Marni Nixon Dies at 86

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

A performer known for dubbing several Hollywood stars in big screen adaptations of Broadway musicals. She dubbed Deborah Kerr’s singing in The King & I (as well as An Affair to Remember), Natalie Wood’s singing in West Side Story, and most of Audrey Hepburn’s singing in My Fair Lady.

She screen tested for the role of Maria in the film adaptation of The Sound of Music, but ended up making her first onscreen appearance as Sister Sofia.

She also made her Broadway debut back in 1954 in the musical The Girl in Pink Tights. It wasn’t until 2000 when she returned to the Great White Way in James Joyce’s The Dead. Her last two appearances on Broadway were as replacements in Roundabout’s revivals of Follies and Nine.

REST IN PEACE

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Marni-Nixon-Singing-Voice-Behind-KING-AND-I-More-Dies-at-86-20160725

[imeldasturn]

She was an excellent soprano and a beautiful person, she will be missed. I loved her in Nine and Follies.

[Gorlois]

Great talent who deserved more recognition than she got. Rest in peace, Ms. Nixon.

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

so very sad...i grew up listening to her ANNA in the KING & I as a young boy...and WEST SIDE STORY...RIP

[castlestreet]

What a truly unique career and woman...RIP

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Beautiful talent! God speed

[Sondheimtime]

Three cheers for Marni!!

God Bless.

[nsguy45]

Both Audrey and Natalie were upset about being dubbed and recordings made by them do exist.

[PalJoey]

I worked with her once, back in the 1980s, and a lovelier, more gracious lady there never was. 

[WhizzerMarvin]

She was really lovely in the Encores production of Music in the Air. She always seemed like such a class act. 

[broadwayguy91]

RIP to a magnificent artist.

I'm somehow picturing her and Deborah Kerr chatting over a cuppa in heaven :)

[perfectlymarvelous]

I was lucky enough to take a voice lesson with her about a year ago, and she was an absolute delight and it was truly an honor to meet and work with her. I grew up listening to her voice; my mom loved her and made sure I knew exactly who it was singing Maria and Anna's words. Rest in peace, lovely lady. 

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

I hope she is accorded the honor of having Broadway theatre lights go dark, in tribute.

[Mr Roxy]

Beat me to the punch with that question.

[RussT2]

What a voice. I was lucky enough to see her not only act, but sing in a musical called OPAL at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ when I was in my 20s. I had no idea who she was until I read the Playbill. I loved it so much I bought the cast album cd in the lobby.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/12/nyregion/theater-in-opal-reality-and-fantasy-with-song.html

[darquegk]

Halloween kitsch fans known Nixon as well for her Halloween classroom record from the 1950s, which is divinely corny. Probably everyone from then on remembers hearing it in elementary school around October, and Halloween junkies and spooky-kids can probably quote it by heart.

[The Other One]

There was, for some reason, a studio recording of songs from Mary Poppins released just about concurrently with the original soundtrack.  Marni Nixon and Bill Lee, Hollywood's two most accomplished dubbers, sang the songs of Mary and Bert.  

I met Marni once when I had a callback for a non-musical role in a play.  She sat next to me on a bench at Ripley Grier, around ten years ago.  She was very warm, very encouraging.  She was rehearsing something in a different studio and was out on a break.  Truly a nice woman.  The Natalie/Marni combo makes my favorite Maria.

[nsguy45]

Marni's son was songwriter Andrew Gold, who died suddenly in 2011 at age 59. Among his compositions was Thank You for Being a Friend, later used as The Golden Girls theme.