Sheila has had an enviable career in all areas of the show business industry.
Starting at a very young age, she sang and danced her way through the Catskill Mountains of New York with a children's group known as "The Broadway Show Offs." She went on to appear on television shows such as "The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson," "The Mike Douglas Show," and "The Dean Martin Show." She was one of the original Golddiggers and appeared in the summer TV series "Dean Martin Presents The Golddiggers" in 1969.
The Golddigger audition was one of the most memorable events of her life. She'd spent the entire summer of 1968 glued to her TV set watching the first summer series starring Frank Sinatra, Jr. and Joey Heatherton, always wondering how she could become a Golddigger. One evening, she was riding home from work on the New York Subway and spotted an article in the newspaper of the person next to her. She took a closer look and there it was: The Golddiggers were holding an open audition a few days later. The timing was perfect! The company where she worked was located two blocks from the theater and she finished her workday in time to attend.
She arrived at the theater to find a very long line of over five hundred girls trailing down the stairs and outside the door, waiting for their turn to audition. It appeared that every girl in the city wanted to be a Golddigger.
Before anyone had a chance to sing or dance, they had to make it through an elimination "by type" with Exec Producer and Director Greg Garrison, Musical Director Lee Hale, and Choreographer Jonathan Lucas. The line moved quickly as the girls heard that they were either not the right type and thanked for coming, or asked to stay. Five hundred plus girls eventually became twenty.
During the audition, some of the remaining girls began to notice a pattern: certain girls had very strong similarities in their looks. Rosie Cox walked up to Sheila and said, "You seem to be a strong singer and I am a strong dancer. They keep placing us together so I think that if I make it, you'll make it."
With that remark, a bond quickly formed between them and they went to a corner to practice the dance routine together. That bond continued. They became roommates and to this day are still dear friends. By the end of the two-day audition, they were among six girls who would join The Golddiggers in 1969.
Sheila's time as a Golddigger culminated with their trip to Viet Nam and "Around the World with Bob Hope." She kept a promise she made to her parents to stay with the group for just one year. She then worked with Gene Kelly in Las Vegas, where she met her husband. While raising their two children, she starred in the Cincinnati Music Theatre production of "Irene," performed her dream role of Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl" with the St. James Players of Cincinnati, and appeared in industrial shows and charity benefits. Married for 37 years, Sheila works in real estate and has never stopped singing. In October 2007, she welcomed her first grandchild.
She is so excited to be performing once again as a "Golddigger" with her wonderful friends. It is a dream come true!
|
