Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

#1

Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 9:56pm

A terrific feature in the Times on Terri White of FINIAN'S RAINBOW, who was homeless and living in Washington Square Park just a year ago.

White is the best thing about this current production. It's heartwarming to see how far she's come.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/nyregion/27bigcity.html

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Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
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#2

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:03pm

This is an incredible story. Thank you so much for sharing it with all of us.

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David walked into the valley With a stone clutched in his hand He was only a boy But he knew someone must take a stand There will always be a valley Always mountains one must scale There will always be perilous waters Which someone must sail -Into the Fire Scarlet Pimpernel

#3

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:03pm

That is a nice article.

#4

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:21pm

wow what character she has

#5

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:35pm

Terri also appeared in the Nunsense videos with Rue McClanahan

(I think the article is a bit heavy-handed in mentioning Glenn Close. It would be like saying someone was in a production of Mame with Bea Arthur. It's not really relevant to the story.)

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If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

Updated On: 10/26/09 at 10:35 PM

#6

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:38pm

What an amazing story.

I would like to point out an error in the article, however - from my (limited) research, Ms. White was not nominated for a Tony.

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Formerly SirNotAppearing - Joined 3/08

#7

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:38pm

Lovely article, thanks for sharing.

One thing, though: she wasn't nominated for a Tony for Barnum.

#8

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:40pm

That's such an amazing story.

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When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

#9

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:45pm

Oh wow, I didn't realize that was her in Nunsense.

This is a truly amazing story, and I am thrilled that she has come out on top.

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http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer

#10

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:50pm

It probably should read "she never told anyone that she had performed in a Tony nominated musical."

Although being the New York Times and living in the age of the internet, I don't understand why their writers can't fact check information. A ten second search will tell you who was nominated for Barnum.

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If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

#11

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:53pm

I think the point was that she never told a lie to her friends in the park.

#12

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:57pm

But did she walk barefoot in the park?

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If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

#13

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:06pm

She's kind of like Bebe in the movie version of A Chorus Line.

#14

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:07pm

Picture it: Broadway 1980

Everyone knows that Patti LuPone will walk away with Best Actress in a musical. So the producers of West Side Story bump Josie de Guzman who plays Maria into Supporting Actress category, thereby shutting out Terri White as a nominee.

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If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

#15

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:08pm

Thanks, Ma.


ETA: Hopefully this makes someone other than me laugh.

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When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

Updated On: 10/26/09 at 11:08 PM

#16

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:39pm

wow. im stunned after reading that. makes one think doesnt it? would it have ever crossed anybodys mind that somebody who makes it to broadway can have a downfall? thats a bad way to put it...like, once you've made it too the top, things can get so awful again. its something we dont stop to think about...but im soooo happy for miss white and finians!

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I'll take the wind and soar.

#17

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/27/09 at 1:16am

For Tony trivia buffs: It might be noted that Carol Lawrence, the original Maria, also was nominated for Featured Actress in a Musical (and, shockingly enough, Chita Rivera wasn't even nominated!). That said, Maria is clearly a leading role. ... I don't know if the 1980 'West Side' revival bumped DeGuzman to Featured Actress, or even if that would've been wise, because she probably wound up splitting some votes with Debbie Allen (her Anita) in that same Featured category, so neither won. ... By the way, go Terri White!

Updated On: 10/27/09 at 01:16 AM

#18

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/27/09 at 9:08am

theatreguy, you are misinformed. she was indeed Tony nominated for BARNUM.

#19

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/27/09 at 9:56am

Not according to wikipedia or ibdb.

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When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

#20

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/27/09 at 10:02am

The Tony Awards database does not have her as having any noms.

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"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson

#21

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/27/09 at 10:09am

She was never nominated for a Tony, and if another actress from Barnum was nominated as supporting it would've been Marianne Tatum who was nom'd for the Drama Desk.

That said, she is terrific, and was wonderful in Barnum. I'm so glad she is on her feet and back on stage!

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#22

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/27/09 at 11:21am

Whether Terri White was nominated or not matters not a whit to me. I knew her back in the days of her being Nell Carter's understudy in Ain't Misbehavin', and believe me, she went on a lot, easily 2X a week. She later went out on tour with it.

I can say that Terri is smart and funny and deserves only good things. And, as Ethel Merman once said about Mary Martin, "She's okay, if you happen to like talent."

A warm hand on your opening, Terri.

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"If my life weren't funny, it would just be true. And that would be unacceptable." --Carrie Fisher

#23

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/27/09 at 11:39am

Also:

After months of coming close, but ultimately hearing “No thank you” — she auditioned nine times for “Chicago”

SHAME on the responsible parties of Chicago. Especially given the lackluster Kecia Lewis Evans currently in the role of Mama, Terri White just seems like a ideal and superior choice.

#24

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/27/09 at 11:43am

She is in this production too.
She is an absolute doll to talk to. I met her many evenings back in the early 1990s when she worked behind the bar and sang at 'Roses Turn' which has now sadly closed.
Never seen without her cowboy hat!

Updated On: 10/27/09 at 11:43 AM

#25

re: Terri White: Homeless to Broadway

Posted: 10/27/09 at 12:19pm

What a fascinating article, and an inspiring story. There but for the grace of God (or whatever you believe in) go any of us, really. To go from homeless (and, basically, hopeless) to back on Broadway, and in a loving relationship, within a year is a marvel. Brava, Terri! I wish you nothing but success.

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"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body