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

  • CREDITS
  • 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.
  • 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
  • Film Work
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Gimme a Break III (benefit concert), The Culture Project, New YorkCity, 2003
  • GOTTA DANCE! A Dance Tribute to Hollywood (gala performance), CityCenter, New York City, 2003
  • Requiem for William (series of short plays followed by songs), Transport Group, Connelly Theatre, New York City, 2003
  • Tonight We Sing (benefit concert), Douglas Fairbanks Theatre, NewYork City, 2003
  • 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.
  • Major Tours
  • Fraulein Schneider, Cabaret (musical), U.S. cities, 1997-98
  • Marni Nixon: The Voice of Hollywood (solo show), U.S. cities, 2003
  • Television Appearances
  • Series
  • Member of ensemble, The Ford Show, NBC, beginning 1956
  • Host, Boomerang, KOMO (Seattle, WA), late 1970s and early 1980s
  • Miniseries
  • Herself, The 100 Greatest Musicals, Channel 4, 2003
  • 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
  • Awards Presentations
  • Presenter, The 41st Annual Academy Awards, 1969
  • 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.
  • Television Work
  • Specials
  • Singing voice of Princess Serena, Jack and the Beanstalk (live action and animated), NBC, 1967
  • Radio Appearances
  • Episodic
  • Guest, Prairie Home Companion, National Public Radio, 2002
  • RECORDINGS
  • Albums
  • The Sound of Music (soundtrack), RCA, 1965
  • Cabaret Songs and Early Songs by Arnold Schoenberg, RCA, 1977
  • Gershwin Songs, Reference Recordings, 1985, released as Marni Nixon Sings Gershwin, 1993
  • Emily Dickinson Songs by Aaron Copland, 1988
  • Marni Nixon Sings Classic Kern, 1988
  • West Side Story (soundtrack), Sony, 1992
  • Hovhaness: Lady of Light/Avak the Healer, Crystal Records, 1993
  • My Fair Lady (soundtrack), Sony, 1994
  • Biggs: Songs of Laughter, Love and Tears, Crystal Records, 1995
  • Opal, Honky-Tonk Highway and Other Theatre Music by Robert Lindsey Nassif, 1995
  • Monteverdi: Vespers/Bach: Cantatas, Sony, 1996
  • Rodgers & Hammerstein Favorites, Pickwick, 1997
  • Copland: An Outdoor Overture/Appalachian Spring Suite/Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson, Reference Recordings, 1998
  • Mulan (soundtrack), Disney, 1998
  • Hollywood Musicals, Friedman Fairfax, 1999
  • Opal: The Complete Score (soundtrack), 2000
  • Taking My Turn (original Broadway cast), DRG, 2000
  • The King and I (soundtrack), 2001
  • Spring Changes, 2001
  • Mary Poppins (special edition of soundtrack with extra tracks), Disney, 2004
  • 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.
  • Videos
  • The Making of "My Fair Lady," King World Productions, 1994
  • The Sound of Music: From Fact to Phenomenon, Twentieth Century-FoxHome Entertainment/Fox Video, 1994

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Periodicals
    • Opera News, October, 2004, pp. 30-33
    Electronic
    • Playbill Online, http://www.playbill.com, January 4, 2000