Molly Ranson is an American actress and singer. She was born in New York City.
Stage career
editRanson made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning production of August: Osage County in 2007. She joined the cast of Jerusalem on Broadway in 2011, as Pea. The show started in 2009 at the Royal Court Theatre in London and moved to the Apollo Theatre in the West End in 2010, followed by incredible reviews and starred Mark Rylance both in the UK and on Broadway.[1]
She originated the role of Melody in the play Bad Jews in 2013.[2]
Ranson took part as Carrie White in the 2009 reading of the revival of the musical Carrie, alongside Sutton Foster and Marin Mazzie. The hope was to make the show ready for Broadway, after its flop in 1988, when it closed after only 5 performances.[3] After the new reading the show finally opened Off Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2010.[4]
In 2015 Ranson was cast as Natalie Drexel in the comedy Fish in the Dark, with Larry David playing Norman Drexel. When the show was extended, the role was taken over for six weeks by Jason Alexander.[5]
In 2022 Ranson starred as the character Molly in Prayer for the French Republic, while rehearsing for Plaza Suite, which opened right after the first closed.[6] She was asked to take part in Prayer back when in grad school by playwright Joshua Harmon, who had just started writing the play at the time.[7][8] The show is a family drama, presenting various aspects of the life of the Jewish Benhamou's in contemporary Paris (2016-2017) as well as the earlier generation of the Salomon's, using the same apartment space during WWII. Ranson reprised this role when MTC mounted the play again in 2024 on Broadway.[9]
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | August: Osage County | Jean Fordham (understudy and replacement) | Imperial Theater |
| 2010 | The Burnt Part Boys | Frances Boggs | Playwrights Horizons |
| 2011 | Jerusalem | Pea | Music Box Theatre |
| 2009–2012 | Carrie | Carrie White | Lucille Lortel Theatre |
| 2012–2013 | Bad Jews | Melody | Roundabout Theatre |
| 2015 | Fish in the Dark | Natalie Drexel | Cort Theatre |
| 2017 | Linda | Bridget | Manhattan Theater Club |
| 2020 | Plaza Suite | Jean McCormick and Mimsey Hubley | Colonial Theatre |
| 2022 | Prayer for the French Republic | Molly | Manhattan Theater Club |
| 2022 | Plaza Suite | Jean McCormick and Mimsey Hubley | Hudson Theatre |
| 2023-2024 | Prayer for the French Republic | Molly | Samuel J. Friedman Theatre |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Submissions Only | Dawn Iris | 1 episode |
| 2016 | Horace & Pete | Brenda | 1 episode |
| 2020 | New Amsterdam | Melissa Singer | 1 episode |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominated Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Carrie | Nominated |
| 2012 | Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Lead Actress | Carrie | Nominated |
| 2012 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Carrie | Nominated |
| 2014 | Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Lead Actress | Bad Jews | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ Diamond, Robert. "John Gallagher, Jr. to Co-Star in JERUSALEM; Full Cast Announced". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ Blank, Matthew (October 4, 2013). "PHOTO CALL: Bad Jews, With Tracee Chimo, Molly Ranson, Michael Zegen and Philip Ettinger, Opens Off-Broadway".
- ^ Varley, Eddie. "All-Star CARRIE Reading is 'Out For Blood' 11/20". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ Diamond, Robert. "Confirmed! CARRIE's Coming Back..." BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ Cox, Gordon (2015-03-26). "Jason Alexander Will Take Over Larry David's Role in Broadway's 'Fish in the Dark'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ "Day Off Diary: PLAZA SUITE's Molly Ranson". www.theatrely.com. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ Ranson, Molly (May 23, 2022). "How Molly Ranson Managed Theater's Return On + Off-Broadway".
- ^ Vincentelli, Elisabeth (2022-02-02). "Review: In 'Prayer for the French Republic,' Echoes of the Past". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ ri-admin (2022-02-25). "Prayer for the French Republic Manhattan Theatre Club". Plays International & Europe. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
External links
edit- Molly Ranson at IMDb