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A Joyful Noise
''A Joyful Noise'' is a musical with a book by Edward Padula and music and lyrics by Oscar Brand and Paul Nassau. The 1966 Broadway production was a flop but introduced choreographer Michael Bennett in his Broadway debut. Based on Mississippi author Borden Deal's 1959 novel '' The Insolent Breed'', the story centers on Shade Motley, a fiddler who arrives in a small Southern town and shocks the stern community with his exuberant love of hillbilly music and life in general. Background and production The musical underwent significant changes, both in performers and creators, during the tryout period. The book, originally written by Edward Padula, was rewritten by Dore Schary, who took over as director. However, he quit, and PadulaGlover, William"A Joyful Noise's Lusty Song, Laughter Opens"''The Montreal Gazette', December 19, 1966 and Michael Bennett became co-directors. Country music star Skeeter Davis was originally offered the ingenue lead, but with no prior acting experien ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oscar Brand
Oscar Brand (February 7, 1920 – September 30, 2016) was a Canadian-born American folk singer-songwriter, radio host, and author. In his career, spanning 70 years, he composed at least 300 songs and released nearly 100 albums, among them Canadian and American patriotic songs. Brand's music ran the gamut from novelty songs to serious social commentary and spanned a number of genres. Brand also wrote a number of short stories. And for 70 years, he was the host of a weekly folk music show on WNYC Radio in New York City, which is credited as the longest running radio show with only one host in broadcasting history. Life and career Brand was born to a Jewish family in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. His father was a Romanian-born flooring contractor, Isidore Brand. His mother was named Beatrice. In 1927, the family moved to Minneapolis, then to Chicago and ultimately to New York City. As a young man, Oscar lived in Borough Park, Brooklyn and graduated from Erasmus Hall High School ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Susan Watson
Susan Watson (born December 17, 1938) is an American actress and singer best known for her roles in musical theatre. Watson's first professional role was Velma in the original West End production of ''West Side Story'' in 1958. She created the role of Luisa in ''The Fantasticks'' and then played Kim on Broadway in ''Bye Bye Birdie'', beginning in 1960. Among many other roles in musicals, she was nominated for a Tony Award for the role of Jenny in ''A Joyful Noise'' (1966). She starred in the title role of the Broadway revival of ''No, No Nanette'' in 1971. Watson also appeared in several television series and specials. Biography Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Watson was one of five children of a geologist/geophysicist and a dance instructor. From an early age her life was filled with the music of Gilbert and Sullivan and Rodgers and Hammerstein. As a teenager she performed in summer stock before being accepted at the Juilliard School in Manhattan.Buckley, Michael Interview, broa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1966 Musicals
Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo is deposed by a military coup in the Republic of Upper Volta (modern-day Burkina Faso). * January 10 ** Pakistani–Indian peace negotiations end successfully with the signing of the Tashkent Declaration, a day before the sudden death of Indian prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. ** The House of Representatives of the US state of Georgia refuses to allow African-American representative Julian Bond to take his seat, because of his anti-war stance. ** A Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference convenes in Lagos, Nigeria, primarily to discuss Rhodesia. * January 12 – United States President Lyndon Johnson states that the United States should stay in South Vietnam until Communist aggression there is ended. * January 15 – 1966 Nigeria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in Midtown Manhattan. The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances. One is also given for regional theatre. Several discretionary non-competitive awards are given as well, including a Special Tony Award, the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, and the Isabelle Stevenson Award. The awards were founded by theatre producer and director Brock Pemberton and are named after Antoinette "Tony" Perry, an actress, producer and theatre director who was co-founder and secretary of the American Theatre Wing. The trophy consists of a spinnable medallion, with faces portraying an adaptation of the comedy and tragedy masks, mounted on a black base with a pewter swivel. The rules for the Tony Awards are set forth in the off ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clifford David
Clifford David (June 30, 1928 – November 30, 2017) was an American actor, singer, and coach. His career began in the 1950s, with early live television appearances leading to roles in Broadway musicals. He also played character roles in television series, feature films, and theatre. He is most recognized for his singing performances on several original Broadway cast albums. Early life David was born in Toledo, Ohio, the youngest son of Farris and Lily (née Abdow). His uncle was Metropolitan archdiocese Samuel David of Toledo, the archbishop of a diocese of Syrian Orthodox parishes. Samuel David's chanting of the Byzantine mass was world-renowned, and Clifford, inspired by his uncle's voice, went to New York City to pursue music and theater. Career A protégé of Lee Strasberg, David made his Broadway debut as Scipio in Albert Camus' ''Caligula'' directed by Sidney Lumet. He also played Pasquale in ''The Aspern Papers'', directed by Margaret Webster, Antipholus in the 1963 O ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swen Swenson
