Isabel Keating

Isabel Keating (born May 1, 1961) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her performance as Judy Garland in the original Broadway production of The Boy from Oz, which earned her a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award.

Early life and career Keating was born in Savannah, Georgia on May 1, 1961, to a Southern father and Moroccan mother. This background gave rise to an early knack for mimicking accents and, eventually, fluency in multiple languages. As she would tell AP's Lisa Tolin many years later, it was not until reaching her early twenties that Keating, who had long since assumed she would put those skills to use professionally as an interpreter, first "fell into" theater. Her first landing spot—or at least the first paying one—was with the Little Theatre of Savannah Mini-Rep Company,

Broadway Keating made her Broadway debut in 2003, in Enchanted April. She replaced Molly Ringwald in the role of Rose Arnott after having created the leading role of Lotty Wilton in the play's world-premiere production at Hartford Stage Company in Hartford, Connecticut.

Keating was widely acclaimed for her portrayal of Judy Garland in the 2003 Broadway production of The Boy From Oz, in which she starred opposite Hugh Jackman (who played Peter Allen). For her performance she received a Tony Award nomination and won a Drama Desk Award and Theatre World Award.

She joined the Broadway cast of Hairspray, directed by Jack O'Brien, in the role of Velma Von Tussle in June 2006 and stayed with the production through August 2007.

Keating played Peter Parker's Aunt May and other characters in the Broadway production of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, directed by Julie Taymor.

From 2014 to 2015, Keating appeared on Broadway in Terrence McNally's hit comedy It's Only a Play, directed by Jack O'Brien.

She played Madame Morrible in Wicked on Broadway from January through November 2018 after performing the same role in the U.S. National Tour.

In 2024, she returned to Broadway in Doubt: A Parable as the understudy for Sister Aloysius, but later temporarily took over the role in early previews, replacing Tyne Daly, who departed the production after a medical emergency.

Other theatre Keating has performed at Theatre Previews at Duke, where she starred in Gore Vidal's On the March to the Sea opposite Chris Noth, Charles Durning, Richard Easton, Michael Learned and Harris Yulin; at the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, Connecticut, in Tom Stoppard's Travesties opposite Sam Waterston; and at the Paper Mill Playhouse, in Millburn, New Jersey, in Wendy Kesselman's stage version of The Diary of Anne Frank.

She won the 2000 Helen Hayes Award for Best Actress for her performance in Tom Stoppard's play Indian Ink at the Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Keating appeared as Vi in Lucinda Coxon's Waiting at the Water's Edge in its American premiere, directed by Nela Wagman for the Watermark Theatre Company, and played the Duchess of Berwick in the Oscar Wilde comedy Lady Windermere's Fan directed by Moisés Kaufman in 2005 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Film and television Keating co-starred in Indignation—James Schamus's feature film directorial début, based on Philip Roth's novel—opposite Logan Lerman and Sarah Gadon. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016 and was theatrically released on July 29, 2016.

She has guest-starred in episodes of 3 lbs (2006), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2008), The Path (2016), and New Amsterdam (2021) and appeared in films including The Nanny Diaries and The Life Before Her Eyes.

Acting credits

Theatre Year Show Role Venue 1984 La Ronde Sweet Young Thing The Studio Theatre (Washington, D.C.) 1986 The Miss Firecracker Contest Popeye Bristol Valley Playhouse (Naples, NY) 1986–1987 The Slab Boys Trilogy Lucille The Studio Theatre (Washington, D.C.) 1989 The Bright and Bold Design 1990 In Perpetuity Throughout the Universe Christine 1994 Waiting at the Water's Edge Vi Off-Broadway: The Ohio Theatre Written and Sealed Nancy Off-Broadway: Puerto Rican Traveling Theater The Rise and Fall of Little Voice Little Voice The Studio Theatre (Washington, D.C.) 1995 Slavs! Katarina Three Sisters Irina Chilean Holiday Digna Actors Theatre of Louisville (Louisville, KY) 1997 One Foot on the Floor LaVita Terrafamilia Denver Center for the Performing Arts (Denver, CO) 1998 Once in a Lifetime Florabel Leigh Off-Broadway: Atlantic Theater Company 1999 Indian Ink Flora Crewe The Studio Theatre (Washington, D.C.) 2000 Enchanted April Lottie Wilton Hartford Stage (Hartford, CT) 2001 Dinner with Friends Beth Old Globe Theatre (San Diego, CA) 2003 Enchanted April Rose Arnott (replacement) Broadway: Belasco Theatre 2003–2004 The Boy from Oz Judy Garland Broadway: Imperial Theatre 2005 Travesties Nadya Long Wharf Theatre (New Haven, CT) On the March to the Sea Minna Hinks Theatre Previews at Duke (Raleigh, NC) Lady Windermere's Fan Duchess of Berwick Williamstown Theatre Festival (Williamstown, MA) 2006 The Diary of Anne Frank Edith Frank Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, NJ) 2006–2007 Hairspray Velma Von Tussle (replacement) Broadway: Neil Simon Theatre 2009 A Lifetime Burning Lydia Freemantle Off-Broadway: Primary Stages 2010–2014 Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Aunt May/Mrs. Gribrock/Maxie Broadway: Foxwoods Theatre 2014 Travesties Nadya Bay Street Theater (Sag Harbor, NY) 2014–2015 It's Only a Play Virginia Noyes/Julia Budder (standby) Broadway: Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre,Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre 2016–2017 Wicked Madame Morrible U.S. National Tour 2018 Broadway: Gershwin Theatre 2019 Because of Winn Dixie Franny Block Goodspeed Opera House (East Haddam, CT)2024 Doubt: A Parable Sister Aloysius (u/s) Broadway: Todd Haimes Theatre The Queen of Versailles Debbie Mallery Emerson Colonial Theatre2025 Theatre People Charlotte Sanders Westport Country Playhouse (Westport, CT) The Queen of Versailles Debbie Mallery Broadway: St. James Theatre

Film and television Year Title Role Notes 1999 Dead Broke Forensics Specialist Magnetism Short film 2004 58th Tony Awards Herself TV special American Masters Judy Garland Episode: "Judy Garland: By Myself" 2006 3 lbs Rosemary Donovan Episode: "Bad Boys" 2007 The Nanny Diaries Paranoid Mom The Life Before Her Eyes Maureen's Mother 2008 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Janine Episode: "Please Note We Are No Longer Accepting Letters of Recommendation from Henry Kissinger" 2016 The Path Jeanette Kemp Episode: "Breaking and Entering" Indignation Miss Clement 2021 New Amsterdam Mary Wheeler Episode: "More Joy"

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2000 Helen Hayes Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Resident Play Indian Ink 2004 Audie Award Outstanding Achievement in Fiction Narration Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical The Boy from Oz Theatre World Award Outstanding Debut Performance in a Broadway Production Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Musical