Valarie Pettiford

Pettiford began her career as a dancer and choreographer in Bob Fosse productions on Broadway.[3] Alvin Klein of the New York Times wrote of her role in the 1983 musical revue Ladies and Gentlemen, Jerome Kern! that "You will not for a moment take your eyes off Valarie Pettiford, the show's standout: a sinewy dancer who can be sultry or sweet, measure for measure, as prescribed.... Miss Pettiford appears to be a superbly trained dancer, schooled in balletic finesse and Broadway-style razzmatazz - and a stunning presence."[4] Leah Frank, also in the NYT, wrote of Pettiford's appearance in West Side Story in 1987: "The mainstay of the supporting cast is Valarie Pettiford, whose Anita is spicy, sensual and full of fire. She is an exciting actress who has a special quality needed to ignite a number such as America."[5]

In 1994, she played black lesbian Cassandra Keefer in The Naked Truth,[6] and from 1995 to 1996 starred as Julie in a touring production of Show Boat.[7]

Pettiford received a Tony nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical and a Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination for her role in the Broadway production Fosse from 1998 to 1999.[2][8] Variety said Pettiford gave "a coolly elegant vocal rendition, [and she] is also a sultry, powerful dancer."[9] She left Fosse to appear as Velma Kelly in Chicago in the West End in London from August 1999 to February 2000, alongside Chita Rivera as Roxie Hart.[2][8]

In 2007 Pettiford won the Backstage Bistro Award for her cabaret debut at the Metropolitan Room,[10] and won an NAACP Theatre Award for her lead role in The Wild Party.[11] In 2008, she starred in a solo show, Valarie Pettiford - Thankful that played in New York and Los Angeles.[2] In 2009, she starred in the solo show Valarie Pettiford - The Concert in Manhattan.[12]

Pettiford's first film role was in 1978 at the age of 18 while still at the High School of Performing Arts, as part of the ensemble in The Wiz.[13] She starred as Mariah Carey's mother in the 2001 film Glitter,[14] had a part in Stomp the Yard in 2007,[15] and played Aunt Geneva in the 2011 film, Jumping the Broom.

In the 1990s, Pettiford appeared on daytime soap operas,[3] including Another World and One Life to Live (where she originated the role of Sheila Price). Her Half & Half role from 2002-6 as Big Dee Dee Thorne gained her three NAACP Image Award nominations.[2] From 2008 to 2009, she played Sandra Lucas in the comedy-drama series Tyler Perry's House of Payne.[2] She also appeared in the HBO pilot Anatomy of Hope, directed by JJ Abrams.[2] And currently has a re-occurring role as the wife to Harold Cooper (Harry Lennix) Assistant Director of the FBI Counter-Terrorism Division, on the NBC drama The Blacklist.

Pettiford released a jazz album, Hear My Soul, in 2005.[3]

• The Wiz (2006), Aunt Em[17]
• The Wild Party (2005)[17]
• He Hunts (2002), Leontine Duchotel[18]
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (2002), Dorothy Shaw[19]
• Chicago (August 1999—February 2000), Velma Kelly[8]
• Fosse (1998—99)
• Show Boat (1995—96), Julie
• Freefall (1994)[20]
• The Naked Truth (1994), Cassandra Keefer
• Weird Romance (1992), Shannara and other roles[21]
• West Side Story (1987), Anita
• Big Deal (1986), Pearl, dance captain[22]
• Ladies and Gentlemen, Jerome Kern (1985), choreographer[17]
• Grind (1985), Fleta[16]
• Dancin' (1979), performer[17]
• Sophisticated Ladies (1978), a sophisticated lady and understudy for Miss Jamison, dance captain[16][17]
• A Broadway Musical (1978), swing performer[16]
• Summer and Smoke[16]
• The Balcony[16]
• Beehive[16]
• Tango Apasionato[16]
• Sarah and Abraham[16]
• She Stoops to Conquer[16]
• Sweet Charity[16]

Pettiford was born in Queens, New York, to Ralph and Blanch Pettiford,[16] and graduated from the High School of Performing Arts in 1978.[1][23] She is married to her manager, actor and former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Tony Rader.[1][24] They got engaged in 1991.[25]

• Valarie Pettiford at IMDb