~*~ "MARY~LOUISE'S" MUSICAL JOURNEY ~*~
Mary~Louise had discovered her "Love and Appreciation" for music, at the early age of 4, while watching and listening to "Mighty Mouse" cartoons, "The Mickey Mouse Club," and "Lassie" shows. In the mid 1950's, Santa had surprised her with a piano, and her Mother would play and sing songs with her. While visiting her grandmother, Mary~Louise had gotten to hear, watch and experience, "The Lawrence Welk," and "Sing Along With Mitch," shows on television.While packing her book bag and onto grade school, Mary~Louise had begun, the next step into her musical journey. Music class was mandatory. As a child of 8 years old, while she was singing in class, her teacher Mrs. Mary Ann McBride, had walked passed, stopped and listened to Mary~Louise sing.An hour later, she was called to the "Principal's Office!!!"....OMG..What now????
Her parents had shown up, and Mary~Louise had to sit outside the office door, in "Fear" of the unknown, with butterflies in her stomach. The Principal had opened the door, and had called Mary~Louise into her office, and was told to please sit down. Uh Oh, what now, M~L had thought, in silence??? Mary~Louise's musical future, was being planned, right before her very eyes. Much to her surprise, music lessons, were being set up and planned for her, at Fontbonne College, along with private piano lessons with a concert pianist. So on every Wednesday, she would pack her book bag up, and was let out of school early, at 1:00 pm, to head for Fontbonne College in St. Louis, Missouri, with her Dad and Mom. Now, can you imagine what was going on in the minds of her classmates at that point in time, watching Mary~Louise leave class early "every Wednesday," while "they" had to stay in school!!!! Need I say more??? Mary~Louise was told that she was a vocal "Child Prodigy." She thought to herself, "What the heck is that???" and kept on singing. Then she was enrolled in a dance class, of tap, jazz and ballet, which didn't last long.....LOL. Mary~Louise had preferred singing and playing the piano.At the age of 12 years old, Mary~Louise's vocal teacher, Sr. Anna Thomas Walsh, C.S.J., had persuaded her to go to the St. Louis Municipal Opera adult auditions. Mary~Louise had auditioned, singing the song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." She was told, by Mr. McArthur, musical director, to audition again in the future, for the adult chorus, when her body had grown into her voice.In 1967, Mary~Louise had her first television singing debut, on the "Corky the Clown Show," at KSD-TV, a St. Louis, Mo. television station. She had sung a solo within the choral arrangement of "O Holy Night," along with the St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Theater Arts Choral Group.Mary~Louise had continued to further her musical education. She had sung in her church and school choirs, recitals, auditions, competitions, anything that was presented to her along the way, including singing at weddings and funerals.The "little girl prodigy," had grown up, and was on her way to High School.
Due to the transfer of her present vocal teacher, Sr. Anna Thomas Walsh, C.S.J., to another teaching calling, Mary~Louise had found herself without a vocal teacher. She was sent in the direction of Dr. E. Lyndon Crews, who was a music professor at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri. Dr. Crews had also worked with the well-known professional opera singer, "Eileen Farrell," and many other professional singers.Mary~Louise still furthered her musical training, and was able to use her skills in speech competitions, choir, talent shows, and musical high school functions.
In 1970, Mary~Louise was chosen to play the leading female role as Babe Williams, in the musical, "Pajama Game."
After she had proven her musical abilities and skills during the previous year, Mary~Louise, in her Junior Yr. of high school, had been selected for the leading female role as "Mrs. Anna," in the musical, "King and I."
