(In 1959, when she was nominated for a Tony for Gypsy but lost to Mary Martin in The Sound of Music): "You can't buck a nun." On the show that made her a star, Gershwin's "Girl Crazy," 1930: ''In the second chorus of 'I Got Rhythm,' I held a high C note for 16 bars while the orchestra played the melodic line - a big, tooty thing - against the note. By the time I'd held that note for four bars the audience was applauding. They applauded through the whole chorus and I did several encores. It seemed to do something to them. Not because it was sweet or beautiful, but because it was exciting. Few people have the ability to project a big note and hold it. It's not just a matter of breath; it's a matter of power in the diaphragm. I'd never trained my diaphragm, but I must have a strong one. When I finished that song, a star had been born. Me.'' On Mary Martin: "She's okay, if you like talent."