Zircon Zelda (aka Helen Hart)
... creator of The Prune Juice Follies, has over 60
years experience in show business as a professional dancer, singer, choreographer,
and comedienne. She spent 16 years doing Broadway shows, had her own TV show,
and also owned her own theater. In addition to producing, directing and
choreographing for The Prune Juice Follies
she continues to teach tap dancing to adult men and women in her private studio.
Here a brief synopsis of her accomplishments:
- Entering show business at age 3, as a shepherd, when the curtain opened and
music started, Helen remained in her place (sound asleep) throughout and was
carried offstage at the end of the number by the director.
- At age 4 Helen excelled in remembering entire dances. The director, greatly
impressed, assigned her to perform in front of the line of other young performers,
where she pleased all at every rehearsal. On opening night, at the start of this
number, Helen turned around and watched all the others perform; again, she was
escorted off by the director.
- Shortly thereafter, Helen began studying tap, toe, ballet and acrobatics.
(She didn't really care all that much for acrobatics - it hurt.)
- At age 12, the director decides that toe-dancing isn't her thing either:
though weighing less than 100 pounds, she's 5 feet 7 inch, and there are no boys
who can lift her.
- At 13 she became a student-teacher.
- As a young adult she began her professional career of performing in Broadway
shows, including: Funny Girl, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Music Man, Finian's
Rainbow, Wizard of Oz, South Pacific, Mame, West Side Story, My Fair Lady‚ Camelot,
and Promises Promises! She was a principal in Hello Dolly, which
starred Joann Worley and Jessie White.
- After performing in the same local theater in California for 13 years, she
purchased it from the owners when they retired.
- Helen sold her theater and relocated to Tucson in 1992. Being newly married,
she decided against the huge work load of starting another theater and directed
her efforts to organizing a performing company instead.
- Helen directed and led her company in 3 TV shows in Tucson.
- Helen responded to Barbara Walters request for demo tapes of talented people
and was swept off to New York with members of The Prune Juice Follies
for an appearance on Walter's show The View.
Having been judged the best of the talent, they were called back for another
appearance the following month.
- The first week in October 2000, Zircon Zelda and The Prune Juice Follies
were flown to Las Vegas to perform at the Imperial Palace Hotel.
- Helen is still dancing, now living in California, and only occasionally falls asleep on stage.
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