Between now and the 65th Annual Tony Awards on June 12, I will be sharing my 25 favorite Broadway stars of every decade from the 1940s to the 2000s. I've already posted my Top 25 of the 1940s, so today we will continue with the fabulous '50s (in order of preference). Please note that all dates reflect the year that a show was eligible to win a Tony rather than its opening night:
1) Julie Andrews
Tony Nominations: Best Actress in a Musical for My Fair Lady (1957)
Other Musicals: The Boy Friend (1955)
2) Rosalind Russell
Tonys: Best Actress in a Musical for Wonderful Town (1953)
Tony Nominations: Best Actress in a Play for Auntie Mame (1957)
3) Robert Preston
Tonys: Best Actor in a Musical for The Music Man (1958)
4) Judy Holliday
Tonys: Best Actress in a Musical for Bells Are Ringing (1957)
5) Gwen Verdon
Tonys: Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Can-Can (1954), Best Actress in a Musical for Damn Yankees (1956), New Girl in Town (1958) and Redhead (1959)
6) Barbara Cook
Tonys: Best Featured Actress in a Musical for The Music Man (1958)
Other Musicals: Flahooley (1952), Plain and Fancy (1955), Candide (1957)
7) Mary Martin
Tonys: Best Actress in a Musical for South Pacific (1950) and Peter Pan (1955)
8) Paul Newman
Plays: Picnic (1953), The Desperate Hours (1955)
9) Ethel Merman
Tonys: Best Actress in a Musical for Call Me Madam (1951)
Tony Nominations: Best Actress in a Musical for Happy Hunting (1957)
10) Carol Channing
Tony Nominations: Best Actress in a Musical for The Vamp (1956)
Other Musicals: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1950)
11) Audrey Hepburn
Tonys: Best Actress in a Play for Ondine (1954)
Other Plays: Gigi (1952)
12) Shirley Booth
Tonys: Best Actress in a Play for Come Back, Little Sheba (1950) and The Time of the Cuckoo (1953)
Other Plays: The Desk Set (1956)
Musicals: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1952), By the Beautiful Sea (1955)
13) Yul Brynner
Tonys: Best Featured Actor in a Musical for The King and I (1952)
14) Chita Rivera
Musicals: Seventh Heaven (1956), Mr. Wonderful (1957), West Side Story (1958)
15) Gertrude Lawrence
Tonys: Best Actress in a Musical for The King and I (1952)
16) Barbara Bel Geddes
Tony Nominations: Best Actress in a Play for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1956)
17) Vivian Blaine
Musicals: Guys and Dolls (1951)
Plays: Say, Darling (1959)
18) Elaine Stritch
Tony Nominations: Best Featured Actress in a Play for Bus Stop (1956)
Musicals: Pal Joey (1952), On Your Toes (1955), Goldilocks (1959)
19) Carol Haney
Tonys: Best Featured Actress in a Musical for The Pajama Game (1955)
20) Carol Lawrence
Tony Nominations: Best Featured Actress in a Musical for West Side Story (1958)
21) Rex Harrison
Tonys: Best Actor in a Musical for My Fair Lady (1957)
Plays: Bell, Book and Candle (1951)
22) Pearl Bailey
Musicals: Arms and the Girl (1950), House of Flowers (1955)
23) Ray Walston
Tonys: Best Actor in a Musical for Damn Yankees (1956)
Other Musicals: Wish You Were Here (1953), Me and Juliet (1954), House of Flowers (1955)
24) Edie Adams
Tonys: Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Li'l Abner (1957)
Other Musicals: Wonderful Town (1953)
25) Julie Harris
Tonys: Best Actress in a Play for I Am a Camera (1952) and The Lark (1956)
Other Plays: The Member of the Wedding (1950)
2 comments:
No Dolores Gray?
Anonymous, I did consider Ms. Gray for my 1960s list for her Tony-nominated performance in Destry Rides Again (1960) - but she didn't make the final cut.
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