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Pamela Blair
Blair in 1983
Born	(1949-12-05)December 5, 1949 Bennington, Vermont, U.S.
Died	July 23, 2023(2023-07-23) (aged 73) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actress, dancer
Spouse	Don Scardino ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1991)​

Pamela Blair (December 5, 1949 – July 23, 2023) was an American actress best known for originating the role of Val in the musicalA Chorus Line and several appearances on Americansoap operas.

Born inBennington, Vermont, to Edgar Joseph and Geraldine Marie (née Cummings) Blair; she was raised in a small town with her pony, Tonka. She studied dance, played sports, and dreamed of becoming aRadio CityRockette in order to meet her idols,The Beatles. At age 16, she moved to New York City to attend a private school, The National Academy of Ballet, in her senior year of high school. She studied acting atHB Studio.^[1] She later met a friend at a dance class who told herMichael Bennett was looking for dancers forPromises, Promises. Pam auditioned and was hired. Blair comments, "Whenever I don't seem to be getting anywhere in this business, I try to remember that I was once a chambermaid in a small motel in Vermont." She continued to build credits withSeesaw, another Michael Bennett production, and then landed the coveted role of "Curly's Wife", the only female role in theJames Earl Jones Broadway revival ofOf Mice and Men which later opened at theKennedy Center to critical acclaim. She also appeared inSugar, the stage musical version of the filmSome Like It Hot, in which she played "Sugar Kane", a role made famous byMarilyn Monroe.^{[citation needed]}

In 1974, Blair was invited by Michael Bennett to participate in the workshops from whichA Chorus Line was developed. The character of "Valerie Clark" was in large part, based on her own life, although thesurgical enhancement came from another dancer. "Val was based on Mitzi Hamilton, who actually underwent surgery to enhance her figure, and Pam Blair, whose mixture of angelic appearance and ribald tongue entertained Bennett enormously".^[2] The angelic looking yet sexy Val has a foul mouth, and introduces the popularBroadway song "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three" which tells the story of an unattractive yet talented girl who uses plastic surgery to help her get cast in roles. Along with the cast, Blair won the 1976Theatre World Award for Ensemble Performance for the show.^{[citation needed]}

Blair next originated the role of "Amber" (later "Angel") in 1978'sThe Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Her turn as an eager to workprostitute earned her aDrama Desk Award nomination. She can be heard on the cast recording as the lead in "Hard Candy Christmas", although the song "Bus from Amarillo" was taken from her before the show opened. Further roles on Broadway includeKing of Hearts (in theGeneviève Bujold role), "Clelia" inThe Nerd, and "Joanne" inA Few Good Men, directed by her then estranged husband,Don Scardino.

Blair made several appearances on American soap operas such asLoving,Another World,Ryan's Hope, andAll My Children, for which she received aDaytime Emmy nomination. She guest starred on such shows asLaw & Order,The Cosby Show,The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, andSabrina the Teenage Witch. Blair guest-starred in a movie-of-the-week titledManeater for Lifetime. She appeared oppositeJodie Foster in the TV filmSvengali and in feature filmsMighty Aphrodite directed byWoody Allen,21 Grams withSean Penn andBenicio del Toro,Before and After withMeryl Streep andLiam Neeson andAnnie as the maid Annette.^{[citation needed]}

Blair lived inHollywood, California, for a time, where she landed the role of Sabrina's mother onSabrina the Teenage Witch, although high-profile on-camera success eluded her. However, she continued to amass many regional and national credits, and still appeared in roles such as Heddi La Rue inHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. In 2006, she appeared in the lead role of Miss Mona with the Phoenix Theater's production ofThe Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, directed by Michael Barnard; she had been in the musical's original cast when it debuted.

Blair married actor and film directorDon Scardino in 1984, and they divorced in 1991. She lived inNew Jersey for a time, and last resided inArizona where she owned her own Therapeutic and Myofascial Massage Studio for athletes. Blair died inPhoenix on July 23, 2023, at the age of 73.^[3][4]

• Pamela Blair at theInternet Broadway Database
• Pamela Blair at theInternet Off-Broadway Database (archived)
• Pamela Blair atIMDb
• Pamela Blair discography atDiscogs

• 1949 births
• 2023 deaths
• Actresses from Vermont
• American female dancers
• American film actresses
• American soap opera actresses
• American stage actresses
• American television actresses
• American voice actresses
• Dancers from Vermont
• People from Bennington, Vermont
• 20th-century American actresses
• 20th-century American dancers

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