A tall, lithe blonde dancer and actor, Texas native Deborah Yates landed a job as a Rockette upon moving to NYC in 1994 and made her breakthrough five years later as a character simply referred to as 'The Girl in the Yellow Dress' in the Broadway production "Contact". With a singularly attractive stage presence that has all the personality her character name lacks, Yates' Girl strikes a powerful pose in the final and lengthiest segment of the trio of dance-infused plays that make up the Broadway show. Outfitted in a short wispy garment, with her wavy blonde hair fixed in an upswept style, she is the belle of the modern dance ball, a beauty that everyone wants to dance with but for some reason she has her eye on an awkward, suicidal ad exec (Boyd Gaines). Yates shone in the role, proving not only her remarkable dance abilities, but a heretofore unseen acting talent, holding her own alongside two-time Tony-winner Gaines. Yates' fierce poise and icy allure led Ben Brantley of The New York Times to refer to the ingenue as "a razor-edged Grace Kelly", and her agile but resolute performance captured many a theatergoer.Moving from the Rockettes to The Girl in the Yellow Dress was a stretch for Yates, who went from being a part of an ensemble wherein uniformity is the utmost concern to basically demanding attention and stealing the show to be appropriately in character. Between these two stints, she had a featured role in the failed Broadway revue "Dream: A Johnny Mercer Musical" (1997) and also counted among her credits performances in the 1996 City Center's Encores! staging of "Ziegfeld Follies of 1936" and a regional Texas production of "The Will Rogers Follies". On the small screen, Yates could be seen in the syndicated anthology series "Ghost Stories" (1997). Although she has additionally appeared in some small independent film projects, judging by her triumphant Tony-nominated performance in "Contact", Yates was likely to remain a noted name on the Broadway stage.
Profession(s):
Actor, dancer, waitress
Sometimes Credited As:
Deborah Lynn Yates
Companion(s)
John Mattey
, Companion
, ```..dated from c. 1998 to c. 2000
Michael Bolton
, Companion
, ```..reportedly dating as of 2001
Astaire Award Female Dancer "Contact" 2000
1999 Starred as The Girl in the Yellow Dress in the hit Broadway dance play "Contact"; nominated for a Tony as Featured Actress in a Musical
1997 Was a featured dancer in the ensemble of the Broadway revue "Dream: The Johnny Mercer Musical"
1997 Acted in an episode of the syndicated series "Ghost Stories"
1996 Appeared in the "Ziegfeld Follies of 1936" production of City Center's Encores! series
1994 Moved to NYC
1994 - 1997 Danced with Radio City Music Hall's Rockettes
Raised in Jacksonville, Texas
Began dancing at age five
Moved from Jacksonville to Austin, Texas at age 16
Joined a modern dance company in Chicago
Got her Actors' Equity card for a stint performing on a cruise ship
Acted in a Texas production of "The Will Rogers Follies"
