Duncan reflects on her career as she heads to State Theatre to perform
Sandy Duncan remembers the first time she appeared on Broadway. “I was in a show called ‘Canterbury Tales.’ I was thrilled. My goodness – to be on Broadway!’ Duncan said, speaking from New York City during a recent telephone interview.
“I had been performing at the New York City Center when I first came here. My first show on Broadway – the fact I was accepted,” she added. “It was thrilling. Of course, after a month, I put another carrot in front of me: I want a bigger part, my name over the top. But I remember this feeling of enormous satisfaction.’
Working professionally since she was 12 years old, Duncan has done it all – theater, films and television. But there’s no question where she’d rather spend her time.
“It’s my all-time favorite thing to do,’ Duncan said of the theater. “I just love it.’
Duncan will be bringing all that enthusiasm to the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown where she will perform “Sandy Duncan Celebrates Broadway’ at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 20. She appears with husband Don Correia and friend Guy Stroman.
“We’ve been doing the show around four years on and off. We don’t do it steady. It may be longer than that, probably is. We had just moved back to New York (from California), and we’re going back to the theater. One needs to subsidize. It was something to do to earn money between shows as well as having the luxury to say no,’ Duncan recalled.
The show began as an event for symphonies. Duncan still does some symphony dates. But it has expanded.
“Traditionally this is done in a gown and singing a few tunes, but I’m a dancer,’ Duncan said.
Now the show plays at theaters with Duncan, Correia and Stroman telling the audience a story, and singing songs from Broadway shows that relate to the material. And there’s the dancing. Duncan called it a “high-energy show.’
“It turned out to be one of the most fun things. I have a ball,” she said. “We do only one or two shows at a time so it’s always fresh.’
Born and raised in Texas, Duncan knew from her childhood that she wanted to be an entertainer.
“I started dancing when I was 5 – most of us did. From my first dance recital, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. My first professional job was when I was 12, and I feel fortunate that I’ve never had to do anything else,’ she said.
According to Duncan’s biography on the Web site of Producers Inc., which is handling “Sandy Duncan Celebrates Broadway,’ and information gleaned from the Web site Internet Movie Data Base, Duncan’s professional debut was in Dallas in “The King and I.’
After attending college, Duncan moved to New York and began working at the New York City Center as Louise in Agnes de Mille’s production of “Carousel.’ She continued at the center and moved to off-Broadway, where she won the Theatre World Award in “Ceremony of Innocence.’
Duncan first appeared on Broadway in “Canterbury Tales,’ earning a 1969 Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. She received a second Tony Award nomination in 1971 for her starring role in “The Boyfriend.’ That musical also earned Duncan the New York Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award.
In 1971, Duncan starred in her own television show, “Funny Face,’ for which she received an Emmy Award nomination. She received a second Emmy nomination for her performance in the 1977 landmark mini-series “Roots,’ in which she played Missy Anne Reynolds.
Duncan made her Los Angeles stage debut in “Vanities’ for which she received a Los Angeles Drama Critics nomination.
Duncan also appeared in television in such specials as “Sandy in Disneyland’ and “The Sandy Duncan Special,’ as well as becoming the very first guest on “The Muppet Show.’ Her other television credits during the 1960 and ’70s included “What’s My Line?’ “The Flip Wilson Show,’ “Bonanza,’ “Rowman and Martin’s Laugh-In,’ “The Bionic Woman’ and “The Love Boat.’
In 1980, Duncan returned to Broadway as “Peter Pan,’ earning her third Tony nomination as Best Actress in a Musical. She then starred in Tommy Tune’s award-winning “My One and Only,’ later taking the show on national and international tours.
Duncan returned to television with “The Hogan Family’ and has done made-for-television movies as well as guest appearances on “Law & Order’ and “ALF.’
When asked about her television appearances, Duncan said, “I don’t pursue television but there’s power in television. You have to show up and do something or people say ‘Where have you been?’ ‘Are you doing anything?’ So I do television every now and then because of the unique coverage.’
Duncan has lent her voice to animated feature films such as “The Swan Princess’ and “The Fox and the Hound’ and has appeared in the home video market highly successful “Barney and the Backyard Gang’ series.
In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks on America, Duncan explained she was part of a goodwill tour from New York City.
“We performed around the country to say thank you for sending help to the fire departments,’ Duncan said.
“We performed for free at the state capital or wherever they wanted us,” Duncan added. “We took fire helmets for the local fire stations. They were new, intended for the firemen at the Broadway House. All of them were killed. We would leave them with the governor or mayor, a token of thank you. It was a very touching tour. We did 14 cities in 16 days.’
Duncan, who has two sons ages 19 and 20, continues to work, taking on a variety of performances. They include an upcoming reading called “Wit and Wisdom: Phenomena of Aging.’
The performance includes 10 men and women reading essays on aging.
Duncan, who is 57, explained that everyone in the group is over 50, and she’s probably the youngest.
Aging, of course, can have its rewards, such as insight and wisdom.
So while Duncan said it can be a challenge to stay in shape for dancing, she noted, “You know what you’re dancing about. The physical part is more difficult. When you’re younger, you can do anything, but you don’t have a clue what it means.
“It’s a Catch-22. I used to be able to jump higher and get my leg up higher,” she added. “But wisdom comes, and it’s almost better.’
Dancing remains important to Duncan, who promises to continue “until I can’t.’
So Duncan, Correia and Stroman always prepare carefully for each performance of “Sandy Duncan Celebrates Broadway,’ including a full day of rehearsal to clean things up.
“Audiences love this show and by the same fact, we love doing it,’ she said.
During the show, each of the performers will talk about their how they got started in the business and how they met.
The show opens with such songs as “Ten Cents a Dance’ and “All I Need is a Girl’ and ends with such songs as “Trouble’ from “The Music Man,’ the title song from “Singin’ in the Rain’ and “Neverland’ from “Peter Pan.’
Along the way, the cast sings a medley of songs done by trios.
Duncan calls the show “a bit of an escape.’
Why does it work? What do audiences find so appealing about Broadway musicals?
“Musicals are an American invention,’ Duncan said.
“We thought them up. There was the British invasion, but theirs are more an operetta form,” she added. “The subject matter changes or doesn’t. The form is extremely uplifting. It is larger than life, and it’s live. People really feel something – a lump in their throat. It’s a form that endures. It’s good for the soul. You come to a place of sheer emotion, joy and sometimes tragedy. It’s great when someone touches chords in people you don’t get to play very often.’
As far as “Sandy Duncan Celebrates Broadway,’ Duncan said she wants people to keep in mind that they’re there to enjoy themselves.
“It’s a good time, a great time, a cartoon in their day. We can all use that,’ she said.
“It’s uplifting and very friendly. We talk to the audience, and we include them in the evening. I think by the end of the evening, they feel they know us,” she added.
“Sandy Duncan Celebrates Broadway’ is sponsored by Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa in Farmington.
For the latest ticket information, call the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown at 724-439-1360.