Chita Rivera, the beloved Broadway star of West Side Story, Chicago and Kiss of the Spider Woman, died today in New York following a brief illness. She was 91.
Her death was announced by her daughter, Lisa Mordente, who said that Rivera died peacefully.
One of America’s foremost Latina artists, Rivera was a groundbreaker, riveting critics and audiences alike with seminal performances of such soon-to-be Broadway standards as “America” and “A Boy Like That” from West Side Story and “All That Jazz” from Chicago. She was among the most nominated performers in Tony Award history – she earned 10 nominations, winning twice (for The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman) and receiving the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
Rivera rocketed to fame in 1953 with Guys and Dolls, then cemented her stature as a Broadway leading lady in 1954 with Can-Can, Mr. Wonderful in 1956 and, in 1957, the role that...
Her death was announced by her daughter, Lisa Mordente, who said that Rivera died peacefully.
One of America’s foremost Latina artists, Rivera was a groundbreaker, riveting critics and audiences alike with seminal performances of such soon-to-be Broadway standards as “America” and “A Boy Like That” from West Side Story and “All That Jazz” from Chicago. She was among the most nominated performers in Tony Award history – she earned 10 nominations, winning twice (for The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman) and receiving the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
Rivera rocketed to fame in 1953 with Guys and Dolls, then cemented her stature as a Broadway leading lady in 1954 with Can-Can, Mr. Wonderful in 1956 and, in 1957, the role that...
- 1/30/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Tony-winning actor Rae Allen, known for playing Quintina Blundetto on HBO‘s The Sopranos, has died. She was 95. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Allen passed away on Wednesday, April 6. Her death was confirmed by her representative Kyle Fritz, who told THR, “I had the pleasure of representing Rae Allen for over 20 years. She [was] one the most gifted actresses I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I will be forever grateful to have been a part of her incredible journey.” Born Raffaella Julia Theresa Abruzzo on July 23, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York, Allen graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1947. She began her career on Broadway, first appearing in the George Abbott directed and written Where’s Charley? Allen would go on to star in several more Abbott musicals, including Call Me Madam in 1950 and The Pajama Game in 1954. Her big break came in Abbott’s Damn Yankees...
- 4/7/2022
- TV Insider
Rae Allen, the Tony-winning stage and screen veteran known for her role as nosy reporter Gloria Thorpe in “Damn Yankees” and as Quintina Blundetto on “The Sopranos,” died Wednesday, her rep Kyle Fritz confirmed to Variety. She was 95.
Born in Brooklyn as Rae Julia Theresa Abruzzo, Allen began her career on the stage after graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1947. Her first Broadway credit was in 1948, as an ensemble member in the George Abbott directed and written “Where’s Charley?” Over the next few years, Rae would continue to appear in Abbott’s various musicals, including “Call Me Madam” in 1950 and “The Pajama Game” in 1954, where she played the small role of Poopsie, a union activist at the factory the show is set in.
A year later, Rae reunited with Abbott and the composers and lyricists of “The Pajama Game,” Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, for “Damn Yankees.
Born in Brooklyn as Rae Julia Theresa Abruzzo, Allen began her career on the stage after graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1947. Her first Broadway credit was in 1948, as an ensemble member in the George Abbott directed and written “Where’s Charley?” Over the next few years, Rae would continue to appear in Abbott’s various musicals, including “Call Me Madam” in 1950 and “The Pajama Game” in 1954, where she played the small role of Poopsie, a union activist at the factory the show is set in.
A year later, Rae reunited with Abbott and the composers and lyricists of “The Pajama Game,” Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, for “Damn Yankees.
- 4/7/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
With the long-delayed 74th Tony Awards set for Sept. 26 at the Winter Garden and streaming on Paramount + and a CBS special, let’s take a deep dive into Tony Awards history and look back at the first decade. Broadway was bristling with excitement post World War II. Young playwrights such as Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller and William Inge breathed new life into the Great White Way. And new talents electrifying audiences included Marlon Brando, Julie Harris and Gwen Verdon. It was the perfect time for the creation of the Tony Awards in 1947. The Antoinette Perry Awards or Theatre Excellence were named after the legendary theater actress who was co-founder of the American Theatre Wing; she had died in 1946.
The first annual Tony Awards took place on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria and was broadcast on radio on Wor and Mutual Network radio. There was no categories for best play or musical,...
The first annual Tony Awards took place on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria and was broadcast on radio on Wor and Mutual Network radio. There was no categories for best play or musical,...
- 9/23/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki indicated this week that the White House hopes to name nominees for ambassadorships “soon,” a highly anticipated announcement in L.A. donor circles and among Democratic fundraisers across the country.
Only adding to the chatter of who is in line for what was an Axios report this week that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was under consideration to be ambassador to India, but Garcetti’s staff labeled the story as speculative.
Comcast executive David L. Cohen is seen as a leading candidate for Canada, while The Washington Post reported last month that Cindy McCain was a potential nominee for the United Nations World Food Program and Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s first chief of staff and the former mayor of Chicago, for Japan. Bob Iger, executive chairman of the Walt Disney Company, has been floated as a possible ambassador to Great Britain, but that...
Only adding to the chatter of who is in line for what was an Axios report this week that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was under consideration to be ambassador to India, but Garcetti’s staff labeled the story as speculative.
Comcast executive David L. Cohen is seen as a leading candidate for Canada, while The Washington Post reported last month that Cindy McCain was a potential nominee for the United Nations World Food Program and Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s first chief of staff and the former mayor of Chicago, for Japan. Bob Iger, executive chairman of the Walt Disney Company, has been floated as a possible ambassador to Great Britain, but that...
