Actress, Singer. She won a Tony Award for Best Supporting or Featured Actress in a Musical (1951) for "Guys and Dolls," and a Theater World Award for Most Promising Newcomer. Born the daughter of a salesman, she attended Walton High School in the Bronx before going to the Juilliard School of Music in 1944. She made her Broadway debut as a member of the chorus in "Oklahoma!" (1946), following the show to England's Drury Lane. There she landed the small part of Armina in 1947. Her success there led to her elevation to the female lead of Laurey by the time the show closed in 1949. She followed this with her Tony-winning role on Broadway in "Guys and Dolls" as the original Sarah Brown, the Salvation Army missionary. She won kudos for her rendition of the song "If I Were a Bell," where critics remarked that her voice did indeed sound like a bell. The show ran on Broadway from November, 1950 to November, 1953. She subsequently played the role of Jeanie on Broadway in "Me and Juliet," which ran for 358 performances. She was frequently seen on early television ("The Ed Sullivan Show," "Colgate Comedy Hour"), and took part in the first tv special shown in color (June 25, 1951), along with such other luminaries of the day such as Arthur Godfrey, Garry Moore and Faye Emerson. She married Lawrence R. Barnett, president of the Music Corporation of America (MCA) in July, 1953, and five years later retired from performing to raise their family. She and her husband endowed scholarships at Ohio State University and funded a biennial public policy symposium. Isabel Bigley Barnett died of pulmonary disease at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Actress, Singer. She won a Tony Award for Best Supporting or Featured Actress in a Musical (1951) for "Guys and Dolls," and a Theater World Award for Most Promising Newcomer. Born the daughter of a salesman, she attended Walton High School in the Bronx before going to the Juilliard School of Music in 1944. She made her Broadway debut as a member of the chorus in "Oklahoma!" (1946), following the show to England's Drury Lane. There she landed the small part of Armina in 1947. Her success there led to her elevation to the female lead of Laurey by the time the show closed in 1949. She followed this with her Tony-winning role on Broadway in "Guys and Dolls" as the original Sarah Brown, the Salvation Army missionary. She won kudos for her rendition of the song "If I Were a Bell," where critics remarked that her voice did indeed sound like a bell. The show ran on Broadway from November, 1950 to November, 1953. She subsequently played the role of Jeanie on Broadway in "Me and Juliet," which ran for 358 performances. She was frequently seen on early television ("The Ed Sullivan Show," "Colgate Comedy Hour"), and took part in the first tv special shown in color (June 25, 1951), along with such other luminaries of the day such as Arthur Godfrey, Garry Moore and Faye Emerson. She married Lawrence R. Barnett, president of the Music Corporation of America (MCA) in July, 1953, and five years later retired from performing to raise their family. She and her husband endowed scholarships at Ohio State University and funded a biennial public policy symposium. Isabel Bigley Barnett died of pulmonary disease at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Bio by: James Lacy
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