Who are Broadway's forgotten stars?- Page 2

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 9/4/03 at 12:41pm

Before I forget....Anybody know what happened to Swen Swenson (ripped off the roof in the original LITTLE ME with the Lypsinckesque "I've Got Your Number")?

[Slash]

Posted: 9/4/03 at 1:09pm

Daisy, I usually remind people of Nanette Fabray as the fabulous grandmother on "One Day at a Time." Though no one under 25 remembers that show anymore either.

[qpidsangel]

Posted: 9/4/03 at 1:26pm

Joanna Gleason

Peace love and hairgrease,

QP

[WOSQ]

Posted: 9/4/03 at 1:27pm

Swen Swenson - Alas, dead of aids in the plague. I can't remember the date, but it would be in Theatre World. Late 80s-early 90s.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/4/03 at 1:33pm

QP, Joanna Gleason has been doing a lot of tv and movie roles.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/4/03 at 1:33pm

Updated On: 9/4/03 at 01:33 PM

[qpidsangel]

Posted: 9/4/03 at 1:42pm

I know, but it's because she can't get anything on Bway, I can't remember what show she's on now, but yea. I read somewhere she is doing that now because she can't get a role on broadway. and it's too bad too, I think she would be perfect for some of the roles out ther right now.

Peace love and hairgrease,

QP

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 9/4/03 at 3:53pm

not exactly what you mean,,,, but i wish the glorious Helen Gallagher would return to Broadway:)

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 9/4/03 at 3:57pm

Ellen Greene....a lot of people who are fans of Little Shop know of her....but she hasn't done anything worth talking about besides, Hey! Mr. Producer in a while....she needs to get involved in something soon, so that people can know how talented she is!

Cheers,
The Balladeer

[ShineOn]

Posted: 9/4/03 at 5:17pm

In regards to Vera-Ellen...

Yes, her baby Victoria died of SIDS and then her husband, Victor, divorced her shortly after. She had a slight breakdown that led her to seclusion in her mansion in Hollywood. She stopped making pictures and she kind of faded from the spotlight. She died really young, too -- from cancer.

It's rumored that she was anorexic. I mean, look at the VAST difference in size from WONDERMAN or THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE to WHITE CHRISTMAS. She went from being a healthy dancer with a muscular build to being a stick figure.

I used to know someone who was friends with her before her death and apparently she went on this all protein diet and cut out carbs completely. SO unhealthy, especially for someone SO active. I guess her lack of nutrition took on the same effects as one who suffers from anorexia, which is why her upper body slowly started taking on a skeleton form. Notice in WHITE CHRISTMAS, all her outfits have long sleeves and high necks, but show off her twig legs. The tops of her outfits were actually padded because she was so embarrassed by it.

It's so sad that she felt the need to be thinner. MGM did a number on her. They even made her get a nose job. She was so talented and beautiful. A sad fate she suffered.

I agree... no other dancer of her time danced with such passion and ease. She was so versatile as a dancer, too.


The pic above is a pic of her pre-diet, when she was contracted with Samuel Goldwyn. She was a healthy, muscular girl... and about the same size as me. It irritates me SO much that MGM told her she was too "chunky".

Updated On: 9/4/03 at 05:17 PM

[ShineOn]

Posted: 9/4/03 at 5:21pm

Here's a pic of her pre nose job in 1946.

Updated On: 9/4/03 at 05:21 PM

[ShineOn]

Posted: 9/4/03 at 5:25pm

And because I can't figure out how to get more than one pic in one response... here's the last pic.

V-E post nose job and diet.

Sad, no?

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 9/4/03 at 6:48pm

Wow, thanks for posting those pictures, Daisy! I knew about her anorexia, but did not realize she had a completely unneeded nose job.

She looks so healthy and happy in the first picture, with those adorable chipmunk cheeks of hers. I love her Goldwyn and Fox films. She's really rocks out in "What's Your Name" in WONDER MAN and the big Massine-choreographed 'Fiesta' number in CARNIVAL IN COSTA RICA and is completey winsome (and funny) in THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE (one of my favorite film musicals...very underrated). By the time of CALL ME MADAM, she's VERY thin - but she still is electrifying on-screen!

Again, MANY thanks for remembering the wonderful Vera-Ellen.

[ShineOn]

Posted: 9/5/03 at 12:52am

I've always loved V-E. The pre-anorexic Vera-Ellen had a very similar look to me. Physical shape was very similar and I have the same face shape and "look" (I kind of have that chipmunk cheeks thing going on when I smile).

It saddens me that she felt she had to lose weight to maintain her career. Curse on MGM!

Aside from Ginger Rogers, she may have possibly been my favorite female movie musical performer. She's adorable in "Three Little Words" and "On the Town," too! Have you seen "Belle of New York"? Not the best movie, but the gowns are gorgeous and Vera-Ellen and Fred Astaire dancing together is like heaven. (She and Fred didn't have the same chemistry that he had with Ginger, but they certainly were fabulous together!)

