Patsy Kelly

==Early life and early career==

==Early life and early career==

Kelly was born Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City|New York]] to Irish immigrant parents John and Delia Kelly. Her father John was a police officer who left [[Ballinrobe]] around 1900 to escape persecution. He died in 1942. Her mother Delia died in 1930. She was originally inspired to become a firefighter, but her mother enrolled her in a dancing school to keep her off the streets of [[Manhattan]], where the family moved. She began her career in [[vaudeville]] as a dancer at the age of 12.<ref name=ocala>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dZVPAAAAIBAJ&pg=5920,5392077&dq=patsy+kelly+tony+award&hl=en|title=’Company’ Takes 6 Honors At Tony Awards|date=1971-03-29|work=Ocala Star-Banner|page=5B|access-date=5 December 2012}}</ref> Learning how to tap dance at Jack Blue’s School of Rhythm and Tap, she befriended future talent [[Ruby Keeler]]. She performed in [[Frank Fay (American actor)|Frank Fay’s]] act, first in a song-and-dance routine and later as Fay’s comic foil. Her brother John W. (Willie) originally tried out for the job, but ultimately, it was Kelly who ended up landing the position.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Byrne|first1=James P. |last2=Coleman |first2=Philip |last3=King|first3=Jason Francis |title=Ireland and the Americas|url=https://archive.org/details/irelandamericasc00cole|url-access=limited|year=2008|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-851-09614-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/irelandamericasc00cole/page/n372 326]}}</ref> In one routine, Kelly told Fay and the audience that she had been at the beauty parlor. Fay remarked, “And they didn’t wait on you?”<ref>{{cite book|last=S.D.|first=Trav |title=No Applause–Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous|year=2006|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=0-865-47958-5|page=183}}</ref> She remained with Fay for several seasons until Fay eventually dismissed her for refusing a proposal of marriage and for not calling him by his surname.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cullen|first=Frank |title=Vaudeville Old & New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America, Volume 1|volume=1|year=2004|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=0-415-93853-8|page=627}}</ref>

Kelly was born Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City|New York]] to Irish immigrant parents John and Delia Kelly. Her father John was a police officer who left [[Ballinrobe]] around 1900 to escape persecution. He died in 1942. Her mother Delia died in 1930. She was originally inspired to become a firefighter, but her mother enrolled her in a dancing school to keep her off the streets of [[Manhattan]], where the family moved. She began her career in [[vaudeville]] as a dancer at the age of 12.<ref name=ocala>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dZVPAAAAIBAJ&pg=5920,5392077&dq=patsy+kelly+tony+award&hl=en|title=’Company’ Takes 6 Honors At Tony Awards|date=1971-03-29|work=Ocala Star-Banner|page=5B|access-date=5 December 2012}}</ref> Learning how to tap dance at Jack Blue’s School of Rhythm and Tap, she befriended future talent [[Ruby Keeler]]. She performed in [[Frank Fay (American actor)|Frank Fay’s]] act, first in a song-and-dance routine and later as Fay’s comic foil. Her brother John W. (Willie) originally tried out for the job, but ultimately, it was Kelly who ended up landing the position. Her brother ended up working at the [[Waldorf Hotel]] instead.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Byrne|first1=James P. |last2=Coleman |first2=Philip |last3=King|first3=Jason Francis |title=Ireland and the Americas|url=https://archive.org/details/irelandamericasc00cole|url-access=limited|year=2008|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-851-09614-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/irelandamericasc00cole/page/n372 326]}}</ref> In one routine, Kelly told Fay and the audience that she had been at the beauty parlor. Fay remarked, “And they didn’t wait on you?”<ref>{{cite book|last=S.D.|first=Trav |title=No Applause–Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous|year=2006|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=0-865-47958-5|page=183}}</ref> She remained with Fay for several seasons until Fay eventually dismissed her for refusing a proposal of marriage and for not calling him by his surname.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cullen|first=Frank |title=Vaudeville Old & New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America, Volume 1|volume=1|year=2004|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=0-415-93853-8|page=627}}</ref>

Kelly made her [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut in 1927, performing in ”[[Harry Delmar’s Revels]]” at the [[Shubert Theatre (New York City)|Shubert Theatre]]. In other Broadway activity, she performed in ”[[Three Cheers]]” (1928) with [[Will Rogers]], ”[[Earl Carroll’s Sketch Book]]” (1929), ”[[Earl Carroll’s Vanities]]” (1930) with [[Jack Benny]], ”[[The Wonder Bar]]” (1931) with [[Al Jolson]], and in the Dietz-Schwartz musical revue” [[Flying Colors (musical)|Flying Colors]]” (1932) with [[Clifton Webb]] and [[Charles Butterworth (actor)|Charles Butterworth]]. In her later years, she appeared in ”[[No, No, Nanette]]” (1971) with Ruby Keeler and [[Jack Gilford]], and ”[[Irene (play)|Irene]]” (1973) with [[Debbie Reynolds]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Patsy Kelly |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/patsy-kelly-47784 |website=Internet Broadway Database |publisher=The Broadway League |access-date=August 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514081457/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/patsy-kelly-47784 |archive-date=May 14, 2021}}</ref>

Kelly made her [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut in 1927, performing in ”[[Harry Delmar’s Revels]]” at the [[Shubert Theatre (New York City)|Shubert Theatre]]. In other Broadway activity, she performed in ”[[Three Cheers]]” (1928) with [[Will Rogers]], ”[[Earl Carroll’s Sketch Book]]” (1929), ”[[Earl Carroll’s Vanities]]” (1930) with [[Jack Benny]], ”[[The Wonder Bar]]” (1931) with [[Al Jolson]], and in the Dietz-Schwartz musical revue” [[Flying Colors (musical)|Flying Colors]]” (1932) with [[Clifton Webb]] and [[Charles Butterworth (actor)|Charles Butterworth]]. In her later years, she appeared in ”[[No, No, Nanette]]” (1971) with Ruby Keeler and [[Jack Gilford]], and ”[[Irene (play)|Irene]]” (1973) with [[Debbie Reynolds]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Patsy Kelly |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/patsy-kelly-47784 |website=Internet Broadway Database |publisher=The Broadway League |access-date=August 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514081457/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/patsy-kelly-47784 |archive-date=May 14, 2021}}</ref>