California native Alyson Reed started honing her skills as a performer in high school, where she appeared in school plays like Oliver! Two years after graduating, she made her Broadway debut with a role in the 1978 production of Dancin', and it would prove to be the first of many. Over the next few decades, Reed would appear in such shows as Dance a Little Closer, A Grand Night for Singing, and Cabaret -- for which she won a Tony. She's also enjoyed a successful film career, appearing in the role of Cassie in the big-screen adaptation of A Chorus Line, and making appearances in numerous TV shows like L.A. Law, Without a Trace, and Crossing Jordan. In 2006, she added the High School Musical franchise to her resumé, playing Ms. Darbus in the popular tween hit, and reprising the role for both of that film's sequels.
Alyson Reed
Share on
Biography by AllMovie
Movie Highlights
Factsheet
- First paid job was at age 12, in Alice in Wonderland at Disneyland.
- Made her Broadway debut in Bob Fosse's Dancin'.
- Nominated in 1984 for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her interpretation of Marilyn Monroe in Marilyn.
- Starred as Cassie in the film version of A Chorus Line, a role she'd previously played on the road.
- Choreographed and directed a production of Oliver!