Early in her career she portrayed Mary Shelley and Patty Hearst in movies. She received critical acclaim and a Theatre World Award for her Broadway debut in the 1993 revival of "Anna Christie". She won the Tony Award for "Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical", the Drama Desk Award for "Outstanding Actress in a Musical", and the Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance as Sally Bowles in the 1998 Broadway revival of "Cabaret". 