The Muny Reflects on an Unsinkable Legacy 

Debbie Reynolds, icon of Broadway and the big screen appeared at The Muny in three memorable performances over a 16-year period during her storied career.

"Debbie Reynolds truly tops the list of legendary performers who have appeared on our stage," said Muny president and CEO, Denny Reagan. "Her passing reminds us of just how fortunate we are to have shared in her remarkable career."

The first of her three Muny appearances was in Irene (1973), which famously included Ms. Reynolds' daughter, Carrie Fisher, in the ensemble. Having closed its Broadway run for a week to perform at The Muny, Irene played to an opening night Muny audience of 11,544 guests, second only to the opening night crowd for the 1971 production of Hello, Dolly! starring Pearl Bailey. Ms. Reynolds' performance at The Muny was made even more memorable when during 2 rain delays she strode to the orchestra pit and began taking requests from Muny audience members as the rain continued. The first song she performed during the impromptu concert was, of course, "Singin' in the Rain."

Ms. Reynolds would return to The Muny in 1980 in her cabaret-style production, The Debbie Reynolds Show. Reviews from the performance noted that the most memorable number from that evening was her rendition of "I Ain't Down Yet," from The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

In 1989, Muny audiences once again enjoyed the privilege of seeing Ms. Reynolds when she brought her Oscar-nominated performance in The Unsinkable Molly Brown to life on The Muny stage. Of her performance, then St. Louis Post-Dispatch critic Joe Pollack would write, "Reynolds is amazing." Later continuing, "She has aged like a great wine." That 1989 mounting of The Unsinkable Molly Brown notably marks the last production of this great musical at The Muny prior to the upcoming production in The Muny's 2017 season.

"I've been a huge Debbie Reynolds fan my entire career, and I had the privilege of meeting her once at her studio in L.A.," said Muny executive producer and artistic director, Mike Isaacson. "We were auditioning for Bring it On, and she was fascinated by all the young people auditioning and she took time to meet them all. We talked for half of an hour about Broadway, and she shared with me a few movie memories. I will always cherish that time, and it's a real thrill to be producing Molly Brown this next summer, knowing she'll be looking down and taking care of us."

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Season tickets for The Muny's 99th season will be available beginning March 6, 2017. Single tickets will be available May 8, 2017.

World Wide Technology (WWT) and The Steward Family Foundation have once again made a leadership gift to continue as the Muny's 2017 Season Presenting Sponsor. They became the first overall season sponsor in the history of The Muny in 2014 and will continue in that role through 2017. For more information about The Muny, visit muny.org.

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