June Havoc - the younger sister of Louise Havick who went on to become the infamous stripper Gypsy Rose Lee - died of natural causes at her home in Stamford, Connecticut on Sunday. She was 97 years old.

We at the WANZeGRAM feel GYPSY, one of the most perfect Broadway musicals of all time, owes its origins not to the infamy of its real-life title character, but rather to a single decision made by a mere 13-years old June Havick:

Touring in her very successful BABY JUNE AND HER NEWSBOYS vaudeville act at age 6, June Havick was pressured into sustaining her onstage darling-little-girl persona well past the age when she could be considered a "baby," or even "dainty," another onstage moniker later affixed to June by her infamous stage mother, Rose.

To escape being forced to remain perennially child-like, June Havick ran away from Vaudeville and from "Mama" to secretly marry one of the boys in "the act." Also in pursuit of a serious acting career, June Havick changed her last (stage) name back to the spelling on her birth certificate - Havoc.

But had the not-so-little June Havick not run off to become married at 13, (she lied about her age, pretending to be 14, which was the legal age for marriage in several Southern states at the time) to reinvent herself as actress June Havoc, her mother would have never pushed her hither to then overlooked sister Louise and into the spotlight; a spot light which eventually would come to shine upon Gypsy Rose Lee, the most acclaimed Burlesque performer of all time, who went on to write a memoir which was the source material for the musical GYPSY.

So it is to June, not to Gypsy Rose Lee, that the gay community - and at the risk of being redundant - the theatrical community owes thanks for some their most favored quotable lines, such as "Sing Out Louise!"

There can be little doubt that if Baby June Havick had continued in Vaudeville, Gypsy Rose Lee and GYPSY would never have been created.

But Little Miss Havick did leave Vaudeville, and June Havoc went on to have quite a career (albeit less infamous than that of her sister) on stage and in Hollywood.

Among her many accomplishments was her widely acclaimed performance as Gladys (opposite Gene Kelly and Van Johnson) in the 1940 production of Rodgers and Hart's PAL JOEY.

Havoc was nominated for a Tony Award in 1964 for directing "Marathon 33," based on her early memoirs and her personal experience of vying for cash prizes by dancing in 33 Depression-era dance contests.

Havoc appeared on the big screen opposite Gregory Peck in GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT (1947), followed by a string of B-movies roles. But the actress still managed to snare a choice role here and there, and was almost always very favorably reviewed in such films as THE STORY OF MOLLY EX, and playing opposite James Mason in LADY POSSESSED.

After taking a 25 year hiatus from motion picture acting, Havoc re-emerged in the 1977 film PRIVATE FILES OF J. EDGER HOOVER. She later had roles in CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC, and A RETURN TO SALEM'S LOT.

Throughout the 50's and 60's, June Havoc guest starred on literally dozens of television series. In 1986 Ms. Havoc became a regular cast member on the soap SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, and four years later had a brief regular role on GENERAL HOSPITAL.

In 1985 her one woman show - AN UNEXPECTED EVENING WITH JUNE HAVOC - was a hit in London's West End.

We at the WANZeGRAM are most appreciative to June Havoc, that despite the fact that she absolutely "distained" the idea of the musical GYPSY, and vehemently disagreed with much of what her sister Louise had written about her mother in her memoir, she did nothing to stop the mounting of the musical even though it has been suggested she may have had certain legal standing to do so, because she knew it was important to her sister. A fact made even more impressive when one considers that June, by her own word, "loathed" the life her sister Gypsy choose to lead.

We couldn't be more thankful that June Havoc chose to put her personal feelings and legal redress aside so the world of musical theater could come to know Mama Rose, regardless of how fictionalized Havoc contends she may have been, and that we can (and some of us often do) burst out into a rousing rendition of EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSES whenever the spirit moves us.

Good-bye, and thank you, June Havoc.

Rest in Peace, Baby June.

(We at the WANZeGRAM suppose some thanks are also due Arthur Laurents, Julie Stein, and Stephen Sondheim.)

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