Hollis Resnik is an American singer and actress, especially in stage musicals.
Education
Raised in Euclid, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland), as a young girl she studied piano and took voice lessons and performed with the Cleveland Symphony Children"s Choir. Attending Russell H. Erwine Elementary and Shore Junior High School, she graduated from Euclid High School in 1973. She graduated from Denison University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
Career
She appeared three times on the television show Cupid, and had a support role in the motion pictures Backdraft and Little Big Top, an independent film. In 1993 Resnik appeared in the Office-Broadway musical version of Wings as Amy the "sympathetic therapist". In 2002, she released a Civil Defense titled "Make Someone Happy", which has broadway, popular, jazz and original songs.
She has toured in several musicals.
She played the role of "Fantine" in the 3rd National United States Tour of Les Miserables in 1988. She played Mistress Meers in the United States tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2003 and in 2006 was Muriel in the United States tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
In March 2007 Resnik toured in the musical Manitoba of Louisiana Mancha in the part of Aldonza, also known as Dulcinea. In the 2001 Ravinia Festival (Illinois) concert version of Sweeney Todd Resnik played the beggar woman.
In 2002 she appeared in A Little Night Music in concert at the Ravinia Festival as Countess Charlotte Malcolm.
She played the roles of Escalante/Aldonza/Dulcinea in the production of Manitoba of LaMancha at the Court Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, from September 29, 2005 to November 13, 2005. The reviewer wrote "one of Chicago’s favorites, Hollis Resnik as Aldonza/Dulcinea (hers is a different interpretation of the role, and she is dynamite)."
Resnik starred as the two middle-aged Edies in the Mid-west premiere of Grey Gardens in suburban Chicago"s Northlight Theatre, Skokie, Illinois (under the direction of artistic director BJ Jones) from November 12, 2008 through December 21, 2008, in which she was called "splendid" by the talkinbroadway.com reviewer. She played Velma Von Tussle in the musical Hairspray at the Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, Illinois in 2009.
She played the role of "Old Woman" in the Goodman Theatre"s production of Leonard Bernstein"s musical Candide in September and October 2010.
The chicagonow.com reviewer wrote that "Resnik is hilarious as a half-buttock survivor of her own misfortune. Her "I Am Easily Assimilated" musical number is easily one of the best songs in the show." She starred as Margaret in the Arena Stage (Washington, District of Columbia) production of The Light in the Piazza in 2010.
The Washington Post reviewer wrote of her performance "Resnik projects soulful vulnerability, a sense that this stifled woman needs as much protection as she seeks to bestow." She will play Mother Superior in the touring version of Sister Acting. Resnik played Judy Garland in the 2014 Milwaukee Repertory Theatre production of End of the Rainbow.