Graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.
Graduate of The University of Texas at Austin - BFA '52.
Long married to Jay Harnick, the founder and longtime artistic director of TheatreworksUSA, the nation's largest company for young audiences and a training ground for some of the more noted names in entertainment, including F. Murray Abraham, for almost 40 years. During his tenure, Harnick's company performed for 50 million children and earned Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel awards, the only children's theatre to do so. Harnick retired in 2000 and died on February 27, 2007.
Member of alpha epsilon phi sorority.
Mother of Jane Harnick and Aaron Harnick.
Raised in Texas.
Received a 1971 Tony nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in Stephen Sondheim's "Company," and is also featured on the landmark documentary by D.A. Pennebaker on the making of the show's cast album.
She created Tomato Lightning, a spicy chutney available in gourmet food stores.
She is the author of two critically acclaimed novels for young adults: "Lone Star" (1989) and "Adam Zigzag" (1995).
Sister-in-law of Sheldon Harnick.
Survived rectal cancer.
Was in Charleston, South Carolina, making the TV mini-series "Scarlett" (1994) when she became dizzy and passed out. Taken to a nearby hospital, they did a sigmoidoscopy of the lower colon the following day and discovered her cancer.
Was replaced in the role of Yente during previews of "Fiddler on the Roof" (2004) starring Alfred Molina. The production itself was vilified in the Los Angeles Times for the production's deliberate "ethnic cleansing." Apparently, the endearing Yiddish-speaking character that Barbara had personified had been stripped down to have a WASPish-sounding voice. The other characters, including that of Molina's Tevye, were stripped of their ethnic influences as well except for those directly required by the script. The revival, however, did quite well on Broadway and ran for nearly two years.
Wrote "Second Act" in 1997, a frank and irreverently humorous book chronicling her 30-year experience first with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and subsequent cancer.