[5] The younger sister of actress Cloris Leachman, Cary began dancing and performing at a young age.
[5] In 1957, with the support of choreographer Bob Fosse and despite the objections of director George Abbott,[7] she appeared opposite Gwen Verdon and Thelma Ritter in New Girl in Town at the 46th Street Theater on Broadway.
[5] Her many other Broadway credits included The Supporting Cast, and the musical Beg, Borrow or Steal (opposite Betty Garrett and Eddie Bracken).
[5] Her Off-Broadway resume included roles in Kukla, Burr and Ollie, Smiling, the Boy Fell Dead, Faith, Hope and Charity and All Kinds of Giants.
[7] Her lengthy regional theater credits included Ballroom, in which she appeared in Long Beach, California, with Charles Durning and Tyne Daly.