August 7: Broadway, film & TV actress and singer Rachel York is 42-years-old today.

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Rachel York was born Rachel Lemanski on August 7, 1971 in Orlando, Florida. Primarily through her mother’s influence, she developed her love for music and acting began at an early age.

She made her professional debut in a local production of Kiss Me, Kate as a member of the chorus. That same year, she earned a scholarship to the American Center for Music Theatre at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and moved to Los Angeles and began studying with acting coach Aaron Speiser.

When she was 19 years old, she moved to New York City and auditioned for agent Bill Timms who signed her on the spot. York made her Broadway debut as Mallory in the musical City of Angels, and her performance won critical acclaim. After that, she starred in many other stage productions, including as Fantine in Les Misérables, Irene St. Claire in Crucifer of Blood, The Younger Woman in Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together, Norma Cassidy in Victor/Victoria - for which she won a Drama Desk Award.

Also, she starred as Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Lili Vanessi/Katharine in Kiss Me, Kate, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Dorothy in Summer of '42, Miss Fancy in Sly Fox, Ruth Sutton in Dessa Rose, Mother in Ragtime, Christine Colgate in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and most recently in The Sound of Music as Elsa Shraeder at the Hollywood Bowl.

Her film credits include One Fine Day, Billy Bathgate, Dead Center, Second Honeymoon, Terror Tract, Au Pair II, and the TV movie Lucy in which she played Lucille Ball. Her performance in the London production of Kiss Me, Kate is available on DVD/video.

She also has many credits in television, including appearances on Reba, Frasier, Arli$$, Spin City, The Naked Truth, Diagnosis: Murder, and also provides the voices of Bitty on Higglytown Heroes and Circe on Justice League Unlimited.

York released her debut album Let's Fall In Love in early 2005. She can also be heard on the Cast Recordings of City of Angels, Victor/Victoria, The Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore!, Dessa Rose, Putting It Together, Summer of '42, the soundtrack of Billy Bathgate, and recordings of Opal and Celebration of Life.

Rachel appeared as Guenevere in the National Tour of Camelot in the 2006-2007 season, for which she earned the Golden Icon Award from Travolta Family Entertainment for Best Actress in a Touring Production.

In 2010, York played the Witch at the Reagle Music Theatre production of Into the Woods in Waltham, Massachusetts and won an IRNE Award for the role. In 2011, she starred as Billie Burke in the musical Ghostlight Off-Broadway at the Signature Theatre. York also played the role of Reno Sweeney in the national tour of the 2011 Roundabout Theatre Broadway revival of Anything Goes, which launched in October 2012.

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For more about Rachel, visit her Website at –

http://rachelyork.net/Visitors.php/Home/

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