Can Any Theater Queens Tell Me Whose Birthday This Is????????????????

                          I am sure most of you recognize the woman as being Angela Lansbury--and you are right. Some of you may spot that man as being composer Jerry Herman--and you are right on target!  But who is the kid?  He is actually the subject of this blog post.

                          The child in the photo is Frankie Michaels, who originated the role of Young Patrick Dennis in the musical, "MAME," when it opened at the Winter Garden on May 24, 1966.  That was 49 years ago, back then, and he was just ten. Which means, today, he is 59!!!!!!!!!

                           Frankie Michaels was born on May 5, 1956, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, no less.  There was a legend saying his birthday was a year earlier, which would have made him 5/5/55!!!!!!!!
But, he was only 10, when he hit Broadway, at the climax of the 1965-66 season.

                             He is one of Broadway's forgotten legends, even for a prepubescent, and he should not be. Because, to this day, Frankie holds the distinction of being the youngest TONY Award Winner in Theater History,  At the TONY Awards held in 1967, his performance in "MAME" won him the TONY for Best Featured Actor In A Musical.  And his record remains unbroken!  That is quite remarkable, for nearly half a century.

                              To give an idea of how unique Frankie was at the time, here are he and Jane Connell, the one and only Agnes Gooch, doing the show's classic opening number, "St. Bridget." Listen to the power and emotion in Frankie's voice, on that final verse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              As for what happened to Frankie, in the intervening years, he has a band of some kind, and still performs. Here he is, pretty much the way he looks today, on the left, with Michael Mayer!!!!!!!!!!!!

                               Tennessee Williams was right, dolls!  Time is the enemy of us all!

                                Especially child performers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!