Barbara Cook, one of Broadway's most memorable musical theatre ingénues, was born October 25, 1927.
Cook made her Broadway debut Flahooley in 1951, beginning a six decade career on the main stem. Through that time, she played many iconic roles including two landmark musicals, She Loves Me and The Music Man—she was the original Marian the Librarian—as well as lesser-known shows Plain and Fancy and The Gay Life. She introduced such standards as “Till There Was You,” “My White Knight,” “Ice Cream,” and “Glitter and Be Gay.”
In honor of Cook, look back at highlights from her stage career.
Barbara Cook, Jerome Courtland, Ernest Truex, and Edith Atwater in Flahooley.
Harris Hawkins and Barbara Cook in Oklahoma!
Barbara Cook in Oklahoma!
Vandamm Studio/©NYPL for the Performing Arts
Barbara Cook in Candide
Barbara Cook in Candide
Barbara Cook and Robert Preston in The Music Man
Barbara Cook in The Music Man, which earned her a Tony Award.
Robert Preston and Barbara Cook in The Music Man
Friedman-Abeles/©NYPL for the Performing Arts
Barbara Cook in The Gay LIfe
Friedman-Abeles
Barbara Cook and Walter Chiari in The Gay Life
Barbara Cook and Jack Cassidy in <i>She Loves Me</i>
Barbara Cook in She Loves Me
Barbara Cook in She Love Me
Friedman-Abeles/©NYPL for the Performing Arts
Barbara Cook and Ronny Graham
Kenny Kealy, Arthur Hill, Barabra Cook, Neva Small, and Eric White
Barbara Cook and George Gaynes
Barbara Cook
Elliot Gould and Barbara Cook
Barbara Cook, Richard Schaal and Elliott Gould in Little Murders
Barbara Cook in Follies in Concert (1985).
Martha Swope / The New York Public Library
George Hearn, Mandy Patinkin, Barbara Cook and Lee Remick in Follies at Avery Fisher Hall.
Martha Swope / The New York Public Library
Willy Harper (left), Barbara Cook, and Richard Sarpola in Barbara Cook's Broadway
Photo by Rahav (Cosi)
Barbara Cook and Vanessa Williams
Erin Mackey, Vanessa Williams, Leslie Kritzer and Barbara Cook in Sondheim on Sondheim
