Rita McKenzie was known for appearing in one of the longest running one-woman shows ever performed onstage Ethel Merman’s Broadway which premiered off-Broadway and then traveled worldwide from 1988 until 2002, becoming famous through performances in this production and its subsequent tours; its star is Rita McKenzie who performed it so masterfully she became known as one of musical theatre’s most powerful vocalists.
When Ms. McKenzie took the stage in 1988, she looked just like the late singer Ethel Merman, who died on February 15, 1984, at the age of 76, following a diagnosis of brain cancer.
Her unique belter vocal performance started touring world-Broadways off-Broad Maryland premiere off-Broad Broadway from 1988. She became known for performing Ethel Merman’s Broadway premiere off-Broad from 1988 touring.
McKenzie was often compared to Broadway legend Ethel Merman; her earthy style and powerful pipes made her a favorite of symphony orchestra conductors and recording artists alike. She appeared on numerous television programs like variety programs hosted by Perry Como and Red Skelton, talk shows hosted by Mike Douglas, Dick Cavett, Judy Garland as well as her own sitcom series!
McKenzie Zimmermann was born Agnes Zimmermann on January 16th 1908 in Manhattan and raised by her maternal grandmother; both grandparents were immigrants from Germany. When she was two, they moved to Brooklyn where they settled into a bungalow near Astoria Park on 4th Avenue near Astoria Park – soon thereafter she attended high school where she rose through the ranks as beauty queen and gained access to singing in choir and dancing performances at Palace Theatre In Astoria.
Without formal singing lessons, she was an accomplished performer onstage. With a powerful alto voice and precise enunciation, as stage singers did not use microphones she was able to project it over large venues. Producer Vinton Freedley saw her in a Broadway revue and convinced her to audition for George Gershwin’s Girl Crazy musical where her powerful booming voice impressed the producer; eventually Kate Fothergill would be cast and the show ran for 272 performances!
Film: She appeared in four films with Eddie Cantor and was part of Alexander’s Ragtime Band anthology. After leaving film behind in 1938, she turned her attention towards Broadway musicals: Panama Hattie, Call Me Madam and Annie Get Your Gun were enormous hits with audiences; while in Any Goes! she played Reno Sweeney (an evangelical pastor), as well as Rose in Gypsy.
Merman announced her intention to retire following her successful two-year run in Call Me Madam; however, she returned to the stage for Happy Hunting and touring performances of Gypsy musical. One of Merman’s most acclaimed roles in Gypsy was as Mama Rose; here she introduced classic songs “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” and “Some People”, far surpassing its motion picture counterpart.
After retiring from Broadway, McKenzie became increasingly popular among audiences at concerts across the U.S. and internationally. For many years she sang alongside Scott Stander as The Two Scotts; later she began performing solo as well as with other singers like Jerry Lewis and Don Knotts.
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