08/10/2007

Come on, see Shirley

Broadway, Hollywood, TV star to perform at Opera House

By Tom Carr

tcarr@record-eagle.com

Special to the Record-Eagle
Shirley Jones performs at the City Opera House in Traverse City Aug. 18.

TRAVERSE CITY — Shirley Jones' career has brought her roles in just about every entertainment medium.

She will escort the audience through her biography and sing some of the songs for which she's known when she performs at the City Opera House on Saturday, Aug. 18. Her show will include movie clips and photos from her long career, which has included Broadway musicals, films — including an Oscar for a dramatic role — TV and more.

"Most of the adults today know me from 'The Partridge Family' rather than from the 30 motion pictures I did before that,” Jones said in a recent telephone interview.

Yet she "purposely” doesn't perform songs from the early 1970s TV series.

"That's David Cassidy's music,” she said, referring to her TV son and real-life stepson, who was a heartthrob and usual lead singer on the series.

"In five years, I did two songs,” she added. "But I do talk about it.”

At the time, she wanted to do television so she could stay close to home and not have to cart her children all over the world as she performed live. She took the part against the advice of some agents and others in the industry.

"They said, 'You'll be Mrs. Partridge for the rest of your life and the movie career will go into the toilet.' And they were right,” she said.

Still, she does not regret it and said that wasn't the first time her career had appeared to be over.

In the 1950s, she was cast in some of the biggest movie musicals of all time, including "Oklahoma!” and "Carousel.” She was in "The Music Man” in 1962, as well.

Yet in about the late 1950s, the age of the musical seemed to be fading, so she played a prostitute in the 1960 non-musical movie adaptation of the Sinclair Lewis novel "Elmer Gantry.” She won an Oscar for the role.

"All of a sudden, people said, 'Wow, she can act,'” Jones said.

A few years ago, she played a role on "The Drew Carey Show” as Carey's short-time girlfriend, not long before older woman-younger man relationships came into vogue.

Now at age 73, she's as active as ever.

Last year, she was in Lifetime's "Monarch Cove” series. Jones will also host an upcoming PBS series, "The Great American Motion Picture Musical.”

"People say, 'When are you going to retire?'” Jones said. "As long as it's still fun and I have my health, I'll do it.”

Her show here will fit into the Opera House mission of having nationally known entertainers come to the newly renovated venue, executive director Sheryl Hayward said.

"We really see our role as supporting the arts with local and regional artists and attracting and drawing in national artists,” she said.

Debbie Reynolds' representatives had recently contacted the Opera House about having her perform there, as well, Hayward said.

"They tracked us down and that's very exciting,” she said.

Showtime is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $60, available on-line through www.cityoperahouse.org or by calling (231) 941-8082.