Cox is a native of Toledo, Ohio, whose mother sang with an all-female orchestra during World War II.
[1] A regular on the Broadway stage in the 1980s, Cox's credits include the original Ethel McCormack in the production of Footloose, the musical Oh Coward!, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical,[2] and Baby for which she won the Drama Desk Award.
[3] Cox has also worked extensively in regional theaters across the United States and in Off-Broadway productions in New York.
Off-Broadway she has appeared in productions of William Finn's In Trousers, Rap Master Ronnie, By Strouse, It's Better With A Band, and The Waves.
[1] Her television appearances include The Cosby Show, Law & Order, The Guiding Light, and Edge of Night.