Faith Prince Bio
Faith Prince is an American actress and singer whose career is best known for work in Broadway musical theatre. She rose to widespread recognition for her portrayal of Miss Adelaide in the 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls, a performance that earned her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and established her as a leading musical-comedy performer on the New York stage. Her work spans theatre, film, television and cabaret, and she has maintained an active performance schedule from the early 1980s into the 2020s.
Early Life and Background
Faith Prince was born in Augusta, Georgia, and was raised in Lynchburg, Virginia. She attended E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg before pursuing formal theatre training at the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and developed foundational vocal and acting skills. Her education prepared her for a career that blended musical performance and comedic acting, and it established connections that supported her early professional work.
Prince began performing professionally in the early 1980s, with her career officially recorded as active from 1982. Those formative years included regional theatre, concert appearances and the gradual accumulation of credits that led to her Broadway debut. Her conservatory training and early stage experience positioned her to step into larger musical productions once she reached the New York theatre scene.
Path to Celebrity
Prince made her Broadway debut in 1989 as Tessie Tura in Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, a high-profile production that showcased her comedic timing and vocal presence. She followed that appearance with a role in Nick & Nora and continued to build a reputation in the New York theatre community for comic flair and reliable musical performance. Those early Broadway engagements introduced her to casting directors and creative teams who would later cast her in leading musical roles.
Her steady work in ensemble and supporting roles led naturally to headline opportunities. By the early 1990s Prince was recognized as a performer capable of originating and revitalizing classic musical characters, which created the opening for her breakthrough casting in Guys and Dolls. Concurrently she expanded into screen work, appearing in film and television roles that broadened her professional profile beyond the stage.
Prince also developed a parallel career in cabaret and concert performance, recording a live cabaret debut and touring in venues that ranged from dedicated cabaret rooms to regional performing arts centers. This cabaret work kept her connected to an intimate performance tradition and allowed her to present material outside the constraints of book musicals, contributing to her visibility among critics and theatre patrons.
Faith Prince Career
Early Career (1982–1989)
Prince’s early career through the 1980s combined conservatory training with regional and off-Broadway work that built her technique and stagecraft. By 1989 she secured her first Broadway credit in Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, portraying Tessie Tura, a role that demonstrated her ability to handle both vocal demands and comedic choreography within large-scale musicals. These credits provided a platform for more prominent casting opportunities in subsequent seasons.
During this period she also began to take small roles on screen, including a part in the 1985 film The Last Dragon, establishing an early presence in both stage and screen projects. Those film appearances complemented her theatrical résumé and broadened the range of roles offered to her in the 1990s.
Breakthrough (1989–1993)
Prince achieved her career breakthrough with the 1992 Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls, in which she portrayed Miss Adelaide. Her performance drew strong critical attention for its comic precision, vocal warmth and character work, and it earned her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1992. The role became a signature performance and remains a defining credit of her career, often cited in profiles and reviews.
Alongside the Tony, Prince won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for the same portrayal, reinforcing the industry recognition for that season. The success of Guys and Dolls led to more prominent offers on stage and facilitated occasional supporting roles in feature films, including Dave in 1993, where her screen work reached a wider audience.
Major Projects and Continued Stage Work (1994–2015)
After her breakthrough, Prince continued to appear in significant Broadway productions and national tours. She received Tony and Drama Desk nominations in 2001 for her role as Ella Peterson in the revival of Bells Are Ringing and again in 2008 for her work in A Catered Affair. Her Broadway credits also include taking over the role of Miss Hannigan in the revival of Annie in 2013 and appearing as Shirley in the Broadway production of Disaster! Her stage work in the 2000s and 2010s combined leading roles, replacements in major revivals and national-tour assignments that showcased a range of musical and comedic skills.
Prince also toured nationally as Mrs. Wilkinson in the second U.S. tour of Billy Elliot the Musical from October 2010 through August 2011. She continued to perform in concert versions and special productions, including a 2009 concert performance of Sweeney Todd with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and a 2010 concert of Life Begins at 8:40 at the Library of Congress. In 2012 she collaborated with Jason Graae on The Prince and the Showboy, a tribute to composer Jerry Herman, and the pair won a New York Nightlife Award for outstanding musical comedy performer in January 2013.
Notable Works and Milestones
Key milestones include Prince’s Tony Award win and Drama Desk recognition for Guys and Dolls, her multiple Tony nominations for subsequent revivals and her continuing presence in both Broadway revivals and new musical productions. She has sustained a dual career of large-scale musical theatre and intimate cabaret projects, producing live recordings such as A Leap of Faith and Total Faith and contributing to studio recordings of musical scores.
Faith Prince Award Nominations
Faith Prince has received multiple Tony Award nominations during her career, including a win in 1992 and at least three additional nominations for leading roles in Broadway revivals. Her nominations and recurring recognition from the Drama Desk reflect consistent peer and critical attention to her work in musical theatre across several decades.
Faith Prince Awards Won
Prince won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Miss Adelaide in the Guys and Dolls revival, and she was honored with the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for the same role. She and collaborators also received the New York Nightlife Award for outstanding musical comedy performer for The Prince and the Showboy in 2013, underscoring her achievements in cabaret as well as on Broadway.
Faith Prince Family
Prince has been married to trumpeter Larry Lunetta since 1992. The couple resides in Sacramento, California, and have one son together; public sources note that Prince and Lunetta maintain a family life while she continues to perform. Reports also indicate that she was predeceased by her brother Philip, a personal detail that has been noted in public biographical accounts.
Personal Life
Outside performance, Prince has built a parallel career in cabaret, concert appearances and studio recordings, and she remains active in musical communities that support revivals and tribute programming. In recent years she has continued to appear on television in recurring roles, including parts on Spin City, Huff, Melissa & Joey and the musical drama Monarch, while also co-leading the 92NY Summer Cabaret Conference since 2024. Her professional life blends stage, screen and cabaret with teaching and conference work that supports the next generation of musical performers.