[NEohioPAL] Berko interview: Dee Hoty

[Roy Berko]

Dee Hoty,
local celeb makes it BIG and pays back
 
Roy Berko
 
(Member,
American Theatre Critics Association)
 
--THE TIMES
NEWSPAPERS--
Lorain
County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times  
 
--coolcleveland.com—
 
What does Lakewood, Ohio, ‘MAMA MIA,’ Tony Award
nominations, The Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Richard Oberlin, B. Neil Davis,
Higbees, Clinique and the Cleveland Play House’s Annual Gala all have in
common?  The answer?  Dee Hoty.
 
Dee Hoty, a native of Lakewood, who graduated from the local
high school in 1970, is a major Broadway star.    In a recent telephone interview, Hoty credited
then Lakewood drama director B. Neil Davis and choral director Ulah Gilmore
with infecting her with the theatre bug.  She also shared that being the youngest child in her family inspired her
to be an out-going, get attention type of kid.  Her local roots are still present as her mother lives in
Rocky River.   Her dad, who is
deceased, will be remembered for operating J.D. Hoty’s, a well known steak
house on West 6th and Superior.
 
Hoty attended and graduated from Otterbein College in
1974.  Shortly afterwards, she was
hired by Great Lakes Theatre Festival, which at that time was housed at
Lakewood High School,  to appear in
‘MEASURE FOR MEASURE.’  She was
seen there by Richard Oberlin of the Cleveland Play House and was retained as
an acting apprentice.   
 
How did she get to be a star?  In her spare time from GLTF Dee sold Clinique products at
Higbee’s Department Store,  She
asked for a transfer to the Big Apple, was trained at Lord and Taylor, bounced
back and forth between Cleveland and New York in an attempt to get her Actors’
Equity card, and within two years she got her big break.  First, a part in ‘BARNUM starring
Stacey Keach,’ next ‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY,’ then ‘PERSONALS,’ and she was on her
way.  
 
Dee went on to star in ‘MAMA MIA,’ both in NY and on
tour.  She was nominated for a Tony
for her starring roles in ‘FOOTLOOSE,’ ‘THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE GOES
PUBLIC,’ and ‘THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES.’  Other Broadway shows included ‘CITY OF ANGELS,’ ‘ME AND MY GIRL,’ ‘BIG
RIVER,’ ‘THE FIVE O’CLOCK GIRL,’ and ‘SHAKESPEARE’S CABARET.’   She recently toured with Tommy
Tune in ‘DOCTOR DOOLITTLE,’ which had a Cleveland run.  
 
She has also been seen in film and television productions
including, ‘AS THE WORLD TURNS,’ ‘GUIDING LIGHT,’ ‘ST. ELSEWHERE,’ ‘RYAN’S
HOPE,’ ‘CRIMINAL INTENT,’ and ‘SPENSER:  FOR HIRE.’  
 
What advice does she have for the star-struck?  “Go to college!”  “Find out what you really want!”  “You need to be grounded in more than
just acting.”  (This grounding is
why she recommends college rather than the conservatory route.)
 
What’s in the future?  She is in rehearsal for a production of ‘42nd STREET’ in St.
Louis and, “there’s something in the works, but I’m not allowed to talk about
it, yet.”
 
Hoty will be the featured entertainer at the Cleveland Play
House’s annual benefit on June 6, performing in a one-woman entitled,
‘DE-LIGHTFUL, DE-LOVELY, DEE HOTY!’  Why the return to the area?  “It’s my way of paying back CPH for the boost the organization gave me
in the past.”  For details about
the benefit call 216-795-7000, extension 226.


      
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