A reader recently wrote in to request a regular "Where are they now?" feature, attempting to uncover the whereabouts of certain performers who have fallen off the map. While this would no doubt be intriguing, I imagine that such a feature might be difficult to maintain. Then too, I'm ultimately more interested in the careers that were than in learning that Joan Fagan is now a voice instructor in Oshkosh. But I do feel it's worth paying tribute from time to time to certain distinctive performers who made their mark but are now either rarely seen, retired, or forgotten. This week's column is devoted to a brace of zesty musical theatre women whose performances were memorable but who are in danger of being forgotten, at least by the generation too young to have ever seen them perform. These women weren't quite stars, so you won't find in this survey someone like Dolores Gray, who may no longer be performing much, but made too much of an impact in her day to ever be lost to history. We'll begin this survey with a woman who did make it to leading lady, although she's best remembered as a top supporting woman.

A reader recently wrote in to request a regular "Where are they now?" feature, attempting to uncover the whereabouts of certain performers who have fallen off the map. While this would no doubt be intriguing, I imagine that such a feature might be difficult to maintain. Then too, I'm ultimately more interested in the careers that were than in learning that Joan Fagan is now a voice instructor in Oshkosh. But I do feel it's worth paying tribute from time to time to certain distinctive performers who made their mark but are now either rarely seen, retired, or forgotten. This week's column is devoted to a brace of zesty musical theatre women whose performances were memorable but who are in danger of being forgotten, at least by the generation too young to have ever seen them perform. These women weren't quite stars, so you won't find in this survey someone like Dolores Gray, who may no longer be performing much, but made too much of an impact in her day to ever be lost to history. We'll begin this survey with a woman who did make it to leading lady, although she's best remembered as a top supporting woman.