Rose Marie Brown (April , â€" January , ) was an American theater
actress who was crowned Miss Virginia in . Then known by her birth
name, Rose Marie Elliott, she placed fourth in the th Miss America
pageant in Atlantic City. However, despite losing the pageant, she was
discovered by Rodgers and Hammerstein, which led to a career on
Broadway during the late s and s.Brown was born Rose Marie Elliott on
April , , in Suffolk, Virginia, to Rosa Marie (née Bruce) Elliott and
Milton T. Elliott III. She attended Simmons College before entering
local beauty pageants.In , Elliott won her first local pageant,
winning the title Miss Peanut. She went on to win the sixth Miss
Virginia pageant later that year. Elliott competed as Miss Virginia in
the th Miss America competition in , the last to be held at the Steel
Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She ultimately placed fourth,
losing to Miss Michigan Patricia Donnelly. However, Elliott was
spotted by a talent agent with MCA Inc., Maynard Morris, who invited
her to audition for roles on Broadway. He reportedly told her father,
"She’s got talent â€" you should send her to New York City."Elliott
moved to New York, where she enrolled as student at American Academy
of Dramatic Arts, then located at Carnegie Hall. She accompanied a
roommate to an audition, where she was noticed by Richard Rodgers and
Oscar Hammerstein, who were in the audience observing the auditions.
Rodgers and Hammerstein invited her to meet with them at their office
the next morning. She was soon cast in her first Broadway production,
One Touch of Venus, opposite actress Mary Martin. Elliott appeared in
a string of Broadway productions, including the musical Annie Get
Your Gun with Bert Lahr and Ethel Merman.
actress who was crowned Miss Virginia in . Then known by her birth
name, Rose Marie Elliott, she placed fourth in the th Miss America
pageant in Atlantic City. However, despite losing the pageant, she was
discovered by Rodgers and Hammerstein, which led to a career on
Broadway during the late s and s.Brown was born Rose Marie Elliott on
April , , in Suffolk, Virginia, to Rosa Marie (née Bruce) Elliott and
Milton T. Elliott III. She attended Simmons College before entering
local beauty pageants.In , Elliott won her first local pageant,
winning the title Miss Peanut. She went on to win the sixth Miss
Virginia pageant later that year. Elliott competed as Miss Virginia in
the th Miss America competition in , the last to be held at the Steel
Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She ultimately placed fourth,
losing to Miss Michigan Patricia Donnelly. However, Elliott was
spotted by a talent agent with MCA Inc., Maynard Morris, who invited
her to audition for roles on Broadway. He reportedly told her father,
"She’s got talent â€" you should send her to New York City."Elliott
moved to New York, where she enrolled as student at American Academy
of Dramatic Arts, then located at Carnegie Hall. She accompanied a
roommate to an audition, where she was noticed by Richard Rodgers and
Oscar Hammerstein, who were in the audience observing the auditions.
Rodgers and Hammerstein invited her to meet with them at their office
the next morning. She was soon cast in her first Broadway production,
One Touch of Venus, opposite actress Mary Martin. Elliott appeared in
a string of Broadway productions, including the musical Annie Get
Your Gun with Bert Lahr and Ethel Merman.
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