Editing Sutton Foster (section)

==Early life==
Foster was born on March 18, 1975<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/from-eponine-to-charity-celebrating-birthday-gal-sutton-foster-on-the-musical-stage|last=Skethway|first=Nathan|website=Playbill.com|title=From Éponine to Charity: Celebrating Sutton Foster on the Musical Stage|date=March 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/celebrity-birthdays-week-march-17-23-61608694|work=ABC News|date=March 11, 2019|title=Celebrity birthdays for the week of March 17–23}}</ref> in [[Statesboro, Georgia]],<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sutton-Foster|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica Online|title=Sutton Foster|date=June 24, 2024 }}</ref> and raised in [[Troy, Michigan]].<ref name=times1/> At the age of 15, she was a contestant on the reality competition show ''[[Star Search]]''<ref name=times1>Tommasini, Anthony. [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/theater/theaterspecial/sutton-foster-stars-in-anything-goes.html "A Big Belter Who Found a True Voice"] ''The New York Times'', May 5, 2011</ref><ref>[https://www.npr.org/2015/09/10/438902767/sutton-foster-really-anything-goes&usg=AFQjCNFakYIB56z7zpMtu7j7FFIBJm8d-w "Sutton Foster: Really Anything Goes"] npr.org, September 9, 2015</ref> and also auditioned for the cast of ''[[The Mickey Mouse Club]]''. She left [[Troy High School (Michigan)|Troy High School]] before graduating (she received her diploma via correspondence courses) to join the national tour of ''[[The Will Rogers Follies]]'' directed by [[Tommy Tune]].<ref name=times1/><ref>Botsford, Andrew. [http://www.27east.com/news/article.cfm/news/279488/Sutton-Foster-brings-a-few-of-her-ingenue-friends-for-a-show-at-Bay-Street-Theatre "Sutton Foster brings a few of her ingenue friends for a show at Bay Street Theatre"] 
27east.com, May 25, 2010</ref><ref name=buzz>[http://www.broadway.com/buzz/11137/sutton-foster/ "Sutton Foster Interview"] broadway.com, January 15, 2005</ref> She then attended [[Carnegie Mellon University]] for one year,<ref name=buzz/><ref name=don>[http://www.donshewey.com/theater_articles/sutton_foster_transcript.html "Interview"] donshewey.com, May 10, 2002</ref> but left to pursue a theatrical career full-time. In May 2012, she received an honorary doctorate from [[Ball State University]], "in recognition of her outstanding career in theater, television and music and for her contributions to the educational experience and professional growth of Ball State students."<ref>[http://cms.bsu.edu/news/articles/2012/1/trustees-approve-honorary-degree-for-tony-awardwinning-actress-singer-and-dancer-sutton-foster "Trustees approve honorary degree for Tony Award-winning actress, singer and dancer Sutton Foster"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602200600/http://cms.bsu.edu/news/articles/2012/1/trustees-approve-honorary-degree-for-tony-awardwinning-actress-singer-and-dancer-sutton-foster |date=June 2, 2014 }} cms.bsu.edu, January 27, 2012</ref> 
In May 2019, she also received an honorary doctorate from [[Boston Conservatory at Berklee]], which introduced a merit scholarship in her name to be awarded to one student every four years. Her older brother, [[Hunter Foster]], is also an actor.<ref name=times1/><ref name=buzz/>