Growing up, my dream was to dance like V-E, sing like Rosemary Clooney, and have the comedic and dramatic versatility that Miss Rogers possessed. To have all three, I think, would equal QUITE the triple threat!

[seabyrd]

Posted: 9/5/03 at 2:58am

Swen died in 1993 of AIDS in L.A.

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 9/5/03 at 11:59am

Helen Gallagher has recently appeared in productions of 70 Girls, 70 and No, No, Nannette(but not in her Tony winning role:))

Asides from Ryan's Hope and her numerous Emmy awards, for about 35YEARS! now she has been teaching Musical Comedy Technique for theater to private students. I think I just saw on this thread that she is teaching now also at HB studios.....

Her performance as Lucille in No, No Nannette was simply

glorious and brought her a richly deserved Tony. I suspect Ms. Gallagher will grace us with her presence on Broadway once again. She is a knockemdead performer:)

Nannette Fabray? Those of us who know The Carol Burnett Show well have an idea of her great gifts, as she guested often. I believe just a couple of seasons ago Fabray appeared in the play The Prince of Central Park....

I believe she was on Sid Caesar's show, in addition to Imogene Coca I guess:) That is a bit before my time.

Many of us also remember her performing "Papa, Won't You Dance With Me" on the Tony Awards 25th Anniversary Celebration.

And of course, she played Mary Richard's mother on The Mary Tyler Moore Show:), which of course also had a great musical comedy theater legend

Nancy Walker(Rhoda's mother and Sophia's sister on The Golden Girls)

I have read that Walker's performance of I'm Still Here, was the best there ever was.

P.S. To hear how an exciting musical theater performance can be captured on tape listen to the No, No, Nannette OCR:)))

You will plotz from Helen Gallagher's Where Have my Hubby Gone Blues

Updated On: 9/5/03 at 11:59 AM

[Ron Pulliam]

Posted: 9/5/03 at 12:10pm

I'd really like to know whatever happened to Linzi Hately.

Yes, I know "Carrie" was a monumental flop, but everything I've ever read about it had phenomenal things to say about her.

Anyone know what she's doing?

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 9/5/03 at 12:14pm

Ron, I heard Linzi was doing Roxie in CHICAGO somewhere recently, but alas, I don't know where!!

[QueenS]

Posted: 9/5/03 at 12:45pm

Belle of New York! That's the movie I've been trying to think of ever since the lovely V-E was mentioned. Thank you! It is so wonderful and she is great in it.

Linzi in on the Jason Donovan "Joseph" recording. She doesn't sound as good as she did in "Carrie," but still quite electrifying. Of course, that was some time ago, as well, so who knows what happened to her between then and the aforementioned "Chicago" sighting.

[Ron Pulliam]

Posted: 9/5/03 at 1:35pm

Thanks, guys, for the Linzi updates. I did a Google search and saw that she is ending her "Chicago" gig tomorrow.

Posted: 9/5/03 at 2:47pm

Linzi also has some great cds out that I bought from Footlight Records.

I listen to them all the time.

Posted: 9/5/03 at 8:47pm

That's the consequence of flop musicals.

I've never registered the name of Linzi Hately.

To be forgotten one has to have been known. Somehow I don't believe this young woman even made the known list, outside the lists of some musical theatre....er, fans.

BB

[DoReMi]

Posted: 9/6/03 at 3:12pm

Scott Warra was in the original LA production of the current "Big River". Don't know if he's still with the show.

"Price In Central Park" was a while ago..back in the early 1990's? There was some other famous lady in the florida try out who couldn't sing and was replaced (By Nannett?). JoAnne Worley ended up doing the Broadway run and got good reviews.

Now...Why Don't We Remember:

Alfred Drake - By far one of the greatest male musical theater performers ever. "Curley" in Oklahoma, Fred in "Kiss Me, Kate" and others.

But on the other hand..it's great to see a vetran like Ron Holgate still at it at 70 something in the Urinetown tour. Still the ultimate Richard Henry Lee.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/6/03 at 5:00pm

Jerry Lanning was in the 1776 revival at the Roundabout. He was also Elaine Stritche's vis-a-vis in the SAIL AWAY concerts at Carnagie Hall a few years ago.

Whatever happened to Marlyn Mason?

Cory English (he was a stand-out Barnaby in the TWHM revival a few years ago)

Joan Deiner?

Lena Horne?

Philip Anglim?

Paula Prentiss?

Romain Fruge?

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 9/6/03 at 6:23pm

Carole Demas(Sandy in Grease) and Susan Watson(Kim in Bye, Bye, Birdie and Nannette in No, No, Nannette)?