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Enchanted, he put in a call to Juilliard to getFabray studying opera.
In 1949, she won aTonyfor Best Actress in a Musical, forLove Life.
Still, she hadnt yet begun the work that would define her career for generations to come.
Fabray, who rarely used vulgar language, told him, Rouben, go fuck yourself.
She walked off the stage any time he tried to give her any notes.
You have to speak up in this life if you want something, she wouldsaylater.
She was still a half-decade away from her most famous role.
In the mid-1950s, Sid Caesar was one of the biggest names in television.
Unlike Coca, Fabrays work to that point included little comedy outside of musical revues.
But her background in musical theater would be one of Fabrays greatest strengths in her two years onCaesars Hour.
Sid CaesarcalledFabray a soubrette: she could sing, dance, act, and look beautiful.
She had perfect timing and a sense of comedy and I knew she had scope.
Fabray is completely silent in one of her most famous sketches fromCaesars Hour.
One of Fabrays greatest passions was her work on behalf of the deaf and hard of hearing.
She served as narrator for theTheater of the Deafs 1967 presentationon NBCsExperiment in Television.
It was there that she fell in love with sign language.
The CBS executivesbalked, as they considered sign language controversial.
Her family has requested that anydonations in her memorialbe made to Gallaudet.
In a 2004 interview, Fabray said, I hope Im remembered, but I wonder.
Through her philanthropy and her contributions to sketch comedy, thats guaranteed.
But anyone who would tell Rouben Mamoulian to fuck himself is a legend.
Harry Waksberg is a writer and lazeabout living in Riverside, California.
He is also the writer of the webseriesDoing Good.
