Glen Roven's 100 Stories/100 Words - Florence Henderson

Welcome to a new weekly series on BroadwayWorld.com, where contributor and composer Glen Roven shares stories from legends of Broadway's past, present and future in 100 words.

Before Mrs. Brady, before The Surreal Life, even before "Wessonality," Florence Henderson was a Broadway Star. She played the title roles in Fanny and The Girl Who Came to Supper among others, and Richard Rodgers personally cast her in the first revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center. She met Rodgers at an open call when she was 18. He and Oscar Hammerstein, so taken with her audition, asked if she'd like to play Laurie in the last National Tour of Oklahoma!

Florence, who even then projected her contradictory combination of innocence and spunk, asked the composing legend, "I don't know, Mr. Rodgers. What's Laurie like?" Rodgers answered, "A lot like you!" The rest is history.

Known to millions as Carol Brady, America's Favorite Mom, Florence Henderson, a multi-talented actress, talk show host, performer, recording artist, author and Broadway veteran has had an outstanding career. For more information, visit http://www.flohome.com/