GIVE A SHOUT TO WORD UP! wordup@papermag.com
Entries tagged with 'Laugh-In'
Posted Dec. 5, 2007,
Jo Anne Worley's Backstage Chit-Chat with Mr. Mickey
By Mickey Boardman
JoAnne Worley, legendary comedian and Broadway baby, made a name for herself on the seminal, ‘60s political comedy hour Laugh-In, where, alongside the likes of Goldie Hawn and Lili Tomlin, she helped shape and paved the way for female comedians today. She also happens to be a Broadway regular, having starred in such shows as Grease and the ill-fated The Prince of Central Park. For years, she was a fixture on the regional theater circuit, taking on roles such as Mama Rose in Gypsy. At present, she’s back on Broadway and doing her last week in the fabulous The Drowsy Chaperone. We caught up with her backstage and talked about all her favorite topics: animals, theater and her fabulous return to the stage!
Mickey Boardman: You’re having quite the year on Broadway if count Follies.
JoAnne Worley: The Drowsy Chaperone is such a wonderful theater family because, as you know, Follies was a short run and this is a big, fat, wonderful, ongoing hit.
MB: I like to fantasize that Follies will be resuscitated. I mean wasn’t there talk at the time, because of Donna Murphy being in it?
JW: One never knows! It was really a joyous experience. Follies has many, many levels and many deep things. The Drowsy Chaperone, as you know, is a show within a show and it’s about the Man in Chair and his life and his relationship to musical comedy. And it’s presented simply for the enjoyment of the audience. That’s its only purpose.