About Joanna Seaton
Joanna Seaton floated into show biz as an Ivory Soap Baby, bobbing in a tub of bubbles with a pink bow in her hair. She modeled toddler clothes for Saks Fifth Avenue, posed in handmade sweaters and perched in handsome baby carriages for magazines and newspapers nationwide. Getting an early lesson in acting, she shed unhappy tears as a "constipated child" for Fletcher's Castoria. Her family lived in colorful Hell's Kitchen, within sight of Broadway's lights, and by the time she appeared in her kindergarten play as the Old Woman in the Shoe, she was truly bound for the footlights. Joanna is a member of Actors Equity and the Screen Actors Guild, and holds a Theatre Arts Degree from Cornell University.
Her acting credits include leading roles in over 70 productions of musicals and plays, in New York and at regional and stock theatres across the country, including the Kennedy Center. Joanna's Off-Broadway credits include FRANCIS (with Donna Murphy), the American premiere of Cole Porter's NYMPH ERRANT, the British music hall show GIVE MY REGARDS TO LEICESTER SQUARE at The Village Gate, BOY MEETS BOY at the Actors Playhouse, and THE LITTLE PRINCE at the John Houseman Theatre. Among her Off-off Broadway shows are THE JACK THE RIPPER REVUE at Manhattan Punchline, THE BLITZSTEIN PROJECT for Soho Rep, and EAST OF KANSAS at the Harold Clurman Theatre, where she met her husband, Donald Sosin.
Her favorite regional and stock credits are Anne in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (with Benay Venuta) and Carrie in CAROUSEL (with David Canary) at the Brunswick Music Theatre, and the cockney Maid in DRACULA (with John Philip Law) at Burt Reynolds' Jupiter Theatre. Joanna also played leading roles in productions of OKLAHOMA, SHENANDOAH, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, SOUTH PACIFIC, THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, GODSPELL, THE ODD COUPLE, WAIT UNTIL DARK, and many other shows, including a lavish MIKADO at the World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. Most recently, she sang the title role in PATIENCE with the Light Opera Company of Salisbury and appeared in THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES at Barrington Stage Studio Space in Great Barrington, Ma. and the Studio Theater in Lindenhurst, NY.
In 1995-96 Joanna and Donald traveled with the Broadway tour of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, starring Sam Harris. They directed over 1000 children in 24 cities, teaching them songs, choreography and acting, and slotting them into the production with the professional actors.
Joanna has twice concertized with jazz great Dick Hyman, at the 92nd Street Y and the Emelin Theater in Mamaroneck, NY. She performed many of the songs he has written for Woody Allen's films, using squeaky character voices and dialects. As a singer, she has also been heard at Symphony Space's Wall-to-Wall Richard Rodgers, the St. Regis Hotel, and the Rainbow Room. The New York Times has praised her "silvery soprano."
Although theatre has been the focus of Joanna's career, she has also worked in film and television. She created character voices and blood-curdling screams for KOJAK and THE EQUALIZER, and for the film DOGFIGHT. She also spent six unforgettable days at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, New York, appearing as a reporter in A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. Joanna's strangest film experience was running again and again through Columbus Circle at 3 A.M., dodging taxis and pretending to be terrified by the roving ghost in GHOSTBUSTERS.
Joanna spent five Christmas seasons as a troubadour at MACY'S Herald Square, where her trio "The Drummer, The Dancer, The Dreamer"strolled throughout the store, entertaining shoppers with Renaissance and medieval carols. The New York Times wrote: "At the sight of Miss Seaton in floor-length ivory silk and the men in doublets, hose and plumed hats, grim faces were surprised into smiles and children, depending on age, either kept time jauntily or drew closer to their parents. In four years as a store trio of 'living Christmas ornaments,' Miss Seaton estimated, 'We've seen some 25 other troubadours, 85 Santas, 350 elves, and a million children.' The trio also sang songs of the 1890's during the Easter season, and Joanna was part of the MACY'S Thanksgiving Day Parade for three years."
"The Drummer, The Dancer, The Dreamer" also sang at many corporate and private parties, including Leonard Bernstein's family Christmas celebration in the Dakota, and at countless New York City landmarks, among them the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters, the former World Trade Center, Citicorp, South Street Seaport, Fraunces Tavern and Lord and Taylor.
The trio also recorded a novelty single, MEOWY CHRISMOUSE, which received nationwide radio play, was heard on "All Things Considered" and Peter Schickele's "Schickele Mix," and was featured in the comedy magazine "Vanity Furr."
With her husband Donald Sosin, Joanna has performed at the National Arts Club; their popular evening of Gershwin songs, presented with Gershwin biographer Joan Peyser, prompted a return engagement with an evening of Noel Coward songs.
For four years, Ms. Seaton was the producer and artistic director for an Elizabethan dinner-theatre at the historic Major's Inn in Gilbertsville, New York, where patrons stepped back into the 16th century for an evening of drama, courtly dancing, and English dining. The theatre received an "America the Beautiful" grant from New York State, and Joanna was listed in Who's Who in American Women for her achievements.
Joanna and her husband Donald released a CD of Broadway love songs, SAIL AWAY, in which Joanna uses her voice as an instrument of healing. She holds a certificate in psychic healing and laying-on-of-hands from Elizabeth Stratton, M.S., a renowned healer and author. Joanna makes extensive use of sound in her healing work, and applies her training as a healer when she teaches voice.
Joanna is the daughter of John and Emily Shrager. Having survived Hell's Kitchen, she moved with her parents and sister Jeanie, and brothers Eddie and Peter, to nearby Blauvelt, New York, where they built a house out of antique bricks. Her father was the President of John Shrager Advertising, Inc. which was housed in the Chrysler Building. Her mother held a Masters in Early Childhood Education from Columbia University. They were the founders and directors of Pre-School Playhouse, Inc. a state-accredited nursery school/kindergarten in Blauvelt.
Recordings and Live Performances
For information on recordings and booking live performance, contact:
FARMHOUSE WINDOW PRODUCTIONS
41 Horseshoe Lane
Lakeville CT 06039
Tel: (860) 435-4687
Fax: (928) 752-3417
Copyright © Donald Sosin and Farmhouse Window Productions.