Betty Jane Watson

Elizabeth Jane Watson (December 28, 1921 – February 21, 2016) was an American actress and singer known for her roles in musical theatre, especially Laurey in Oklahoma!, creating the role in the London premiere. She also performed in nightclubs and on television, including as co-host of the game show Winner Take All.

Early life and marriages Watson was born and raised in Le Roy, Illinois, near Bloomington, the daughter of James R. Watson and his wife Elizabeth Jane, née Stapleton. She attended Lincoln Junior High School in Rockford, Illinois, and later the American Conservatory of Music, in Chicago, where she majored in vocal performance. Her cousin was Jean Stapleton. In 1944, she married actor Gerald L. Austensen (1924–2007), who performed with her in nightclub acts. The couple had three children, Cynthia Ruhlig, Deena Court and Deborah Austensen Martin.

She made her first appearance on Broadway in early 1944 as Gertie in Oklahoma! and as understudy for Laurey and performed during the same period at the Cotillion Room at the Pierre Hotel. A reviewer for The Billboard praised Watson, writing: "did a sock job with all her numbers", even though he did not like the show. The following year, she originated Laurey in the West End production of Oklahoma!. Of her performance as Katrina, The Billboard commented that she "puts plenty of flirtatious appeal into her Dutch heroine, and is tops vocally. In the Broadway show As the Girls Go, at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1948, she originated the role of Kathy Robinson. The next year, she was a replacement in Texas, Li'l Darlin''' on Broadway. She appeared in regional theatre roles in musicals including South Pacific (1955, 1963), The Pajama Game (1958), and Annie Get Your Gun (1961), and in nightclubs in the 1950s and 1960s.

Death Watson died in Florida in 2016 at the age of 94. She was buried on February 27, 2016, in Pompano Beach, Florida.