The Marilynn Connection

It takes a special woman to put her own very respectable career on “hold” and to support a man who has had thousands of women running after him for 40 years. Such a woman is Marilynn Bradley Horton.

Marilynn (Bradley) Horton was born and raised in Boston, MA. She attended the New England Conservatory of Music, where she majored in opera, and appeared as a soloist with the Minneapolis Symphony. After appearing in concerts throughout New England, she appeared on Broadway in Pipe Dreams, Ankles Away, Plain and Fancy, and Happy Hunting. Marilynn also started appearing in summer theater throughout the country, and it was while she was starring as the female lead in Guys and Dolls at a theater in Ohio that she met her future husband. Mr. Horton was appearing in that production while on a break from filming Wagon Train and it was his first musical theater performance. They were married on New Year's Eve, 31 Dec 1960. The Detroit drama critic, J. Dorsey Callaghan, said of Marilynn's performance in Guys and Dolls: "Marilynn Bradley, as Miss Sarah Brown, charmed her way through the incredible role and won her place in the affections of one and all." Since their marriage, Marilynn limited her professional appearances to performing with her husband in such shows as Brigadoon, Showboat, Carousel, 1776, Kismet, Man of LaMancha,  The Odd Couple, Same Time Next Year, 6 Rooms Riv Vu, Under the Yum-yum Tree, Pajama Game, I Do, I Do, and Oklahoma, to name but a few.

Marilynn's performance in Same Time Next Year, was hailed in the Dallas Morning News 

as "Other Horton Shines." The review by Pete Oppel said, "Marilynn Horton is perfect for the role

of Doris...She must portray several characters during the performance and never once during

the course of the play does she reduce any of them to caricatures." And of her performance in 

Carousel, Carl Apone of the Pittsburgh Press said, "Marilynn was totally good as the innocent, starry-eyed, naive Julie. This black-haired beauty had eloquently conceived ideas on how to sing the role...and brought the songs forth in a manner that was graceful, simple, silken and always a delight." Charlotte, NC reviewer Emery Wister said of Marilynn,  "The big surprise of Pajama Game is Marilynn Horton. Displaying a loud, clear voice and fine stage presence she added zip to every number she was in. She put such spice in '7 1/2 Cents' the appreciative audience of 2400 was ready to stand up and cheer."

Marilynn's favorite role was Same Time Next Year, and her favorite musical was Most Happy Fella. The most disastrous show they ever appeared in was a production of I Do, I Do. According to Marilynn, it was a case of  "everything that could go wrong, did!"