Lovette George, the New York actress whose optimistic soprano brought light to Off-Broadway's The Musical of Musicals, and Lincoln Center Theater's Carousel, A New Brain and Marie Christine, died Sept. 6, 2006, her family confirmed. Ms. George was 44 and lived in Yonkers. Ms. George and the family wished other details about her passing to remain private, although friends, family and colleagues will celebrate her life at a gathering to be scheduled in the coming months, her sister Richelle told Playbill.com.

Ms. George was born in Manhattan and drew part of her inspiration to perform from her mother, Carol, who is concert singer, her sister Richelle said.

When she was a child, Ms. George was "a singer, dancer, actress, performer," her sister said. "We have the genes…"

Her two sisters did not go into show business, however.

Ms. George eventually earned a bachelor's degree in theatre from SUNY Binghamton and would step onto major stages in New York City.

She played Carrie ("when Audra wasn't," she wrote in her Playbill bio) in the acclaimed Lincoln Center production of Carousel and appeared in Broadway's Uptown...It's Hot with Maurice Hines.

Playing a variety of musical theatre styles, she was nominated for a 2004 Drama Desk Award for The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) for the York Theatre Company and later in its commercial run at Dodger Stages. She is also heard on the cast album, spoofing the styles of Stephen Sondheim, Kander and Ebb, Jerry Herman, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

She appeared as Pearl in a German production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express (and is on its cast album).

Ms. George's credits also include Off-Broadway's The Green Heart (Manhattan Theatre Club) and Eating Raoul and regional productions of Thunder Knocking at the Door (the Guthrie), The Hot Mikado (the Alliance) and The Most Happy Fella (St. Louis Rep/Cincinnati Playhouse).

Ms. George is survived by her parents, Carol and Richard George, and her two sisters, Richelle and Carina.