Ivy Austin

Ivy Austin (born Ivy Lynn Epstein; January 19, 1958 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actress and singer known for her performances on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion and her Sesame Street voices. She also starred on Broadway as Raggedy Ann.

Biography

Early life and education Ivy Austin is an alumna of NYC's High School of Performing Arts, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Colgate University, and a Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Manhattan College.

Career Austin's stage career began with national tours of Hair (as Crissy) in 1976 and They're Playing Our Song (Alter Ego) in 1979. She made her New York City Opera debut in 1982's Candide (Pink Sheep) and remained on the guest artist roster through 1989. Other NYCO credits include Naughty Marietta (Lisette), The Merry Widow (Zozo), The Music Man (Ethel Toffelmier), The New Moon, The Desert Song, South Pacific, and Sweeney Todd (Beggar Woman). Austin's Broadway debut in 1986 was as the starring role in the Joe Raposo/William Gibson musical Raggedy Ann: The Musical Adventure, directed by Patricia Birch.

In 1989, Austin performed "The Story of Gloria" on American Radio Company (now known as A Prairie Home Companion). According to Time Magazine, "The show's funniest sketch, a serial, produced a new star, actress Ivy Austin." She also played the crusty-voiced French lady Babette, and sang with Rob Fisher and The Coffee Club Orchestra.

Austin has recorded countless songs for Sesame Street, and is the voice of Sesame Street characters Cereal Girl, Hammy Swinette, Sublime Miss M, Soo-ey Oinker of The Oinker Sisters, and Gloria Esta-worm. As writer/producer, Ivy Austin created holiday programs for National Public Radio and a long-running concert series at The World Financial Center. Ivy Austin appeared in numerous television commercials and has an impressive list of theatrical and concert credits.

Austin is in her sixth year as a contributing lyricist and performer in The Thalia Follies, a political satire in on New York's Upper West Side.

Austin performs regularly at Symphony Space on WNYC radio broadcasts of Selected Shorts and Bloomsday, and has participated in years of "Wall-to-Wall" music marathons. She appeared in Wall-to-Wall Broadway singing "Adelaide's Lament". She has performed several plays with the Night Kitchen Radio Theater for XM Satellite Radio.

Selected credits

Discography Sing! Songs of Joe Raposo Big Bird Discovers the Orchestra Sesame Road Born to Add Splish Splash: Bathtime Fun Sing-Along Travel Songs Silly Songs Hot!/Heat! Hot!/Heat! Hot!/Heat! Dance Songs Sesame Street Platinum-All Time Favorites Elmopalooza! We Are All Earthlings I’m Green and I’m Proud Signs of the Times from Moo-town Records Sesame Street Kids/Kid Favorite Songs Sesame Street Best Cheap Thrills New York City Opera Candide Lady Be Good! Wall to Wall Richard Rodgers A Prairie Home Christmas A Prairie Home Companion 25th Anniversary Collection Selected Shorts: A Night at the Office

Filmography Grease 2 (1982) – Girl Greaser (Francine) "The Charmkins" (1983) – Skunkweed (voice) My Little Pony: Escape from Catrina (1985) – (voice) Snoopy!!! The Musical (1988) – (voice) Sesame Street – Cereal Girl, Hammy Swinette, Sublime Miss M, Soo-ey Oinker of The Oinker Sisters, Gloria Esta-worm, Additional Voices High Strung (1991) – Contestant Big Bird's Birthday Celebration (1991) – (voice) Oinker Sister The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1991) – (voice) Flopsy/Bluejay Animaniacs – Carloota, "Garage Sale of the Century/West Side Pigeons" (1993) Sesame Street Stays Up Late! (1993) – (voice) Tita The Real Shlemiel (1995) – (voice) The Lantuch Elmopalooza! (1998) – (voice) Oinker Sister Kids Favorite Songs (1999) - (voice) Oinker Sister: This Little Piggy to Market

Theatre credits Production Year Role Venue No, No, Nanette 1974 Nanette Gateway Playhouse George M! Nellie Cohan Hair Crissy Alice in Wonderland 1975 Violet (singing voice) Bil Baird Marionette Theatre Hair Crissy Gateway Playhouse Sugar Society Syncopater Irene Jane McFudd Jesus Christ Superstar Apostle Woman They're Playing Our Song 1979-81 A Voice of Sonia Walsk National Tour Candide 1982 Pink Sheep / Ensemble New York City Opera 1983 Arena Stage Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 1984 Beggar Woman (alternate) New York City Opera Raggedy Ann Raggedy Ann The Egg Sweet Adeline 1985 Dot New York Town Hall Rag Dolly 1985-86 Raggedy Ann The Egg and Natalya Sats Musical Theater Candide 1986 Pink Sheep / Ensemble New York City Opera Raggedy Ann: The Musical Adventure Raggedy Ann Nederlander Theatre Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 1987 Beggar Woman (alternate) New York City Opera The Music Man 1988 Ethel Toffelmier

Artistic direction and producing Christmas at Rainbow Corner (co-producer Denise Lanctot) 1993, National Public Radio Her Funny Valentine, 1994, National Public Radio Women in Cabaret, 1994, World Financial Center Women on Broadway, 1995, World Financial Center The Tony Awards, 50 Years of Broadway's Best Musicals, 1996, World Financial Center The Men I Love, A Centennial Salute to Ira Gershwin & George Gershwin, 1997, World Financial Center Happy Birthday New York, A Musical Tribute to the City's Centennial, 1998, World Financial Center The Great Songwriters of Hollywood, 1999, World Financial Center Spring Fling, 2000, World Financial Center