Birthday Buttercream!

Look Ma, I'm Dancin' opened on Broadway on January 29, 1948, starring Nancy Walker and Harold Lang. Music and Lyrics, Hugh Martin.

This was the same year Harold co-starred in Kiss Me, Kate. (Big year for Harold!)

Harold stayed on stage for most of his career (Pal Joey, On The Town, Once Upon A Mattress), but Nancy went on to films, variety shows, sitcoms, commercials (above), and directing.

She passed away in 1992, age 69...and Harold died in 1985, age 60.

Elaine Stritch was born on Groundhog Day! Feb 2, 1925...

Of course, I've spotlighted Elaine almost weekly on 2 On The Aisle, she of the 5-decade-long stage career, so you know many of the details already (so I won't BORE YOU!).

But we'll hear from her one-woman show, Elaine Stritch At Liberty, on Sunday, plus a great ballad from Goldilocks. Tho the show was a flop, Brooks Atkinson of the Times wrote,

“Miss Stritch can destroy life throughout the country with the twist she gives to the dialogue. She takes a wicked stance, purses her mouth thoughtfully and waits long enough to devastate the landscape.”

Above, Elaine enjoying her digs at the Carlyle Hotel, where she lived (and performed) for 15 years.

Below, Elaine with Barbara Cook, evidently performing a long and complicated song!

Elaine, in one of her first Broadway shows, Angels In The Wings, 1947 

(she was 22).

Her solo, "Civilization", is Un-PC, but very memorable (and it wasn't cut in out of town tryouts!).

Nathan Lane turns 65 this year, specifically on Feb. 3!

He arrived in NYC (which didn't demand a long commute, only a Hudson River boat ride in from Jersey City) in the 1970s, but had to wait til 1982 to debut with Present Laughter (with George C. Scott).

Prior to that, he performed a stand-up comedy act with Patrick Stack.

Six Tony nominations and three wins for Nathan:

Forum, The Producers, and Guys And Dolls.

(Above, Nathan with Cady Huffman and Mathew Broderick.)

Tammy Grimes has a birthday coming up on Jan. 30...born in Lyn, Mass. in 1934. 

A two Tony winner is Tammy: One for The Unsinkable Molly Brown (below with co-star Harve Presnell) and and 1970 revival of Noel Coward's Private Lives.

Tammy would go on to act in many Coward plays over the course of her career, which included her own TV show, CBS Radio Mystery Theatre, and voice overs.

Married 3, count em', 3 times...once to actor Christopher Plummer. She is mom to actress Amanda Plummer.

 

Tammy passed away in 2016, at the age of 82.