Leslie Uggams Biography (1943-)

Full name, Leslie Marian Uggams; born May 25, 1943, in New York, NY; daughterof Harold (an elevator operator and maintenance man) and Juanita (a former Cotton Club chorus girl; maiden name, Smith) Uggams; married Grahame Pratt (atheatrical manager and television script writer) October 16, 1965; children:two. Addresses: Agent: Cunningham/Escott/Dipene & Associates, 10635 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 140, Los Angeles, CA 90025; The Gage Group, 14724Ventura Blvd., Suite 505, Los Angeles, CA 91403.

Nationality: American
Gender: Female
Occupation: Singer, actress
Birth Details: May 25, 1943; New York, New York, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Stage Appearances
(Stage debut) The Boy Friend, summer theatre production, Berkeley,CA, 1966
(Broadway debut) Georgina, Hallelujah, Baby!, Martin Beck Theatre,1967
Cleopatra, Her First Roman, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York City,1967
Sally Bowles, Cabaret, Westbury Music Fair, Westbury, Long Island,NY, 1970
Woman Number One, Blues in the Night, Rialto Theatre, New York City, 1982
Jerry's Girls, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1985
Reno Sweeney, Anything Goes, 1988-89
Elizabeth Borny, The Old Settler, Geva Theatre, NY, then VirginiaStage Company, Norfolk, VA, 1998, later Primary Stages, New York City, 1998-99
Play On!, Crossroads Theatre Company, New Brunswick, NJ, 2000
Elizabeth Borny, The Old Settler, TheaterWorks, Hartford, CT, 2000
Maria Callas, Master Class, TheatreFest, Memorial Auditorium, Upper Montclair, NJ, then Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami, FL, both 2000
The witch, Into the Woods, Arena Theatre, TX, 2001
Ruby, King Hedley II, Albert Iva Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL, 2000-2001, then Virginia Theatre, New York City, 2001
Heaven Can Wait, Westport Country Playhouse, 2001
Good Sister Dupree, Thunder Knocking on the Door, Minetta Lane Theater, New York City, 2002
Mack & Mabel, Avery Fisher Concert Hall, New York City, 2003
Blue, Paper Mill Playhouse, Milburn, NJ, 2003
Muzzy Van Hossmere, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Marquis Theatre, NewYork City, 2003-2004
Ethel Thayer, On Golden Pond, DuPont Theatre, Wilmington, DE, thenKennedy Center, Washington, DC, 2004, later Cort Theatre, New York City, 2005
Also appeared in Play On!, Crossroads Theater.
Major Tours
Jerry's Girls, U.S. cities, 1984
The Great Gershwin Concert, 1987
Anything Goes, U.S. cities, 1988
Stringbean, U.S. cities, 1991
Broadway on Ice, U.S. cities, 2004-2005
Film Appearances
Chanteuse, Two Weeks in Another Town, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1962
Netta, Black Girl, Cinerama, 1972
Lovejoy Wells, Skyjacked (also known as Sky Terror), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1972
Liz Wetherly, Poor Pretty Eddie (also known as Black Vengeance, Heartbreak Motel, Redneck County, Poor Pretty Eddy,and Redneck County Rape), Group 1 International Distribution Organization, 1975
Doris Holly, Sugar Hill (also known as Harlem), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1994
Herself, Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (also known as Broadway, Broadway: The Golden Age, and Broadway: The Movie), Dada films, 2003
Television Appearances
Series
Regular, Sing Along with Mitch, NBC, 1961-64
Host, The Leslie Uggams Show, CBS, 1969
Assistant, High Rollers (also known as The New High Rollers), 1974-80
Host, Fantasy, syndicated, 1982-83
Cohost, The Book of Lists, CBS, 1982
Host, Rooms for Improvement, HGTV, 1994
Rose Keefer, All My Children, ABC, 1996
Miniseries
Kizzy, Roots, ABC, 1977
Lillian Rogers Parks, Backstairs at the White House, NBC, 1979
Also appeared as (scenes deleted) Barbara Jordan, Freedom to Speak.
Movies
Vonda, Sizzle, ABC, 1981
Specials
Performer, The 22nd Annual Tony Awards, NBC, 1968
Presenter, The 23rd Annual Tony Awards, NBC, 1969
Saloon singer, Swing Out, Sweet Land, NBC, 1970
Herself, Jack Lemmon in 'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gershwin (also known as 'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gershwin), NBC, 1971