- 5/7/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Tommy Rall, the actor and dancer who brought Broadway skills to Hollywood films including Kiss Me Kate, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Girl and Pennies From Heaven, died Tuesday of congestive heart failure in Santa Monica. He was 90.
His death was announced by friend Cynthia Wands on Facebook.
“A hospice nurse was by Tommy’s bedside,” Wands wrote, “and found a box that held the cards and letters that had been sent to him in the last few weeks. She spent the afternoon reading each one to him, and when she finished reading the last one – he peacefully stopped breathing and passed away.”
As a dancer in the 1950s, Rall shuttled between Broadway and Hollywood, choreographed onstage by Jerome Robbins, Gower Champion (Small Wonder) and Agnes de Mille (Juno) and directed on screen by Stanley Donen (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), George Sidney (Kiss Me Kate...
His death was announced by friend Cynthia Wands on Facebook.
“A hospice nurse was by Tommy’s bedside,” Wands wrote, “and found a box that held the cards and letters that had been sent to him in the last few weeks. She spent the afternoon reading each one to him, and when she finished reading the last one – he peacefully stopped breathing and passed away.”
As a dancer in the 1950s, Rall shuttled between Broadway and Hollywood, choreographed onstage by Jerome Robbins, Gower Champion (Small Wonder) and Agnes de Mille (Juno) and directed on screen by Stanley Donen (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), George Sidney (Kiss Me Kate...
- 10/8/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Tommy Rall, the actor and acrobatic dancer who displayed his athletic dexterity in the classic MGM musicals Kiss Me Kate and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, has died. He was 90.
Rall died Tuesday of congestive heart failure in Santa Monica, his friend Cynthia Wands reported on Facebook.
On Broadway, the dynamic Rall performed for famed choreographers Jerome Robbins, Agnes de Mille and Gower Champion and appeared in productions including Miss Liberty, Call Me Madam and Milk and Honey.
Later, he showed up as Barbra Streisand’s princely dance partner in the parody of Swan Lake in Funny Girl (1968) and shared a vaudeville tap number to “...
Rall died Tuesday of congestive heart failure in Santa Monica, his friend Cynthia Wands reported on Facebook.
On Broadway, the dynamic Rall performed for famed choreographers Jerome Robbins, Agnes de Mille and Gower Champion and appeared in productions including Miss Liberty, Call Me Madam and Milk and Honey.
Later, he showed up as Barbra Streisand’s princely dance partner in the parody of Swan Lake in Funny Girl (1968) and shared a vaudeville tap number to “...
- 10/8/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Tommy Rall, the actor and acrobatic dancer who displayed his athletic dexterity in the classic MGM musicals Kiss Me Kate and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, has died. He was 90.
Rall died Tuesday of congestive heart failure in Santa Monica, his friend Cynthia Wands reported on Facebook.
On Broadway, the dynamic Rall performed for famed choreographers Jerome Robbins, Agnes de Mille and Gower Champion and appeared in productions including Miss Liberty, Call Me Madam and Milk and Honey.
Later, he showed up as Barbra Streisand’s princely dance partner in the parody of Swan Lake in Funny Girl (1968) and shared a vaudeville tap number to “...
Rall died Tuesday of congestive heart failure in Santa Monica, his friend Cynthia Wands reported on Facebook.
On Broadway, the dynamic Rall performed for famed choreographers Jerome Robbins, Agnes de Mille and Gower Champion and appeared in productions including Miss Liberty, Call Me Madam and Milk and Honey.
Later, he showed up as Barbra Streisand’s princely dance partner in the parody of Swan Lake in Funny Girl (1968) and shared a vaudeville tap number to “...
- 10/8/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Brave New World author Aldous Huxley, diplomat Clare Booth Luce and movie star Cary Grant now have two things in common: They all tried LSD, and they’ll all be subjects of a Broadway-bound musical being developed by a trio of theater’s most accomplished creators.
Lincoln Center Theater announced today it will produce a new musical in the spring called Flying Over Sunset, with book and direction by frequent Sondheim collaborator James Lapine, music by Tom Kitt (the Pulitzer-winning Next to Normal) and lyrics by Michael Korie (Tony-nominated Grey Gardens). Michelle Dorrance, founder and artistic director of Dorrance Dance, will be making her Broadway debut as the choreographer.
Flying Over Sunset will begin previews March 12 at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, officially opening April 16, with Carmen Cusack as Booth Luce, Harry Hadden-Paton as Huxley and Tony Yazbeck as Cary Grant.
Lincoln Center Theater announced today it will produce a new musical in the spring called Flying Over Sunset, with book and direction by frequent Sondheim collaborator James Lapine, music by Tom Kitt (the Pulitzer-winning Next to Normal) and lyrics by Michael Korie (Tony-nominated Grey Gardens). Michelle Dorrance, founder and artistic director of Dorrance Dance, will be making her Broadway debut as the choreographer.
Flying Over Sunset will begin previews March 12 at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, officially opening April 16, with Carmen Cusack as Booth Luce, Harry Hadden-Paton as Huxley and Tony Yazbeck as Cary Grant.
- 8/20/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Earle Hagen, the Emmy-winning composer who wrote the iconic themes for “The Andy Griffith Show,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “I Spy” and many others, would have turned 100 years old on July 9.
He was one of the most influential composers in TV history, formally recognized for his landmark work when the Television Academy inducted him, posthumously, into its Hall of Fame in 2011. He was only the second musician to be so honored.
