February 22 - Marni Nixon (The Musical Birthday Series)

Marni Nixon (22 February 1930 – 24 July 2016) was an American soprano best known for dubbing the vocal parts in important movie musicals.  She also had success singing contemporary classical music.

Double Time

That Deborah Kerr or Natalie Wood

Or, later, Audrey Hepburn should

Get leading roles in musical shows

Was mighty strange as casting goes.

None of them had singing voices

So they seemed peculiar choices.

But investors, to be willing.

Needed glamor in top billing.

A clever ruse was improvised,

To keep their lack of voice disguised --

Marni Nixon sang, they dubbed it,

And the actors never flubbed it.

Envoi

Lifeboats save on sinking ships,

Marni saved with synching lips.