Elizabeth A. Davis
Elizabeth Anne Davis known professionally as Elizabeth A. Davis, is an American actress and musician known for her work in the musical Once, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2012.
Early life
Elizabeth Anne Davis was born in Dumas, Texas, and raised in Channing, Texas, the daughter of Melody and Frank Davis. She also has a brother named Jonathan. Her father is the former superintendent of the Channing Independent School District, and both of her parents are involved in the arts. Her mother is a former speech coach and teacher who earned her master's degree in Speech Communication from West Texas A&M University in 1982. She graduated from Channing High School, received her Bachelor in Fine Arts degree from Baylor University and her Master of Fine Arts from Case Western Reserve University-Cleveland Play House acting program in Cleveland, Ohio. Davis is an accomplished musician, having played the violin for over 18 years.Career
Davis first started out her professional career as a college student playing the lead role in the Texas Musical Drama in the Palo Duro Canyon State Park.Davis is seen as the Romanian "Nadia" on the New York-shot Taxi: Brooklyn. She was also seen in FOX's Fringe in the "Ability" episode and on One Life to Live.
Davis has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway and regional theatre productions, including the Off-Broadway production of Wolves as Kay at the 59E59 Theatre. She played the role of Sister James in at the Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples, Florida and starred as Blanche Dubois in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Cleveland Playhouse. She played the role of Célimène in a New Jersey Shakespeare Festival production of The Misanthrope and has also understudied the lead female role in the New World Stages production of The 39 Steps. She starred in The Starship Astov at the Midtown International Theatre Festival, for which she was nominated for a MITF Best Actress award. Davis also starred as Emily Dickinson in Emily at Theatre Row for which she won the New York Innovative Theater Award for Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role.
Davis is best known for originating the role of Réza, the Czech roommate of leading lady Cristin Milioti in Once, a stage musical version of the Academy Award-winning film Once. Davis originated the role of Réza at the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University and Off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop. Her final performance as Réza in Once was on March 24, 2013. Once opened on Broadway on March 18, 2012 and received 11 Tony nominations, including Best Musical. For this role she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In May 2013, she joined Christopher Lloyd and composer, Duncan Sheik in Classic Stage Company's rare production of Bertolt Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle.
In April through May 2014, Davis starred in Four Last Things at the American Globe Theater.
Stage credits
Broadway• Once, as Reza
Off-Broadway
• Allegro, Jennie
• Four Last Things,, Jane
• Caucasian Chalk Circle,, Grusha
• Joe,, Playwright/Performer
• Once,, Réza/Violinist
• The 39 Steps,, Woman
• Wolves,, Kay
• Dally with the Devil,, Megan
Theatre
• Emily,, Emily Dickenson
• Of Mice and Men,, Curley’s Wife
• The Cherry Orchard,, Varya
• Grace, Sarah
Regional Theatre
• MacBeth Again, Becca
• Once,, Réza
• The Devil’s Disciple,, Judith
• The Misanthrope,, Celimene
• Ride The Tiger,, Judy
• Doubt,, Sister James
• Opus,, Grace
• Well,, Lisa U/S
• A Streetcar Named Desire, Stella
Film/TV
• The Jim Gaffigan Show, Roxie• Blue Bloods, Tatiana
• Taxi Brooklyn, Nadia
• Blur Circle, Heather
• Fringe, Joanne
• All My Children, Single Gal
• Nora Falls
Special appearances
• The Today Show• The David Letterman Show
• The Tony Awards
• CBS Thanksgiving Day Parade
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2012 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Once | |
| 2015 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Allegro |