Sandra Church
Sandra Church | |
|---|---|
| File:Sandrachurchgypsy.JPG Church on the album, Let Me Entertain You. | |
| Born | Sandra Church January 13, 1993 |
| Nationality | American  |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, Singer, Performer |
| Known for | Gypsy Rose Lee in Gypsy: A Musical Fable |
Sandra Church (born January 13, 1933, in San Francisco, California) is an American actress in films and theatre, primarily known for her performance as Gypsy Rose Lee in the 1959 musical Gypsy: A Musical Fable,[1] for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
Career
Films and television
Church's first on-screen appearance was on the Producers' Showcase, the role of Jeannie in The Mugger (1958). She subsequently guest starred on the television series Look Up And Live (1959), as well as The DuPont Show of the Month in 1960. Three years later, she played Marion MacWhite in the film adaptation of Eugene Burdick and William Lederer's novel, The Ugly American (1963). Also in 1963, she appeared on television in The Eleventh Hour and Kraft Suspense Theatre. Church played a minor role in the film Prison Ship, which was released in North America in 1986.
Theatre and stage
In 1953, she made her Broadway theatre debut in William Inge's Picnic, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, at the Music Box Theatre.[2][3][4] Church then starred as Betsy Dean in the play Holiday for Lovers, written by Ronald Alexander directed and produced by Shepard Traube.[5]
Church's first major theatre role came about in 1959: Stephen Sondheim, Jule Styne, and Arthur Laurents' musical, Gypsy: A Musical Fable, in which Church starred as Louise Havoc ("Gypsy Rose Lee").[6][7][8] In his autobiography, Laurents states, "It came down to between Suzanne Pleshette and Sandra Church. Suzanne was the better actress, but Sandra was the better singer. We went with Sandra."[9] The original Broadway production opened on May 21, 1959 at The Broadway Theatre and subsequently transferred to the Imperial Theatre, running for 702 performances. Ethel Merman starred as Rose Havoc, Louise's mother. In Gypsy, Church introduced the hit standard "Let Me Entertain You."[10][11] The original cast album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998.[12]
Following Gypsy, Church appeared in the 1960 Broadway play Under the Yum-Yum Tree, which ran 173 performances at the Henry Miller's Theatre before closing in April 1961. Directed by Joseph Anthony, the rest of the cast comprised Dean Jones, John MacKay, Nan Martin, and Gig Young.[13]
Discography
 | This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. |
| Year | Title | Label |
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(Original Broadway Cast Recording) |
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References
- ^ Kantor, Michael and Laurence Maslon, Broadway: The American Musical, Bulfinch Press, New York, p. 286.
- ^ Marill, Alvin H. . More Theatre: Stage to Screen to Television, Vol II (M-Z). Metuchen: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1993. p.944.
- ^ Inge, William. Four Plays. New York: Grove Press, 1958. p.73.
- ^ Hawkins-Dady, Mark (Editor). International Dictionary of Theatre - 1: Plays. Chicago: St. James Press, 1992. p.613-614.
- ^ "Profile for the 1957 play". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
- ^ Barnes, Clive. "Gypsy Bounces Back With Zest and Lilt" New York Times, September 24, 1974.
- ^ Brantley, Ben. "New Momma Takes Charge" New York Times May 2, 2003
- ^ Rich, Frank. The Hot Seat:Theater Criticism for The New York Times, 1980-1993 Random House, 1998, ISBN 100679453008
- ^ "Suzanne Pleshette, 70, 'Newhart' Actress, Dies" (bio), Anita Gates, The New York Times, 2008-01-21, webpage: NYTimes-21cnd-Pleshette.
- ^ 1959 in music (this version)
- ^ Sondheim, Stephen, Finishing the Hat, New York: Alfred Knopf, 2010 p. 58-77 ISBN 978-0-679-43907-3
- ^ List of Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients E–I (this version)
- ^ Roman, Lawrence (1961). "Cast (in order of appearance)". Under the yum-yum tree: a new comedy. Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
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