Birthday Babes (and One Dude)!

Birthday stars we'll be commemorating on 2 On The Aisle this Sunday...starting with Debra Monk, above in Kander & Ebb's Curtains (as Producer Carmen Bernstein).

Debra was born on February 27th, 1949, in Middletown, Ohio, and went on to be voted "Best Personality" of her high school graduating class. I'm not surprised! :)

Above as Shelby Stevens in Steel Pier, another Kander & Ebb creation.

A young Debra in Pump Boys And Dinettes...that's her on the left. She played Prudie Cupp, sister of Rhetta Cupp, played by Cass Morgan (on the right).

Debra got to help co-write several of the songs in this show, along with Mark Hardwick (Mr. Accordian) and Jim Wann (right behind him).

 

And then there's Betty Hutton, born Feb. 26, 1921, out there in Battle Creek, MI.

Her family owned a speakeasy, so naturally that's where a young Elizabeth started performing (she was a very mature 3!).

On the Broadway stage, Betty debuted in Two For The Show (1940),

Panama Hattie, South Pacific, Annie Get Your Gun (plus the movie, don't forget that!), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, even Annie (when she replaced Alice Ghostley as Miss Hannigan).

Film-wise, TONS of stuff...like below in Red, Hot, and Blue with

Victor Mature. 

And not to forget her very popular novelty songs,

like "Murder, He Says" and "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing In A Hurry."

In Let's Dance with Fred Astaire, above.

She can't stop talkin' about him!

Tyne Daly celebrates her birthday on Feb. 21, 1946.

She hails from Madison, Wisconsin...and that's her younger brother, Tim, 

in a clinch with her above.

Many folks know Tyne from Cagney & Lacey (6 years, and 4 Emmys?),

but Broadway lay in wait: Gypsy, Call Me Madam, It Shoulda Been You,

and Master Class...

In Master Class, playing Maria Callas.

In the 1989  revival of Gypsy with Jonathan Hadary and Crista Moore.

Below, her Lacey Days! 

 

With Harriet Harris in It Shoulda Been You. 

This musical didn't exactly make it to Broadway,

but some cute tunes, and a cute director: David Hyde Pierce!

And it's Jackie Gleason's birthday, as well: February 26, 1916.

Born and bred in Brooklyn, NY, and his first job "in the biz" was as a master of ceremonies in a local theatre for $4 a night.

Comedy gigs with partners, then doin' it solo, brought him to the attention of Jack Warner who quickly placed him in films like Navy Blues and All Through The Night. Then television BIG TIME.

But Jackie did do Broadway, namely Follow The Girls (1944) and Take Me Along (1959); he won a Tony for Take Me!

 

Of course, Jackie's big claim to fame was his creation of The Honeymooners,

with Audrey Meadows and Art Carney.

 

But he also did a super job playing straight; below playing Minnesota Fats in

The Hustler with Paul Newman in 1961.