Paula Stewart

Broadway actress/soprano Paula Stewart is originally from Chicago and was christened Dorothy Paula Zürndorfer. Her father was Dr. Walter Zürndorfer and her mother, Esther Morris, was in the Ziegfield Follies and on Broadway in "Lady Be Good" starring Fred Astaire. She attended Northwestern University before deciding on a professional career. She joined the national touring company of "Brigadoon", then signed on as understudy to Ann Crowley in a production of "Seventeen" at the Broadway Theatre in June 1951. She starred in the George White review "Nice to See You" in 1953 at the Versailles Club. During this run, Paula married composer Burt Bacharach. He was also her accompanist and scored arrangements for her night club act. They divorced in 1958. On stage in "Born Yesterday" (1956) and "Critic's Choice" (1957), she replaced Jo Sullivan in "The Three Penny Opera". This paved the way to the Frank Loesser musical revival of "The Most Happy Fella" at the New York City Center 1959. In 1960