Hagen pioneered the creation of original music for television in the 1950s, when most TV music was cheaply recorded mood music licensed from pre-existing libraries. By the 1960s, he was composing, arranging and conducting for as many as five shows a week — “The Danny Thomas Show,” “That Girl” and “The Mod Squad” among them — and set a high standard that other TV composers would aspire to in years to come.
“Earle was a huge influence on us, and really good with the tunes,...
He was one of the most influential composers in TV history, formally recognized for his landmark work when the Television Academy inducted him, posthumously, into its Hall of Fame in 2011. He was only the second musician to be so honored.
Hagen pioneered the creation of original music for television in the 1950s, when most TV music was cheaply recorded mood music licensed from pre-existing libraries. By the 1960s, he was composing, arranging and conducting for as many as five shows a week — “The Danny Thomas Show,” “That Girl” and “The Mod Squad” among them — and set a high standard that other TV composers would aspire to in years to come.
“Earle was a huge influence on us, and really good with the tunes,...
- 7/9/2019
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
For the second time in Encores history-and to honor City Center's 75th Anniversary Season-the series revived one of its own revivals. A highlight of the second season of Encores 1995 and featuring a memorable score by Irving Berlin and book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, Call Me Madam centers around a brassy ambassador to the fictional European nation of Lichtenberg. The show pokes fun at a far more polite and benign political world and includes standards such as 'It's a Lovely Day Today' and 'Something to Dance About,' along with Berlin's most famous counterpoint duet, 'You're Just in Love.'...
- 2/11/2019
- by Walter McBride
- BroadwayWorld.com
For the second time in Encores history-and to honor City Center's 75th Anniversary Season-the series revived one of its own revivals. A highlight of the second season of Encores 1995 and featuring a memorable score by Irving Berlin and book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, Call Me Madam centers around a brassy ambassador to the fictional European nation of Lichtenberg. The show pokes fun at a far more polite and benign political world and includes standards such as 'It's a Lovely Day Today' and 'Something to Dance About,' along with Berlin's most famous counterpoint duet, 'You're Just in Love.'...
- 2/11/2019
- by Walter McBride
- BroadwayWorld.com
Bright Star Tony Award nominee and star of the current Call Me Madam revival at Encores, Carmen Cusack returns to Feinstein's54 Below with a brand new show on Wednesday, February 13 at 7pm amp 930pm, featuring special guests Joining Carmen will be her Bright Star co-star and Drama Desk nominee Paul Alexander Nolan Escape to Margaritaville, Slave Play at Nytw, and fellow Encores Call Me Madam cast members Ben Davis Violet and internet personality Randy Rainbow.
- 2/7/2019
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
For the second time in Encores history-and to honor City Center's 75th Anniversary Season-the series is reviving one of its own revivals. A highlight of the second season of Encores 1995 and featuring a memorable score by Irving Berlin and book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, Call Me Madam centers around a brassy ambassador to the fictional European nation of Lichtenberg. The show pokes fun at a far more polite and benign political world and includes standards such as 'It's a Lovely Day Today' and 'Something to Dance About,' along with Berlin's most famous counterpoint duet, 'You're Just in Love.' Directed by Casey Hushion with music direction by Encores Music Director Rob Berman and choreography by Denis Jones, Call Me Madam will run for seven performances only February 6 through 10 at New York City Center.
- 2/6/2019
- by BroadwayWorld TV
- BroadwayWorld.com
Bright Star Tony Award nominee and star of the upcoming Call Me Madam revival at Encores, Carmen Cusack returns to Feinstein's54 Below with a brand new show Join Carmen for a jazzRampBcountry mash up Expect songs by female artists she grew up listening and singing along to like Donna Summer, Dolly Parton, Dionne Warwick, Crystal Gayle, Nina Simone, Karen Carpenter, Linda Ronstadt, and Dusty Springfield. She'll even throw in a few ya haven't heard of It'll be a walk down memory lane for some, and uncharted territory for others, but definitely a retro lounge riot...
- 1/15/2019
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
The season 10 finale “RuPaul’s Drag Race” airs June 28 on VH1. Four queens — Aquaria, Asia O’Hara, Eureka and Kameron Michaels — remain in the hunt for the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” and the $100,000 grand prize. This final episode was taped on June 8 and includes a once-in-a-lifetime moment as Season 1 queens join the Season 10 queens for a RuPaul Charles mega-remix that was a decade in the making. Take a look at this fierce series of lip sync battles below.
On “American,” the penultimate episode of season 10 that aired on June 14, RuPaul made a controversial call and decided that all four semifinalists deserved a place in the final. This quartet of queens had all had to lip sync to Ru’s “Call Me Madam.” After each of the girls stepped up their game, Ru admitted she was unable to decide which of them should be sent packing.
See ‘RuPaul...
On “American,” the penultimate episode of season 10 that aired on June 14, RuPaul made a controversial call and decided that all four semifinalists deserved a place in the final. This quartet of queens had all had to lip sync to Ru’s “Call Me Madam.” After each of the girls stepped up their game, Ru admitted she was unable to decide which of them should be sent packing.
See ‘RuPaul...
- 6/28/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
While the season 10 finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” doesn’t air on VH1 until June 28, this battle to be “America’s Next Drag Superstar” was taped on June 8. Morgan McMichaels, who stole the show on season 2, was on the red carpet to welcome the queens who didn’t make it to the final. They weighed in with their thoughts on which of the final four —Aquaria, Asia O’Hara, Eureka and Kameron Michaels — will take home the title and the $100,000 grand prize. Watch her video report above and then be sure to make your predictions as to the outcome of the finale below.
