I absolutely loved her in Benson as Gretchen Kraus. What a beautiful performance and delightful voice. I had no idea she was a singer as well. Rest in Peace Ms. Swenson.
Inga Swenson's performance in 110 IN THE SHADE was downright Brilliant - and worthy of TWO TONYS. The show opened in Oct. 1963 to excellent reviews, but was soon overshadowed by the likes of Channing in DOLLY, Streisand in FUNNY GIRL, and the one-two comic punch of no less than Tammy Grimes and Beatrice Lillie in HIGH SPIRITS. Still, 110 ran just under a year and Swenson played the show on the West Coast beginning of its national tour, leaving to go into her next show, BAKER STREET, which also ran just under a year and was overshadowed by FIDDLER ON THE ROOF as well as the holdover hits mentioned above. BAKER STREET did not offer her the role and songs 110 did and just as she lost the '64 Tony to Channing she lost the '65 Tony to Liza Minnelli in the flop FLORA, THE RED MENACE. In short, Timing Is Everything!
Not only Inga for 110 in the shade but also Barbara Cook for She Loves me and Tammy Grimes for High spirits who werent nominated for a Tony that year couldnt do anything because of Channing in Hello Dolly and Streisand in Funny Girl.Both Inga and Bea Lillie foir High Spirits were nominated but as Barbara Cook said nobody could compete with the great orchestral musical named Hello Dolly.Both 110 in the shade and She Loves me were chamber musicals with few performers and human stories,Hello Dolly and Funny Girl were great spectacles full of dances,roles and ,chorus around a star,Now we have Hello Dolly again and happened the same with Bette Midler ..Inga Swenson could have wan for110 in the shade another year like also Barbara Cook for She loves me.They made maybe their best performances in the Hello Dolly and Carol Channing year. and nobody could even Barbra for Funny Girl who latee played Channing role in the movies and received an Oscar for Funny Girl in1968.
Absolutely exquisite! Sheer perfection! Happily Inga & her wonderful husband Lowell-a superb tenor and an original Jet in West Side Story- have been especially dear pals of mine for many years- here she is -being simply magnificent!
I saw Inga in the original production on Broadway when I was a teenager. An exquisite musical with a superb leading Lady. Ah, what memories this clip brings back to me. I am in tears. Thank you so much for posting.
Is there anything more perfect than this exquisite performance? My heart breaks for Lizzie each time I hear the great Inga Swenson sing this song. What a beautiful song - with an absolutely magical orchestration.
Brilliant! This is a divine record of one of the great performances of the Broadway musical theatre. Inga Swenson just didn't get up to bat enough. What a beauty. What a voice. What an actor!
I have always felt that Inga Swenson was perfection itself as evidenced on the original Broadway cast album. I did not get to see the original show. She is Lizzie Curry 110%. I love her singing the entire score of this beautiful, lyrical musical show. She had the right voice, character and she was not singing her voice, but infusing the part with vulnerability and just plain talent in overabundance. I regret that we cannot see her in in now! I am grateful that I can view her now on youtube!
Thank you for saying that ... I was pretty sure she had created that role, but thank you for confirming that. She was very talented, and very beautiful .
Wow! Amazing that this is Miss Kraus from Benson! What a sweet, smooth voice. Very talented and lovely lady. She's now in her 80s and I hope she will be around for a good while still.
I am sure she hopes you will be around for a good little while too. She could outlive you. She is very young here. The video shows a great performance. It is not about her age at all.bout her
Wow! I found this video because I was looking up the actors that played in Benson-a sitcom I watched as a kid. I had NO idea Inga Swenson was a singer! I also thought she was really German (I've only seen her in Benson, and with a name like "Inga", I imagined her accent was real)
Good grief Thanks for posting! I've always wanted to hear her Sing She has a very pleasing warmth as well as impeccable training, I would assume. Lovely.
Ich kenne sie bisher nur als Ms. Kraus bei „Benson“, ich hätte nie gedacht, dass sie singen kann. Wunderschöne Stimme. Ich liebte ihren Akzent auf „Benson“, obwohl sie im wirklichen Leben perfekt Englisch spricht.
When Julie Andrews left in 1962, she was replaced by Patricia Bredin, who was replaced by Janet Pavek, then Kathryn Grayson for the last two months of the run. But Inga Swenson was Julie Andrews's standby (understudy) during the earlier part of the run.
Come to think about it Ms. Swenson gives a sample her superb singing voice and her real mid American accent on a Christmas episode of the TV sitcom Benson .
That is Ben's 2nd. wife from Bonanza !!! I too sing operatic and I just watched her in Inger. My Live then a Journey To Remember...the perfect lady I wish I had an opportunity to chase as I'd never let her go.
This is so touching and she was so touching in this role. Her musicality and singing are soooo good. Its a tough role too.. Old Maid, is basically operatic. Thank you for posting this.. Is there any more of her?
Ms. Swenson is more famous these days for playing Miss Kraus on TVs Benson and also supporting Bancroft and Duke is their Oscar winning roles in the movie The Miracle Worker . Also as the mother of big ol' Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza . Even big star Julie Andrews had to take a back seat on Broadway with her starring roles in My Fair Lady and Camelot , though it is hard to believe now . But that is Broadway in NYC for you .
Inga Swenson Lizzie was perfect in the year of great female performances Channing in Hello Dolly(Tony Award thgat year),Tammy Grimes in Molly Brown,Streissand in Funny Girl,Beatrice Lille in High Spirit and also Barbara Cook in She loves me who wanst nominated for the Tony(the others were) but wan the Desk Award that year.Hello Dolly oppened in the beggining of 1964,the others were in 1963 and wan all the Tonys,Streissand wan the Oscar for her Fanny Brice and Cook the Desk Award.Inga didnt win anything but she was amazing and a great soprano.I love her Simple little things performance and also her Rauchy andOld Maid.Amazing.
inga was sensational in 110...... saw the original cast with scooter teague, the young and talented lesley anne warren and the great robert horton as starbuck (also stephen douglass); she left to play Irene Adler in the short lived Baker Street sherlock holmes musical (with fritz weaver); a sublime talent and she is remembered not as much for her lovely voice as she is for the swedish housekeeper on Benson. Too bad no footage exists from the original 110 in the shade.
Did anyone notice how the audience is dressed up? Jacket and ties for the men and comparable for the women. Sometimes a bit for formality makes things seem more civilized. (And this is a fine performance, worth dressing for.)
Remember, the theatre, like life, is a subjective art and although I was only 13 when I saw the show, I thought (and think) the actress was remarkable. And this in no way diminishes Ms. Mac Donald who was also remarkable.
Sorry but Audra McDonald gets to the heart of this song, she understands what its about. Its about simplicity and this is the least simple, most overwrought version ever.
Inga certainly knew what the song was about & "the heart of it," and Tom & Harvey loved her in the role. Audiences adored her, and for good reason. This song IS a retort to Starbuck being full of himself, and she let's him have it - but with all the genuine heart in the world. I love Audra deeply, but she diminishes nothing from this great, original performance. Schmidt & Jones, Joe Anthony - and David Merrick knew Exactly what they were doing when they hired Ms. Swenson: they hired a gift, with heart.