Swen Swenson (January 23, 1930 - June 23, 1993) was a Broadway dancer and singer. Born in Inwood, Iowa, Swenson was trained by dancer Mira Rostova and at the School of American Ballet. Openly gay, he had featured and co-starring roles on Broadway in such musicals such as ''Wildcat'' with Lucille Ball, '' Little Me'' (for which he received a Tony Award nomination, and in which he introduced the standard " I've Got Your Number"), ''A Joyful Noise'', ''Annie'', '' No, No Nanette'', '' I Remember Mama'' and the 1981 revival of '' Can-Can''. He appeared in movies and on television variety shows, including ''Your Show of Shows'' and ''The Ed Sullivan Show''. Swenson died in 1993 of AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...-related illness. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baayork Lee
Baayork Lee (born December 5, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and author. Early life and career Lee was born in New York City's Chinatown, to an Indian mother and Chinese father. She started dancing at an early age, and she made her Broadway debut at the age of five as Princess Ying Yawolak in the original production of ''The King and I'' in 1951. In a 2004 interview, she stated that Yul Brynner, the original king, was like a second father to her. After she outgrew her role in ''The King and I'', she continued to study in ballet, modern, and afro-Cuban dance. She appeared in George Balanchine's original production of ''The Nutcracker,'' where she met ballerina Maria Tallchief, whom she idolized.Franklin, Nancy"Cinderella Story" ''The New Yorker'', November 22, 2004 While attending the High School for Performing Arts, she met fellow student Michael Bennett. Around the same time, she appeared in ''Flower Drum Song''. Although Lee aspi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tommy Tune
Thomas James Tune (born February 28, 1939) is an American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer. Over the course of his career, he has won ten Tony Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Early life Tune was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, to oil rig worker, horse trainer, and restaurateur Jim Tune and Eva Mae Clark along with his sister, Gracey. He attended Mirabeau B. Lamar High School, Houston and the Methodist-affiliated Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas. He studied dance under Patsy Swayze in Houston. He also studied dance with Kit Andree in Boulder, Colorado. He went on to earn his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from the University of Texas at Austin in 1962 and his Master of Fine Arts in Directing from the University of Houston. Tune later moved to New York to start his career. Career Tune stands a lanky tall, and at first he found his height to be a disadvantage when auditioning for roles, as he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leland Palmer (actress)
Leland Palmer (born June 16, 1941 in Port Washington, New York) is an American actress, dancer, and singer who has appeared on stage, in motion pictures, and on television. She appeared on Broadway in ''Bajour'' (1964), ''A Joyful Noise'' (1966) '' Hello, Dolly!'' (1967 replacement Minnie Fay), ''Applause'' (1970 replacement), and ''Pippin'' (1972). Palmer received two Tony Award nominations: in 1967 for featured actress in a musical (Miss Jimmie in ''A Joyful Noise''),"Leland Palmer" Playbill (vault), retrieved April 18, 2019 and in 1973 for actress in a musical (Fastrada in ''''). Career Palmer appeared as Viola in the rock musical '' |
Mark Hellinger Theatre
The Mark Hellinger Theatre (formerly the 51st Street Theatre and the Hollywood Theatre) is a church building at 237 West 51st Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, which formerly served as a cinema and a Broadway theater. Opened in 1930, the Hellinger Theatre is named after journalist Mark Hellinger and was developed by Warner Bros. as a movie palace. It was designed by Thomas W. Lamb with a modern facade and a Baroque interior. It has 1,605 seats across two levels and has been a house of worship for the Times Square Church since 1989. Both the exterior and interior of the theater are New York City landmarks. The facade on 51st Street is designed in a modern 1930s style and is constructed with golden and brown bricks. The stage house to the west and the auditorium at the center are designed as one unit, with a cornice above the auditorium. The eastern section, containing the building's current main entrance, includes statues flanking the doors, as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Raitt
John Emmet Raitt (; January 29, 1917 – February 20, 2005) was an American actor and singer best known for his performances in musical theatre. Early years Raitt was born in Santa Ana, California, United States. He got his start in theatre as a high school student at Fullerton Union High School in Fullerton, California. While there, he played in several drama productions in Plummer Auditorium. Raitt sang in the chorus of ''The Desert Song''. (A few years before he died, Raitt again came back to the Plummer to see a rehearsal, visit students and recollect his beginnings.) He is on the school's "Wall of Fame" for his accomplishments. In 1935, Raitt won the "football throw" at the California State High School Track and Field Championship; his mark of 220 feet remains the state record in that short-lived event. He was named "Athlete of the Meet" after that accomplishment. He graduated from the University of Redlands in 1939. After graduating, he was initially inclined toward a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karen Morrow
Karen Morrow (born December 15, 1936) is an American singer and actress best known for her work in musical theater. Her honors include an Emmy Award and a Theatre World Award, and an Ovation Award and five Drama-Logue Award nominations. Early life and Broadway career Morrow was born in Chicago and raised in Des Moines, Iowa by parents who were both classical singers. As a teenager, she heard recordings by actress/singer Susan Johnson, which inspired her to try musical theater, beginning with the role of Meg in ''Brigadoon''.Longden, Tom"Famous Iowans: Karen Morrow"''Des Moines Register'', accessed August 2, 2016 After graduating from St. Joseph Academy (Des Moines, Iowa) in 1954, she graduated from Clarke College in 1958. She then moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she taught and performed on the side, and then moved to Manhattan. Her career began with an appearance in the Off-Broadway show ''Sing, Muse!'' in 1961; she won a 1962 Theatre World Award for her performance. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
