b. 30 June 1936, Pensacola, Florida, USA. After studying dancing and singing she appeared in several stage productions before making her Broadway debut as a replacement in the long-running The Sound Of Music (1959). Dussault attracted considerable attention when she appeared in Do Re Mi (1960), which starred Phil Silvers and Nancy Walker. With book by Garson Kanin, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, the show ran for 400 performances and brought Dussault a Theatre World Award and a nomination for a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress In A Musical. Dussault was next in Bajour (1964), which opened at the Shubert Theatre before transferring to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, running for a total of 232 performances. The book, by Ernest Kinoy, was based upon Joseph Mitchell’s stories published in New Yorker magazine. Music and lyrics were by Walter Marks and choreography by Peter Gennaro. The show featured Herschel Bernardi, as Cockeye Johnny Dembo, and Chita Rivera, as Anyanka. Also in the cast, in minor roles, were Herbert Edelman (The King of Newark) and Paul Sorvino (a policeman). For her performance, as Emily Kirsten, Dussault received her second Tony Award nomination as Best Actress In A Musical. Later Broadway appearances included replacement cast member in the musicals Side By Side By Sondheim (1977) and Into The Woods (1987).
From the early 60s, Dussault had also appeared in cabaret, notably at Julius Monk’s club, Upstairs At The Downstairs on New York’s West 56th Street. Also from this time, she was often on television in plays, individual episodes of series and situation comedies, and in television films. Among these appearances are The Many Facets Of Cole Porter and Salute To Jerome Kern (both 1965), The Song And The Dance Man (1966), The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971), The In-Laws (1979), Too Close For Comfort (The Ted Knight Show) (1980), The Love Boat (1981-82), Murder, She Wrote, Matlock and Hotel (all 1987), Mad About You (1992), and Judging Amy (2001). Dussault was also co-host of Good Morning America (1975-77).