On “American,” the penultimate episode of season 10 that aired on June 14, RuPaul Charles made a controversial call and decided that all four semifinalists deserved a place in the final. This quartet of queens had all had to lip sync to Ru’s “Call Me Madam.” After...
On “American,” the penultimate episode of season 10 that aired on June 14, RuPaul Charles made a controversial call and decided that all four semifinalists deserved a place in the final. This quartet of queens had all had to lip sync to Ru’s “Call Me Madam.” After...
- 6/21/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
The finale of season 10 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” which airs on VH1 on June 28, will see four queens —Aquaria, Asia O’Hara, Eureka and Kameron Michaels — battling it out for the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” and the $100,000 grand prize. This final episode was taped on June 8 and Morgan McMichaels, who stole the show on season 2, was on hand to report from the red carpet. Watch her video report above and then be sure to make your predictions as to the outcome of the finale below.
On “American,” the penultimate episode of season 10 that aired on June 14, RuPaul Charles made a controversial call and decided that all four semifinalists deserved a place in the final. This quartet of queens had all had to lip sync to Ru’s “Call Me Madam.” After each of the girls stepped up their game, Ru admitted she was unable to decide...
On “American,” the penultimate episode of season 10 that aired on June 14, RuPaul Charles made a controversial call and decided that all four semifinalists deserved a place in the final. This quartet of queens had all had to lip sync to Ru’s “Call Me Madam.” After each of the girls stepped up their game, Ru admitted she was unable to decide...
- 6/18/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
On the June 14 episode of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 10, RuPaul Charles decided that as all four remaining queens – Aquaria, Asia O’Hara, Eureka and Kameron Michaels — deserved a place in the final, there would not be an elimination. And, to that end, there also was no winner.
Do you think these were the right decisions? Or did one of these queens deserve to be bounced from competition? And who should have won the main challenge? Vote in our poll below and then be sure to sound off in the comments section.
To recap, this 12th episode of the season, “American,” ended with these four queens having to lip sync to Ru’s “Call Me Madam.” After all the girls stepped up their game, Ru was unable to decide which of them should be sent packing. Joining RuPaul and Michelle Visage on the judges panel in episode 12 were both alternates...
Do you think these were the right decisions? Or did one of these queens deserve to be bounced from competition? And who should have won the main challenge? Vote in our poll below and then be sure to sound off in the comments section.
To recap, this 12th episode of the season, “American,” ended with these four queens having to lip sync to Ru’s “Call Me Madam.” After all the girls stepped up their game, Ru was unable to decide which of them should be sent packing. Joining RuPaul and Michelle Visage on the judges panel in episode 12 were both alternates...
- 6/15/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Russell Nype, the clean-cut actor and baritone singer who won a pair of Tony Awards for his performances alongside Ethel Merman and Elaine Stritch in Call Me Madam and Goldilocks, respectively, has died. He was 98.
Nype died May 27 in West Palm Beach, Florida, his son, Russell, told The New York Times.
Recognizable for his horn-rimmed glasses, Nype also portrayed Dean Thompson of Harvard Law School in Arthur Hiller's Love Story (1970), and he played Bruce Jenner's boss in the Village People's Can't Stop the Music (1980), directed by Nancy Walker.
In his signature role, Nype starred ...
Nype died May 27 in West Palm Beach, Florida, his son, Russell, told The New York Times.
Recognizable for his horn-rimmed glasses, Nype also portrayed Dean Thompson of Harvard Law School in Arthur Hiller's Love Story (1970), and he played Bruce Jenner's boss in the Village People's Can't Stop the Music (1980), directed by Nancy Walker.
In his signature role, Nype starred ...
Russell Nype, the clean-cut actor and baritone singer who won a pair of Tony Awards for his performances alongside Ethel Merman and Elaine Stritch in Call Me Madam and Goldilocks, respectively, has died. He was 98.
Nype died May 27 in West Palm Beach, Florida, his son, Russell, told The New York Times.
Recognizable for his horn-rimmed glasses, Nype also portrayed Dean Thompson of Harvard Law School in Arthur Hiller's Love Story (1970), and he played Bruce Jenner's boss in the Village People's Can't Stop the Music (1980), directed by Nancy Walker.
In his signature role, Nype starred ...
Nype died May 27 in West Palm Beach, Florida, his son, Russell, told The New York Times.
Recognizable for his horn-rimmed glasses, Nype also portrayed Dean Thompson of Harvard Law School in Arthur Hiller's Love Story (1970), and he played Bruce Jenner's boss in the Village People's Can't Stop the Music (1980), directed by Nancy Walker.
In his signature role, Nype starred ...
The Legendary Chita Rivera got her musical theatre start at the age of 17 on the 1st national tour of 'Call Me Madam' and every step since then has paved the way to making herCarnegie Halldebut on Monday Nov. 7th 2016 at 800in Chita Nowadays. Chita refers to herself as an eternal gypsy,talks about how dancing is acting without words, and that listening is the best way to learn the craft. With tenTony nominations and twowins, and with consummate wisdom and skill, Chita shares that many of the disciplines that made her a star, she learned from dancing in the chorus. When the universe opens a door, Chita Rivera always peeks in.
- 9/26/2016
- by Broadway's Backbone
- BroadwayWorld.com
Happy Birthday, Beth Leavel Beth received Tony, Drama Desk, NY Outer Critics Circle and L.A. Drama Critics Awards for her performance as the title character in The Drowsy Chaperone. Beth also received a Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle nomination for her role as Florence Greenberg in Baby It's You. She recently performed the roles of Sally Adams in Call Me Madam at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias at the North Carolina Theatre and the much put upon maid, Berthe, in Boeing-Boeing at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Other Broadway roles Emily in Elf, Donna in Mamma Mia, Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein, Dorothy Brock in the revival of 42nd Street, Tess in the original company of Crazy For You, Mrs. Bixby in The Civil War,Ellie in Hal Prince's Showboat, and Anytime Annie her Broadway debut in 42nd Street.
