Sondra Lee

Sondra Lee Gash (September 30, 1928 – February 23, 2026) was an American actress, teacher and dancer who performed on Broadway. She was known for her theatrical musical appearances, most notably appearing in the original productions of Peter Pan and Hello, Dolly! (1964). Aside from acting, she also taught acting courses at New York University and at the Stella Adler Conservatory.

Early life The daughter of David and Belle (Rosenfeld) Gash, Lee was born in Newark, New Jersey, on September 30, 1928, (According to her obituary from The Hollywood Reporter and Playbill, Lee was 97 years old when she died, with The Hollywood Reporter stating that Lee was born in 1928 with the acknowledgement that some internet databases listed her year of birth as 1930.) As a child, she received growth hormone shots and frequently had pneumonia. In 1953, Lee portrayed Daisy, a maid, in a production of Bloomer Girl by the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre, and in 1954, she relocated to France to be the co-star of Ballets de Paris. Lee taught at the New York University Drama School and at the Stella Adler Conservatory.

For one month in 1965, she worked with members of a newly created touring division of the Metropolitan Opera to ensure that their death scenes evoked an appropriate response from the audience.

After a few decades on hiatus, Lee made her final appearance at Carnegie Hall in 2025 as part of the Transport Group's concert performance of Hello, Dolly!

Television Lee was a member of the casts of three DuMont Television Network programs. The S.S. Holiday (1950) was a two-hour variety program that was converted to a one-hour program and retitled Starlit Time, featuring performances at nightclubs in New York City. Once Upon a Tune (1951) was a musical anthology series that presented a complete musical (usually adapted from a Broadway show) in each episode. She also developed choreography for The Voice of Firestone and adapted children's stories that she wrote into dances for television. and Peter Pan (1960).

Personal life and death Lee married Sidney Armus on October 16, 1953. They had no children. The marriage ended in divorce. He died in 2002.

She made a hobby of using items that she described as mostly "just junk" to decorate her apartment in New York City. Some items were gifts, including a Victorian sofa that someone anonymously left at her door and she reupholstered and an old clock that her parents gave her and she gilded. In other instances, she used her acting skills to obtain used items from shop owners at the lowest possible price.

Lee died at her New York City apartment on February 23, 2026, at the age of 97.

Selected stage works