Liliane Montevecchi
Encyclopedia
Liliane Montevecchi is a French actress, dancer, and singer.
Montevecchi began her career as a prima ballerina in Roland Petit
's dance company. In the mid-1950s she was signed to a contract by MGM, which cast her in secondary roles in such films as The Glass Slipper
and Daddy Long Legs, in both of which she was overshadowed by leading lady Leslie Caron
, the Jerry Lewis
vehicle The Sad Sack
, and King Creole
with Elvis Presley
.
After some television work in series such as Playhouse 90
and Adventures in Paradise
at the end of the decade, Montevecchi opted to leave Hollywood for a star spot in the Folies Bergère and toured with the company for nine years. Montevecchi replaced Colette Brosset
in the 1958 Broadway
revue
La Plume de Ma Tante
.
It was not until 1982 that she drew both critical and popular attention for her performance as Lilaine La Fleur in Nine
, for which she won both the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Montevecchi was given the role of Solange LaFitte for the 1985 production of Follies
in Concert at Avery Fisher Hall
. In 1989 she starred as Elizaveta Grushinskaya in Grand Hotel
, earning a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.
Montevecchi also appeared in the films Wall Street and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
. Montevecchi has appeared in concert at Carnegie Hall
and Lincoln Center and toured internationally with her semi-autobiographical shows On the Boulevard and Back on the Boulevards. Her solo album On the Boulevard was released by Jay Records in 1998.
In 1999, she replaced Eartha Kitt as The Wicked Witch of The West in Radio City Entertainment's touring production of The Wizard of Oz co-starring Mickey Rooney as The Wizard and Jessica Grove as Dorothy. Montevecchi appeared as The Witch during the show's limited run at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.
In 2007 in Seattle, Washington
, Montevecchi had a very successful turn as "Madame ZinZanni" at the Teatro ZinZanni
. She returned to Teatro ZinZanni in June 2009 to reprise the role and will return again in September 2011 for her final bow in the show Bonsoir Liliane, starring alongside Kevin Kent and directed by Tommy Tune.
Montevecchi began her career as a prima ballerina in Roland Petit
Roland Petit
Roland Petit was a French choreographer and dancer born in Villemomble, near Paris, France. He trained at the Paris Opéra Ballet school, and became well known for his creative ballets.-Biography:...
's dance company. In the mid-1950s she was signed to a contract by MGM, which cast her in secondary roles in such films as The Glass Slipper
The Glass Slipper
The Glass Slipper is a musical film adaptation of Cinderella, made by MGM, directed by Charles Walters and produced by Edwin H. Knopf from a screenplay by Helen Deutsch. The music score is by Bronislau Kaper, the cinematography by Arthur E. Arling, the art direction by Daniel B...
and Daddy Long Legs, in both of which she was overshadowed by leading lady Leslie Caron
Leslie Caron
Leslie Claire Margaret Caron is a French film actress and dancer, who appeared in 45 films between 1951 and 2003. In 2006, her performance in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit won her an Emmy for guest actress in a drama series...
, the Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
vehicle The Sad Sack
The Sad Sack
The Sad Sack is a 1957 Paramount Pictures comedy film starring Jerry Lewis and Peter Lorre.-Plot:Lewis plays Private Meredith Bixby, who cannot fall in line with army procedure, even though he has had 17 months of training. A psychologist , is assigned to make him into a good soldier, and she...
, and King Creole
King Creole
King Creole is a 1958 American film directed by Michael Curtiz and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The story was adapted from the Harold Robbins novel A Stone for Danny Fisher and featured Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, and Walter Matthau. The film tells the story of a nineteen-year-old who gets mixed...
with Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
.
After some television work in series such as Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California...
and Adventures in Paradise
Adventures in Paradise
Adventures in Paradise is an American television series which ran on ABC from 1959 until 1962. It starred Gardner McKay as Adam Troy, the captain of the schooner Tiki III which sailed the South Pacific looking for passengers and adventure. The show was created by James Michener...
at the end of the decade, Montevecchi opted to leave Hollywood for a star spot in the Folies Bergère and toured with the company for nine years. Montevecchi replaced Colette Brosset
Colette Brosset
Colette Marie Claudette Brosset was a French actress, writer and choreographer.She was once married to actor Robert Dhéry, with whom she appeared onstage in La Plume de Ma Tante....
in the 1958 Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
La Plume de Ma Tante
La Plume de Ma Tante
is a musical written, devised, and directed by Robert Dhery, with music by Gérard Calvi, and English lyrics written by Ross Parker. It was nominated for the Best Musical, but lost to Redhead...
.
It was not until 1982 that she drew both critical and popular attention for her performance as Lilaine La Fleur in Nine
Nine (musical)
Nine is a musical with a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The story is based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
, for which she won both the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Montevecchi was given the role of Solange LaFitte for the 1985 production of Follies
Follies
Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The story concerns a reunion in a crumbling Broadway theatre, scheduled for demolition, of the past performers of the "Weismann's Follies," a musical revue , that played in that theatre between the World Wars...
in Concert at Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall is a concert hall, in New York City and is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, with a capacity of 2,738 seats.-History:...
. In 1989 she starred as Elizaveta Grushinskaya in Grand Hotel
Grand Hotel (musical)
Grand Hotel is a musical with a book by Luther Davis and music and lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest, with additional lyrics and music by Maury Yeston....
, earning a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.
Montevecchi also appeared in the films Wall Street and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a 2003 romantic comedy film, directed by Donald Petrie, starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. It is based on a short cartoon book of the same name by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long.-Plot:...
. Montevecchi has appeared in concert at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
and Lincoln Center and toured internationally with her semi-autobiographical shows On the Boulevard and Back on the Boulevards. Her solo album On the Boulevard was released by Jay Records in 1998.
In 1999, she replaced Eartha Kitt as The Wicked Witch of The West in Radio City Entertainment's touring production of The Wizard of Oz co-starring Mickey Rooney as The Wizard and Jessica Grove as Dorothy. Montevecchi appeared as The Witch during the show's limited run at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.
In 2007 in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Montevecchi had a very successful turn as "Madame ZinZanni" at the Teatro ZinZanni
Teatro ZinZanni
Teatro ZinZanni is a circus dinner theater that began in the neighborhood of Lower Queen Anne in Seattle, Washington. It has since expanded to a site on the waterfront at Pier 29 on the San Francisco, California The Embarcadero....
. She returned to Teatro ZinZanni in June 2009 to reprise the role and will return again in September 2011 for her final bow in the show Bonsoir Liliane, starring alongside Kevin Kent and directed by Tommy Tune.