Reflecting on the remarkable life of the late Joan Blondell, I find myself deeply moved by her indomitable spirit and resilience. From her humble beginnings as a shy ballet student to her triumphant Broadway and Hollywood careers, she truly embodied the American dream.
Helen Gallagher, a vibrant triple talent from Broadway, who won two Tony Awards and portrayed Maeve Ryan for over 13 years on the ABC daytime drama ‘Ryan’s Hope’, has passed away at the age of 98.
On Sunday, it was announced by colleagues from New York’s Herbert Berghof Studio that Gallagher had passed away. For many years, she had been teaching a course titled “Singing for the Musical Theater” at this studio.
In 1952, the luminous performer won her first Tony Award for playing the role of Gladys Bumps, a showgirl, in the Rodgers & Hart musical “Pal Joey” revival. Later, she claimed another Tony in 1971 for portraying the flapper character Lucille Early in the revival of Busby Berkeley’s production “No, No, Nanette”.
In his review of “Nanette” for The New York Times, Clive Barnes expressed that when Miss Gallagher sings the sorrowful blues of a heartbroken wife, surrounded by mannequins, she beautifully recreates the charm of past times, specifically referencing her rendition of “Where Has My Hubby Gone Blues”.
1967 saw another Tony nomination bestowed upon the actress born in the Bronx, for her portrayal of Nickie the dancer in the first Broadway staging of “Sweet Charity,” directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse. Later, she stepped into the lead role previously held by Gwen Verdon, delivering a powerful performance of the memorable number “Big Spender.
Gallagher has collaborated with numerous renowned Broadway choreographers over the past seven decades, including Fosse, Agnes de Mille, Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, Gower Champion, Anton Dolin, Donald Saddler, and Robert Alton. At a Lambs theatrical club gathering in February 2019, when asked what they all had in common, she answered, “Temperament. Those connected to dance and its educational side are rarely admired for their sweetness or kindness.
All told, Gallagher graced over twenty productions on the Broadway stage from 1944 to 1981.
In the world of “Ryan’s Hope,” I found myself inhabiting the character of Maeve, a County Cork, Ireland native and mother of three, who along with my husband Johnny (Bernard Barrow), ran a bustling tavern called Ryan’s, right across from a hospital in New York City.
Throughout its duration, she picked up the skill of performing an Irish jig and frequently serenaded “Danny Boy”. She concluded each performance by emotionally rendering the well-known ballad from a perch above the bar. (Witness the touching moment here.)
In 1997, Gallagher expressed that ‘Ryan’s Hope‘ was exceptional. He praised its format – a half-hour program with an excellent cast and compelling writing. Although there were moments when it became dull, generally speaking, it was quite intriguing. The characters had purpose and weren’t simply discussing personal issues; they were living active lives, particularly since the story revolved around a bar. It simply had a captivating quality,” he added.
She received Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding actress in a drama series in 1976, 1977, and 1988, and in 2010, the website We Love Soaps ranked her 10th on its list of top 50 soap opera actresses.
Following the end of “Ryan’s Hope,” she persevered in daytime soap operas, taking on roles such as Hannah Tuttle for NBC’s “Another World” in 1989, Nurse Harris for ABC’s “All My Children” in 1995, and Maude Boyland Hayes for ABC’s “One Life to Live” from 1997 to 1998.
Born on July 19, 1926, in Brooklyn, Gallagher (who was a banker’s daughter) spent her childhood in Scarsdale, New York, and the East Bronx. Her dance studies commenced before she even graduated from St. Frances of Rome grammar school, having already invested four years into it.
She shared that she used to be very timid, yet when on stage, she felt incredibly liberated; it was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, allowing her to do things she couldn’t in everyday life,” she said to the Times in 1971.
Standing at 5 feet 2 inches tall, Gallagher honed her dancing skills at the American School of Ballet. In the year 1944, she graced the stage of Broadway for the first time as part of the Cole Porter musical revue titled “Seven Lively Arts.” She danced in a number created by Igor Stravinsky.
She danced and had a speaking role in the Comden-Green musical Billion Dollar Baby; danced in the original 1947-48 production of the Lerner & Loewe musical Brigadoon, choreographed by de Mille; and was featured alongside Nanette Fabray and Phil Silvers in High Button Shoes, choreographed by Robbins.
She once stated that she wasn’t a dancer like Agnes de Mille. Instead, she was the third girl from the back – there were two rows of girls followed by her. Agnes didn’t appreciate my dancing style as it deviated from her preferred ethereal, smooth movements. However, with Jerry Robbins, I found his expectations – the lively, street-inspired energy – more in tune with my abilities.
Gallagher teamed up with Fabray once more in the 1951 musical “Make a Wish” (penned by Preston Sturges). Following their collaboration in “Pal Joey“, she took on the lead role in the 1953 Jule Styne-Ben Hecht musical “Hazel Flagg“. Interestingly, Jerry Lewis reworked her character for his 1954 film “Living It Up“. Later, she stepped into the shoes of Carol Haney as Gladys Hotchkiss in the initial 1954-56 run of “The Pajama Game“, a production directed by George Abbott and Robbins, with choreography by Fosse.
Between 1955-57, she took on roles in revivals of “Guys and Dolls”, where she portrayed Adelaide opposite Walter Matthau as Nathan Detroit; also starred in “Finian’s Rainbow”, “Brigadoon” and “Oklahoma!” (as Ado Annie, a role she particularly enjoyed), and later played the character Agnes Gooch in “Mame”.
She took her final Broadway bow in 1981 in Sugar Babies but starred as actress Tallulah Bankhead in a 1984 production in the Hamptons.
On the large cinema screen, Gallagher made appearances in “Strangers When We Meet” (1960), starring Kirk Douglas, and “Roseland” (1977) alongside Christopher Walken, directed by James Ivory.
In 1956, she wed Frank Wise, a fellow stagehand she’d encountered during “The Pajama Game” production. At a gathering of the Lambs, she shared that they once attended a theater performance to watch Verdon perform, at which point he commented, “I must admit, she’s got something you don’t have,” she reminisced.
After a beat, she added, “I divorced him.”
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2024-11-27 03:55