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Donna McKechnie shot to fame as over-the-hill dancer Cassie
in the original cast of the landmark musical A CHORUS LINE, landing not only
a Tony Award for her performance but the cover of Newsweek magazine
and a brief marriage to the show's director/choreographer Michael Bennett.
She debuted on Broadway in the chorus of 1961's HOW TO
SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING. She was then cast in the
original companies of THE EDUCATION OF H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N, PROMISES
PROMISES and COMPANY as well as the role of Ivy Smith in 1971 revival of ON
THE TOWN.
After A CHORUS LINE, she appeared extensively in regional
theatre including roles including SWEET CHARITY, GYPSY, THE GOODBYE GIRL and
MACK & MABEL. She would return to Broadway in 1996 to play
entertainer
Emily in the short-lived stage adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's movie
musical STATE FAIR.
On television, she played Amanda in the 1970 gothic
daytime drama DARK SHADOWS. She has also appeared in the hit TV series
CHEERS, FAMILY TIES and SCARECROW AND MRS. KING.
In 2006, she published her autobiography, Time Steps:
My Musical Comedy Life. |
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Nicknamed "The Great Schnozzola" for his prominent nose,
Jimmy Durante parlayed his gravel-voiced comedic delivery and limited
singing talents into an extremely successful career in the stage, films and
radio. After touring the vaudeville circuits as part
of comedy trio Clayton, Jackson & Durante, he was cast in the Broadway
musicals SHOWGIRL (1929), THE NEW YORKERS (1930), STRIKE ME PINK (1933),
JUMBO (1935), RED HOT AND BLUE (1936), STARS IN YOUR EYES (1939) and KEEP
OFF THE GRASS (1940).
A major radio, nightclub and TV entertainer throughout his
career, Durante made a number of popular recordings such as the smash hit
novelty song Inka Dinka Doo and the unlikely duet The Song's Gotta
Come From The Heart with opera superstar Helen Traubel.
His most famous film roles include Jimmy in the Shirley
Temple musical LITTLE MISS BROADWAY, circus owner Pop Wonder in BILLY ROSE'S
JUMBO and Smiler Grogan in IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD. On TV, he
provided the voice of the narrator in the holiday animated classic FROSTY
THE SNOWMAN.
He would usually sign off his radio or TV appearances with
his immortal catchphrase, "Good night, Mrs. Calabash...where ever you are."
To this day, Mrs. Calabash's true identity is still unknown. |
