Biography
Born on 17 December 1938 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Elizabeth Watson received her earliest instruction from her mother, who worked as a dance teacher, and went on to develop strong abilities as both a dancer and a vocalist. She appeared in summer-stock productions and pursued further training at the Juilliard School of Music and Dance. Her initial notice came from her work in the 1958 London staging of West Side Story. Returning to the United States, she took part in several off-Broadway shows; Gower Champion spotted her in one of them and gave her a role in the 1960 Broadway musical Bye, Bye Birdie. Watson performed the part of Kim McAfee for all 607 performances of the run. Subsequent Broadway credits included Kean in 1961, followed by a stint as replacement lead on the 1962 national tour of Carnival. She returned to Broadway stages in Ben Franklin In Paris in 1964, appearing opposite Robert Preston, and in A Joyful Noise in 1966. Although the latter closed after a single week, Watson earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress for her contribution. During the mid-1960s she also took part in revivals and concert presentations of Carousel, Oklahoma! and Where’s Charley? at Lincoln Center and New York City Center. A television adaptation of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt’s The Fantasticks featured her performance, which led the composers to cast her in their 1969 musical Celebration. In 1971 she played the leading role in a well-received revival of No, No, Nanette that also included Jack Gilford; their nightly duet on “I Want To Be Happy” consistently stopped the show. Into the early 2000s Watson remained active in regional theatre productions. Her sister, Janet Watson, works as a choreographer and is married to Jones.
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