Dorothy Emmerson

Dorothy Emmerson is a retired American actress and singer whose stage career was centered in New York City during the 1960s and 1970s. She is the daughter of diplomat John K. Emmerson.

Emmerson began her theatrical work in ensemble roles, appearing in the original 1963 Vernon Duke musical Zenda and the 1965 Lincoln Center revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel. Her work during this period also included a run in the Off-Broadway production The Mad Show at the New Theater, where she performed for an extended engagement.

Her Broadway career spanned from 1962 to 1970 and encompassed five productions. She made her first featured Broadway appearance in 1968, playing Eileen Higby in the original production of The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N, with music and lyrics by Paul Nassau and Oscar Brand. Later that same year she joined the original cast of Jimmy Shine, a production written by John Sebastian, in the role of Rita. The production ran into 1969 and featured Dustin Hoffman and Rue McClanahan among its cast members. In 1970, Emmerson portrayed Mary in the original production of Norman, Is That You?, written by Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick and staged at the Lyceum Theatre, where she appeared alongside Maureen Stapleton. She returned to Broadway once more in 1979, taking on the role of Arlene Miller in Murder at the Howard Johnson's as a stand-in for Joyce Van Patten. Her verified Broadway credits additionally include Kismet.

Following her performing career, Emmerson moved primarily into education, teaching acting and singing. She holds a faculty position with the Michael Chekhov Association, known as MICHA. A soprano, she has continued to appear occasionally in concert and recital settings, with a particular focus on Russian Art Songs.