Marilyn Cooper

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Marilyn Cooper
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedApril 22, 2009(2009-04-22) (aged 74)
Englewood, New Jersey
, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1956–2000
L-R: Elizabeth Taylor, Carmen Gutierrez, Marilyn Cooper, and Carol Lawrence from the original Broadway cast of West Side Story sing "I Feel Pretty" (1957)

Marilyn Cooper (December 14, 1934 – April 22, 2009)[1][2] was an American actress known primarily for her work on the Broadway stage.

Life and career

Cooper was born to Ashkenazi Jewish parents, Benjamin Cooper and Edna Becker in New York City. Cooper's great aunt was the Vaudeville star Belle Baker.[3] Cooper stated that she was inspired by her aunt's career.[4]

Cooper made her

Brigadoon
.

In 1957, she played Rosalia, a Sharks girl who wants to go back to

West Side Story. In 1959, she went on to create the ensemble role of Agnes, the leader of the Hollywood Blondes, in the original Broadway production Gypsy. Before leaving the show, she briefly understudied the title role of Louise and played the part for one performance without having had an opportunity to rehearse Act 2.[5] In 1962, she graduated to a leading role, playing the ingenue in I Can Get It for You Wholesale, opposite Elliott Gould and Sheree North (the show marked Barbra Streisand
's Broadway debut at age 19).

Cooper enjoyed a long career in New York, appearing on Broadway in

Eydie Gorme); Mame (succeeding Helen Gallagher as Agnes Gooch towards the end of the original Broadway run); Two by Two, starring Danny Kaye and Madeline Kahn; the 1971 revival of On the Town as Lucy Schmeeler, the blind date; and in Michael Bennett's Ballroom, starring Dorothy Loudon
.

In 1981, Cooper created the supporting role of Jan Donovan, the wife of Tess Harding's ex-husband Larry, in the

The Odd Couple. The following season she had a memorable vocal cameo as a radio actress in Simon's Broadway Bound
.

Cooper can be heard on the original Broadway cast recordings of West Side Story, I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Two by Two, and Woman of the Year. Additionally she appeared in Fiorello!, One Touch of Venus, and Do Re Mi at New York City Center's "Encores!" series.

Cooper's television appearances include

Kate and Allie, Cheers (as Lilith Sternin's mother Betty), Law & Order, The Nanny and Caroline in the City. She also had a featured role with Tony Roberts and Kelly Bishop in the short-lived television series, The Thorns
.

Death

Cooper died on April 22, 2009, at the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey, following a long illness.[1][6]

Broadway credits

References

  1. ^ a b Lipton, Brian (April 23, 2009). "Tony Award Winner Marilyn Cooper Dies". theatermania.com. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
  2. ^ Healy, Patrick (April 24, 2009). "Marilyn Cooper, Actress and Tony Award Winner, Dies at 74". The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2009.
  3. ^ "Chicago Tribune 28 Feb 1984, page 41". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  4. ^ "The Boston Globe 27 Apr 2009, page B10". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  5. ^ Fynsworth Alley chat with Marilyn Cooper Archived 2009-04-28 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Simonson, Robert."Marilyn Cooper, Tony-Winning Actress for Woman of the Year, Dies" Archived 2009-04-26 at the Wayback Machine
    , www.playbill.com, April 23, 2009

External links
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