February 16 - Vera-Ellen (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 16th are here: Alec Wilder (2020), Sonny Bono (2021), Johann Strauss III (2022), Johann Strauss III (2023), Patty Andrews (2024), and Johann Strauss III (2025)

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Vera-Ellen (16 February 1921 – 30 August 1981) was an American dancer, actress, and singer. She is best known for her starring roles in On the Town (1949) and White Christmas (1954). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brief Bio

Dancing actress Vera-Ellen

Found some roles she could excel in;

She danced a lot, and sang a bit,

White Christmas was her biggest hit.

 

 

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February 14 - Florence Henderson (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 14th are here: Renée Fleming (2020), Aida Overton Walker (2021), Francesco Cavalli; Alexander Dargomyzhsky (2022), Francesco Cavalli; Fernando Sor (2023), Michael Costa; Irving Gordon (2024), and Víkingur Ólafsson; Fred Scott (2025)

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Florence Henderson (14 February 1934 – 24 November 2016) was an American singer and actress. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Voices, Other Rooms

She debuted on Broadway in the musical Wish You Were Here in 1952, and later starred on Broadway in the long-running 1954 musical, Fanny (888 performances) in which she originated the title role. – Wikipedia

The Brady Bunch defined her career,

So some forget, or very near,

Her talents in another sphere;

Neglecting how she, year by year,

Would go to Broadway and appear,

With Playbills as a souvenir.

I'd never criticize or jeer

At Carol Brady, and won't smear

A sitcom mom whose so sincere;

Nor never would I want to sneer

At TV shows that some revere.

I only want to make it clear

Why Florence Henderson is here,

Where music is the subject we're

Commit strictly to adhere

To when we give a birthday cheer.

 

 

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February 28 - Bernadette Peters (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 28th are here: Jean-Baptiste Arban (2020), Geraldine Farrar (2021), Tommy Tune; John Alden Carpenter (2022), Bernadette Peters (2023), and Jake Bugg; Charles Bernstein (2024)

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Bernadette Peters (b. 28 February 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Child Prodigy

 

She first appeared on the New York stage at age 10 as Tessie in the New York City Center revival of The Mist Happy Fella (1959). --- Wikipedia

When starting acting as a kid,

Which Bernadette (Miss Peters) did,

One runs the risk of obsolescence

Before one passes adolescence.

But Bernadette, ten years of age,

Appeared upon the New York stage,

(The year was nineteen fifty nine),

And ever since she’s done just fine.

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Ambitions

When Peters at the age of ten

   First trod the New York City boards,

She dreamed about a future when

   She’d act again, and win awards,

And she decided there and then

   That this is what she’d work towards.

 

 

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July 3 - Betty Buckley (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 3rd are found here: Ruth Crawford Seeger (2019), Leos Janáček (2020), George M. Cohan (2021), Johnny Hartman (2022), and Audra McDonald (2023)

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Betty Buckley (b. 3 July 1947) is an American actress and singer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Was Beautiful Then

In 1982, Buckley starred as Grizabella in the original Broadway production of the musical Cats. She stayed with the production for 18 months. -- adapted from Wikipedia

Eighteen months on Broadway doing Cats

   For Betty Buckley probably was tough,

But in the end there’s recompense, and that’s,

  She certainly had memories enough!

 

 

 

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April 28 - Ann-Margaret; Blossom Dearie (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 28th may be found here: John Jacob Niles (2019), Michael Daugherty (2020), Blossom Dearie (2021), Ludvig Schytte (2022), and John Jacob Niles (2023)

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Ann-Margret (b. April 28, 1941) is a Swedish-American actress and singer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hexameters for A-M

She had a sexy, throaty singing voice, and RCA Victor attempted to capitalize on the "female Elvis" comparison by having her record a version of "Heartbreak Hotel” and other songs stylistically similar to Presley's. – Wikipedia, on her pre-Bye Bye Birdie singing career

One might have thought the chances of success were slim

When she was cast to play the wholesome role of Kim.

Since little present in her resume or bio

Suggests a teenage girl in middle-class Ohio.

 

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Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1924 – February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer, pianist, and cabaret artist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pentameters for Blossom

Blossom Dearie’s an acquired taste,

She’s always had her critics who are caustic;

But her eccentric charm, when once embraced

Converts the most refractory agnostic.

 

 

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