In her final year of high school, in 1972, Mary~Louise had been chosen again, to play the leading female role as "Maria," in the musical, "Sound of Music."After graduation from high school, Mary~Louise, had continued to take private piano lessons from concert pianist, Ms. Helen L. Pieschel, and vocal lessons from Dr. E. Lyndon Crews, and Mr. William Dees.During the summer of 1972, Mary~Louise had auditioned at the Florissant Valley Community College, Dept. of Speech and Theatre. She was chosen for the role of "Peep-bo," in Gilbert and Sullivan's, "The Mikado," or "The Town of Titipu;" by Kenneth Schuller, B.A., M.A., PhD. This performance was counted as college credit.At that point in her career and training, Mary~Louise had felt that she was ready to take Mr. McAurthur's advice. In 1973, Mary~Louise had gone back and auditioned for the St. Louis Municipal Opera, 55th Annual Show Season. She was chosen out of a large crowd of hopefuls, who had auditioned to be a part of that summer season of shows. Mary~Louise had signed her very "First" professional contract, and had become a member of "Actors' Equity Association."Local performers were chosen as members of the "singing and dancing" ensembles for the musicals, "South Pacific" and "Fiddler on the Roof." Mary~Louise had the pleasure to work with Mary Travers of (Peter, Paul and Mary), Jerome Hines (Metropolitan Opera singer), and Frank Sutton (Sgt. Carter), in "South Pacific."The following show was "Fiddler on the Roof," and Mary~Louise had taken a musical journey, along with Herschel Bernardi, Fritzi Burr, Bob Carroll, and Walter Willison, along with other talented performers." The plot draws out themes of change and progress. Set in Anatevka, a Russian village, on the eve of the revolution, the show places the overall change of Russia in balance with the change of "tradition" within individual towns and families.
Mary~Louise had understudied the role of "Chava."Again, Mary~Louise had auditioned for the St. Louis Municipal Opera, 56th Annual Season, in the spring of 1974. She was chosen for the "Singing Ensemble," for the musicals, "Take Me Along," and "Man of La Mancha."Motion picture and television "Superstar," Gene Kelly had played the leading male role in "Take Me Along." Mary~Louise was honored to be among the singing ensemble, and was a member of his admiration society. It was amazing, to be singing with such a star of his caliber. Gene Kelly was one of a kind, and a complete gentlemen. The stage manager had chosen Mary~Louise to watch over Gene Kelly's two children back stage, during the performances, when she wasn't on stage.Herschel Bernardi had returned to St. Louis to play the leading role in "Man of La Mancha." After giving the performances in St. Louis, Mo., the cast, and the singing and dancing ensembles had to travel to Kansas City, Mo., to give performances at the "Starlight Theatre."Mary~Louise was chosen in 1975, for the 57th Annual Season at the "St. Louis Municipal Opera," singing ensemble. Here are the shows in order: "Carousel," starring Ed Ames; "Funny Girl," starring Carol Lawrence, Harve Presnell and Sylvia Syms; "Camelot," starring David Birney, Tricia O'Neil and the famous movie actor, John Carradine; "Girl Crazy," starring Dolores Gray, Morty Gunty- co-starring: Ann Reinking; and "The Wizard of Oz," starring The Hudson Brothers, Margaret Hamilton and Karen Wyman. Mary~Louise had played the role of "Oz Lady," alongside, Mark Hudson and Bill Hudson.
The cast, along with the singing and dancing ensembles, packed up and had taken the show to the "Starlight Theatre," in Kansas City, Mo.Mary~Louise had studied jazz, tap and ballet, at the Daniels Institute of Dance in 1975, and was fortunate to have danced on the famous "S. S. Admiral" excursion boat, in St. Louis, Missouri, on the riverfront. She had also studied with Ursula Stumpe Kubiak, in 1979.In 1976, Mary~Louise had modeled dress clothing, in fashion shows for local businesses.Mary~Louise and other former Muny performers, called "Munyettes," had performed in the musical "Desert Song," in July of 1996, in "Concert Style.""The Game of Their Lives" 2005 movie, now called "The Miracle Match," was filmed in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003, in the Italian section of town, called "The Hill."
Mary~Louise had an extra role in the movie, and was one of the persons who had played the "Departing Lovers at Union Station," in St. Louis, Mo.Mary~Louise has been a business owner for 14 years, and has been in hiatus from the music industry, since 2003.Now a new chapter begins, in Mary~Louise's musical journey!!![TO BE CONTINUED]
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