Super Comedy Bowl I, CBS, 1971
The American Film Institute Salute to John Ford, 1973
Perry Como's Spring in New Orleans (also known as Spring in NewOrleans), NBC, 1976
Herself, The 30th Annual Tony Awards, ABC, 1976
Presenter, The 29th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, 1977
Celebrity Challenge of the Sexes, CBS, 1977
Sinatra and Friends, NBC, 1977
General Electric's All-Star Anniversary, ABC, 1978
Kraft's 75th Anniversary Special, NBC, 1978
A Special Sesame Street Christmas, CBS, 1978
The Bob Hope Special, NBC, 1979
Placido Domingo ... Steppin' Out with the Ladies, ABC, 1980
The Book of Lists, 1982
Herself, The 36th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1982
Small World, NBC, 1982
Christmas at Radio City Music Hall, HBO, 1983, 1986
The 38th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1984
The Night of 100 Stars II, ABC, 1985
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, NBC, 1985
The 39th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1986
The 40th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1986
The 54th Annual King Orange Jamboree Parade, 1987
Happy Birthday Bob--50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC, NBC, 1988
Herself, The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 1988
That's What Friends Are For: AIDS Concert for '88, Showtime, 1988
The Ice Capades with Jason Bateman and Alyssa Milano, ABC, 1989
The 43rd Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1989
The National Memorial Day Concert 1992, PBS, 1992
Herself, Broadway at the Hollywood Bowl (also known as Jerry Herman's "Broadway at the Hollywood Bowl"), PBS, 1994
A Capitol Fourth, PBS, 1995
The 50th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1996
NYTV: By the People Who Made It (documentary), PBS, 1998
National Memorial Day Concert, PBS, 1998
The Ninth Annual Trumpet Awards, TBS, 2001
Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 2001
Roots--Celebrating 25 Years: The Saga of an American Classic (documentary), NBC, 2002
Herself, Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television (documentary), TV Land, 2002
Episodic
(Television debut) Beulah's niece, Beulah, ABC, 1950
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, CBS, 1952
American Bandstand, 1958, 1959, 1971, 1975
Herself, "The Mitch Miller Variety Show," Startime, NBC, 1960
The Ed Sullivan Show, 1964, 1965, 1966
Herself, Hullabaloo!, 1965, 1966
Herself, "A Musical Tour of Tin Pan Alley," The Bell Telephone Hour, NBC, 1965
Herself, "The Music of Harold Arlen," The Bell Telephone Hour, NBC, 1965
Herself, "Music That Mirrors the Times," The Bell Telephone Hour,NBC, 1966
The Hollywood Palace, 1966
Tonia, "Tonia," I Spy, NBC, 1967
Herself, The Dean Martin Show, NBC, 1967, 1971, 1972
Mystery guest, What's My Line?, CBS, 1967
"Our First Christmas," That's Life, 1968, 1969
Herself, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, 1969
The Andy Williams Show, NBC, 1970
Herself, The Flip Wilson Show, NBC, 1971
The Carol Burnett Show, 1971
Dina Lane, "Kill Gently, Sweet Justice," The Mod Squad, ABC, 1972
Dina Lane, "Shockwave," The Mod Squad, ABC, 1972
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1973, 1975, 1982
"Feedback," Marcus Welby, M.D., ABC, 1974
Soul Train, 1975
Herself, The Muppet Show, syndicated, 1978
Callie Reason, "Lady from Sunshine Gardens/Eye of the Beholder/Bugged," The Love Boat, ABC, 1981
Marion Blake, "Two Grapes on the Vine/Aunt Sylvia/Deductible Divorce," The Love Boat, ABC, 1981
Alexis Carter, "Paradise Blues," Magnum P.I., CBS, 1984
Amanda Price, "Discoveries," Hotel, ABC, 1987
Voice of herself, "Jack, The Seal, and the Sea," Reading Rainbow,PBS, 1990
Kris Temple, "Return of the Clairettes," The Cosby Show, NBC, 1991
Dr. Eileen Redding, "College Kid," A Different World, NBC, 1993
Voice, "Mind over Murder," Family Guy (animated), Fox, 1999
Herself, "Been Vereen: The Hard Way," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2000
Also appeared in The Milton Berle Show, NBC; Paul Whiteman's TVTeen Club, ABC; The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., NBC; Kids and Company; as panelist, Hollywood Squares; guest host, The Ice Palace, CBS.
Radio Appearances
Episodic
Appeared in The Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy Show; The Milton Berle Show; The Arthur Godfrey Show; Star Time.
RECORDINGS
Albums
Hallelujah, Baby! (original cast recording), Columbia, 1968
Also recorded 'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gershwin, Daybreak; More, BMI; Hallelujah Baby!; Just to Satisfy You; MoreLeslie Uggams on TV; What's an Uggams?; A Time to Love; On My Way to You; and numerous albums for Columbia, Atlantic, and Motown.
WRITINGS
Books
(With Marie Fenton) The Leslie Uggams Beauty Book (nonfiction), 1966

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 23, Gale Group, 1999
Notable Black American Women, Book 2, Gale Research, 1996

Periodicals

American Theatre, May, 2001, p. 8
Ebony, March, 1989, p. 154
Jet, January 16, 1995

Electronic

Leslie Uggams Official Site, http://www.leslieuggams.com/, December 8, 2004

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