- 11/1/2015
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Cafe Carlyle will welcome Broadway legend Chita Rivera for a two-week engagement, January 12-23. An accomplished and versatile actresssingerdancer, Chita Rivera has won two Tony Awards as Best Leading Actress in a Musical and has received eight additional Tony nominations for an exceptional 10 Tony nominations. Her career is highlighted by starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, The Rink Tony Award, Chicago, Jerry's Girls, Kiss of the Spider Woman Tony Award, The Visit and the original Broadway casts of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful. Additionally, she has toured in Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Zorba and Can-Can with The Rockettes.
- 10/20/2015
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Iconic actress and singer Elaine Stritch died at her home in Birmingham, Mich. on Thursday. She was 89 years old. Recent fans may know her best as the Jack Donaghy’s brash mother on 30 Rock, but her extensive career goes back to the 1940s. With her work spanning across television, film, and Broadway, she truly embodied the role of the performer.
Prior to returning to her home state due to ill health last year, Stritch was a fixture of New York City — in fact, the New York Landmarks Conservancy declared her a Living Landmark in 2003. She ruled Broadway with an iron voice, starting off as an understudy for the equally brassy Ethel Merman in 1950′s Call Me Madam. From there her star continued to ascend, taking roles in William Inge’s 1955 drama Bus Stop, Noël Coward‘s 1961 Sail Away, and Stephen Sondheim‘s 1970 musical Company, singing the immortal “Ladies Who Lunch.
Prior to returning to her home state due to ill health last year, Stritch was a fixture of New York City — in fact, the New York Landmarks Conservancy declared her a Living Landmark in 2003. She ruled Broadway with an iron voice, starting off as an understudy for the equally brassy Ethel Merman in 1950′s Call Me Madam. From there her star continued to ascend, taking roles in William Inge’s 1955 drama Bus Stop, Noël Coward‘s 1961 Sail Away, and Stephen Sondheim‘s 1970 musical Company, singing the immortal “Ladies Who Lunch.
- 7/17/2014
- by Jordan Runtagh
- VH1.com
Iconic actress and singer Elaine Stritch died at her home in Birmingham, Mich. on Thursday. She was 89 years old. Recent fans may know her best as the Jack Donaghy’s brash mother on 30 Rock, but her extensive career goes back to the 1940s. With her work spanning across television, film, and Broadway, she truly embodied the role of the performer.
Prior to returning to her home state due to ill health last year, Stritch was a fixture of New York City — in fact, the New York Landmarks Conservancy declared her a Living Landmark in 2003. She ruled Broadway with an iron voice, starting off as an understudy for the equally brassy Ethel Merman in 1950′s Call Me Madam. From there her star continued to ascend, taking roles in William Inge’s 1955 drama Bus Stop, Noël Coward‘s 1961 Sail Away, and Stephen Sondheim‘s 1970 musical Company, singing the immortal “Ladies Who Lunch.
Prior to returning to her home state due to ill health last year, Stritch was a fixture of New York City — in fact, the New York Landmarks Conservancy declared her a Living Landmark in 2003. She ruled Broadway with an iron voice, starting off as an understudy for the equally brassy Ethel Merman in 1950′s Call Me Madam. From there her star continued to ascend, taking roles in William Inge’s 1955 drama Bus Stop, Noël Coward‘s 1961 Sail Away, and Stephen Sondheim‘s 1970 musical Company, singing the immortal “Ladies Who Lunch.
- 7/17/2014
- by Jordan Runtagh
- TheFabLife - Movies
Elaine Stritch - a showbiz survivor who at last became a household name in her 80s when she played Colleen Donaghy, the harridan mother of Alec Baldwin's Jack Donaghy, on TV's 30 Rock - died on Thursday at her home in Birmingham, Michigan, reports The New York Times. She was 89. Only last year, in failing health, she left New York to return to her home state of Michigan to be near relatives, though in the days leading up to her departure from her luxury Carlyle Hotel residence, The Times chronicled her nearly every hiccup - she was such a fixture of the city.
- 7/17/2014
- by Stephen M. Silverman
- PEOPLE.com
Mark Kennedy, Associated Press
Jake Coyle, Associated Press
New York (AP) - Elaine Stritch, the brash theater performer whose gravelly, gin-laced voice and impeccable comic timing made her a Broadway legend, has died. She was 89.
Joseph Rosenthal, Stritch's longtime attorney, said the actress died Thursday of natural causes at her home in Birmingham, Michigan.
Although Stritch appeared in movies and on television, garnering three Emmys and finding new fans as Alec Baldwin's unforgiving mother on "30 Rock," she was best known for her stage work, particularly in her candid one-woman memoir, "Elaine Stritch: At Liberty," and in the Stephen Sondheim musical "Company."
A tart-tongued monument to New York show business endurance, Stritch worked well into her late 80s, most recently as Madame Armfeldt in a revival of Sondheim's musical "A Little Night Music." She replaced Angela Lansbury in 2010 to critical acclaim.
In 2013, Stritch - whose signature "no pants" style...
Jake Coyle, Associated Press
New York (AP) - Elaine Stritch, the brash theater performer whose gravelly, gin-laced voice and impeccable comic timing made her a Broadway legend, has died. She was 89.
