TV Mom History in the making: Florence Henderson and Shirley Jones have plans to do stage show together

While still in her teens, Florence Henderson was sponsored into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and caught a big break just a year in when she auditioned for Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein and they cast her in the lead role in the national tour of Oklahoma and a screen test for the movie version.

Here’s what happened, as Florence during a recent cabaret show in Hollywood marking her 75th birthdauy: “As you know, I did not get the in the movie…the little bitch Shirley Jones did…”

Well, I’ve just found out that Florence and “the little bitch” are going to be working together for the first time in a stage show! I don’t know many details yet but sources tell me it is going to happen and it is going to be some kind of a two-woman show.

Mrs. Brady and Mrs. Partridge – How cool is that?

They may be best known for their TV mom roles, there is so much more to the still-thriving careers of these dazzling ladies. Shirley won the Oscar for Elmer Gantry and starred in such big-screen musicals as The Music Man, Oklahoma and Carousel.

Florence is a Broadway veteran who starred in Fanny and The Girl Who Came to Supper as well as in the national touring production of Oklahoma.

They are both still in fine voice, look terrific, and are total professionals. I’ll keep you posted.

Growing up, Friday nights were absolutely the funnest night of the week for the six Hernandez siblings. My dad would bring home McDonalds hamburgers, cheeseburgers and french fries for us (no drinks – had to get something out of the fridge) and we would feast! My sister and I used to dip the end of some of our fries in ketchup then put them on our cheesburgers like candles and pretend it was a birthday cake.

So silly.

But the fun did not end there my friends. After we were finished eating, it was time to watch The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family!

Nirvana.

I had always wanted to live in the Brady house because they had an upstairs and we did not AND they had a really cool bathroom for the kids. Plus, they had Alice the housekeeper and she seemed pretty cool. So, at times I wanted to be a Brady. But then, the Partridges got to travel in that crazy bus and sing so that woulda been cool. Still, I wasn’t crazy about their house and I just didn’t want to be related to Danny!