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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Brigitte Nielsen to Bill Owen
Marni Nixon Biography (1930-)
Original name, Margaret McEathron; born February 22, 1930, in Altadena, CA; daughter of Charles (an industrial manager) and Margaret (maiden name, Wittke)McEathron; married Ernest Gold (a musician and composer), May 22, 1950 (divorced, 1969); married Lajos Frederick Fenster, July 23, 1971 (divorced, July,1975); married Albert David Block (a jazz musician), April 11, 1983; children: (first marriage) Andrew Maurice (a musician, composer, and producer), Martha Alice (a psychologist), Melani Christine (a singer and songwriter).
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Female
- Occupation
- Actress, singer, voice performer, recording artist
- Birth Details
- February 22, 1930
- Altadena, California, United States
Famous Works
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CREDITS
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Film Appearances
- Sister Sophia, The Sound of Music (musical), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1965
- Aunt Alice, I Think I Do, Strand Releasing, 1998
- Performer of songs that have appeared in films.
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Film Singer
- Singing voice of an angel, Joan of Arc, RKO Radio Pictures, 1948
- Singing voice of Mary Lennox, The Secret Garden, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1949
- Singer, Dementia (also known as Daughter of Horror), Exploitation Pictures, 1955
- Singing voice of Anna, The King and I (musical; also known as Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1956
- Singing voice of Terry McKay, An Affair to Remember, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1957
- Singing voice of Maria, West Side Story (musical), United Artists,1961
- Singing voice of Louise (Gypsy Rose Lee, the title character), Gypsy (musical), Warner Bros., 1962
- Singing voice of Eliza Doolittle, My Fair Lady (musical), Warner Bros., 1964
- Singing voice of Grandmother Fa, Mulan (animated musical), Buena Vista, 1998
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Film Work
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Other
- (Uncredited) Voice double for character of Lorelei Lee (singer of high notes), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (also known as Howard Hawks' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1953
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Stage Appearances
- Singer and understudy for Hattie Hopkins, The Girl in Pink Tights(musical), Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, 1954
- Soprano, Improvisation sur Mallarme I, New York Philharmonic, NewYork City, 1960
- Edna, Taking My Turn (musical), Entermedia Theatre, New York City,1983-84
- Sadie McKibben, Opal (musical), Lamb's Theatre, New York City, 1992
- Mrs. Wilson, "Losers," Ballymore (opera), Skylight Theatre, Milwaukee, WI, 1999
- Aunt Kate Morkan, James Joyce's The Dead (musical), Playwrights' Horizons, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1999-2000, then Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, 2000
- Heidi Schiller, Follies (musical), Roundabout Theatre Company, Belasco Theatre, 2001
- Ernestine von Liebedich (an opera singer), Little Mary Sunshine (staged reading of musical), New York City, 2002
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70, Girls, 70 (concert), El Portal Theatre, North Hollywood, CA, 2002
- Guido's mother, Nine (musical), Roundabout Theatre Company, EugeneO'Neill Theatre, New York City, 2003
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Gimme a Break III (benefit concert), The Culture Project, New YorkCity, 2003
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GOTTA DANCE! A Dance Tribute to Hollywood (gala performance), CityCenter, New York City, 2003
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Requiem for William (series of short plays followed by songs), Transport Group, Connelly Theatre, New York City, 2003
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Tonight We Sing (benefit concert), Douglas Fairbanks Theatre, NewYork City, 2003
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Menage, Merkin Concert Hall, New York City, 2004
- Appeared as wife, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (opera),Lincoln Center Theater, New York City; and as nurse in Romeo and Juliet; appeared in productions of the musicals The King and I and The Sound of Music; made opera debut in a production of Elektra; appeared as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara, CA; performer in the musical theatre pieces Miss Donnithorne'sMaggot and Pierrot Lunaire; appeared in benefit concerts and staged readings.