Joseph Rosenthal, Stritch's longtime attorney, said the actress died Thursday of natural causes at her home in Birmingham, Michigan.
Although Stritch appeared in movies and on television, garnering three Emmys and finding new fans as Alec Baldwin's unforgiving mother on "30 Rock," she was best known for her stage work, particularly in her candid one-woman memoir, "Elaine Stritch: At Liberty," and in the Stephen Sondheim musical "Company."
A tart-tongued monument to New York show business endurance, Stritch worked well into her late 80s, most recently as Madame Armfeldt in a revival of Sondheim's musical "A Little Night Music." She replaced Angela Lansbury in 2010 to critical acclaim.
In 2013, Stritch - whose signature "no pants" style...
- 7/17/2014
- by The Associated Press
- Moviefone
The Gypsy Robe began in 1950, when Bill Bradley, in the chorus of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, borrowed a dressing gown from Chorus member Florence Baum and sent it to a friend in Call Me Madam on opening night Oct 12, 1950 saying it was worn by all the Ziegfeld beauties and would 'bless' the show. A cabbage rose from Ethel Merman's gown was added and the robe was passed along to next Broadway musical on opening night. The tradition evolved so that the robe is now presented to the 'gypsy' who has performed the most Broadway musicals on a chorus contract. Along the way, the robe is decorated, painted, patched, stitched, and signed by everyone in the show, becoming a fanciful patchwork for an entire Broadway season.
- 3/23/2014
- by Walter McBride
- BroadwayWorld.com
The theater business is nothing if not superstitious. But some opening night traditions are kept under wraps—robed, if you will. As another season of Broadway premieres draws to a close April 25 with the opening of “Pippin,” one of the Main Stem’s most cherished backstage rites connects this year’s casts to decades’ worth of their predecessors. On opening night of every Tony-eligible Broadway chorus musical, the cast, crew, producers, and box office team gather for the Gypsy Robe. Presented to the show’s ensemble member with the most Broadway chorus credits, the robe pays homage to gypsies—those cast members traveling show to show, following the work, slogging it in the ensemble. Endowed with the history of its Broadway predecessors, the robe brings luck to the new arrival. The tradition dates to the 1950 production of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” when dancer Bill Bradley used to steal cast mate Florence...
- 4/24/2013
- backstage.com
At 88, the consummate Broadway broad is giving up her apartment and moving home to Michigan. Here, a brief history of her life and career, along with some of our favorite quotes and anecdotes. 1942: Stritch, age 17, arrives in New York from Detroit to study acting at the New School. “My biggest dream was to get out of Michigan—to discover life beyond the Sacred Heart Convent.” Hung on to her virginity until age 30—but started drinking whiskey sours with Dad at 12. October 1946: Makes her first Broadway appearance in a flop called Loco.October 1950:Understudies Ethel Merman, another leggy honker, in Call Me Madam. “I love Richard Rodgers, but he was a nervous man … He once said, ‘Every time I see you do a number, I never believe you’ll be able to do it again.’” March 1955:Her breakout: Grace Hoylard, a sassy diner proprietress, in William Inge’s Bus Stop.
- 4/1/2013
- by Rebecca Milzoff
- Vulture
We all know she seems ageless, but the legendary Broadway diva Chita Rivera turns 80 years old today (Jan. 23).
The "Queen of the Gypsies" made her stage debut in a touring production of "Call Me Madam" in 1951, and went on to create the iconic roles of Anita in "West Side Story," Rosie in "Bye Bye Birdie," Velma Kelly in "Chicago" and Aurora in "Kiss of the Spider Woman," among others.
As it turns out, Rivera -- a two-time Tony Award winner and a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient -- is still going strong, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. She's currently wowing crowds in the acclaimed Broadway revival of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" in New York.
In honor of Rivera's milestone birthday, check out her most iconic moments below:...
The "Queen of the Gypsies" made her stage debut in a touring production of "Call Me Madam" in 1951, and went on to create the iconic roles of Anita in "West Side Story," Rosie in "Bye Bye Birdie," Velma Kelly in "Chicago" and Aurora in "Kiss of the Spider Woman," among others.
As it turns out, Rivera -- a two-time Tony Award winner and a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient -- is still going strong, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. She's currently wowing crowds in the acclaimed Broadway revival of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" in New York.
In honor of Rivera's milestone birthday, check out her most iconic moments below:...
- 1/23/2013
- by Curtis M. Wong
- Huffington Post
Primary Stages last night held their annual Gala on Wednesday at The Edison Ballroom 240 W. 47th Street. The event, which honored Tony Award winner Tyne Daly Master Class, Rabbit Hole, Gypsy, and producers and Primary Stages Board members Jamie deRoy and Ted Snowdon, featured performances by Tony Award nominee Tom Wopat Sondheim on Sondheim, A Catered Affair, actordirectorproducer Tamara Tunie Law amp Order Svu, As The World Turns, Lewis Cleale The Book of Mormon, Spamalot, Call Me Madam, and Garrett Sorenson Master Class.BroadwayWorld was there for the event and we bring you coverage from inside the event below...
- 11/15/2012
- by Stephen Sorokoff
- BroadwayWorld.com
Primary Stages last night held their annual Gala on Wednesday at The Edison Ballroom 240 W. 47th Street. The event, which honored Tony Award winner Tyne Daly Master Class, Rabbit Hole, Gypsy, and producers and Primary Stages Board members Jamie deRoy and Ted Snowdon, featured performances by Tony Award nominee Tom Wopat Sondheim on Sondheim, A Catered Affair, actordirectorproducer Tamara Tunie Law amp Order Svu, As The World Turns, Lewis Cleale The Book of Mormon, Spamalot, Call Me Madam, and Garrett Sorenson Master Class. BroadwayWorld was there for the event and we bring you full photo coverage below...
