Nanette Fabray born Ruby Bernadette Nanette Theresa Fabares October 27 1920 February 22 2018 was an American actress singer and dancer She began her career performing in vaudeville as a child and became a musicaltheatre actress during the 1940s and 1950s acclaimed for her role in High Button Shoes 1947 and winning a Tony Award in 1949 for her performance in Love Life