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Major Tours
- Fraulein Schneider, Cabaret (musical), U.S. cities, 1997-98
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Marni Nixon: The Voice of Hollywood (solo show), U.S. cities, 2003
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Television Appearances
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Series
- Member of ensemble, The Ford Show, NBC, beginning 1956
- Host, Boomerang, KOMO (Seattle, WA), late 1970s and early 1980s
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Miniseries
- Herself, The 100 Greatest Musicals, Channel 4, 2003
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Specials
- Herself, Young People's Concerts: Folk Music in the Concert Hall (concert), 1961
- Edna, "Taking My Turn" (musical), Great Performances, PBS, 1984
- Herself, Rodgers & Hammerstein: The Sound of Movies, Arts andEntertainment, 1996
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Awards Presentations
- Presenter, The 41st Annual Academy Awards, 1969
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Episodic
- Guest, The Hollywood Palace, ABC, 1966
- Herself, "The Not-So-Grand Opera," The Mothers-in-Law, NBC, 1969
- Edna Dunas, "Redemption," Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order: SVU and Special Victims Unit), NBC, 2001
- Herself, "Soundtrack," Walk On By: The Story of Popular Song (alsoknown as Popular Song: Soundtrack of the Century), Bravo, 2001
- Appeared in episodes of I've Got a Secret, CBS and syndicated; andTo Tell the Truth, CBS, syndicated, and NBC.
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Television Work
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Specials
- Singing voice of Princess Serena, Jack and the Beanstalk (live action and animated), NBC, 1967
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Radio Appearances
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Episodic
- Guest, Prairie Home Companion, National Public Radio, 2002
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RECORDINGS
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Albums
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The Sound of Music (soundtrack), RCA, 1965
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Cabaret Songs and Early Songs by Arnold Schoenberg, RCA, 1977
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Gershwin Songs, Reference Recordings, 1985, released as Marni Nixon Sings Gershwin, 1993
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Emily Dickinson Songs by Aaron Copland, 1988
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Marni Nixon Sings Classic Kern, 1988
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West Side Story (soundtrack), Sony, 1992
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Hovhaness: Lady of Light/Avak the Healer, Crystal Records, 1993
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My Fair Lady (soundtrack), Sony, 1994
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Biggs: Songs of Laughter, Love and Tears, Crystal Records, 1995
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Opal, Honky-Tonk Highway and Other Theatre Music by Robert Lindsey Nassif, 1995
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Monteverdi: Vespers/Bach: Cantatas, Sony, 1996
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Rodgers & Hammerstein Favorites, Pickwick, 1997
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Copland: An Outdoor Overture/Appalachian Spring Suite/Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson, Reference Recordings, 1998
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Mulan (soundtrack), Disney, 1998
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Hollywood Musicals, Friedman Fairfax, 1999
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Opal: The Complete Score (soundtrack), 2000
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Taking My Turn (original Broadway cast), DRG, 2000
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The King and I (soundtrack), 2001
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Spring Changes, 2001
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Mary Poppins (special edition of soundtrack with extra tracks), Disney, 2004
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West Side Story (studio cast recording), Columbia/Legacy/Sony Music Soundtrax, 2004
- Other albums include the soundtrack of Bedknobs and Broomsticks and the original soundtrack of Mary Poppins; and recordings of works bynumerous composers, including Debussy, Ives, Goehr, Schumann, Anton Webern, Igor Stravinsky, and Villa-Lobos. Nixon's performance in Improvisation surMallarme I with the New York Philharmonic appears in disc nine of the collection Bernstein Live.
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Videos
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The Making of "My Fair Lady," King World Productions, 1994
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The Sound of Music: From Fact to Phenomenon, Twentieth Century-FoxHome Entertainment/Fox Video, 1994
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
Periodicals
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Opera News, October, 2004, pp. 30-33
Electronic
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Playbill Online, http://www.playbill.com, January 4, 2000
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