- 11/15/2012
- by Kevin Thomas Garcia
- BroadwayWorld.com
Primary Stages previously announced program details for their annual Gala tonight, November 14, 2012 at 630Pm at The Edison Ballroom 240 W. 47th Street. The event, which honors Tony Award winner Tyne Daly Master Class, Rabbit Hole, Gypsy, and producers and Primary Stages Board members Jamie deRoy and Ted Snowdon, features performances by Tony Award nominee Tom Wopat Sondheim on Sondheim, A Catered Affair, actordirectorproducer Tamara Tunie Law amp Order Svu, As The World Turns, Lewis Cleale The Book of Mormon, Spamalot, Call Me Madam, and Garrett Sorenson Master Class. Speakers will include Julie Halston Anything Goes, Olive and the Bitter Herbs, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter Michael Cristofer The Shadow Box, The Witches of Eastwick, and Executive Director of Broadway CaresEquity Fights AIDS Bcefa Tom Viola. The Gala Chairs are Barry Feirstein and Tom Kirdahy.
- 11/14/2012
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Happy Birthday, Beth Leavel Beth received Tony, Drama Desk, NY Outer Critics Circle and L.A. Drama Critics Awards for her performance as the title character in The Drowsy Chaperone. Beth also received a Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle nomination for her role as Florence Greenberg in Baby Its You. She recently performed the roles of Sally Adams in Call Me Madam at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, MLynn in Steel Magnolias at the North Carolina Theatre and the much put upon maid, Berthe, in Boeing-Boeing at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Other Broadway roles Emily in Elf, Donna in Mamma Mia, Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein, Dorothy Brock in the revival of 42nd Street, Tess in the original company of Crazy For You, Mrs. Bixby in The Civil War,Ellie in Hal Prince's Showboat, and Anytime Annie her Broadway debut in 42nd Street.
- 11/1/2012
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Primary Stages Casey Childs, Founder amp Executive Producer Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director Elliot Fox, Managing Director have announced program details for their annual Gala on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 630Pm at The Edison Ballroom 240 W. 47th Street. The event, which will honor Tony Award winner Tyne Daly Master Class, Rabbit Hole, Gypsy, and producers and Primary Stages Board members Jamie deRoy and Ted Snowdon, will feature performances by Tony Award nominee Tom Wopat Sondheim on Sondheim, A Catered Affair, actordirectorproducer Tamara Tunie Law amp Order Svu, As The World Turns, Lewis Cleale The Book of Mormon, Spamalot, Call Me Madam, and Garrett Sorenson Master Class. Speakers will include Julie Halston Anything Goes, Olive and the Bitter Herbs, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter Michael Cristofer The Shadow Box, The Witches of Eastwick, and Executive Director of Broadway CaresEquity Fights AIDS Bcefa Tom Viola. The Gala Chairs are Barry Feirstein and Tom Kirdahy.
- 10/17/2012
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Today we are talking to a terrifically talented triple-threat who has made appearances on Broadway in entities as diverse as David Merricks original Gower Champion-directed production of 42nd Street, her debut, to roles in Susan Stromans Crazy For You, Hal Princes landmark revival of Show Boat and the Mark Bramble revival of 42nd Street to The Civil War, Mamma Mia, Young Frankenstein, Elf, and, most recently, as the star of Baby, Its You - to say nothing of her Tony Award-winning turn in The Drowsy Chaperone - the thoroughly delightful and dynamic dame herself, Beth Leavel. Discussing some of her career highlights thus far - such as the night of her Tony Award win - while generously sharing her caustic wit and giving us a glimpse into the life of a modern-day leading lady, Leavel also offers us some insights into her newest role - one originally essayed by...
- 7/24/2012
- by Pat Cerasaro
- BroadwayWorld.com
Masterworks Broadway continues to make good on its promise to open its vaults with more classic cast recordings previously unavailable in the CD era. Working 1978 Original Broadway Cast, Call Me Madam Dinah Shore and the Original Broadway Company, 1950 and Desert Song 1959 Studio Cast will be available as downloads through all major digital service providers and as disc-on-demand with the original cover art, via Arkivmusic.com and Amazon.com.
- 6/21/2012
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
The Town Halls Broadway by the Year's 12th Season continues with The Broadway Musicals of 1950 on Monday, March 19th at 8Pm. 1950 was a year that brought us famous shows by musical theater icons including Frank Loesser, Guys and Dolls, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse Call Me Madam, and Cole Porter Out of This World, among others. Produced by The Town Hall, The Broadway Musicals of 1950 is created, written and hosted by Scott Siegel.
- 3/5/2012
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi in Oscar nominee (but not DGA nominee) David Lean's Summertime DGA Awards vs. Academy Awards 1948-1952: Odd Men Out George Cukor, John Huston, Vincente Minnelli 1953 DGA (12) Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, Above and Beyond Walter Lang, Call Me Madam Daniel Mann, Come Back, Little Sheba Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Julius Caesar Henry Koster, The Robe Jean Negulesco, Titanic George Sidney, Young Bess DGA/AMPAS George Stevens, Shane Charles Walters, Lili Billy Wilder, Stalag 17 William Wyler, Roman Holiday Fred Zinnemann, From Here to Eternity 1954 DGA (16) Edward Dmytryk, The Caine Mutiny Alfred Hitchcock, Dial M for Murder Robert Wise, Executive Suite Anthony Mann, The Glenn Miller Story Samuel Fuller, Hell and High Water Henry King, King of Khyber Rifles Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, Knock on Wood Don Siegel, Riot in Cell Block 11 Stanley Donen, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers George Cukor, A Star Is Born Jean Negulesco,...
