Cinderella's of West 53rd Street: Stories from the Legendary Rehearsal Club

From Ohio to Texas, from New Jersey to California . . . from small towns and big cities . . . from all walks of life we came-by railroad, by bus, by plane. Some of us "cherry picked" from our hometown dance studios; others, simply searching for more than our small towns could offer. Each of us filled with a burning desire to set foot on the New York stage.

 

 In 1936, Edna Ferber & George S. Kaufman immortalized the Rehearsal Club in their play Stage Door, later made into a Hollywood movie providing audiences with a rare glimpse into the private world of women who waited by the phone for that one call that might change their lives forever. Peek into the Club's fabled parlor at different points over the years and you might see Carol Burnett, Leigh Taylor Young, Dixie Carter, Teri Garr, Sandy Duncan, Blythe Danner, Kim Cattrall, or even James Dean-who used the Club as a hangout before he became a movie icon. 

 

What our "stars" have to say...

 

"My closest friends today are the women I met at the Rehearsal Club

who called me "The Captain of Room 20."

-CONSTANCE McCASHIN, "Laura Avery," Knots Landing

 

"The Rehearsal Club was a nurturing half-way house for nice girls! 

And boy, did I need it! I arrived in NYC fresh off-the-peach truck!"

-CELIA WESTON, "Jolene Honeycutt," Alice

 

"Well, there's one thing: they can't order me to stop dreaming."

-"Cinderella," Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim

 

"While playing 'Cinderella' (Into The Woods-Broadway, 2022), I've learned she is a teacher-how to transcend one's own self-doubts and find a path for belonging."

 -DIANE PHELAN, TRC 2013 Rising Star

 

"The Rehearsal Club was a temple of talent-a wonderful idea and a great organization!" -BRIAN O'NEIL, Author, Acting As a Business: Strategies for Success, Fifth Edition

 

"I hope there will someday be a place like the Rehearsal Club again!"

-BETTY LYNN, "Thelma Lou," Andy Griffith Show