Bobo Lewis
Bobo Lewis | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Lewis in Karen, 1964 | |
| Born | Barbara Lewis May 14, 1926 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | November 6, 1998 (aged 72) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1962–1998 |
Barbara "Bobo" Lewis (May 14, 1926 – November 6, 1998) was an American comedic actress of film, musical theatre, stage and television.
Born in Miami, Florida, Lewis studied acting and won a Drama Desk Award in 1978 for portraying a teacher in Working on Broadway.[1][2] In 1997, she was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award.[3]
Career
Lewis appeared in numerous stage productions throughout her career. In 1965, Lewis was part of the cast of the Off-Broadway musical revue The Decline and Fall of the Entire World as Seen Through the Eyes of Cole Porter by Ben Bagley.[4] She performed as Emily, Celia, Dorothy, and Ma as a standby in Twigs (1971 to 1972), followed by roles as the Dowager and Olga in The Women (1973). In 1974, she served as a replacement for the role of Mrs. Ella Spofford in Lorelei. She won the Drama Desk Award for her performances as Fran Swenson, Grace Clements, Lucille Page, and Rose Hoffman in Working (1978).[5][1][2] Lewis later appeared in the 1980 world premiere of The Diviners as Norma Henshaw, also as a replacement. In 1987, she portrayed Bernice Roth in The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 of 1940 before joining the Broadway production of 42nd Street as a replacement for the role of Maggie Jones.[6][7]
Bobo Lewis was most famous for her role as gossip Midge Smoot on the children's television series Shining Time Station.[1] Lewis would later appear in the four succeeding Shining Time Specials in 1995. Her other television appearances include roles on sitcoms such as Bewitched, The Monkees, That Girl, and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C..[1]
Bobo was seen in a handful of well-known films such as It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963), Way...Way Out (1966) Can't Stop the Music (1980), Arthur (1981) Her Alibi (1989), Miami Blues (1990) and The Paper (1994).[1]
Death
Lewis died on November 6, 1998, at New York Hospital in Manhattan from cancer, aged 72.[3]
Legacy
She teamed up with her Broadway co-star Lynne Thigpen (Working, 1978) to create the Lynne Thigpen-Bobo Lewis Foundation "to help young actresses and actors learn how to survive and succeed in New York theater".[8]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | The Interns | Gwen | |
| 1963 | Under the Yum Yum Tree | Claudia Hoffer | |
| 1963 | It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World | Pilot's Wife | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Kiss Me, Stupid | Waitress | |
| 1966 | Way... Way Out | Esther Davenport | |
| 1970 | Which Way to the Front? | Camille Bland | |
| 1975 | The Wild Party | Wilma | |
| 1975 | Lovers Like Us | Miss Mark | |
| 1980 | Can't Stop the Music | Breadwoman | |
| 1981 | The Nesting | Catherine Beasley | |
| 1981 | Arthur | Lady in Coffee Shop | |
| 1982 | Blood Bride | Mama | |
| 1987 | The Adventure of the Action Hunters | ||
| 1988 | Running on Empty | Home Ec Teacher | |
| 1989 | Her Alibi | Rose | |
| 1990 | Miami Blues | Edna Damrosch | |
| 1994 | The Paper | Anna | |
| 1998 | One True Thing | Muriel | |
| 1998 | Just the Ticket | Mrs. Dolmatch | |
| 1999 | Hit and Runway | Cousin Rosalie | (final film role) |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Actress Bobo Lewis Dies". The Houston Chronicle. November 14, 1998. p. 71.
- 1 2 "Drama Desk Says They're Tops". Daily News. June 3, 1978. p. 20.
- 1 2 "Bobo Lewis, 72, Longtime Actress In Circle Repertory". The New York Times. November 13, 1998. p. B 14. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ↑ Eichelbaum, Stanley (April 21, 1966). "A De-Lovely Cole Porter Revue". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 29.
- ↑ "Bobo Lewis isn't your average 'Working' girl". Chicago Tribune. January 13, 1978. p. 19.
- ↑ Campbell, Mary (June 7, 1987). "Play Recalls Farces of '30s, Bobo Lewis Says". Albuquerque Journal. p. 58.
- ↑ "In fast lane for the first time, Bobo Lewis loves it". The Jersey Journal. July 7, 1987. p. 19.
- ↑ "Helping others to celebrate life". Connecticut Post. December 27, 2005. p. 13.
External links
- Bobo Lewis at IMDb
- Bobo Lewis at the Internet Broadway Database
- Bobo Lewis at the Internet Off-Broadway Database (archived)
- New York Times obituary, Nov. 13, 1998