Shepherd was one of the actresses to play Maria in the famous 1977
Houston Grand Opera production of
Porgy and Bess in the San Francisco
War Memorial Opera House. She reprised the role in the 1983 production at the
Arie Crown Theater, Chicago, and in some performances of the revival on
Broadway later in the same year. She went on to play Evelline in the national touring production of
The Wiz that ran from June 1978 to July 1979. In 1980 she was one of the three female singers in the
off-Broadway production of
Blues in the Night. In 1984 Shepherd appeared in the Broadway production of the operetta
Show Boat as Queenie. In 1986 she was an understudy in the original touring production of
Legends, performing at least once during the tour, and in 1987 she was understudy as Rose in
Stepping Out. In 1988 she was "an ample and vocally strong Peaseblossom" in a Broadway production of ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (running December 7, 1987, to March 27, 1988). ==Television appearances==