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Possibly
the earliest of Jill's appearances in summer theater was during the summer
of 1957, when she appeared with fellow TV singer Denise Lor in a production
of High Button Shoes in Kansas City. A small picture
of Jill in costume appeared in an August 1957 edition of TV Guide
in an article about television stars of the era who were doing summer stock
that season. |
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Jill
starred in a stage production of The Moon Is Blue at the
Northland Playhouse in Detroit from June 30 through July 5, 1959. |
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During
the 1960 season, Jill starred as Ester in the Kenley Players production
of Meet Me In St Louis. Jill's leading man in the production,
Robert Goulet, was soon to appear on Broadway in the original cast of Camelot.
New picture of Jill with Robert Goulet added
02/09/11 |
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August
8-13, 1960, Jill repeated her role as Ester in Meet Me In St. Louis
at the New Music Fair in Toronto playing opposite Roddy McDowall. |
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The
1960 theater season was a particularly busy one for Jill. In addition
to starring in two different productions of Meet Me in St. Louis
Jill appeared at the Cherry County Playhouse in Muskegon, Michigan in Sabrina
Fair. |
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In
June 1961, Jill starred in Ondine, subtitled A Romantic
Fantasy in Three Acts, at the Salt Creek Playhouse in Hinsdale,
Illinois. Jill's directors for the production were two other well
known television personalities of the period, John Newland and Nina Foch. |
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In
1963, while Jill and husband Don Hoak were living in Philadelphia, Jill
starred in Sunday in New York opposite Earl Holliman at the
city's Playhouse in the Park. Don was playing third base with the
Philadelphia Phillies that season. |
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During
the 1973 theater season, Jill starred in at least three different productions
at three different venues in the Northeast. Among these was Promises,
Promises at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey.
Click the image of the program at left for much more on the production. |
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In
July 1978, Jill starred in the Corning Summer Theatre's production of Irma
La Douce. Clicking on the image at left will let you review
the entire program, as well as see pictures of Jill on stage with the rest
of the cast. |
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During
the autumn of 1973, Jill starred opposite Ronald Holgate in a five-week
run of Sweet Charity at the Coachlight Dinner Theatre
in East Windsor, Connecticut. |
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During
the 1977 season, Jill co-starred with Dorothy Collins and Anne Jeffreys
in Stephen Sondheim's Follies at Milwaukee's Melody Top Theater.
In her role as Calotta Campion Jill sings I'm Still Here,
a song which she subsequently added to her critically acclaimed cabaret
act. |
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Jill
starred in Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun at the Gateway
Country Dinner Playhouse in St. Petersburg, Florida. Besides the
complete program for the production, clicking on the image at left will
bring you a photo of Jill taken on stage during the performance. |
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During
Jill's second career following the passing of husband Don Hoak, Jill
appeared in a number of theatrical productions around the country, including
this one of the venerable Gypsy at the Carousel Dinner Theater
in Ohio. |
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Jill
played three parts while heading a cast of six in this musical review in
the Directors' Company production of The First Time off-Broadway. |
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The
last stage vehicle in which Jill starred was a production of Nellie,
which was mounted in association of the Friends of the Lambs, Inc.
Set in the 1890's, the musical is based on the life of the early feminist,
Miss Nellie Bly. Jill, of course, serves in the title role. |
