Quotes

[on 1959, when she was nominated for a Tony Award for "Gypsy" but had lost to Mary Martin in "The Sound of Music"] You can't buck a nun.

[in 1930, on the show that made her a star, George Gershwin's "Girl Crazy"] In the second chorus of "I Got Rhythm", I held a high C note for 16 bars while the orchestra played the melodic line--a big, tooty thing--against the note. By the time I'd held that note for four bars, the audience was applauding. They applauded through the whole chorus and I did several encores. It seemed to do something to them. Not because it was sweet or beautiful, but because it was exciting. Few people have the ability to project a big note and hold it. It's not just a matter of breath; it's a matter of power in the diaphragm. I'd never trained my diaphragm, but I must have a strong one. When I finished that song, a star had been born. Me.

[on Mary Martin] She's okay, if you like talent.

I can never remember being afraid of an audience. If the audience could do better, they'd be up here on stage and I'd be out there watching them.

I don't want to sound pretentious, but in a funny way I feel I'm the last of a kind. I don't mean that there aren't some girls out there somewhere who are just as talented as I was. But even if they are, where will they find the shows like "Girl Crazy", "Anything Goes", "Annie Get Your Gun", "Call Me Madam" and "Gypsy"? They just don't produce those vehicles anymore.

I take a breath when I have to.

I can hold a note as long as the Chase National Bank.

Broadway has been very good to me. But then, I've been very good to Broadway.

You'll never prove you're too good for a job by not doing your best

Not to pat myself on the back, but when I do a show, the whole show revolves around me. And if I don't show up, they can just forget it!