Theatre Register

Alice Ghostley

Shows · Alice Ghostley

ActorDirector 1923–2007 On stage 19521977

Alice Margaret Ghostley (August 14, 1923 – September 21, 2007) was an American actress and singer on stage, film and television. Ghostley was best known for her roles as bumbling witch Esmeralda (1969–72) on Bewitched, as Cousin Alice (1970–71) on Mayberry R.F.D., and as Bernice Clifton (1986–93) on Designing Women. Ghostley dropped out of university to pursue a career in theater. She first starred on Broadway in New Faces of 1952 and in the film version of the play released in 1954. She portrayed recurring characters on several sitcoms, including Bewitched (1969-1972), Mayberry R.F.D., Nichols (1971–72) and The Julie Andrews Hour (1972–73). Between 1986 and 1993, Ghostley portrayed Bernice…

On stage 10 productions, 25 years

1952 Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1952 Royale Theatre · Original · directed by John Murray Anderson 365 perf.
1952 New Faces Of 1952 Royale Theatre · Original · directed by John Murray Anderson, John Beal 365 perf.
1955 All in One Playhouse Theatre · Original · directed by David Brooks Cast: Alice Ghostley (Dinah), John Tyers (Sam) 47 perf.
1956 Shangri-La Winter Garden Theatre · Original · directed by Albert Marre 21 perf.
1957 Livin' The Life Phoenix Theatre · Original · directed by David Alexander 25 perf.
1958 Maybe Tuesday Playhouse Theatre · Original · directed by Elliot Silverstein 5 perf.
1960 A Thurber Carnival Anta Playhouse · Original · directed by Burgess Meredith 223 perf.
1962 The Beauty Part Music Box Theatre · Original · directed by Noel Willman 85 perf.
1964 The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window Longacre Theatre · Original · directed by Peter Kass 101 perf.
1977 Annie Alvin Theatre · Original · directed by Martin Charnin 2,377 perf.

Each row is a staging this name appears in the cast list of, read from the production record rather than from the person record. The person record names works instead, and a work cannot say which run somebody was in — that is how Elaine Stritch ends up filed under Show Boat 1927 when she was in the 1994 revival. No row here says what part was played, because no cast list records it.

Worked with more than once4 names

Carol Lawrence 3 productions
Virginia de Luce 2 productions
Robert Clary 2 productions
Eartha Kitt 2 productions

Both names in the same cast list, more than once. It is not evidence of a partnership — a long-running company puts the same forty people together every night — but it is where one would start looking.

In the literature8 passages

  • As for Trouble in Tahiti and my crying – it was beautifully performed by Alice Ghostley, and it is a truly remarkable piece of work – and I had that feeling of closeness, and desire for us to be working with you, and the sadness of the pressure of time, and everything all at once overwhelming me.ebooks/Bernstein, Leonard/Leonard Bernstein Letters, The - Leonard Bernstein.txt
  • 77 Alice Ghostley (1926–2007), American singer and actor. She sang the role of Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti on tour, and again when it arrived on Broadway as part of a triple bill called All In One (alongside dances by Paul Draper and Tennessee Williams' 27 Wagons Full of Cotton ), described by Brooks Atkinson in The New York Times (20 Apri…ebooks/Bernstein, Leonard/Leonard Bernstein Letters, The - Leonard Bernstein.txt
  • First New York performance: 19 April 1955, Playhouse Theatre, cast incl. Alice Ghostley (Dinah), John Tyers (Sam), Constance Bingham, John Taliafero, James Tushar (Trio), David Brooks (dir.), Joseph D. Lewis and Urey Krasnopolsky (pfs), Max Rich (drums), Leonard Gaskin (bass)ebooks/Bernstein, Leonard/Leonard Bernstein Letters, The - Leonard Bernstein.txt
  • Cast : Virginia Bosler, June Carroll, Robert Clary, Allen Conroy, Virginia de Luce, Michael Dominico, Alice Ghostley, Ronny Graham, Patricia Hammerlee, Eartha Kitt, Joe Lautner, Carol Lawrence, Paul Lynde, Bill Mullikin, Carol Nelson, Rosemary O’Reilly, Jimmy Russellebooks/Dietz, Dan/Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals, The - Dan Dietz.txt
  • Cast : Alice Ghostley (Dinah), John Tyers (Sam); Trio: Kathy Farrell, John Taliaferro, James Tushar; Musicians: Joseph D. Lewis (Piano), Urey Krasnopolsky (Piano), Joe Harris (Drums), Leonard Gaskin (Bass)ebooks/Dietz, Dan/Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals, The - Dan Dietz.txt
  • Act One: “Om mani padme hum” (Male Singers); “Lost Horizon” (Company); “Dance of Welcome” (Robert Cohan, Edwin Kim Ying; Pole Boys: Ray Dorian, Eddie Heim, Rico Riedl; Lotus Girl: Ilona Murai; Tigers: Ed Stinnett, Michael DeMarco; Tiger Tamer: Ralph Beaumont); “The Man I Never Met” (Shirley Yamaguchi); “Every Time You Danced with Me” (Har…ebooks/Dietz, Dan/Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals, The - Dan Dietz.txt

Passages naming this person, found by keyword across 178 books. A keyword match is not a biography, and a common name will pull in the wrong one.

What this page does not know

  • What this person played. No cast list we hold records a character against a performer.
  • Which of the credits above the roles on this record — actor, director — apply to. The roles sit on the person and never on a credit, so a director who also acted looks the same here as one who did not.

Something wrong here? Correct a field or report the problem. Every change is recorded in public under the contributor licence.