Mason was born in
New Orleans, Louisiana, and grew up in
St. Louis and
Chicago. She majored in theater at the
University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, graduating in 1999.[1] Mason started as a "singing hostess at Lawrence of Oregano in Chicago" in 1976 after leaving college, where she met the late pianist and composer Brian Lasser, with whom she worked until his death in 1992.[2][3]
Mason has performed in cabaret and with symphonies for many years.[4] She was one of the featured cabaret vocalists at
Duplex Cabaret Theatre, New York City, in the early 1980s, and in 2005 presented a program "Better Days" with songs by her late musical director Brian Lasser.[5] She appeared at the Bay Area Cabaret, Empire Ballroom,
San Francisco in 2010.[6] She continues to perform her cabaret act at such venues as Davenport's (Chicago)[7] and The Iridium (New York City).[8] She taught at the Theatre Arts Center's Summer Workshops & Camp in
Bayside, Queens, New York in 2010.[9]
She first appeared on Broadway in Play Me a Country Song in 1982.[10] She took the role of standby to
Glenn Close as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard in the Los Angeles production in 1993, and went on to play almost 300 performances over two years both in Los Angeles and on Broadway.[2][11] She originated the role of Tanya in Mamma Mia!, playing the role from October 5, 2001 to October 6, 2002.[12] She took over the role of
Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray on April 6, 2008.[13] She was the Queen of Hearts in Wonderland in 2011 on Broadway and in the
Tampa and
Houston productions in 2009–2010.[4][14] Mason appears in the US tour of A Christmas Story, The Musical! starting in November 2011.[15]
In 2011, Mason was scheduled to play Mrs. Danvers in the musical Rebecca on Broadway.[16] In 2017, she sang, "It's About Time", written by her husband, Paul Rolnick (in 2011), to call for marriage equality.[17] Mason appeared on tour in
Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies as
Madame Giry. The tour ended on December 2, 2018. In December 2020, Mason appeared in The
Doris Dear Christmas Special on Broadway on Demand, where her performance received a 5-star rating.[18]
Mason has recorded 6 solo albums, including Right Here, Right Now.[4] She appears on the cast recordings of And the World Goes 'Round[27] and Wonderland.[28]
Personal life
Mason is married to Paul Rolnick, a producer and composer.[29]
Awards
Mason has received 10
MAC Awards, including the 2004 MAC Award for Major Female Vocalist, and three Bistro Awards.[4]