Pamela Blair, ‘A Chorus Line’ and ‘All My Children’ Actress, Dies at 73
Pamela Blair, who originated the role of Valerie Clarke in the Broadway musical A Chorus Line and appeared in several soap operas, has died. She was 73.
The actress died Sunday at her home in Mesa, Arizona, The Washington Post reported. Blair had a lengthy battle with complications related to Clippers disease, a nervous system disorder, her friend Scott Withers told the newspaper.
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Born on Dec. 5, 1949, in Bennington, Vermont, Blair, who had a passion for the arts from a young age, moved to New York as a teenager to pursue a career in acting and dancing. She studied drama at the HB Studio and attended the National Ballet Academy, where she met choreographer Michael Bennett, who would becoming a frequent collaborator.
She made her Broadway debut in 1968 in Promises, Promises, where she worked alongside Bennett. A few years later, Blair was in the original company for 1972’s musical Sugar, adapted from the film Some Like It Hot. The following year, she teamed up with Bennett again for a dance role in 1973’s Seesaw.
But it was her role as Valerie in the Tony Award-winning musical A Chorus Line, directed and choreographed by Bennett, that Blair is most known for. She reportedly used elements of her own life to bring her character to life. The Broadway show ran from 1975-90. Even though Blair stepped down from playing Val in 1977, she remained part of it from a creative standpoint.
Her other stage credits include 1995’s Mighty Aphrodite, 1978’s The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, 1974’s Of Mice and Men and 1989’s A Few Good Men.
In the ’80s and ’90s, Blair started to branch out, taking on film and television projects. She appeared in a handful of soap operas, including All My Children and Ryan’s Hope. Among her other screen credits are Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Law & Order, Annie, The Cosby Show, The Last Dance, 21 Grams and Before and After.
Blair was married to filmmaker Don Scardino from 1984 until their 1991 divorce.
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