ena ▁Bl iss ▁( Dec ember ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁– ▁April ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁actress ▁and ▁singer . ▁A ▁tal ented ▁sop rano , ▁she ▁act ively ▁performed ▁in ▁musical s , ▁oper ett as , ▁and ▁oper as ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁both ▁on ▁stage ▁and ▁on ▁television ▁and ▁radio , ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁She ▁is ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁her ▁port ray al ▁of ▁N ina ▁H ager up ▁in ▁the ▁original ▁Broadway ▁production ▁of ▁Robert ▁Wright ▁and ▁George ▁For rest ' s ▁Song ▁of ▁Norway . ▁She ▁also ▁appeared ▁successfully ▁in ▁a ▁few ▁produ ctions ▁on ▁London ' s ▁West ▁End . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁career ▁ ▁Hel ena ▁Bl iss ▁was ▁born ▁as ▁Hel ena ▁Louise ▁Li pp ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Missouri ▁on ▁December ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁Her ▁parents ▁were ▁Albert ▁Li pp ▁and ▁August a ▁C lem ens . ▁She ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Washington ▁University ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁she ▁married ▁actor ▁and ▁singer ▁John ▁Ty ers ▁who ▁star red ▁opposite ▁her ▁is ▁several ▁produ ctions ▁and ▁performed ▁with ▁several ▁notable ▁opera ▁companies ; ▁including ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Opera . ▁He ▁died ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁after ▁ 6 0 ▁years ▁of ▁marriage . ▁The ▁couple ▁had ▁two ▁sons ▁together :