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Tony winner Janie Sell died on June 9 at the age of 86 after a brief illness, according to her longtime friend James Dybas, who confirmed the news online. She was surrounded by her friends and family members.
Sell made her Broadway debut in 1968 in George M!, sharing the stage with future stars and establishing herself as a versatile performer equally comfortable in song, dance, and comedy. Her breakthrough came in 1974 when she originated the role of Mitzi in Over Here!. The nostalgic World War II-era musical starred Andrews Sisters Maxene and Patty Andrews and introduced future stars John Travolta and Marilu Henner to Broadway audiences. Sell’s performance earned her the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Over the course of her career, Sell appeared in numerous Broadway productions, including Irene, Pal Joey, I Love My Wife, Happy End, and Dames at Sea.
In 1979, she starred Off-Broadway as Sylvia Rosewater in God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, the musical adaptation of the novel by Kurt Vonnegut. Directed by Howard Ashman with music by Alan Menken, the production would later become notable as an early collaboration between two future Disney legends.
In the mid-1990s, Sell returned to Broadway as the standby for Carol Burnett in Moon Over Buffalo, performing regularly in Wednesday matinees alongside acclaimed actor Philip Bosco.
Alan Menken wrote about his friend on Facebook saying, “Janie Sell was my very first leading lady, in my very first produced musical, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater. She was wonderful to work with and beautiful and evocative as the character of Sylvia Rosewater. That was 47 years ago, in 1979; such a magical and exciting time for me and for Howard Ashman. The memory of Janie lives on vividly in my heart.”
Janie Sell is survived by her son, Jason Fries.
