Dorothy Loudon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dorothy Loudon
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Loudon in 1959
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| Born | September 17, 1925 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Died | November 15, 2003 (aged 78) Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Spouse(s) | Norman Paris (1971–1977; his death) |
| Awards | 1977 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Annie |
Dorothy Loudon (born September 17, 1925 – died November 15, 2003) was a talented American actress and singer. She is best known for her amazing performance as Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie. For this role, she won a special award called the Tony Award in 1977. Dorothy Loudon was also nominated for other Tony Awards and a Golden Globe award during her career.
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Early Life and Start in Acting
Dorothy Loudon was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1925. She grew up in Claremont, New Hampshire, and Indianapolis, Indiana. She went to Syracuse University on a drama scholarship.
Later, she moved to New York City to study acting. Dorothy started her career by singing in night clubs. She would mix songs with funny, unplanned comedy. She also appeared on popular TV shows like The Perry Como Show and The Ed Sullivan Show.
First Steps on Stage
Dorothy Loudon made her first stage appearance in 1962. This was in a play called The World of Jules Feiffer. In the same year, she made her big Broadway debut in Nowhere to Go but Up.
Even though this show only ran for two weeks, she received great reviews. She also won the Theatre World Award for her performance. In 1969, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in The Fig Leaves Are Falling.
Broadway Successes
Dorothy Loudon's most famous role was as the mean orphanage boss, Miss Hannigan. This was in the musical Annie. She won the Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical in 1977 for this part.
In Annie, she sang famous songs like "Little Girls" and "Easy Street." Critics loved her performance. One critic said she was "deliciously and deliriously horrid" as Miss Hannigan. Dorothy later played Miss Hannigan again in a sequel called Annie 2: Miss Hannigan's Revenge.
More Broadway Roles
In 1979, Dorothy Loudon starred in the musical Ballroom. She played Bea Asher, a widow who finds love at a dance hall. She was nominated for another Tony Award for this role.
She also performed the song "Fifty Percent" from the musical at the Tony Awards ceremony. Dorothy was known for her funny and lively performances. At the 1983 Tony Awards, she famously joked, "I'm too good for this room... but I'm not too good for this dress!"
In 1980, Dorothy took over the role of Mrs. Lovett in Stephen Sondheim's musical Sweeney Todd. She received praise for her funny and unique portrayal of the character. The following year, she acted alongside the legendary Katharine Hepburn in the play The West Side Waltz.
She also appeared in the musical show Jerry's Girls in 1983. Later that year, she played the role of Dotty Otley in the Broadway comedy Noises Off.
Television and Film Appearances
Dorothy Loudon was chosen to replace Carol Burnett on The Garry Moore Show in 1962. She was a frequent guest on many comedy and game shows in New York.
In 1979, Dorothy starred in her own TV series called Dorothy. In this show, she played a former showgirl who taught music and drama at a girls' boarding school. The series lasted for one season.
Dorothy appeared in only two films. She played a photography agent in Garbo Talks (1984). Her final film role was as Serena Dawes in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997).
Personal Life
Dorothy Loudon was married to composer Norman Paris from 1971 until his death in 1977. They did not have any children together, and Dorothy never remarried.
She passed away in Manhattan on November 15, 2003, at the age of 78, due to cancer. Dorothy Loudon was buried in Kensico Cemetery in Westchester County, New York.
Discography
- Dorothy Loudon at the Blue Angel
- Saloon
- Broadway Baby
Theatre Credits
- The World of Jules Feiffer (1962)
- Nowhere to Go but Up (1962)
- Anything Goes (1962)
- The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1963)
- The Apple Tree (1967)
- The Fig Leaves Are Falling (1969)
- Three Men on a Horse (1969)
- The Women (1973)
- Annie (1977)
- Ballroom (1980)
- Sweeney Todd (1980)
- The West Side Waltz (1981)
- Noises Off (1983)
- Jerry's Girls (1985)
- Annie 2: Miss Hannigan's Revenge (1990)
- Comedy Tonight (1994)
- Show Boat (1996)
- Sweet Adeline (1997)
- Over and Over (1999)
- Dinner at Eight (2002)
Filmography Credits
Film
- Garbo Talks (1984) - Sonya Apollinar
- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997) - Serena Dawes
Television
- The Garry Moore Show (1962–1964) - Herself
- All My Children (1970) - Veronica Mullens (1993)
- Dorothy (1979) - Dorothy Banks
- Magnum, P.I. (1986)
- Murder, She Wrote (1986)
- Performance at the White House: Showstoppers (1988) - Herself
- A Salute to Broadway: Showstoppers (1988, TV Movie) - Herself
- Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1993) - Herself
- My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies (1999) - Herself
See also
In Spanish: Dorothy Loudon para niños
