Tag: Broadway
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DICK PATTERSON
April 11, 1929 Dick Patterson was born Richard Neal Patterson in Clear Lake, Iowa, in 1929. In 1961, he got his ‘big break’ on Broadway replacing Dick Van Dyke in the original cast of the musical Bye Bye Birdie. His Broadway debut was in the short-lived Vintage ‘60. Next he was seen opposite Ken Berry in The…
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PAULA STEWART
April 9, 1933 Paula Stewart was born Dorothy Paula Zürndorfer in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother, Esther Morris, was an actress. She was signed as understudy to Anne Crowley in a production of Seventeen on Broadway in June 1, 1951. Her third Broadway show was The Most Happy Fella, a show produced partly by Desilu and featured…
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WALTER WINCHELL
April 7, 1897 Walter Winchell was born in New York City, the son of immigrants. He left school in the sixth grade and started performing in vaudeville as a tap dancer. Winchell served in the U.S. Navy during World War I. He began his career in journalism by posting notes about his acting troupe on backstage bulletin boards.…
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JACK CASSIDY
March 5, 1927 John Joseph Edward Cassidy, known as “Jack” was born in Richmond Hill, Queens, and became an actor and singer known for his work in the theatre, television and films. He received multiple Tony Award nominations and a win as well as a Grammy Award for his work on the Broadway production of the 1964…
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ROBERT ALDA
February 26, 1914 Robert Alda was born Alfonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D’Abruzzo in New York City to Italian-American immigrants. He began his performing career as a singer and dancer in vaudeville after winning a talent contest, and moved on to burlesque. His professional surname derives from the first two letters of each of his first name and…
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TONY RANDALL
February 26, 1920 Anthony “Tony” Randall was born Aryeh Leonard Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is best known for his role as Felix Unger in a television adaptation of the 1965 play The Odd Couple by Neil Simon. In a career spanning about six decades, Randall received six Golden Globe Award nominations and six…
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BRUCE GORDON
February 1, 1916 Bruce Gordon was born Boris Benjamin Grabowsky in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He is best known for playing gangster Frank Nitti in the Desilu television series The Untouchables (1959-63). His acting career ranged over a half century and included stage, movies, and the small screen. His first appearance on Broadway was in 1937 in the…
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DANNY KAYE
January 18, 1911 Danny Kaye was born David Daniel Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York, in 1911, although he would later claim 1913. A multi-talented performer, he was an actor, singer, dancer, comedian, and musician. A high school drop-out, Kaye’s first break came in 1933 when he joined a vaudeville dance act that toured the United States and Asia. …
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ETHEL MERMAN
January 16, 1908 Ethel Merman was born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann in Astoria, Queens. Known primarily for her distinctive, powerful voice and leading roles in musical theatre, she has been called “the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage”. Merman began by appearing in nightclubs, first hired by Jimmy Durante’s partner Lou Clayton. At this time, she…
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CHARLES NELSON REILLY
JANUARY 13, 1931 Charles Nelson Reilly II was born in the Bronx, New York. Reilly wanted to become an opera singer but abandoned this pursuit when he realized that he lacked the natural vocal talent to have a major career. Most of his early career was spent on the stage. He appeared in many Off Broadway…
Papermoon Loves Lucy 