Beth Fowler

Beth Fowler is an American actress and singer from Jersey City, New Jersey, whose Broadway career spanned from 1970 to 2007. A graduate of Caldwell University in New Jersey, she taught music for several years and performed in community theater before pursuing a professional stage career. She had attended Catholic schools and at one point considered entering a convent prior to her work as a music teacher. Her interest in Broadway led her to audition for Gantry in 1970, where she was cast in the chorus and as understudy for the lead role; the production closed on its opening night. Her next Broadway engagement proved more successful, as she joined the cast of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music.

Fowler accumulated an extensive list of Broadway credits over the following decades, including 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Peter Pan, Baby, Teddy & Alice, and Bells Are Ringing. She took on the role of Mrs. Lovett in the 1989 revival of Sweeney Todd and originated the role of Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast. In The Boy from Oz, she portrayed Peter Allen's mother, Marion. Additional credits include Take Me Along, Inherit the Wind, Escape: 6 Ways to Get Away, and other productions.

Fowler received two Tony Award nominations during her career. Her portrayal of Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd earned her a nomination for Best Actress in a Musical in 1990, along with a Drama Desk Award nomination. Her work in The Boy from Oz brought her a second Tony nomination, this time for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, in 2004.

Beyond the stage, Fowler appeared in several films, including Sister Act, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Friends & Family, Did You Hear About the Morgans?, I Don't Know How She Does It, and the animated film Mulan, for which she sang "Honor to Us All." Her television work includes guest appearances on Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Ed, and Gossip Girl. In 2013, she began a recurring role as Sister Jane Ingalls in the comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black. As part of that ensemble cast, she received two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

Fowler married Jack Witham in 1976. She has lived in several New Jersey communities, including Rutherford, Teaneck, Hawthorne, and Glen Rock, and has resided in New Milford, New Jersey, since 2000.