Raised in Euclid, Ohio (a suburb of
Cleveland), as a young girl she studied piano and took voice lessons and performed with the Cleveland Symphony Children's Choir. Attending Russell H. Erwine Elementary and Shore Junior High School, she graduated from Euclid High School in 1973. She graduated from
Denison University with a
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. A Chicago-based theatre actress, Resnik was the 1992 winner of the
Sarah Siddons Award. She appeared three times on the television show
Cupid, and had supporting roles in the motion pictures
Backdraft and
Little Big Top, an independent film. In 1993 Resnik appeared in the
Off-Broadway musical version of
Wings as Amy the "sympathetic therapist". In 2002, she released a
compact disc titled "Make Someone Happy", which has Broadway, pop, jazz and original songs. She toured in several musicals. She played the role of "
Fantine" in the 1st U.S. National Tour of
Les Miserables in 1988. She played Mrs. Meers in the U.S. tour of
Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2003 and in 2006 was Muriel in the U.S. tour of
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. In March 2007 Resnik toured in the musical
Man of La Mancha in the part of Aldonza, also known as Dulcinea. In the 2001
Ravinia Festival (Illinois) concert version of
Sweeney Todd Resnik played the beggar woman. In 2002 she appeared in
A Little Night Music in concert at the Ravinia Festival as Countess Charlotte Malcolm. She played the roles of Escalante/Aldonza/Dulcinea in the production of
Man of La Mancha at the Court Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, from September 29, 2005, to November 13, 2005. Resnik starred as the two middle-aged Edies in the Mid-west premiere of
Grey Gardens in suburban Chicago's Northlight Theatre,
Skokie, Illinois (under the direction of artistic director BJ Jones) from November 12, 2008, through December 21, 2008, in which she was called "splendid" by the
talkinbroadway.com reviewer. She played Velma Von Tussle in the musical
Hairspray at the Marriott Theatre,
Lincolnshire, Illinois in 2009. She played the role of "Old Woman" in the
Goodman Theatre's production of Leonard Bernstein's musical
Candide in September and October 2010. The
chicagonow.com reviewer wrote that "Resnik is hilarious as a half-buttock survivor of her own misfortune. Her 'I Am Easily Assimilated' musical number is easily one of the best songs in the show." She starred as Margaret in the
Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.) production of
The Light in the Piazza in 2010.
The Washington Post reviewer wrote of her performance "Resnik projects soulful vulnerability, a sense that this stifled woman needs as much protection as she seeks to bestow." She played Mother Superior in the touring version of
Sister Act. Resnik played
Judy Garland in the 2014 Milwaukee Repertory Theatre production of
End of the Rainbow. Resnik died from heart failure in Chicago on April 17, 2022. == References ==