Cook, Barbara (Nell)

The Oxford Companion to American Theatre | 2004 | 700+ words | Copyright

Cook, Barbara [Nell] (b. 1927), singer and actress. A native of Atlanta, the doll‐faced blonde with an exceptionally beautiful soprano voice made her Broadway debut as the leading lady in Flahooley (1951), then toured as Ado Annie in a revival of Oklahoma! (1953). Cook scored a major success in Plain and Fancy (1955), followed by important assignments as Cunegonde in Candide (1956), Julie Jordan in a 1957 revival of Carousel, Marian Paroo in The Music Man (1957), Anna in a 1961 revival of The King and I, Liesel in The Gay Life (1961), and Amalia Balash in She Loves Me (1963). She also appeared in Something More! (1964), Any Wednesday, (1965), the 1966 revival of Show Boat, The Grass Harp (1971), and Enemies (1972). In later years, when increasing weight and age eliminated her from leading musical roles, she enjoyed a successful career in nightclubs, and she presented one‐woman shows on Broadway in 1987 and 2002.

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Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Cook, Barbara (Nell)." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Cook, Barbara (Nell)." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-CookBarbaraNell.html

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Cook, Barbara (Nell)." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-CookBarbaraNell.html

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