| re: Broadway to dim lights for Kaye Ballard? | |
| Last Edit: Marlo*Manners 02:59 pm EST 01/25/19 | |
| Posted by: Marlo*Manners 02:59 pm EST 01/25/19 | |
| In reply to: Broadway to dim lights for Kaye Ballard? - BillyG 02:34 pm EST 01/25/19 | |
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| They should based on talent but the actual Broadway career wasn't all that. People like Allyn Ann McClerie had a better record on the Great White Way. Kaye Ballard was a remarkable talent with a rather disappointing Broadway career that in no way measured up to her talent or potential. Looking at IBDB she debuted in "Top Banana" as a replacement for Rose Marie. Her Off-Broadway triumph led to Broadway flop in "The Golden Apple". Seven years later she finally was in a hit as Rosalie in "Carnival!" again as a second banana. After that two flops, the revue "The Beast in Me' and "Molly" as a singing Molly Goldberg. Last Broadway gig was as a replacement Ruth in the Joe Papp "The Pirates of Penzance". "Molly" was supposed to put Kaye on the level of Merman, Martin and Gwen Verdon. Didn't pan out. Now this had nothing to do with her actual talent, nor did it reflect her excellent work in television, film, cabaret and stock. It just was bad luck. However, I was told by a friend that Ballard had one close brush with a mega Broadway hit. Ballard was called back something like nine times to audition for Dolly Gallagher Levi in "Hello Dolly!". She was thisclose to getting the part. Eventually, Jerry Herman decided on Carol Channing as Dolly which ended up a good decision (especially for Channing who hadn't had a big hit new musical since "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" in 1949 and had aged out of Lorelei and needed a new career defining role). But Ballard was crushed. Though Kaye did all sorts of revivals in stock, I am pretty sure she never performed Dolly as a Broadway replacement, on tour or in stock. Marlo Manners (Lady Barrington) |
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| Previous: | Broadway to dim lights for Kaye Ballard? - BillyG 02:34 pm EST 01/25/19 |
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