Pearl Mae Bailey was an American actress, singer and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role in the all-black production of Hello, Dolly! in 1968. In 1986, she won a Daytime Emmy award for her performance as a fairy godmother in the ABC Afterschool Special Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy Tale. Her rendition of "Takes Two to Tango" hit the top ten in 1952.
Bailey c. 1946
Portrait of Pearl Bailey (1960)
Pearl Bailey, c. 1960
Bailey, costumed in the role of Butterfly, gauges the applause following her performance of the song "It's a Woman's Prerogative" on July 5, 1946. Sustained applause required her to take another bow.
St. Louis Woman is a 1946 American musical by Arna Bontemps and Countee Cullen with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The musical opened at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York on March 30, 1946, and ran for 113 performances. The original cast included Robert Pope (Badfoot), Harold Nicholas, Fayard Nicholas (Barney), June Hawkins (Lilli), Pearl Bailey (Butterfly), Ruby Hill, Rex Ingram, and Milton J. Williams (Mississippi). The production's scenic designer and costume designer was Lemuel Ayers. It is based upon the novel God Sends Sunday by African-American writer Arna Bontemps.
1946 Original Cast Recording
Pearl Bailey in the role of Butterfly, July 5, 1946