- 1/10/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
In the days leading up to the upcoming Academy Awards, Turner Classic Movies will be playing a long round of Oscar-nominated and winning films.
The vintage movie network will air its perennial special "31 Days of Oscar" starting February 1. Paying tribute to films that feature the best that the cinematic medium has to offer, the month-long programming block has a special theme for 2010.
This year's "31 Days" is styled after the game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon," which links actors movie by movie to the titular star. However, rather than six degrees, TCM will utilize a full circle with 360 degrees - 360 movies. Starting with Bacon himself, "31 Days" kicks off at 6 a.m. Et with the actor's "Only When I Laugh." The progression continues in a like format with Bacon's co-star, James Coco, in "Man of La Mancha." Coco's co-star, Harry Andrews, is then featured in "55 Days at Peking," and the sequence continues...
The vintage movie network will air its perennial special "31 Days of Oscar" starting February 1. Paying tribute to films that feature the best that the cinematic medium has to offer, the month-long programming block has a special theme for 2010.
This year's "31 Days" is styled after the game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon," which links actors movie by movie to the titular star. However, rather than six degrees, TCM will utilize a full circle with 360 degrees - 360 movies. Starting with Bacon himself, "31 Days" kicks off at 6 a.m. Et with the actor's "Only When I Laugh." The progression continues in a like format with Bacon's co-star, James Coco, in "Man of La Mancha." Coco's co-star, Harry Andrews, is then featured in "55 Days at Peking," and the sequence continues...
- 12/8/2009
- icelebz.com
Who's the hostess with the mostes' in San Francisco? On September 26, the answer will be belted out when San Francisco's only professional musical theatre company, 42nd Street Moon (www.42ndstreetmoon.org) opens its much-anticipated 2009 / 2010 season with Irving Berlin's classic take on the Washington, DC political-and-social set, Call Me Madam starring international cabaret and concert star Klea Blackhurst in the role made famous by Ethel Merman.
- 9/3/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
Actor and dancer Donald O'Connor, who wowed audiences with his "Make `Em Laugh" number in the classic musical Singin' in the Rain, died Saturday of heart failure at a retirement home in Calabasas, CA; he was 78. Born to a family of vaudeville performers, O'Connor joined the family profession as an infant and made his film debut at age 11 in the movie 1937's Melody for Two, dancing alongside two of his brothers. Juvenile roles and more vaudeville work followed, and in 1942 he signed on for a number of low-budget musicals for Universal. O'Connor gained a measure of cinematic fame and success as the human star of the first Francis the Talking Mule film, and went on to make five sequels opposite his animal co-star. His show-stopping role in Singin' in the Rain came in 1952, where he played wry musician Cosmo Brown alongside Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. When it came to the now-legendary "Make `Em Laugh" number, O'Connor said he choreographed his pratfalls and acrobatics by seeing what made two female assistants on the set laugh the most; word had it he spent three days in bed after filming the number. Other films in the 50s included I Love Melvin, Call Me Madam, There's No Business Like Show Business and Anything Goes. O'Connor won an Emmy in 1954 for his work on The Colgate Comedy Hour and starred in three different versions of The Donald O'Connor Show. In his later years, O'Connor devoted his energy to composing concert music and making nightclub and stage appearances; he appeared briefly in both Ragtime and Toys and a number of television shows in the 80s and 90s. Always handy with a one-liner, O'Connor saved one of his best for last . according to his family's brief statement, among his last words were, "I'd like to thank the Academy for my lifetime achievement award that I will eventually get." O'Connor is survived by his wife, Gloria Noble, and four children. --Prepared by IMDb staff...
- 9/29/2003
- WENN
Actor and dancer Donald O'Connor, who wowed audiences with his "Make `Em Laugh" number in the classic musical Singin' in the Rain, died Saturday of heart failure at a retirement home in Calabasas, CA; he was 78. Born to a family of vaudeville performers, O'Connor joined the family profession as an infant and made his film debut at age 11 in the movie 1937's Melody for Two, dancing alongside two of his brothers. Juvenile roles and more vaudeville work followed, and in 1942 he signed on for a number of low-budget musicals for Universal. O'Connor gained a measure of cinematic fame and success as the human star of the first Francis the Talking Mule film, and went on to make five sequels opposite his animal co-star. His show-stopping role in Singin' in the Rain came in 1952, where he played wry musician Cosmo Brown alongside Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. When it came to the now-legendary "Make `Em Laugh" number, O'Connor said he choreographed his pratfalls and acrobatics by seeing what made two female assistants on the set laugh the most; word had it he spent three days in bed after filming the number. Other films in the 50s included I Love Melvin, Call Me Madam, There's No Business Like Show Business and Anything Goes. O'Connor won an Emmy in 1954 for his work on The Colgate Comedy Hour and starred in three different versions of The Donald O'Connor Show. In his later years, O'Connor devoted his energy to composing concert music and making nightclub and stage appearances; he appeared briefly in both Ragtime and Toys and a number of television shows in the 80s and 90s. Always handy with a one-liner, O'Connor saved one of his best for last . according to his family's brief statement, among his last words were, "I'd like to thank the Academy for my lifetime achievement award that I will eventually get." O'Connor is survived by his wife, Gloria Noble, and four children. --Prepared by IMDb staff...
- 9/28/2003
- IMDb News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.