Sandra Church (born January 13, 1937) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her performance as the original Gypsy Rose Lee in Gypsy (1959),[1] for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She also co-starred with Marlon Brando in The Ugly American (1963).
Sandra Church | |
|---|---|
 Church in Eleventh Hour (1963) | |
| Born | Sandra Lee Church January 13, 1937 |
| Alma mater | Immaculate Heart High School |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer, artist |
| Years active | 1944–1964 |
| Known for | Gypsy |
| Spouses | |
| Relatives | Mary Florence Denton (great-aunt) |
Early life
editChurch was born and raised in San Francisco, California. Her father died when she was two years old in a car accident. Her mother, a registered nurse with theatrical ambitions herself, moved Church at the age of five to Hollywood to pursue a career in acting. She attended Immaculate Heart High School.[citation needed]
She was taken out of high school to audition for the lead role in Picnic, which kicked off her acting career.[citation needed]
Career
editTheatre
editFrom 1953 to 1959, Church played various ingénue roles in theatrical plays. In 1953, Church made her Broadway debut in the role of Madge Owens, replacing Janice Rule, in William Inge's Picnic with Ralph Meeker.[2][3][4] Her next performance was playing Sonya in Uncle Vanya (1956), an off-broadway production with Franchot Tone and Signe Hasso, followed by a role as Betsy Dean in the Ronald Alexander play Holiday for Lovers (1957). Church was featured as Helen White in Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio alongside Dorothy McGuire and James Whitmore.[citation needed]
Church's breakout performance came in 1959 as the original Gypsy Rose Lee in Gypsy (1959),[1][5][6][7][8] for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In his autobiography, playwright Arthur 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] In Gypsy, Church introduced the popular standard "Let Me Entertain You."[10]
Following Gypsy, Church appeared in the 1960 Broadway play Under the Yum Yum Tree, directed by Joseph Anthony.[11]
Films and television
editChurch's first on-screen appearance was on the Producers' Showcase, followed by 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.
Personal life
editIn October 1961 it was widely reported that Church and Gypsy composer Jule Styne would marry, although this was untrue.[12] In November 1964, she married Broadway play producer Norman Twain in Bridgetown, Barbados at the home of stage designer Oliver Messel.[13] The couple divorced in 1975. She later married Albert H. Clayburgh until his passing in 1997.[citation needed]
Church's great-aunt was educator Mary Florence Denton, a longtime faculty member at Doshisha University in Kyoto.[14]
Discography
edit| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
1959 |
Gypsy: A Musical Fable (Original Broadway Cast Recording) |
|
1959 |
Let Me Entertain You |
|
2011 |
Gypsy Meets Gypsy |
References
edit- ^ a b 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. pp. 613-14.
- ^ Barnes, Clive. "Gypsy Bounces Back With Zest and Lilt", New York Times, September 24, 1974
- ^ [1]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 0-679-45300-8
- ^ "Sandra Church captures role of a stripper". Sarasota Journal. March 4, 1960. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ Gates, Anita.NYTimes-21cnd-Pleshette "Suzanne Pleshette, 70, 'Newhart' Actress, Dies" (bio) The New York Times, January 21, 2008
- ^ Sondheim, Stephen, Finishing the Hat, New York: Alfred Knopf, 2010; ISBN 978-0-679-43907-3, pp. 58-77
- ^ Roman, Lawrence (1961). "Cast (in order of appearance)". Under the yum-yum tree: a new comedy. Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ Toledo Blade, October 1961
- ^ Profile of Sandra Church, Sarasota-Harold Tribune; accessed May 20, 2015.
- ^ Stoneberg, David (January 24, 2008). "Japanese college honors a beloved missionary". Napa Valley Register. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
