Two-Time Tony Award Nominee Marcia Lewis Dies at 72

Two-time Tony Award nominee Marcia Lewis, known for her big smile and powerful singing voice, died on December 21 after battling cancer since April. She was 72 and lived in Brentwood, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville, with her husband, Fred Bryan.

A versatile comedienne, Lewis received Tony nominations for her featured performances in the 1994 Broadway revival of Grease (as Miss Lynch) and the current Broadway revival of Chicago (as Matron Mama Morton), which opened in November 1996. She was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her featured performance as Rachel Halpern in the short-lived 1986 musical Rags. Other Broadway credits include Hello, Dolly!, The Time of Your Life, Annie, Roza, Orpheus Descending and the 1990 revival of Fiddler on the Roof. She last appeared on the New York stage in the 2006 tenth anniversary performance of Chicago.

Born on August 8, 1938, in Melrose, Massachusetts, Lewis was raised in Cincinnati. Before turning to acting, Lewis was a registered nurse at the University of Cincinnati and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

In addition to her stage work, Lewis was a popular cabaret performer and released a solo CD, Marcia Lewis Nowadays.