She is known for playing the role of Ellen Lowell on the CBS Daytime soap opera As the World Turns (1960 to 1975, 1976 to 1995, 1998).
[3] She won her first role, singing in the chorus on the radio show Rainbow House.
When the show transitioned from radio to television, Bruder stayed in the cast.
[2] Bruder played Elspeth McNairn in the original Broadway cast of Lace on Her Petticoat.
[6][4] Her performance in Gypsy caught the attention of producers of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns.
Bruder replaced Wendy Drew, an original cast member who had played the role since 1956.
She also had a role in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds at New York's Theater in the Park.
Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire were receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award and she had originally performed the song in their musical, The Sap of Life, in 1961.