Hubbry Logo
Luba LisaLuba LisaMain
Open search
Luba Lisa
Community hub
Luba Lisa
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Luba Lisa
Luba Lisa
Luba Lisa
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Luba Lisa Gootnick (March 10, 1941 – December 15, 1972) was an American actress, singer, and television presenter. She received a Tony Award nomination and won a Theatre World Award for her performance in the 1964 musical I Had a Ball.

Key Information

Personal life

[edit]

Gootnick was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Jewish parents Esther (née Diamant 1908–1999) and Louis Gootnick (1910–2005), a former New York City police officer.[1][2]

Theatre

[edit]

Her Broadway credits include Carnival as Princess Olga in 1961, and I Can Get It for You Wholesale in 1962 with a cast that included Barbra Streisand. In 1964 she starred in a Broadway revival of West Side Story as Anita. The show closed after 31 performances. Luba received rave reviews for her role as the floozy Addie in the musical I Had a Ball in which she sang the song called 'Addie's at it Again'. The song was added to the show by the producers before the show opened on Broadway, once they realized her talent.[3]

A New York Times Critic said of her, "Luba Lisa, as Addie, the girl of easy virtue, gets to demonstrate her talents as a seductive babe and a lively dancer in a number called 'Addie's at It Again' and in another with a group of lifeguards called 'Boys, Boys, Boys'".[4] For her role as Addie she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and received a Theatre World Award. Luba danced with Maurice Chevalier in the film Pepe. She was also a television personality.

In 1972 Lisa starred in the Off-Broadway musical revue They Don't Make Em Like That Anymore at the Plaza 9 Music Hall with Arthur Blake.[5] The show was built around Blake's impersonations of celebrities like Marlene Dietrich and Jimmy Stewart.[5]

Death

[edit]

Luba Lisa died on December 15, 1972, in a plane crash near Colchester, Vermont. The plane was on its way to an airport in Burlington, Vermont. Winter weather hazards during night travel were thought to have caused the crash. All four on board (the pilot, Lisa, and two others) perished. She is interred with her parents at Mount Ararat Jewish Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York.[6][7][8][9]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Luba Lisa

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
''Luba Lisa'' is an American actress, singer, and television personality known for her Tony Award-nominated performance as Addie in the 1965 Broadway musical I Had a Ball and her frequent guest appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Born Luba Gootnick in Brooklyn, New York, she graduated from the High School of Music and Art and received a scholarship from the American Theater Wing before making her Broadway debut as Olga in Carnival! in 1961. She went on to appear in I Can Get It for You Wholesale as Nanette and in a City Center production of West Side Story, as well as out-of-town productions of Kiss Me, Kate, Bye Bye Birdie, and Come Blow Your Horn. Her performance in I Had a Ball earned her recognition from Theatre World as one of the season's most promising personalities. Luba Lisa's rising career was cut short when she was killed at age 31 in a light airplane crash during a snowstorm near Colchester, Vermont, on December 15, 1972.

Early life

Birth and family background

Luba Lisa was born Luba Gootnick on March 10, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York. She was the daughter of Louis Gootnick and his wife. She had one sibling, a brother named David E. Gootnick, who later became a doctor. Limited details are available about her early family life beyond these immediate relatives.

Education and training

Luba Lisa attended the High School of Music and Art in New York City, where she received specialized training in music and performing arts. She graduated from the institution, which later became known as LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, before adopting her professional stage name. Some sources also indicate she pursued additional training at the American Theatre Wing. This education provided her with foundational skills that supported her entry into professional performance.

Career

Broadway debut and early stage roles

Luba Lisa made her Broadway debut in the musical Carnival! as Princess Olga in the original production, which opened on April 13, 1961, at the Imperial Theatre. The show ran for 719 performances until January 5, 1963, providing her with an extended initial exposure to Broadway audiences in a puppet-filled circus-themed story. The following year, she appeared as Manette in the original cast of I Can Get It for You Wholesale, which premiered on March 22, 1962, at the Shubert Theatre and closed on December 8, 1962, after 300 performances. This role placed her in a notable ensemble featuring emerging talent. In 1964, Lisa took on the role of Anita in the City Center revival of West Side Story, a limited engagement that ran from April 8 to May 3, 1964, for 31 performances. These early Broadway appearances established her versatility in musical theater supporting roles ahead of greater recognition.

Breakthrough in I Had a Ball

Luba Lisa's breakthrough came with her role as Addie in the Broadway musical I Had a Ball. The musical comedy opened on December 15, 1964, at the Martin Beck Theatre and closed on June 12, 1965, after 199 performances. Lisa portrayed Addie opposite Buddy Hackett as Garside and Richard Kiley as Stan The Shpieler, among other cast members. Her performance stood out in the production, particularly through the number "Addie's at It Again," which allowed her to showcase her talents as a lively dancer and seductive performer. This role earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 1965, as well as the Theatre World Award that same year for her outstanding contribution as a new Broadway talent. The recognition marked her as a notable emerging performer in the theater world.

Television and film appearances

Luba Lisa's forays into television and film were relatively limited, serving mainly to complement her established career in musical theater during the 1960s. Her sole film appearance was an uncredited dance performance opposite Maurice Chevalier in the musical comedy Pepe (1960). On television, she made guest appearances on several prominent variety and talk programs, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, with documented episodes in 1966 alongside George Peppard and Soupy Sales, and in 1967 with Flip Wilson among others. She also appeared on Girl Talk in an episode dated August 31, 1965, and on The John Gary Show in 1966. These screen engagements provided additional visibility following her Broadway roles.

Awards and recognition

Luba Lisa received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for her role as Addie in I Had a Ball in 1965. She was also a recipient of the Theatre World Award as one of the most promising personalities of the 1964–65 season for her performance in the same production.

Death

Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.