Long before she was the witheringly sarcastic Dorothy Zbornak in "The Golden Girls," Bea Arthur was a musical sensation on and off Broadway.

She first attracted attention for her role in a 1954 off-Broadway production of the classic musical "The Threepenny Opera," but her biggest stage credit is probably being the first to play Yente in "Fiddler on the Roof" on Broadway. She held that role over eight years, from 1964 to 1972.

During those years, she also appeared in another famous Broadway show, playing Vera Charles in "Mame." She won a Tony Award for that one, for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

So, though she's now best known for her flawless comedic timing, when she broke into song in "The Golden Girls" she was actually falling back on the tool that made her famous.

Note that she returned to Broadway after "The Golden Girls," for her aptly named solo show "Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends" in 2002. This one united both her talents, as it was basically one part standup act and one part musical revue. 

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