Veteran stage and screen actress Rae Allen, best known for her part as nosy reporter Gloria Thorpe in “Damn Yankees” and as Quintina Blundetto on “The Sopranos,” died Wednesday, according to her representative Kyle Fritz. She passed away in her sleep of natural causes at 95 years old.
Allen began her career on the stage after graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1947, performing under the name Rae Julia Theresa Abruzzo. Her first Broadway credit was in 1948 when she was an ensemble member in George Abbott’s “Where’s Charley?” Over the next several years, Rae continued to appear in Abbott’s various musicals, including “Call Me Madam” (1950) and “The Pajama Game” (1954), where she played Poopsie, a union activist at the factory the drama is set in.
In 1957, Abbott reteamed with Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, the composers, and lyricists of “The Pajama Game,” to write “Damn Yankees.” The musical tells the story of Faust as a tale about Joe Boyd, a Washington Senator fan who is lured into accepting a bargain with the devil in order to become the team’s missing hitter.
– Great artist, dear friend and momma #RaeAllen has gone on home. What a joy of a being! I love you always. I bet you’re dancing ❤️❤️🤩‼️#aleagueoftheirown https://t.co/6RmMj1RExZ
— loripetty (@loripetty) April 7, 2022
The musical was a huge hit, playing for over 1,000 performances and winning seven Tonys. For her part as Gloria, the sports reporter who sings “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Missouri,” Allen received her first Tony nod for acting. She would perform in the show for two years before making her screen debut as Gloria in the film adaptation of The Music Man in 1958.
Between the ages of 22 and 90, she spent roughly half of her time on stage and half in film. In 1963, she auditioned for the Broadway production of “Oliver!” as an understudy and standby, before appearing in 1968 as Golde in “Fiddler on the Roof.” She was nominated for a second Tony Award for her performance as the maid in “Traveler Without Luggage,” where she portrayed a World War I vet with amnesia.
She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress Tony for her performance as Fleur Stein, an obnoxious social-climbing school administrator, in And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little (1971). Her last Broadway credit was for the flop rock musical Dude, written by Gerome Ragni and Galt MacDermot and directed by Michael John LaChiusa. She played Reba in the meta-musical, playing an actress who portrays an Eve-like figure in a Garden of Eden inspired play and giving birth to the title character.
Following the success of “Damn Yankees,” Allen became a prominent character actor in films and television. She appeared in several major series and shows, including “All in the Family,” where she played Edith Bunker’s cousin Amelia; “Soap,” where she played Judge Betty Small; and “The Sopranos” as Quintina Blundetto, the mother of Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi) and the aunt of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini).
RIP Mrs. Sokol 💔
Rae Allen shined with @IJasonAlexander in the season 3 classic. Thank you for all the laughs https://t.co/ZaD85pn0nT pic.twitter.com/0ow7qiCB44— This Podcast Is Making Me Thirsty Seinfeld Podcast (@ThisThirsty) April 7, 2022
She made a few appearances in film, including portraying the grandmother of the main character in the short-lived 1995 Fox horror series “The Fearing Mind,” which was centered on a famous horror writer who based his work on his family. She appeared in other shows as a guest star for various roles, including “The Untouchables,” “The Greatest American Hero,” “Lou Grant,” “Head of the Class,” “Seinfeld,” “Joan of Arcadia,” “NYPD Blue” and”Grey’s Anatomy.”
In addition, she appeared in “Reign Over Me” as Mary, in “Stargate” as Shelly and in “Calendar Girl” as Kim. In 1992’s “A League of Their Own,” she played the mother of baseball player Dottie (Geena Davis) and Kit (Lori Petty).
Her nieces Laura and Betty Cosgrove survive her.
Tributes to Allen have been flooding in on social media following the sad news of her death.