In this paper you will take a journey to the past to understand where some of our new actors/actresses techniques came from. She was born of the name Irene Escalera on March 18, 1959. She originates from the Bronx, New York and like many found to be at a young age to an inspiring actress. Born to father Gaspar Cara (Puerto Rican) and mother Louise (American of Cuban descent), Irene was one of five finalists for the “Little Miss America” pageant at the age of three. At a young age she began to play piano by ear and soon after began studying the art of music, acting, and dance.
Finally her boy friend moved to be with her there and she learned to accept her new environment. Lopez's first big break came in 1997, when she was chosen to play the title role in Selena, a biopic of the pop singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who was killed by a crazed fan in 1995. She earned honor for her performance, including a Golden Globe nomination, and became the highest-paid actress in history with her paycheck of $1 million. That same year, Lopez starred in Anaconda and in Blood and Wine. Her role as federal marshal Karen Sisco in Steven Soderbergh's “Out of Sight,” further improved her image as a worthy movie star.
Loretta graduated from University of Houston in 1971 with a bachelor of arts in speech, Drama, and MFA in Theater. She also is a member of the Epsilon lambda chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. In addition Loretta is a five time NAACP award winner she played in major films such as Dream Girls (a Broadway musical based on the history of The Supremes) Waiting to Exhale, this Christmas, and the Preacher’s wife. Lorettas played a small part in the mini soap opera For Color Girls as a woman by the name of Juanita. Juanita ran a nonprofit woman’s club for the females in her community.
The two collaborated on several hit shows such as, Damn Yankee (1955, film 1958), New Girl in Town (1957), and Redhead (1959). In the shows How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1962) and Little Me (1962) he tried to be the “doctor” on the shows in trouble. Sweet Charity (1966, film 1969) is thought to be his best work by many. He worked with Gwen Verdon in this production. It showed his trademark style as a choreographer.
Araceli Perez Aldama has always been an outgoing, crazy, and fun girl ever since the day she was born. Cheli was born on the night of December 15, 1992. She was born but not raised in Healdsburg, California. Cheli lived in Healdsburg until she was three years old, then moved to Mexico, and came back to Windsor when she was eight years old. (Aldama) Their mother, Maria Aldama, raised Cheli, along with her two brothers and little sister.
Cree Land Ella Fitzgerald: The Bewitching Verve Records Years She is eternally known as “The First Lady of Song.” Although Ella Fitzgerald initially wanted to be a dancer, once she sang in and won the Wednesday Amateur Night at the Apollo, she had found her calling. Ella fully immersed herself in her music. It was not just what she did for a living; Ella literally was music all day long. She was quoted as saying: "The only thing better than singing is more singing." With a voice that sounded like a grown woman and a little girl, she took a song and made it uniquely her own.
“At the suggestion of theatrical producer David Belasco, Gladys Smith becomes ‘Mary Pickford.’ The new moniker is inspired by her middle name, Marie, and her maternal grandfather’s name, John Pickford Hennessey,” (marypickford.org). Mary Pickford began in the theater at age seven. Then known as "Baby Gladys Smith", she toured with her family in a number of theater companies. Pickford is one of the most accomplished women of the time period. She has co-founded two film companies, United Artists (1919) and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1927).
In high school Oprah had many accomplishments, she broadcasted, and also was the leader of the school's student council. Winfrey received a Bachelor of Arts in college. She acted in a couple movies, for example, The Color Purple, and Beloved. She started her own magazine, a book club, and radio incorporation. All of those became very successful.
Marshall was born in Pittsburgh and sang and danced as a child. In an interview from June 2004 on the American Theatre Wing website, Marshall explains how she had no formal training but was cast as a Von Trapp with her brother and sister in The Sound of Music at a summer theatre company. What really inspired her to the world of dance was sneaking to watch the dance ensemble rehearse. After this experience, she began to take a ton of dance classes and began working as a dancer and a dance captain in Pittsburgh and in tours. Marshall got her start on Broadway being her brother Rob Marshall’s assistant on Kiss of the Spider Woman and then assisted on the revivals of She Loves Me and Damn Yankees.
Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Johnson in New York City. Her mother, a nurse and teacher, raised her daughter and a son on her own after Whoopi's preacher father left the family. The future star spent the first years of her life in a public housing project in Manhattan. Drawn to the theater from earliest childhood, she made her performing debut at age eight with the Helena Rubinstein Children's Theatre at the Hudson Guild. After dropping out of high school at 14, she lied about her age to find work as a summer camp counselor, and singing in the choruses of the Broadway shows Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar and Pippin.