Elaine McKenna

Elaine McKenna Evans (, 24 March 19376 January 1992), was an Australian singer and actress. She is known for her television appearances from the late 1950s to the 1960s, particularly on GTV-9's ''Tarax Show'' and ''In Melbourne Tonight''. For her TV work, McKenna won the Logie Award for Best Singer in 1961. McKenna relocated to the United States in late 1961. She appeared on ''The Bob Newhart Show'' in that year. By February 1968 she had returned to Melbourne.

Biography

Elaine McKenna was born on 24 March 1937 and grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Albert Park with her father George McKenna and her mother. As an amateur singer and musical theatre actress she had a role in Cid Ellwood's production of ''The Red Sombrero'', which began at Moonee Ponds Town Hall on 29 June 1956 for a week, followed by Box Hill Town Hall (30 July–1 August) and Brunswick Town Hall (30–31 October). Ellwood wrote the music and lyrics, while Tina Bethell and Ian Westcott wrote the book. In the following year McKenna took the role of Eliza in a professional-amateur rendition of ''Pygmalion'' at Cathedral Hall, Fitzroy.

By May 1960 she was referred to as a "popular TV personality" after appearing regularly on GTV-9's ''The Panda Show'' (1958) and then, as the "Girl Next Door" on ''Tarax Show'' ( 1960). She was also a regular singer on ''In Melbourne Tonight'', compèred by Graham Kennedy. McKenna won the Logie Award for Best Singer in March 1961 for her work on ''In Melbourne Tonight'' and ''The Graham Kennedy Show'' (title of national version).

By October 1961 she had relocated to Los Angeles, after recording her rendition of " Tammy" with Ron Tudor of W&G Records. McKenna would intermittently return to Melbourne for local TV spots before returning to America. She sang on ''The Bob Newhart Show'' in 1961 and hoped to become a regular by taking accent lessons to provide an "acceptable international accent." By December 1962 she was living in Atlanta, Georgia.

McKenna found work on the nightclub circuit across the US, into Canada and Mexico. She was singing in nightclubs in Reno, Nevada, during July 1963. On one of her visits to Australia she performed, "Just You Wait" (from ''My Fair Lady''), on ''In Melbourne Tonight'' in December 1966. The singer returned to live in Melbourne by February 1968.

In the 1980s McKenna resumed her drama and musical theatre roles, ''Reedy River'' (September–November 1980) at the Organ Factory, Clifton Hill, ''Come to Australia, They Said'' (May 1982) at La Mama Theatre, Carlton, ''Hotel Bonegilla'' (November–December 1983) at Universal Two Theatre, Fitzroy, ''Isadora'' (September–October 1984) at Universal Two, ''The Barricade'' (June 1985) and ''An Un-Australian Story'' (July) both at La Mama.

Elaine McKenna Evans died in 1992. Some of her performances from ''In Melbourne Tonight'' were included in the Various Artists' 3× DVD compilation video album, ''In Melbourne Tonight & the Tonight Show'' (2014).

Personal life

In October 1963 McKenna married American actor, folk singer and performer Timothy Evans. Evans had gained an engineering degree at University of Texas, however he took up folk singing as a member of the Wanderers Three. Although the couple initially planned to get married at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne in December, they married in Texas instead, due to their touring schedules coinciding. By 1968 the couple were living in Melbourne, where Tim became a cabaret entertainer. Tim Evans became a TV comedy writer by 1980. He was also a long-term judge on TV talent quest, ''New Faces''. Elaine McKenna Evans died on 6 January 1992 and was survived by her spouse, Tim and their three children.

References

External links

* "Biographical cuttings on Elaine McKenna, former Melbourne singer and television figure, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals" are kept at the National Library of Australia
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Elaine McKenna interview and song performances, 1964

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenna, Elaine
1937 births
1992 deaths
20th-century Australian women singers
People from Albert Park, Victoria
20th-century Australian actresses
Singers from Melbourne
Actresses from Melbourne
Australian expatriate actresses in the United States