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Christine (musical)
''Christine'' is a musical by Pearl S. Buck and Charles K. Peck Jr. (book), Paul Francis Webster (lyrics) and Sammy Fain (music). Loosely based on the 1945 novel ''My Indian Family'' by Hilda Wernher, it tells the story of a woman who travels to India where she ends up falling in love with her recently widowed Indian son-in-law. Notable for the involvement of Pulitzer & Nobel prize winning author Pearl S. Buck, the musical premiered on Broadway in 1960. History Pearl S. Buck first adapted Hilda Werhner's book "My Indian Family" for a 1945 stage production at Stanford University. While this production didn't ever move beyond Stanford, it was notable for featuring Jack Palance in his first acting role. Oscar Lerman and Martin B Cohen later tapped Buck for a musical stage adaptation which they hoped to present during the 1957-1958 Broadway season. Rewrites on the libretto took much longer than expected, with a "final" version not being ready until 1959. Synopsis The musical is b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sammy Fain
Sammy Fain (born Samuel E. Feinberg; June 17, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American composer of popular music. In the 1920s and early 1930s, he contributed numerous songs that form part of The Great American Songbook, and to Broadway theatre. Fain was also a popular musician and vocalist. Biography Sammy Fain was born in New York City, New York, United States, the son of a cantor. In 1923, Fain appeared in the short sound film, "Sammy Fain and Artie Dunn" directed by Lee De Forest filmed in DeForest's Phonofilm sound-on-film process. In 1925, Fain left the Fain-Dunn act to devote himself to music. Fain was a self-taught pianist who played by ear. He began working as a staff pianist and composer for music publisher Jack Mills. In 1932 he appeared in the short film "The Crooning Composer." Later, Fain worked extensively in collaboration with Irving Kahal. Together they wrote classics such as " Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella" and " You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me," (c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alvin Colt
Alvin Colt (July 5, 1916 – May 4, 2008) was an American costume designer. Colt worked on over 50 Broadway shows. His first job was in a theatrical fabric house, he also worked on painting scenery during the summer. '' On the Town'' was the first Broadway show he worked on in 1944. His major Broadway credits include ''Guys and Dolls'', '' Top Banana'', '' Fanny'', ''Finian's Rainbow'', ''Six Characters in Search of an Author'', '' Destry Rides Again'', ''Wildcat'', '' Here's Love'', ''The Crucible'', '' The Goodbye People'', ''Sugar'', ''Lorelei'', '' Jerome Robbins' Broadway'' and '' Waiting in the Wings'' for producer Alexander H. Cohen, with whom he had a long working relationship. Alvin won a Tony Award in 1955 for '' Pipe Dream''. He did the costumes for the 1957 show, Rumple. The last official show he worked on was in 2001 for ''If you ever leave me...I'm going with you!'' Colt also designed for TV and film. Among his screen credits are costume designs for the films ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1960 Musicals
Year 196 ( CXCVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Dexter and Messalla (or, less frequently, year 949 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 196 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Roman Empire * Emperor Septimius Severus attempts to assassinate Clodius Albinus but fails, causing Albinus to retaliate militarily. * Emperor Septimius Severus captures and sacks Byzantium; the city is rebuilt and regains its previous prosperity. * In order to assure the support of the Roman legion in Germany on his march to Rome, Clodius Albinus is declared Augustus by his army while crossing Gaul. * Hadrian's wall in Britain is partially destroyed. China * First year of the '' Jian'an era of the Chinese Han Dynasty. * Emperor Xian of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Columbia Masterworks Records
Columbia Masterworks was a record label started in 1924 by Columbia Records. In 1980, it was separated from the Columbia label and renamed CBS Masterworks. In 1990, it was revived as Sony Classical after its sale to the Sony Corporation. History When Columbia Records undertook the project of releasing great classical music for domestic sale in America, the label was still a year away from an "electrical" recording process. In November 1924, the first eight releases had been recorded acoustically. These first eight sets included five symphonic recordings—Beethoven's Seventh and Eighth Symphonies, Dvorak's " From the New World", Mozart's E-Flat Major (No. 39), and Tchaikovsky's " Pathetique". Three recordings by quartets were also part of that initial offering. More releases followed in March 1925, and a staggering 18 sets were added that fall. The prices of these sets varied with the number of included discs, from $4.50 to $10.50. Under the leadership of Columbia's presiden ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Janet Pavek
Janet Pavek (12 August 1936 – 6 January 2009) was an American operatic soprano and musical theatre actress. Biography Pavek was born and raised in Bronxville, New York and began studying singing at the age of eleven. She won the Miss Eastchester pageant in 1953 at the age of sixteen. That same year she began her career on Broadway as a member of the ensemble of Rodgers and Hammerstein's ''Me and Juliet'' which opened on May 28, 1953 and ran for more than 300 performances. She returned to Broadway in early 1955, replacing Florence Henderson in the title role of Harold Rome's '' Fanny''. She left the production in April 1955 to join the cast of ''Ankles Aweigh''. In 1956 she portrayed the role of Fanny again in the original West End production of the show with Robert Morley and Kevin Scott. She returned to Broadway in 1960 to play Sita Roy in the original cast of Sammy Fain's '' Christine''. Her final Broadway appearance was in 1962, taking over the role of Guenevere in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phil Leeds
