Elizabeth A. Davis

Elizabeth Anne Davis known professionally as Elizabeth A. Davis, is an American actress and musician known for her work in the musical Once, for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical in 2012. She was also nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in the musical Allegro in 2015. In 2023, Elizabeth fully released her independent album, The Apple Tree which is a concept album for her play, CHILD(LESS). She also wrote book, music and lyrics for MY NAME’S NOT INDIAN JOE. The Joe Lightfoot Gonzales Memorial Endowment Fund can be accessed here: https://bbis.baylor.edu/give

Elizabeth A. Davis
Born
Dumas, Texas, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, musician
Years active2006–present
SpouseJordan Richard (2008–present)

Early life

Elizabeth Anne Davis was born in Dumas, Texas, and raised in Channing, Texas, the daughter of Melody (née Brown) and Frank Davis.[1] She also has a brother named Jonathan. Her father is the former superintendent of the Channing Independent School District, and both of her parents are involved in the arts. Her mother is a former speech coach and teacher who earned her master's degree in Speech Communication from West Texas A&M University in 1982.[2][3][4] She graduated from Channing High School, received her Bachelor in Fine Arts degree from Baylor University and her Master of Fine Arts from Case Western Reserve University-Cleveland Play House acting program in Cleveland, Ohio. While at Baylor, Davis met her husband, Jordan Richard, a television director. Davis is an accomplished musician, having played the violin for over 18 years.[3][5][6]

Career

Davis first started out her professional career as a college student playing the lead role in the Texas Musical Drama in the Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

Davis is seen as the Romanian "Nadia" on the New York-shot Taxi: Brooklyn. She was also seen in FOX's Fringe in the "Ability" episode and on One Life to Live.

Davis has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway and regional theatre productions, including the Off-Broadway production of Wolves as Kay at the 59E59 Theatre.[7] She played the role of Sister James in Doubt at the Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples, Florida and starred as Blanche Dubois in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Cleveland Playhouse. She played the role of Célimène in a New Jersey Shakespeare Festival production of The Misanthrope[8] and has also understudied the lead female role in the New World Stages production of The 39 Steps.[9] She starred in The Starship Astov at the Midtown International Theatre Festival, for which she was nominated for a MITF Best Actress award. Davis also starred as Emily Dickinson in Emily at Theatre Row for which she won the New York Innovative Theater Award for Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role.[10][11][12][13][14]

Davis is best known for originating the role of Réza, the Czech roommate of leading lady Cristin Milioti in Once, a stage musical version of the Academy Award-winning film Once. Davis originated the role of Réza at the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University and Off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop. Her final performance as Réza in Once was on March 24, 2013.[15] Once opened on Broadway on March 18, 2012 and received 11 Tony nominations, including Best Musical. For this role she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.[16][17][18][19][20] In May 2013, she joined Christopher Lloyd and composer, Duncan Sheik in Classic Stage Company's rare production of Bertolt Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle.

In April through May 2014, Davis starred in Four Last Things at the American Globe Theater.[21]

Beginning in May 2022, Davis starred as Thomas Jefferson in the American Repertory Theater production of 1776.

Stage credits
Year Production Role Location Category
2012-2013 Once Reza Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre Broadway
2022 1776 Thomas Jefferson American Airlines Theatre Broadway

Off-Broadway

• The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (2018), Giri

• My Name's Not Indian Joe (2018), Liz

• King Lear (2017), Goneril

• Dust Can't Kill Me (2016), Angelina

• Zorba! (2015), The Widow

• Allegro (2014), Jennie

• Four Last Things, (May, 2014), Jane

• Caucasian Chalk Circle, (April, 2013), Grusha

• Joe, (March, 2012), Playwright/Performer

• Once, (2011), Réza/Violinist

• The 39 Steps, (August 2010-February 2011), Woman (U/S – Performer)

