Mimi Hines

Mimi Hines began her professional career as a nightclub performer in the early 1950s. She made her first appearance on The Tonight Show on August 28, 1958, performing the song “Till There Was You,” and returned for additional appearances in subsequent years. In 1959, she performed vocals on The Merriest of Christmas Pops (RCA Victor), a Christmas album collaboration by Juan García Esquivel and Ray Martin.

In 1964, Hines filmed the television pilot Mimi, which was not picked up to series. She appeared in the comedy film Saturday Night Bath in Apple Valley (1965). On December 27, 1965, she succeeded Barbra Streisand in the role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway, performing the role until the show closed on July 1, 1967. She later appeared in touring productions of I Do! I Do! and The Prisoner of Second Avenue, as well as stage productions of Anything Goes, Never Too Late, The Pajama Game, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, No, No, Nanette, and Sugar.

Hines performed at venues including Feinstein’s at the Regency and appeared with the Los Angeles Pops Orchestra. She starred in national tours of Sugar Babies and Nite Club Confidential, recorded Mostly Mercer, and toured internationally in the title role of Hello, Dolly!. She also appeared in productions of A Majority of One and Can-Can, and in revue productions including How Do You Keep the Music Playing?, This Funny World, and a revue featuring the songs of Jerry Herman.

She appeared on television as Mrs. Latimer on Frasier and returned to Broadway in Grease (1994), playing Miss Lynch. Her later stage work included the Off-Broadway revival of 70, Girls, 70, On the Twentieth Century, Pippin (2005), the national tour of Nunsense (2002), and the City Center Encores! production of Follies (2007).