Karen received the Tony award—along with the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards—starring in Susan Stroman and John Weidman’s hit musical, CONTACT, at Lincoln Center Theatre.

On and Off-Broadway, Karen has played murderers and marathoners, a daughter of the West, to the daughter of an American President. She starred as Roxie Hart in Kander and Ebb’s CHICAGO, and Rita Racine in their STEEL PIER (for which she received her first Tony award nomination as well as Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations), and starred in the “new Gershwin musical, “ CRAZY FOR YOU.

The Michigan native paid her dues in Broadway companies of A CHORUS LINE and 42ND STREET (her co-star Jerry Orbach gave her her first Broadway stage kiss), and appeared as Alice Roosevelt in TEDDY AND ALICE, before she burst on the scene in Kander and Ebb’s revue AND THE WORLD GOES ‘ROUND, capturing the Drama Desk Award and the attention of the musical theatre world.

She won another Drama Desk nomination for I DO! I DO!, and her third Tony award nomination and the Outer Critic’s Circle award for NEVER GONNA DANCE. She starred at the New York City Opera as Lizzie Curry in 110 IN THE SHADE, and Cleo in THE MOST HAPPY FELLA—and at the New York City Center in Encores! concert revivals of THE PAJAMA GAME and BYE, BYE, BIRDIE, as well as ZIEGFELD FOLLIES OF 1936 and ALLEGRO.

On television, Karen has been featured in PBS telecasts including an Evening at Pops tribute to George Gershwin, and the Great Performances specials from Carnegie Hall—Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall; Ira Gershwin at 100; and My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies. For President and Mrs. Clinton, Karen performed in the East Room of the White House in PBS’s Dance in America; and was one of Broadway’s leading ladies featured in the Kennedy Center Honors tributes to Angela Lansbury and Julie Harris, broadcast on CBS.

On NBC, she’s been featured on LAW AND ORDER, LAW AND ORDER: Criminal Intent, and LAW AND ORDER: Special Victims Unit. She also appears in The Producers movie (2005) and was directed by Alec Baldwin in his film, The Devil and Daniel Webster, starring Anthony Hopkins. She appears in Ben Hayflick’s film short, Pedalfoot, and in James Horvath and Jeffrey Sweet’s, The Rub.

Regional theatre work includes an all-star production of THE THREE PENNY OPERA at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Beatrice in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, directed by Mark Lamos at the Hartford Stage and The Shakespeare Theatre Co. in Washington, D.C., Alan Ayckbourn’s dual comedies HOUSE AND GARDEN at the GeVa Theatre in Rochester, NY, Ken Ludwig’s LEADING LADIES at Ford’s Theatre, Washington, D.C., and THE OPPOSITE OF SEX at San Francisco’s Magic Theatre, for which she received the Bay Area Theatre Critics’Award.

Karen is represented on numerous original cast recordings and several studio releases of Broadway classics such as the complete versions of THE MOST HAPPY FELLA and 110 IN THE SHADE (both recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios).

 

 

©2002 - 2007 Karen Ziemba
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