Rebecca Luker Oral History Project
About Rebecca Luker
Rebecca Luker, who graduated from the University of Montevallo in 1984, enjoyed a lengthy and distinguished career as a virtuoso actress, concert soloist and recording artist. Her operatic soprano voice led to her starring in nine Broadway musicals, and she was nominated for three Tony Awards. Her work included performances in “Phantom of the Opera,” “The Secret Garden,” “Showboat,” “The Sound of Music,” “The Music Man” and “Mary Poppins.” She also appeared in a number of acting roles on television including “Law and Order, Special Victims Unit,” and “The Good Wife”. In addition, she enjoyed teaching master classes and coaching up-and-coming performers.
A vocal performance major, Luker was previously awarded an honorary doctorate from UM and remained actively involved with UM throughout her life. To honor Luker's memory following her passing in 2020, the University of Montevallo named the stage of its new Center for the Arts after her. Watch this Facebook live recording of the Rebecca Luker Stage Dedication ceremony held on November 18, 2021.
Oral History Transcripts
A digital archive of tributes to Rebecca Luker by co-performers and friends has been created, edited, and donated to the University by Sarah Rebell. Access the transcripts of these oral histories below.
🔍 Search Instructions
If you would like to search by certain keywords (like the name of a play or a castmate), use the search box below.
| Name | Association |
|---|---|
| No result | |
| Victor Amerling | The Phantom of the Opera and Mary Poppins prop supervisor |
| Fred Applegate | The Sound of Music castmate |
| Farah Alvin | Nine and Inner Voices castmate |
| Ann Arvia | Mary Poppins castmate, Spring Birthday Group |
| John Babcock | The Secret Garden castmate |
| Kate Baldwin | concert castmate (New Voices concerts, The David Loud Players) |
| Stephanie Bast | The Mistress Cycle and Nine (Rebecca's understudy) castmate |
| Michel Bell | Show Boat castmate |
| Rob Berman | associate conductor on Music Man, music director on Passion and Where's Charley? |
| Lauren Blackman | Little Dancer castmate (Rebecca's cover) |
| Beth Blatt | The Mistress Cycle lyricist |
| Heidi Blickenstaff | concert castmate (David Loud Players) |
| Jeff Blumenkrantz | Scaffolding (Inner Voices) songwriter |
| Sierra Boggess | concert castmate |
| Beowulf Boritt | set designer |
| Liam Burke | The Music Man castmate (Dance Captain) |
| Michael Cerveris | Passion and Fun Home castmate |
| Ted Chapin | former President, Rodgers & Hammerstein |
| Kristin Chenoweth | concert castmate |
| Kimberly Chesser | performer, producer, and UM alumna |
| Victoria Clark | Scaffolding (Inner Voices) director |
| Patti Cohenour | The Phantom of the Opera and The Sound of Music castmate |
| Debbie de Coudreaux | Show Boat castmate |
| Nikki Renee Daniels | Nine castmate |
| Cynthia Demand | The Music Man wig supervisor |
| Janet Dickinson | Little Dancer castmate |
| Katherine Doherty | Mary Poppins castmate |
| Jack Doyle | Leave it to Jane and The Music Man castmate |
| George Dvorsky | No, No, Nanette and Time and Again castmate |
| Daisy Eagan | Secret Garden castmate |
| Kevin Earley | Death Takes a Holiday castmate |
| Russell Easley | The Phantom of the Opera and Mary Poppins dresser |
| Rebecca Eichenberger | The Phantom of the Opera, The Boys from Syracuse, and Little Dancer castmate |
| Melissa Errico | concert castmate |
| Ali Ewoldt | Rose in The Secret Garden benefit opposite Rebecca |
| Bert Fink | CCO of MTI Europe, former SVP of Rodgers & Hammerstein |
| Santino Fontana | Cinderella castmate |
| Alison Fraser | The Secret Garden castmate |
| Mara Davi Gaines | Death Takes a Holiday castmate |
| Sara Gettelfinger | Nine castmate |
| Ruth Gottschall | The Music Man and Mary Poppins castmate, Spring Birthday Group |
