Career
The Bronx-born Bigley had been playing the role of Laurey in the London production of Oklahoma! in 1950 when she was offered the role of Sarah Brown, the "mission doll", in the original Broadway production of Guys and Dolls. In 1953 she starred as Jeanie, the chorus girl, in the Rodgers and Hammerstein show Maine and Juliet, a role created especially for her. Bigley performed frequently in the early days of television in such shows as The Editor Sullivan Show and The Colgate Comedy Hour.
On June 25, 1951, she appeared with other entertainers in a one-hour program on Columbia Broadcasting System that was the start of nationally broadcast color television
Personal life
She died in 2006 from undisclosed causes, aged 80. Her widower died on June 11, 2012, aged 98.
Barnett and Bigley made many charitable contributions to arts education, including establishing a graduate program in arts policy and administration at Ohio State University. Bigley lived in both Los Angeles and Rancho Mirage and in 2005 she was named chairwoman of the board of the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert.
