So many 70s TV sitcom stars were drawn from Broadway musicals
Beatrice Arthur ("Maude"): "Mame," "The 3Penny Opera"
Florence Henderson ("The Brady Bunch"): "Fanny"
Jean Stapleton ("All in the Family"): "Bells Are Ringing," "Funny Girl"
Hal Linden (Barney Miller): "The Rothschilds"
Bonnie Franklin ("One Day at a Time"): "Applause"
Linda Lavin ("Alice"): "It's Bird, It's a Plane, It's... Superman"
Why? And why did that mostly stop?
by Anonymous | reply 31 | June 28, 2022 12:53 AM
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Oh don’t you forget Beth Howland!!
by Anonymous | reply 1 | June 17, 2022 7:57 PM
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I believe Ralph Carter, who played Michael on "Good Times," was discovered while in the Broadway cast of the musical "Raisin."
by Anonymous | reply 3 | June 17, 2022 8:27 PM
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What about Lani O Grady???
by Anonymous | reply 6 | June 17, 2022 10:53 PM
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Because stage actors can rarely tone it down for TV. You don't need to shout every line, Bea.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | June 18, 2022 12:11 AM
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It was simply how Norman Lear did much of his casting. He saw a million plays, and often times he saw someone he felt he could build a show around.
Ever wonder why we met George Jefferson's brother Henry a year before we met George? Because Lear had seen Sherman Hemsley in Purlie on Broadway. He wanted to cast him as George Jefferson, but had to wait out his contract for a whole year. So, they got another actor to play his brother to take all George's lines until Sherman was ready.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | June 18, 2022 12:22 AM
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Umm…Tom Bosley as Fiorello!
by Anonymous | reply 11 | June 18, 2022 12:28 AM
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When we still had NYC soaps there were a lot of Broadway actors on them as well.
by Anonymous | reply 13 | June 18, 2022 12:57 AM
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[quote] Why? And why did that mostly stop?
Bonnie Franklin slapped one too many network execs.
by Anonymous | reply 14 | June 18, 2022 1:09 AM
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Benson:
Robert Guillaume (Guys and Dolls, Phantom of the Opera, Purlie, Cyrano...) James Noble (1776...) Inga Swenson (110 in the Shade, Camelot, Baker Street...) Rene Auberjonois (City of Angels, Big River, Coco, Dance of the Vampires...) Ethan Phillips (My Favorite Year and other plays, but few musicals) Lewis J. Stadlen (Minnie's Boys, Candide, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Producers...)
by Anonymous | reply 15 | June 19, 2022 9:16 PM
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Some of those shows were after "Benson."
by Anonymous | reply 16 | June 19, 2022 9:19 PM
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Florence Henderson was also in The Sound Of Music after Mary Martin, and Song Of Norway.
Don't forget Dick Van Dyke - star of Bye Bye Birdie.
The Lear shows were on videotape before "live audiences" and they didn't constantly stop and start and laugh about it, like today - when gaffes become part of the entertainment. I imagine people like Norman Lear wanted talent who could perform a show before an audience like Broadway performers - and of course, these people were good.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | June 19, 2022 9:24 PM
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[quote] Why? And why did that mostly stop?
Because looks didn’t matter as much then.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | June 19, 2022 9:34 PM
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[quote]Why? And why did that mostly stop?
Because people like Linda Lavin and Bonnie Franklin never should have been in musicals in the first place.
by Anonymous | reply 19 | June 19, 2022 10:29 PM
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[quote]Charles Kimborough
and wife Beth Howland.
by Anonymous | reply 20 | June 20, 2022 12:57 AM
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Can I bend the criteria a bit?
John Cullum, although his sitcom success didn’t come until the 90s.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | June 20, 2022 1:51 PM
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Back in the day, Ed Sullivan and variety shows frequently featured Broadway stars performing so it provided them with great exposure. Show tunes were also played on top 40 stations. People were much more inclined to have at least heard of stage performers or knew their work so it was easier to get hired for TV work.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | June 20, 2022 3:14 PM
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Didn't Jean Stapleton have a fair amount of Broadway experience?
by Anonymous | reply 23 | June 20, 2022 3:16 PM
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Yes, Jean Stapleton had about five Broadway shows before All in the Family. Most of her roles in musicals were a step above chorus, although her most high profile role was Sue, the owner of the answering service in Bells Are Ringing.
Actors like Stapleton no longer exist. Broadway no longer writes roles for those characters and when they revive an old chestnut, they use hams like Jayne Houdyshell, who chew the scenery to be noticed rather than be noticed because they are good in the role.
by Anonymous | reply 24 | June 20, 2022 3:31 PM
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[quote]Sue, the owner of the answering service in Bells Are Ringing.
Susanswerphone.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | June 20, 2022 4:01 PM
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Valerie Bertinelli said she wanted to try Broadway before she dies.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | June 22, 2022 4:51 PM
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Chita RIvera was featured in the 2nd Dick Van Dyke tv show.
Bill Macy of "Maude" was naked in "Oh! Calcutta!"
Charles Nelson Reilly was on "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" before his long stint on "Match Game"
Edward Mulhare was the replacement Henry Higgins in Broadway's "My Fair Lady" before starring in 'The Ghost and Mrs. Muir", and featured actress Reta Shaw had been in "The Pajama Game" on Broadway.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | June 22, 2022 4:58 PM
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Tv networks tried to do sitcoms for a number of Broadway people, including Ethel Merman, Tammy Grimes, Janis Paige and Shirley MacLaine, but they didn't last long.
by Anonymous | reply 28 | June 22, 2022 5:01 PM
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Stockard Channing although her sitcoms were early 80s.
Charlotte Rae
by Anonymous | reply 29 | June 22, 2022 5:04 PM
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Mrs. Walton, Michael Learned
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 31 | June 28, 2022 12:53 AM
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