• Wolves, (August 2010), Kay

• Dally with the Devil, (September 2011), Megan

• Emily, (September 2009), Emily Dickenson

• Of Mice and Men, (April 2008), Curley’s Wife

• The Cherry Orchard, (September–October 2008), Varya

• Grace, Sarah

Regional Theatre

• 1776, (2022), Thomas Jefferson

• Buzz, (2019), Buzz

• Indecent, (2019) The Female Middle (Actor 3)

• Rain, (2016), Anna

• Indian Joe, (2015), Liz/ Book, Music, Lyrics

• MacBeth Again, Becca

• Once, (March 2011), Réza

• The Devil’s Disciple, (2014), Judith

• The Misanthrope, (June–July 2011), Celimene

• Ride The Tiger, (October–November 2008), Judy

• Doubt, (February 2009), Sister James

• Opus, (February–March 2007), Grace

• Well, (April), Lisa U/S

• A Streetcar Named Desire, Stella

Film/TV

• New Amsterdam, (2019), Shana Davis

• Law & Order: SVU, (2019), Gemma Brooks

• The Wisdom Tooth, (2019), Susy

• Ben Platt: Older, (2019), Megan

• Trauma is a Time Machine, (2018), Georgia

• Law & Order: SVU, (2015), Alessandra Bay

• The Jim Gaffigan Show, (2015), Roxie

• Blue Bloods, (2015), Tatiana

• Taxi Brooklyn, (2014), Nadia

• Blur Circle, (2014), Heather

• Fringe, (2014), Joanne

• All My Children, (2011), Single Gal

• Nora Falls, (2007)

Special appearances

• The Today Show, (2012)

• The David Letterman Show, (2012)

• The Tony Awards, (2012)

• CBS Thanksgiving Day Parade, (2012)

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Work Result
2012 Tony Award Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Once Nominated
2015 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Allegro Nominated

References
  1. Matthew Blank (15 May 2012). "PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Once Tony Nominee Elizabeth A. Davis". Playbill. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  2. Frank and Melody Davis, Hall of Fame honorees Archived 2018-08-31 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 3/8/2015
  3. "Branding Iron Theatre Hall of Fame". West Texas A&M University. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  4. Chip Chandler (1 May 2012). "Channing native gets nomination for Tony Award". Amarillo News. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  5. Terry Goodrich (1 May 2012). "Baylor Grad Wakes from Dreamland to a Dream Come True -- a Tony Nomination". Baylor University. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  6. "Introducing…Elizabeth A. Davis : The City Resource". Archived from the original on December 9, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  7. Elisabeth Vincentelli (9 August 2010). "'Wolves' at the door of the indecipherable". New York Post. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  8. Anita Gates (10 June 2011). "'The Misanthrope' in Madison". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  9. "Long-Running Comic Thriller The 39 Steps Sets Off-Broadway Closing Date". Broadway.com. 18 November 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  10. "Emily: An Amethyst Remembrance". The New York Times. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  11. "Oberon Theatre Ensemble - Starship Astrov". Archived from the original on February 2, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  12. "Elizabeth A. Davis | Lortel Database". Lortel. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  13. "Elizabeth A Davis Biography". Elizabeth A Davis Official Website. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  14. Christopher Borg (12 September 2011). "Spotlight On: Elizabeth Davis". New York Innovative Theatre Awards. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  15. "Elizabeth A. Davis 'Star Files'". Broadway.com. Broadway.com. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  16. "Elizabeth A. Davis | Playbill Vault". Playbill Vault. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  17. "Once Nominee Elizabeth A. Davis on Going from Small Town Texas to the Tony Awards". Broadway.com. 1 May 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  18. "Nominee Reactions: ONCE's Elizabeth A. Davis - 'Taking a Zipcar to Chick-fil-A!'". Broadway World. 1 May 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  19. "Listen to Paul Whitty and Elizabeth A. Davis of Once on Andrew Andrew [ARCHIVE]". East Village Radio. 20 April 2012. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  20. Elizabeth A. Davis (24 April 2012). "Elizabeth A. Davis on Her Heaven-Sent Journey as Actress & Violinist in Once". Broadway.com. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  21. Alexis Soloski (30 April 2014). "Finding Too Much of Nothing on an Irish Farm". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
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