 She was tapped by Rodgers and Hammerstein to play Ngana, the daughter of Emile de Becque, the French plantation owner played by Ezio Pinza in the original Broadway production of "South Pacific", in which she helped sing the show's opening song, "Dites-Moi".She next appeared in "The King and I" as one of the Siamese children, advancing to the more important role of "Royal Dancer" by the time the show closed on Broadway.Not wishing to drop out of school to go on the road, she auditioned for and won the understudy role of Lotus Blossom in "Teahouse of the August Moon".