE SEAGULL, SHIRLEY VALENTINE, SKIN OF OUR TEETH, JUNO, RICH & FAMOUS, MOVING TARGETS, TRAVESTIES, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, FLAMINGO COURT, MY FAIR LADY, THE WINSLOW BOY, IRENE, SOUTH PACIFIC, SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH, (with JoAnne Woodward) THE GREAT WALTZ (recorded for RCA), KNICKERBOCKER HOLIDAY (with Burt Lancaster) and MORNING’S AT SEVEN.
She is Tina Fey’s mom on 30 ROCK and Marg Helgenberger’s mom on CSI but she may be best known as MONA, the mistress, in MOONSTRUCK. Now kids know her from the Disney show SHAKE IT UP! She had major roles in the following films: SHALL WE DANCE (with Richard Gere), BOYS ON THE SIDE, LARGER THAN LIFE, (Bill Murray’s mother) THE GURU, (with Bobby Canavale) SHE’S THE ONE, (Jennifer Aniston’s mother) Bob Roberts, (Jack Black’s mother) THE GREAT NEW WONDERFUL, HIDING VICTORIA, THE LAST ADAM, BUM RAP, CHARLIE HOBOKEN and UNDERTOW. Films for television include A CHRISTMAS MEMORY and SUMMER OF BEN TYLER.
Anita now has a recurring role on Law & Order SVU. She was a series regular on QUINCY, ALMOST GROWN (by David Chase), THE WAR AT HOME, BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE, ME & THE CHIMP, NORMAL, OHIO, THE BAXTERS, ALL THAT GLITTERS. Her episodic work includes SEX & THE CITY, COLD CASE, WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB, FRASIER, LAW & ORDER, and MAD ABOUT YOU. She has appeared on every major game show including PYRAMID, PASSWORD, MATCHGAME, TO TELL THE TRUTH, WHAT’S MY LINE, etc. She was a foil for Johnny Carson for at least 50 TONIGHT shows, and appeared many times on other talk shows and the BELL TELEPHONE HOUR.
Direction is by award winning New York cabaret veteran Barry Kleinbort who has also directed and written special musical materials for Kaye Ballard, Regis Philbin, Marcia Lewis, Mary Cleere Haran, John Epperson (aka: Lypsinka), Donna Murphy, the late Jerry Orbach, Karen Mason, Brent Barrett, Harolyn Blackwell, Heather MacRae, and many others. Musical Direction by Paul Greenwood, also an award winning cabaret pro, who has accompanied some of the industry's most honored performers including George Burns, Elly Stone, Art Garfunkel, Mary Cleere Haran, Ann Hampton Callaway, Nancy LaMott, and Sylvia McNair.
