Terri Klausner ’73

Terri Klausner was a pioneer in the early days of the Paul VI performing arts program. When Paul VI was planting the seeds of its now thriving arts program, Terri was integral and inspirational. She went on to become a part of the theater industry on Broadway. From helping to lay the foundations of performing arts at Paul VI to seeing her name in lights along the “Great White Way,” Terri is a star deserving of recognition.

 

Terri has starred in a number of Broadway hits, including A Chorus Line and Sophisticated Ladies, and she played Eva Peron in Evita. Off-Broadway credits include Goblin Market, Bed & Sofa, Lies and Legends, New Tunes, The Cole Porter Review, and Oh! Coward! She has garnered two Drama Desk Award nominations, a New York Drama League Award, and an Obie Award. She also has nominations from the National Academy of Concerts and Cabaret Arts, and she received the Bistro Award for her performance in This Life: The Songs of Portia Nelson. She has performed numerous times at Carnegie Hall and at the White House, and she appeared at the 92nd St Y in the Lyrics and Lyricists Series and in the Celebrity Series, What Makes It Great? The Songs of Stephen Sondheim. Terri’s voice adds support to the Rockettes for their Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall, and she can be heard on cast albums. Most recently, she worked with Maurice Hines in the York Theatre’s Off-Broadway lab production of Maxie’s. For 12 years, Terri has directed the musical theatre program at Coupé Theatre Studio in Nanuet, New York, where she has mentored the students who will be the next generation of professional performers. She also invited Coupé’s musical theatre performance ensemble to perform with her at Carnegie Hall and the New World Stages in New York City. She performed and was vocal coach in 2007-2008 in the jazz/musical theatre program at Jacob’s Pillow. Her dedication to passing the torch to the next generation led her to create the Ellington Project for the Arts in Ed program for the Rockland Youth Dance Ensemble, funded through a grant from the Arts Council of Rockland in 2008 and 2010. Terri has appeared in her own act in Monte Carlo’s Sporting Club, the Laurie Beechman Theatre, the Duplex, the Metropolitan Room, Birdland, and 54Below, and as a featured performer in the Town Hall Broadway by the Year series. Terri, along with other members of the original cast of Sophisticated Ladies, performed at Birdland in New York City with the Duke Ellington Orchestra for the 30th anniversary of the show, and she has continued to perform with her colleagues Valarie Pettiford and Ty Stephens in their own show, A Sophisticated Reunion. She has done extensive voiceover work and is one of the main vocalists on Steve Marzullo’s CDs, Show Some Beauty and Kiss Me While We Have the Chance.

 

Terri doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t surrounded by music. She grew up in Collingswood where she started taking dance lessons at the age of 5, and she doesn’t remember a day without singing. She also enjoyed playing sports.

 

She said, “I didn’t realize it at the time, but my grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles were my first inspirations. My grandmother was a concert pianist. There was never a time when I was with her when she wasn’t playing the piano. You would never say that we were a wealthy family, but every household had a piano. Every holiday, baptism, communion, confirmation, funeral, or birthday turned into a party, and singing and performing was something we just did. I grew up thinking it was what every family did.”

 

Terri gravitated toward a very artistic, creative group of people when she first went to college at Catholic University in Washington, DC. She was studying speech and drama, but she was disappointed when she realized that they did only one musical a year. She said, “Musical theatre was what I was most interested in, but I began to audition for everything I could. I did a lot of community theatre and tried to take advantage of every opportunity that was available. I also traveled to New York for the first time and saw my first Broadway shows, the matinee of Grease and an evening performance of Pippin. My friends had to convince me to return to school. My interests shifted, and I decided that I wanted to go to New York. I worked in an Americana review in Williamsburg, Virginia, in the summer of 1976, and I joined a pop rock band and traveled to Colorado. I didn’t return to college after that summer. I met the creators of the Boulder Dinner Theatre in Boulder, Colorado, and I played the lead in their first three productions, Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar, and I Do, I Do. The death of a friend brought me to New York City. I started taking dance classes and began studying voice with my first and only voice teacher, Lehmann Byck. He introduced me to Donald Pippin, who was the musical director of A Chorus Line, and they took a leap of faith and “snuck” me into an audition. I was seen by the casting director and choreographer Bob Avian and was given some great feedback to strengthen my dancing and come back and audition again. I was then cast in the national touring company. That leap of faith started the journey that led to my other Broadway and Off-Broadway experiences, and now I get the chance to develop programs and performances for my wonderful students.”

 

She went on to say, “The lessons I’ve learned along the way are numerous, and the learning is lifelong. Most of my peers still study and take classes, even though many of us teach, direct, choreograph, coach, produce, and perform. It’s important to hone in on what your strengths are and not to be afraid to stretch your talents, even when it’s uncomfortable. I see young people today who seem to think that they want to be famous. In the long run, you’ve got to be willing to work really hard and get good training. It’s a very competitive world.”

 

Terri said, “I had a wonderful experience at Paul VI, and I would love to come back and connect with everyone . . . even teach a master class? Father Orsini and Father Narciso both influenced me to strive to be the best ‘me’ I could be, and they also offered me a religious understanding that allowed me to explore my spirituality. Mrs. Cathy Weir was also a mentor and a great basketball and track coach. I have been so fortunate. I’ve had a wonderful career, I’ve raised a family, and I continue to explore what I’m passionate about. Does it get any better than that?”

 

Terri’s advice to Paul VI students today is to “take advantage of every opportunity you have. Follow what makes you happy. Don’t try to be like anyone else.  Be your authentic self, true and honest.”

 

In addition to her career in performing and teaching, Terri works with Families Anonymous and drug awareness programs because there is addiction in her family. She also takes a tap class every week, and she taught herself to play the ukulele. She has been married to her husband, Gary Fails, for 30 years, and their home is in Tappan, New York. They have three children, Gretta (30), Joe (29), and Mike (28).