| Randy Graff | Spring Birthday Group |
| Ann Harada | Cinderella castmate |
| Cynthia Leigh Heim | The Music Man castmate (Rebecca's understudy) |
| Michael Heitzman | "Not Funny" lyricist |
| Joy Hermalyn | Death Takes a Holiday castmate |
| Siri Howard | The Sound of Music castmate |
| Mary Illes | The Music Man castmate (Rebecca's understudy) |
| Daniel Jenkins | Mary Poppins castmate |
| Christine Toy Johnson | The Music Man castmate |
| Judy Kaye | Sweeney Todd, The Phantom of the Opera, Brigadoon castmate |
| Peter Kevoian | The Phantom of the Opera castmate |
| Judy Kuhn | Passion and Footloose castmate |
| Valerie Lau-Kee | Mary Poppins assistant stage manager |
| Analisa Leaming | Where's Charley? castmate |
| Telly Leung | recorded Dear Edwina album together |
| Norm Lewis | concert castmate |
| David Loud | music director/arranger |
| Beth Malone | Fun Home castmate |
| Samantha Massell | Rebecca's Fiddler on the Roof "stepdaughter" |
| Catherine Matejka | Show Boat associate conductor |
| Howard McGillin | The Secret Garden, Time and Again, and Where’s Charley? castmate |
| Vasthy Mompoint | Mary Poppins castmate |
| Cass Morgan | Mary Poppins castmate, Spring Birthday Group |
| Delaney Moro | Mary Poppins castmate |
| Linda Mugleston | Nine and Cinderella (Rebecca's understudy) castmate |
| Julia Murney | The Vagina Monologues and The Mistress Cycle castmate |
| Patricia Noonan | Where's Charley? and Death Takes a Holiday castmate |
| Kelli O'Hara | concert castmate |
| Laura Osnes | Cinderella castmate |
| Megan Osterhaus | Mary Poppins castmate (Rebecca's understudy and replacement) |
| Jill Paice | Where's Charley? and Death Takes a Holiday castmate |
| Marshall Pailet | The Sound of Music castmate |
| Lauren Patten | Fun Home castmate |
| Tiler Peck | The Music Man and Little Dancer castmate |
| Devynn Pedell | Mary Poppins castmate |
| Mary Beth Peil | Nine castmate |
| Luis Perez | Phantom of the Opera and Time and Again castmate |
| Patricia Phillips | The Secret Garden castmate |
| Mark Price | Mary Poppins castmate |
| Sarah Rebell | Rebecca Luker Oral History Project creator, arts journalist, and theatre writer |
| Ilene Reid | “Not Funny” composer |
| Rommy Sandhu | Mary Poppins castmate (Dance Captain) |
| Saundra Santiago | Nine castmate |
| Susan Schulman | The Secret Garden and The Sound of Music director |
| Matthew Scott | concert castmate (David Loud Players) |
| Michael Siberry | Sound of Music and Death Takes a Holiday castmate |
| Alexandra Silber | Rebecca’s Fiddler on the Roof “stepdaughter” |
| Lucy Simon | Secret Garden composer |
| Brad Simmons | music director and UM alumni |
| Alexandra Socha | Death Takes a Holiday castmate |
| Don Stephenson | Death Takes a Holiday castmate |
| Emily Loesser Stephenson | sang on Rebecca's Cole Porter album |
| Kevin Stites | Nine, Death Takes a Holiday music director |
| Susan Stroman | Show Boat choreographer, The Music Man and Little Dancer director and choreographer |
| Jennifer Ashley Tepper | theatre historian |
| Kari Thompson | The Music Man assistant stage manager |
| Jason Trubitt | Disney Theatricals Production Supervisor, Mary Poppins assistant stage manager |
| Jack Viertel | Time and Again book writer, The Secret Garden and The Sound of Music producer, former Encores! artistic director |
| Kay Walbye | The Secret Garden castmate |
| Robert Westenberg | The Secret Garden castmate |
| Sally Wilfert | The Mistress Cycle castmate, All the Girls co-creator |
| Ruth Williamson | The Music Man castmate |
| Michael Winther | Fun Home castmate |
| Maury Yeston | Nine and Death Takes a Holiday composer and lyricist |
| Karen Ziemba | Little Dancer castmate |
To navigate the slideshow, use the arrow buttons 
in the bottom corner of the screen. To skip to sections of the slideshow, click the Table of Contents 
button. Then select a section.
