Barbara Sharma

Barbara Sharma (born Barbara Anna Sharma Schirmer; September 14, 1938) is an American actress and dancer of the night clubs, stage, television, and film. She began dancing at age 4 and professionally at age 9, dancing in nightclubs in Miami and Havana. As a dancer she had a close working relationship with Bob Fosse, working as a lead dancer in his company for five seasons. She is best known for creating roles in the Original Broadway productions of several prominent musicals during the 1960s, including Rosie in '' Sweet Charity'' and Mary in '' Hallelujah, Baby!'', and as a regular performer on '' Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' from 1970 to 1972. She also portrayed Shelley Sealy as a main cast member of the short lived TV series '' Glitter'' in 1984–1985, and performed the recurring roles of Mrs. Recinos on '' Becker'', Mrs. Douglas on '' Frasier'', Amanda Wilkerson on '' Chico and the Man'', and Myrna Morgenstein in '' Rhoda''. She frequently appeared in commercials from the 1950s to the 2000s, including commercials for Folgers, Glass Plus, and State Farm.

Early years

Sharma was born Barbara Anna Sharma Schirmer on September 14, 1938, in Dallas, Texas. Her father, Edwin Schirmer, was a haberdashery salesman. She lived in the British West Indies in her youth. 20th Century Fox wanted her to debut in films when she was 8 years old, but her father ended negotiations because he did not want the family to live in California. She developed an interest in radio when she was growing up because her father would not have a television in the house. At age 14 she moved to New York to live with relatives and attended the Professional Children's School.

Career

Sharma's acting career began when she was 4 years old. She was billed as Barbara Ann Sharma, but later she was advised to drop the middle name. She described herself as "a ballerina, a child prodigy, a big name in Cuba when I was 10 years old". She began her dancing career at the age of 9 in Miami and Havana, Cuba, and nightclubs across the states. Her hoofing came well before her tap-dancing.

She began her Off-Broadway career at the age of 19 starring in the lead role of '' Little Mary Sunshine'' and in the original production of Rick Besoyan's '' In Your Hat'' in 1957 after spending a summer performing at Camp Tamiment. She initially came to prominence on the Broadway stage in the 1960s in the original casts of '' Little Me'', '' Hello, Dolly!'', '' Sweet Charity'' (as Rosie), '' Hallelujah, Baby!'' (as Mary), and '' Come Summer'' (as Emma Faucett). Much of her work can be heard on the original cast albums for those shows. She later appeared on Broadway as Bobbi Michele in '' Last of the Red Hot Lovers'' in 1970.

In 1970, Sharma replaced Bernadette Peters in the New York production of '' Dames at Sea'' and continued with the show for its entire run in Los Angeles. Her performance in the show drew the attention of producer George Schlatter and led to her big break in television; landing her a part in the main cast of '' Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' from 1970 to 1972. She portrayed Shelley Sealy on '' Glitter'' and was a member of the cast of the PBS anthology series ''Masquerade''.

In 1982, she played Adelaide in Garland Wright's production of '' Guys and Dolls'' at the Guthrie Theater. Jerry Stiller, Roy Thinnes and Kathy Morath were also in the cast.

Sharma's other TV appearances include the recurring roles of Mrs. Recinos in '' Becker'', Mrs. Douglas in '' Frasier'', Amanda Wilkerson in '' Chico and the Man'', and Myrna Morgenstein in '' Rhoda'' in addition to guest appearances on '' Alice'', ''Amazing Stories'', '' Hart to Hart'', ''Insight'', ''Muddling Through'', '' One Day at a Time'', '' Perfect Strangers'', '' Shadow Chasers'', '' Tabitha'', '' The David Frost Show'', ''The Mike Douglas Show'', '' The Facts of Life'', ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', and two episodes of '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. She was a recurring panelist on the game show '' Match Game'' during the 1970s, and in 1973, she starred opposite Bernadette Peters in the ABC musical comedy special '' Break Up''. In 1984, she portrayed Shelley Sealy as a main cast member of the short-lived TV series '' Glitter''. Film credits include '' Con Air'', '' My Stepmother Is an Alien'', '' Norman... Is That You?'', and '' Time Share''.

Sharma did "a lot of radio work" and made dozens of commercials.

Personal life

Sharma married drummer Al Stewart when she was 17 years old, and they have a daughter.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Barbara

Living people

1938 births
Actresses from Dallas
American musical theatre actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
20th-century American dancers
American female dancers
Dancers from Texas