Phil Leeds (April 6, 1916 – August 16, 1998) was an American character actor. He is best known for appearing in many movies and television series, including guest appearances in ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'', '' Maude'', ''Friends'', ''Barney Miller'', ''The Golden Girls'', ''Everybody Loves Raymond,'' and more. Early life Leeds was born on April 6, 1916, in New York City, the son of a post office clerk. Raised in the Bronx, he was a peanut vendor for some time near Yankee Stadium and Manhattan's Polo Grounds. After serving in the US Army in World War II, he started his entertainment career. Career He began his career as a standup comedian and then went on to appear in several films and sitcoms, including '' Rosemary's Baby'', ''Beaches'', ''All in the Family'', ''Three's Company'', '' Night Court'', ''Wings'', '' Ally McBeal'', ''Everybody Loves Raymond'', ''The Larry Sanders Show'' in three episodes as Hank Kingsley's agent, ''Barney Miller'' in seven episodes including i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nancy Andrews (actress)
Nancy Andrews (December 16, 1920 – July 29, 1989) was an American stage and film actress and singer. Early life Andrews was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on December 16, 1920. Her parents were James Currier Andrews and Grace Ella Andrews ( née Gerrish). She attended Beverly Hills High School and the Los Angeles City College. She also studied at the Pasadena Playhouse and the American Shakespeare Academy. Stage work Andrews started her career as a cabaret singer and pianist. Her first stage appearance was in 1938 in a production of '' The Merry Wives of Windsor'' at the Beverly Hills Shakespeare Theatre. From 1943 through 1945, she performed with the United Service Organizations. Andrews made her Broadway theatre debut in 1949 in the revue ''Touch and Go'' at the Broadhurst Theatre, a performance for which she won a Theatre World Award. In 1954, Andrews toured Europe in the one-woman show ''Songs and Laughter''. In January 1955 she appeared in the original production ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maureen O'Hara
Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was a native Irish and naturalized American actress and singer, who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural redhead who was known for playing passionate but sensible heroines, often in Westerns and adventure films. She worked with director John Ford and long-time friend John Wayne on numerous projects. O'Hara was born into a Catholic family and raised in Dublin, Ireland. She aspired to become an actress from a very young age. She trained with the Rathmines Theatre Company from the age of 10 and at the Abbey Theatre from the age of 14. She was given a screen test, which was deemed unsatisfactory, but Charles Laughton saw potential in her, and arranged for her to co-star with him in Alfred Hitchcock's '' Jamaica Inn'' in 1939. She moved to Hollywood the same year to appear with him in the production of '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'', and was given a contract by RKO Pictu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trude Rittmann
Gertrud Rittmann (24 September 1908 – 22 February 2005) was a German Jewish composer, musical director, arranger and orchestrator who lived and worked for much of her life in the United States. Her career particularly flourished with major successes in Broadway theater. Early years Trude Rittmann was born in Mannheim, Germany, and began piano lessons at age eight. She studied with Ernst Toch and Hans Bruch at the Hochschule für Musik Köln, and graduated in 1932, already noted as a promising composer. Rittmann fled Germany in 1933, and worked in France, Belgium and England, and in 1937 settled in the United States. Her mother and sister escaped Germany as well, but her father died in prison under the Nazis. Later career In New York Rittmann was hired by Lincoln Kirstein as a concert accompanist and pianist for George Balanchine's American Ballet Caravan. She later became musical director, touring with them for four years and working with composers including Leonard Bernste ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hanya Holm
Hanya Holm (born Johanna Eckert; 3 March 1893 – 3 November 1992) is known as one of the "Big Four" founders of American modern dance. She was a dancer, choreographer, and above all, a dance educator. Early life, connection with Mary Wigman Born as Johanna Eckert on 3 March 1893 in Worms, Rhineland-Palatinate, German Empire. Holm was drawn to music and drama at an early age, she attended the Dalcroze Institute of Applied Rhythm in Frankfurt, studying under Emile Jaques-Dalcroze throughout her childhood and young adult life. At the age of 28, she saw the German expressionist Mary Wigman perform, and decided to continue her dance career at the Wigman School in Dresden where she soon became a member of the company. Mary Wigman and Hanya Holm shared a special bond through movement. ''Egyptian Dance'' was said to be the first time Wigman realized the artistic impression Holm was capable of. She had the creative will and ability to shape a choreographic vision into reality. Wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jo Mielziner
Joseph "Jo" Mielziner (March 19, 1901 – March 15, 1976) was an American theatrical scenic design, scenic, and lighting design, lighting designer born in Paris, France. He was described as "the most successful set designer of the Golden era of Broadway", and worked on both stage plays and musicals. Career Joseph Mielziner was the son of artist Leo Mielziner and Ella Lane McKenna Friend, a writer. Mielziner was the brother of actor-director Kenneth MacKenna. Their paternal grandfather was a rabbi.Krebs, AlbiJo Mielziner Dead at 74; Pioneering Set Designer; Dozens of Hits 'A Unique Gift' Got Traveling Scholarships Designed Theaters"''The New York Times'' (abstract), March 16, 1976, p. 38 He studied painting at the Art Students League and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts."Art: Theatre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Francis Webster
Paul Francis Webster (December 20, 1907 – March 18, 1984) was an American lyricist who won three Academy Awards for Best Original Song, and was nominated sixteen times for the award. Life and career Webster was born in New York City, United States, the son of Myron Lawrence Webster and Blanche Pauline Stonehill Webster. His family was Jewish. His father was born in Augustów, Poland. He attended the Horace Mann School ( Riverdale, Bronx, New York), graduating in 1926, and then went to Cornell University from 1927 to 1928 and New York University from 1928 to 1930, leaving without receiving a degree. He worked on ships throughout Asia and then became a dance instructor at an Arthur Murray studio in New York City. By 1931, however, he turned his career direction to writing song lyrics. His first professional lyric was "Masquerade" (music by John Jacob Loeb) which became a hit in 1932, performed by Paul Whiteman. In 1935, Twentieth Century Fox signed him to a contract to write l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
