Broadway legend Anne Russell has died at the age of 103. Her long-time friend Ted Seifman confirmed that the stage actress, who appeared in Hello, Dolly! and Mame, passed away "peacefully" on Tuesday evening (21 July) at the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey.
Early Career and Broadway Debut
Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on March 22, 1923, Anne established an impressive, decade-spanning career in show business after moving to New York, where she became the featured vocalist for the Les Brown and Jerry Wald orchestras. By the 1960s, the budding star had developed a nightclub act and began working towards a life on the stage with help from celebrated composer Peter Howard.
In 1961, Anne had secured the role of Electra in a national production of Gypsy, which saw her working with a then 13-year-old Bernadette Peters. Four years later, the singer had made her Broadway debut in Flora, The Red Menace with Liza Minnelli (who was also making her Broadway debut), before signing on to Hello, Dolly!, where she served as standby for Mary Martin. Anne, who toured with the production for two years, was later a standby for Hollywood legends Betty Grable and Ginger Rogers.
Later Years and Legacy
In the later years of her career, Anne, who lived on the Upper Westside of Manhattan for 74 years, toured with Debbie Reynolds in a 1989 production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown. She also worked with Reynolds, as well as fellow A-listers, Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins and Elizabeth Taylor, in the 2001 TV comedy film, These Old Broads, which was written by Carrie Fisher.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Broadway star learned to skydive when she was 88, and zip-lined for the first time when she was 90. Following her passing, fans have been encouraged to donate to the Actors Fund Home.
