Julie Wilson 1924-2015

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Julie Wilson
October 21, 1924 –April 5, 2015

By Peter Leavy

Julie-Wilson-Cabaret-Scenes-Magazine
We called her “the Queen of Cabaret,” and so she was — elegant, regal and, for better than half a century, at the pinnacle of the musical world.  She brought style and class as well as her talents to roles on Broadway and London’s West End, and to her numerous TV appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and others.  She also made her mark as a recording artist and, most importantly for those of us in the cabaret world, as an ever-lovely, captivating and unforgettable “saloon singer.”  With the omnipresent gardenia behind her ear and a boa ‘round her shoulders, she was a definitive interpreter of her songs, more than a few of which had not-too-subtle double entendre — “A Bad, Bad Woman”: “I’m a bad, bad, bad, bad woman, but I’m good, good company.”

Wilson’s appeal was evident early on when, as a stunning, teenaged Omaha, Nebraska native, she reportedly glided into show business at 17 by walking off with the “Miss Nebraska” title and, soon thereafter, went professional as part of the national touring company of The Earl Carroll Vanities. By the time she was in her early 20s, she’d made it to Broadway in Three to Get Ready, a revue starring Ray Bolger.  For decades, there was hardly a major musical in which Julie Wilson did not appear — on Broadway, in London, or on the road — Show Boat, Silk Stockings, South Pacific, Kismet, Bells Are Ringing, Company, A Little Night Music, The Pajama Game, Follies.  She received a Tony nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in the short-lived Legs Diamond.  She starred in London’s Kiss Me, Kate, as well as in the Hallmark Hall of Fame TV production and the U.S. touring company.

Her capabilities in musicals, film and TV notwithstanding, it was the cabaret Julie Wilson that so solidified her ever in our hearts. Fortunate fans might have seen her from the ‘fifties on at the big-name spots that flourished in New York — La Maisonette at the St. Regis Hotel, Café Carlyle, the Algonquin’s Oak Room, The Russian Tea Room, Michael’s Pub — and in more recent years at Helen’s or the Metropolitan Room. Whether performing or at performances, Julie was invariably approachable, warm and caring about those she knew.  Even before she moved to Manhattan from Jersey City, she was frequently at Manhattan’s cabaret clubs, supporting and encouraging young performers, then donning her sneakers and heading for a midnight PATH train back home.
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  Enthusiastic and irrepressible, if she had a comment to make, she would, shouting it out from the audience for all to hear.

Wilson possessed a sparkle and a charisma that held her audience even in her later years, when parlando — speaking the lyrics — increasingly became her method of delivery.  James Gavin, in his must-read book on cabaret, Intimate Nights, wrote, “Her declamatory growl showed the wear and tear of a hard-knock life, with thousands of nights spent singing in saloons.  The less vocal artillery she had, the closer to the bone her story songs cut; every song took on the weight of an anthem.”

Gavin also writes about her opening number at a performance at Helen’s, prophetically “I’m Gonna Live ‘Til I Die.”  It recalled for me a personal moment with her.  She was, as noted, quick with her comments. It was at one of Wilson’ engagements at that room when, post-show, a group of us were sitting around one of the long tables in the bar area.
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  At the far end of the table, a young man said to his equally young date, “You know, Julie’s going to be giving a show here in October, on her 80th birthday.”  The lass replied, “80!  Who wants to be 80?”  Julie, hearing the exchange, leaned over and offered, “Someone who’s 79, dear.”

For those of us who cherish the intimate boîtes, and for the composers and lyricists whose melodies she interpreted, sang and recorded — among them, Stephen Sondheim, the  Gershwins, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen and Cy Coleman — Julie Wilson was a treasure.  Now, one of cabaret’s brightest stars has vanished from our firmament.  We are forlorn and distressed, but we will remember the many years we were privileged to see her, hear her, and share the true pleasure she afforded to us all.

“The song is ended, but the melody lingers on.”

Peter Leavy

As a youthful columnist, Peter offered dating advice to Seventeen magazine’s teen readers. Simultaneously, his “think pieces” and articles on entertainment appeared in other national magazines. Editing four magazines for a small publisher when the Korean Conflict erupted, Peter entered military service, becoming Editor-in-chief of The Army Home Town News Center. After service, he joined the family business and in the ensuing decades created several companies in the fashion and home decoration industry. Peter signed on as one of the first contributors to the fledgling Cabaret Scenes magazine, later was named associate editor and, in 2007, took over as publisher.