Kaye Ballard Chats Her Long Career Ahead of Appearance at the Albuquerque Little Theatre This Month

On July 29 at 3pm, Kaye Ballard will come to the Albuquerque Little Theatre for a screening of her biopic Kaye Ballard The Show Goes On...

Ballard chatted with Albuquerque Journal to discuss the upcoming appearance and her long and diverse career.

"I got to know Bette Davis very well," she said. "She was cantankerous and positive and wonderful. If you said, 'We'll go out at 4,' she'd say '5.'

Among other stars she worked with were Marlon Brando, Bert Lahr and Ray Bolger, Imogene Coca, and Jerry Lewis.

Ballard opened up about how Hal Prince changed her life in a negative way.

"One person can make a remark that can change your whole life," she said. "Hal Prince, who is the most powerful man in New York, accused me of something I would never, ever do. He accused me of having him fired. He apologized later.

"I was so insecure about everything. I introduced him to Kander and Ebb."

She coped by flying to London and acting in performances for then-Princess Elizabeth. The next year, she became queen.

Miss Ballard previously performed at the Albuquerque Little Theatre in 2014 when she performed with Donna McKechnie and Liliane Montevecchi in the Broadway Babes. Now she's back to help Albuquerque Little Theatre reach their goal to renovated their bathrooms.

"Kim Stanley worked there, and my darling Vivian Vance, and that's such a cute theater," she said. "It deserves to live on and on. I love Albuquerque. The people are very hip there compared to the people in Santa Fe."

Read more on Albuquerque Journal.

Kaye Ballard starred on Broadway in The Golden Apple, Carnival, Molly, The Pirates of Penzance, Gypsy, Funny Girl, Nunsense and Stephen Sondheim's Follies. She has been in numerous films, including The Girl Most Likely, A House is Not a Home, Freaky Friday, Which Way to the Front? and The Ritz. Ballard has guest-starred in a wide range of television programs, including The Doris Day Show, The Muppet Show, The Match Game, The Tonight Show, The Carol Burnett Show and the live telecast of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. In addition, she co-starred with Eve Arden in the NBC sitcom The Mothers-in-Law, which was released on DVD in July 2010. Kaye officially announced her retirement in 2015.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $25 VIP including a post show reception with Miss Kaye Ballard herself. The reception includes food and adult drinks. Tickets available at albuquerquelittletheatre.org or 505-242-4750 x3.

To post a comment, you must register and login.