carter made her professional stage debut in a memphis production of the musical "carousel" in 1960, and made her broadway debut in the 1974 musical "sextet". after appearing for two years as district attorney brandy henderson on the cbs soap "the edge of night" (1974–76), she starred in the 1976 broadway musical "pal joey". her other television roles included the sitcoms "on our own" (1977–78), "filthy rich" (1982–83) and "diff'rent strokes" (1984–85). she returned to broadway to play maria callas in the play "master class" in 1997, and to play mrs. meers in the musical "thoroughly modern millie" in 2004.