By Ligia Fernandez
To access past Entertainers columns, click on the Entertainers archive
link to the left.
December 2008
|
Source: last.fm
|
Carole Shelley
(1939 - )
|
|
Best-known to younger musical audiences as the original
Madame Morrible in the smash hit WICKED, Carole Shelley made her Broadway
debut in the Neil Simon comedy THE ODD COUPLE, playing daffy Gwendolyn
Pigeon -- a role she would reprise in not only the 1968 film version with
Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, but also the TV series with Tony Randall and
Jack Klugman. She would not make the transition to
Broadway musicals until the 1990s, when she replaced Elaine Stritch in the
revival of SHOW BOAT and went on to play Fraulein Schneider in the
long-running CABARET revival at Studio 54.
Shelley also has a number of well-known films on her
resume including QUIZ SHOW, THE ROAD TO WELLVILLE and JUNGLE TO JUNGLE.
In 2005, she played loveable Aunt Clara to Nicole Kidman's Samantha in the
big-screen version of BEWITCHED.
She is currently wowing audiences as Grandma in Broadway's
latest musical smash BILLY
ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL at the Imperial Theatre. |
|
Source:
findagrave.com |
Cyril Ritchard
(1897 - 1977) |
|
Australian-born Cyril Ritchard made his mark on musical
theatre history when he was hand-picked by Mary Martin to co-star with her
in PETER PAN (1952). His playfully portrayal of Peter's nemesis
Captain Hook earned him that year's Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a
Musical. Both he and Martin reprised their roles in the 1955 TV version of
the show. Ritchard's other musicals include JOHN
MURRAY ANDERSON'S ALMANAC, THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD, THE ROAR OF THE
GREASEPAINT...THE SMELL OF THE CROWD and SUGAR.
He also played the Magician in the TV musical ALADDIN
(1958) - Cole Porter's only musical written especially for television.
In addition to his acting roles, Ritchard directed a
number of notable Broadway comedies throughout the 1950-60s such as A VISIT
TO A SMALL PLANET, THE MILLIONAIRESS, THE PLEASURE OF HIS COMPANY and
EVERYBODY LOVES OPAL.
His final Broadway appearance was as The Narrator for the
1977 one-night only benefit concert TOGETHER ON BROADWAY: MARY MARTIN &
ETHEL MERMAN. |
|
Next update to this page: Sunday, January 4, 2009 |
|
|
|
|
