STAGE TUBE: On This Day, March 7th - Happy Birthday, Donna Murphy!

Welcome to BWW's ON THIS DAY Series celebrating theatrical birthdays, openings and special events that took place on this day in theatre history!

Award winning actress-singer Donna Murphy has been building a career of striking range and diversity in the theater and on the large and small screens. This "seductive actress of major transformative powers" (New York Times) has impressed both critics and audiences with her depth and skill.

A five-time Tony nominee, Ms. Murphy received the first of two Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical, along with the Drama Desk and Drama League Awards, for her spellbinding creation of Fosca in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Passion. She was awarded her second Tony and Drama League Awards, as well as Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations for her elegant and distinctive performance as Anna Leonowens in the 1996 Tony Award winning revival of The King and I.

Her other Broadway credits include turns in They're Playing Our Song, The Human Comedy, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Wonderful Town, The People in the Picture, and LoveMusik, Murphy will be returning to Broadway this season, when she serves as alternate for Bette Midler in the title role of the hotly anticipated revival of Hello Dolly!

Her film work includes roles as Anij in Star Trek: Insurrection, Rosalie Octavius in Spider-Man 2, and as a bona fide Disney villain, Mother Gothel, in the animated film Tangled

Here's a video of Donna taking on the Stephen Sondheim classic kiss-off song, "Could I Leave You?" at the composer's 80th birthday celebration at Lincoln Center. Happy Birthday, Donna!