Leslie Uggams

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Leslie Uggams
Pine Valley Presence
Rose Keefer
At A Glance

Raised in the Washington Heights section of New York City, Leslie Uggams made her national television debut at age six on the TV series "Beulah," portraying the niece of Ethel Waters. Appearances on "Your Show of Shows," "The Milton Berle Show," "Arthur Godfrey Show," and several children's programs followed. At age seven, Leslie began performing regularly at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem as an extra added attraction before the performances of such legends as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dinah Washington.

Leslie attended the New York Professional Children's School, and at age fifteen she appeared on the CBS-TV series, "Name That Tune." Her appearance proved to be fortuitous: Mitch Miller, head of recordings for Columbia Records, was impressed by her vocal talents, signed her to a recording contract and then made her a regular on "Sing Along With Mitch," TV's first pre-recorded music show.

Concurrent with her musical composition and theory studies at The Julliard School, Ms. Uggams released the first of ten LP's she was to record for Columbia, including her first hit single, "Morgan."

Alternating major nightclub appearances with her stage work, Leslie Uggams appeared in the musical "The Boyfriend" in Berkeley, California. Soon she won the lead in "Hallelujah, Baby!," which had originally been written for Lena Horne, and earned the 1968 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Broadway Musical Comedy.

Two years later she had her own musical variety television series on CBS-TV, "The Leslie Uggams Show,' and a new recording contract with Atlantic Records, and in 1970 she made her dramatic film debut in "Skyjacked." Her portrayal of Kizzy in the most watched dramatic show in TV history, "Roots," won her the Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1976, and her first Emmy nomination for Best Leading Actress. She also starred in the miniseries, "Backstairs at the Whitehouse," "Sizzle," an ABC-TV Movie of the Week, and "Christmas at Radio City Music Hall," an HBO special. She won an Emmy as co-host of the NBC-TV series, "Fantasy."

In addition to ongoing concert dates, Leslie returned to Broadway to star in the musical "Blues In the Night:" She also enjoyed a two year run in the hit musical "Jerry's Girls." In 1987, she toured with Peter Nero and Mel Torme in "The Great Gershwin Concert," for which she received rave reviews, and in 1988 starred as Reno Sweeney, in the National Company of the Lincoln Center Production of "Anything Goes." Leslie reprised her role in 1989/90 as Lincoln Center's Vivien Beaumont Theatre on Broadway. Nineteen ninety-one saw Leslie touring in "Stringbean," a new play with music based on Ethel Waters' rise to fame in the twenties and thirties.

Among her most recent concerts are the Pittsburgh Symphony, Rhode Island Symphony and The Memorial Day Concert on the Washington mall, in front of 300,000 people, televised live by PBS.

Off stage, Leslie is a founding member of the BRAVO Chapter/City of Hope -- a charitable organization dedicated to the study, treatment, and eradication of all blood-related diseases, a board member of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, and TADA, a children's musical theatre. She is married to producer Grahame Pratt: The couple have two children and reside in New York City.

Acting Portfolio: TELEVISION
All My Children
Rose Keefer
October 15, 1996 to December 11, 1996

Roots
Kizzy
1977

High Rollers
Assistant
1974-1980

The Muppet Show
1978

The Leslie Uggams Show
1969

Sing Along with Mitch
1961

Acting Portfolio: FILM
Harlem
Doris Holly
1993

Poor Pretty Eddy
Liz
1973

Black Girl
Netta
1972

Skyjacked
Lovejoy Wells
1972

Awards & Acclaim
Tony Best Actress in a Broadway Musical Comedy (1968)

Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress (1976)
Vital Statistics

PLACE OF BIRTH: New York, New York

DATE OF BIRTH: May 25, 1943

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