Barbara "Bobo" Lewis (May 14, 1926 – November 6, 1998) was an American comedic actress of film, musical theatre, stage and television. Born in

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, Lewis studied acting and won a Drama Desk Award in 1978 for portraying a teacher in ''Working'' on Broadway. In 1997, she was nominated for a

Joseph Jefferson Award The Joseph Jefferson Award, more commonly known informally as the Jeff Award, is given for theatre arts produced in the Chicago area. Founded in 1968, the awards are named in tribute to actor Joseph Jefferson, a 19th-century American theater sta ...

Stage roles

*'' The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940'' (as Bernice Roth); April 6, 1987 - August 1, 1987 *'' 42nd Street'' (as Maggie Jones; replacement); July 21, 1987 - January 8, 1989 *'' Working'' (as Fran Swenson, Grace Clements, Lucille Page and Rose Hoffman); May 14, 1978 - June 4, 1978 *''Lorelei'' (as Mrs. Ella Spofford; replacement); January 27, 1974 -November 3, 1974 *'' The Women'' (as Dowager and as Olga); April 25, 1973 - June 17, 1973 *''Twigs'' (as Emily, Celia, Dorothy and Ma; standby); November 14, 1971 - July 23, 1972

Television

Bobo Lewis was most famous for her role as gossip Midge Smoot on the children's television series ''

Shining Time Station ''Shining Time Station'' is an American children's television series jointly created by British television producer Britt Allcroft and American television producer Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by Quality Family Entertainment (the Ame ...

''. She remained with the show for its entire run from 1989 to 1993. Lewis would later appear in the four succeeding ''Shining Time'' Specials in 1995. Her other television appearances include roles on sitcoms such as '' Bewitched'', ''

The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...

'', ''

That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewste ...

'', and '' Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.''.

Film

Bobo was seen in a handful of well-known films such as ''

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer with a story and screenplay by William Rose and Tania Rose. The film, starring Spencer Tracy with an all-star cast of comedians, is a ...

'' (1963), ''

Under the Yum Yum Tree ''Under the Yum Yum Tree'' is a 1963 American sex comedy film directed by David Swift and starring Jack Lemmon, Carol Lynley, Dean Jones, and Edie Adams, with Imogene Coca, Paul Lynde, and Robert Lansing in supporting roles. The film received ...

'' (1963), '' Way...Way Out'' (1966) ''

Can't Stop the Music ''Can't Stop the Music'' is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by Nancy Walker. Written by Allan Carr and Bronté Woodard, the film is a pseudo-biography of the 1970s disco group the Village People loosely based on the actual story ...

'' (1980), ''

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...

'' (1981) ''

Her Alibi ''Her Alibi'' is a 1989 American romantic comedy film directed by Bruce Beresford, written by Charlie Peters and starring Tom Selleck, Paulina Porizkova, William Daniels, and James Farentino. Plot Phil Blackwood (Selleck) is an American mystery ...

'' (1989), ''

Miami Blues ''Miami Blues'' is a 1990 American neo-noir black comedy crime drama film directed by George Armitage, based on the novel of the same name by Charles Willeford. It stars Alec Baldwin, Fred Ward (who also served as an executive producer) and Jen ...

'' (1990) and '' The Paper'' (1994).

Legacy

She teamed up with her

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

co-star Lynne Thigpen ('' Working'', 1978) to create the Lynne Thigpen-Bobo Lewis Foundation "to help young actresses and actors learn how to survive and succeed in New York theater".

Death

Lewis died on November 6, 1998, at New York Hospital in Manhattan from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

, aged 72.

Filmography

References

External links

* *http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=71052 *http://www.tv.com/bobo-lewis/person/44665/summary.html *https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/13/arts/bobo-lewis-72-longtime-actress-in-circle-repertory.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Bobo 1926 births 1998 deaths Actresses from Florida American musical theatre actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Actresses from Miami Drama Desk Award winners Deaths from cancer in New York (state) 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers