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Her First Roman
''Her First Roman'' is a musical with music, lyrics, and book by Ervin Drake, based on the 1898 George Bernard Shaw play '' Caesar and Cleopatra''. Original production During its out-of-town tryout, the original director Michael Benthall was fired and succeeded by Derek Goldby, and the original choreographer was fired and replaced. Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick were brought in to write new songs and wrote "Ptolemy", "(Kind) Old Gentleman", and "Caesar is Wrong". Goldby cut a lot of Drake's score and replaced whole sections of his libretto with lines from Shaw's play. The show opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on October 20, 1968 and closed after 17 performances. The rest of the crew had set design and costume by Michael Annals, lighting design Martin Aronstein, musical director and dance and incidental music Peter Howard, music orchestrated and vocal arrangements Don Walker, production manager Tom Porter, stage managers George Rondo and Ellen Wittman, and press by Max Eisen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ervin Drake
Ervin Drake (born Ervin Maurice Druckman; April 3, 1919 – January 15, 2015) was an American songwriter whose works include such American Songbook standards as "I Believe (1953 song), I Believe" and "It Was a Very Good Year". He wrote in a variety of styles and his work has been recorded by musicians around the world. In 1983, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Biography Born in New York City, Drake had his first song published at age 12, in 1931. The son of Jewish immigrants Max Druckman and Pearl Cohen, he attended Townsend Harris High School in the borough of Manhattan, graduating in 1935, and went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in social science from the City College of New York in 1940. His elder brother, Milton Drake, also became a songwriter, with work including "Java Jive" and "Nina Never Knew"; and his younger brother Arnold Drake, became a writer for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and others, as well as an author and playwright. Drake wrote the lyric ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leslie Uggams
Leslie Marian Uggams (born May 25, 1943) is an American actress and singer. Beginning her career as a child in the early 1950s, Uggams is recognized for portraying Kizzy Reynolds in the television miniseries ''Roots'' (1977), earning Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations for her performance. She had earlier been highly acclaimed for the Broadway musical ''Hallelujah, Baby!'', winning a Theatre World Award in 1967 and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1968. Later in her career, Uggams received renewed notice with appearances alongside Ryan Reynolds as Blind Al in ''Deadpool'' (2016) & ''Deadpool 2'' (2018) and in a recurring role on ''Empire''. Life and career Early life Uggams was born in Harlem, the daughter of Juanita Ernestine (Smith), a Cotton Club chorus girl/dancer, and Harold Coyden Uggams, an elevator operator and maintenance man, who was a singer with the Hall Johnson choir. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1968 Musicals
The year was highlighted by Protests of 1968, protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * January 10 – John Gorton is sworn in as 19th Prime Minister of Australia, taking over from John McEwen after being 1968 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election, elected leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, Liberal Party the previous day, following the disappearance of Harold Holt. Gorton becomes the only Australian Senate, Senator to become Prime Minister, though he immediately transfers to the Australian House of Representatives, House of Representatives through the 1968 Higgins by-election in Holt's vacant seat. * January 15 – The 1968 Belice earthquake in Sicily kills 380 and injures around 1,000. * January 21 ** Vietnam War: Battle of Khe Sanh – One of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Priscilla Lopez
Priscilla Lopez (born February 26, 1948) is an American singer, dancer, and actress. She is perhaps best known for creating the role of Diana Morales in ''A Chorus Line''. She has had the distinction of appearing in two Broadway landmarks: one of its greatest hits, the highly acclaimed, long-running ''A Chorus Line'', and, as a teenager, in one of its biggest flops, the infamous musical version of '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', which closed before opening night. Early life Lopez was born in the Bronx, New York to Francisco Lopez, a hotel banquet foreman and Laura (née Candelaria), who had moved to New York from their native Puerto Rico. Career Broadway Lopez graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts, where she majored in drama; her experiences as a drama student are depicted in the musical ''A Chorus Line''. Had ''Tiffany's'' survived, it would have marked her debut on Broadway, but the production was plagued with so many problems that its creative team deemed it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kenneth Kamal Scott
Kenneth Kamal Scott (3 March 1940 – 1 February 2015) was an American singer, dancer and actor, whose sixty-five-year career had included numerous achievements in a diverse array of genres and settings, including Broadway, jazz, pop, opera, ballet and modern dance. Scott began his performance career as a singer at age seven, and by the age of eleven began performing at the Apollo Theater as the featured vocalist for musicians such as Earl Hines, Earl "Fatha" Hines. Other notable accomplishments include dancing as a member of the Alvin Ailey company in 1959, rising to the starring role of The Wiz in the Broadway company from 1975 to 1979, scoring a hit with the song ''Bolinas'' as featured vocalist with Billy Cobham in 1978, and appearances with the Boston Pops under John Williams. In his later career, Scott began exploring and teaching the art of Bel canto singing, including a recital at Merkin Hall at Lincoln Center in October 2004. Scott was on faculty as a vocal instructor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trina Parks
Trina Parks (born Trina Frazier; December 26, 1946) is an American actress, vocalist, choreographer, principal dancer and dance instructor. Parks is best known for portraying Thumper in the 1971 James Bond film '' Diamonds Are Forever''. Movies Television * ''Night Gallery'', episode "The Phantom Farmhouse" * '' McCoy'' - NBC Movie of the Week * ''Liv and Maddie'', episode "Dodge-A-Rooney" * ''Dick Shawn Special'' - Featured singer/dancer - CBS * ''The Hollywood Palace'' (2 shows) - Featured singer/dancer - NBC * ''French composer Michel Legrand Special'' - Featured dancer - Paris TV * '' Dionne Warwick Special'' - Featured dancer - CBS * ''Telly Savalas Special'' - Featured dancer - CBS * Parks also appeared in television specials with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. * Parks appeared in '' To Tell the Truth'' as herself Theater * ''The Selling of the President'' * '' Her First Roman'' * ''The Emperor Jones'' - Principal - NY & European Tour, with James Earl Jones * ''Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suzanne Rogers
Suzanne Rogers (born Suzanne Cecelia Crumpler; July 9, 1943) is an American actress with film and television credits. Her stage name was inspired by Ginger Rogers, whom she cites as a personal inspiration for joining the entertainment industry. Rogers got her start as a dancer/performer at New York City's Radio City Music Hall, but she is best known for playing Maggie Horton, a role she originated and has played since 1973 on the NBC dramatic serial ''Days of Our Lives''. Early years Suzanne Rogers was born Suzanne Cecelia Crumpler on July 9, 1943, in Midland, Maryland. While growing up in Colonial Heights, Virginia, she took an interest in dancing. She expressed interest in it at the age of two and started taking dancing lessons during her childhood. Career At the age of 17, Rogers left her hometown and decided to pursue a dancing career. She moved to New York City and became one of the dancers at the Radio City Music Hall. Along with becoming a Rockette, Rogers performed in s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Claudia McNeil
Claudia McNeil (August 13, 1917 – November 25, 1993) was an American actress known for premiering the role of matriarch Lena Younger in both the stage and screen productions of ''A Raisin in the Sun''. She later appeared in a 1981 production of the musical version of the play, ''Raisin'' presented by Equity Library Theater. She was twice nominated for a Tony Award, first for her onstage performance in ''A Raisin in the Sun'' (1959), and again for the play ''Tiger Tiger Burning Bright'' in 1962. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award for the screen version of ''A Raisin in the Sun'' in 1961. Life and career McNeil was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Marvin Spencer McNeil, who was black, and Annie Mae (Anderson) McNeil, an Apache woman. The family moved to New York City soon after her birth. She was raised by her mother after her father left the family. At the age of 12, McNeil began working for The Heckscher Foundation for Children. There she met a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ptolemy Philadelphus (Cleopatra)
Ptolemy XVI Philadelphus Antonius ( el, Πτολεμαῖος ὁ Φιλάδελφος, "Ptolemy the brother-loving", August/September 36 BC – 29 BC) was a Ptolemaic prince and was the youngest and fourth child of Greek Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt, and her third with Roman Triumvir Mark Antony. Biography Early life and reign Ptolemy XVI Philadelphos Antonius was of Greek and Roman heritage. His father Mark Antony summoned Cleopatra to a summit near Antioch, Syria (now a part of modern Turkey) in a place Plutarch locates as being situated between Beirut and Sidon, called Light, an unwalled village. If Plutarch is to be believed, Philadelphos was conceived during this meeting between roughly November and December 37 BC. William Woodthorpe Tarn believed his birth (presumably in Alexandria, Egypt) was between August–September 36 BC. Ptolemy XVI was named after the original Ptolemy II Philadelphus (the second Pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty) and Cleopatra's intention wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Achillas
Achillas ( el, Ἀχιλλᾶς) was one of the guardians of the Egyptian king Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator, and commander of the king's troops, when Pompey fled to Egypt in 48 BC. He was called by Julius Caesar a man of extraordinary daring, and it was he and Lucius Septimius who killed Pompey at the suggestion of the eunuch Pothinus and Theodotus of Chios. Achillas subsequently joined Pothinus in resisting Caesar, and having had the command of the whole army entrusted to him by Pothinus, he marched against Alexandria with 20,000 on foot and 2,000 cavalry. Caesar, who was at Alexandria, did not have sufficient forces to oppose him, and sent ambassadors to negotiate with him. However, Achillas murdered the ambassadors to remove all hopes of reconciliation. He then marched into Alexandria and occupied most of the city (Siege of Alexandria (47 BC)). Meanwhile, Arsinoe, the younger sister of Ptolemy, escaped from Caesar and joined Achillas. However, in 47, dissension broke out ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apollodorus The Sicilian
Apollodorus ( el, Ἀπολλόδωρος) was a loyal follower of the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII. In 48 BC he is supposed to have enabled Cleopatra to get in the palace of Alexandria to Julius Caesar and in this way to strengthen decisively her position in the power struggle with her brother Ptolemy XIII. Life When Caesar came to Alexandria in the summer of 48 BC he summoned the estranged Ptolemaic brother and sister to submit to his decision. Ptolemy XIII was at this time with his army at the Egyptian border near Pelusium opposite the troops of Cleopatra. He was first to go to Caesar. Cleopatra first sent negotiators to explain her point of view but, according to the historian Cassius Dio, she soon became convinced that if she came personally she could more easily win the Roman ruler over by her charm and beauty. Caesar promised her a confidential conversation. Apparently Ptolemy XIII tried to block his sister's access to Alexandria. Plutarch gives an account of her adventur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cleopatra
Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a diplomat, naval commander, linguist, and medical author; see and . A member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great. writes about Ptolemy I Soter: "The Ptolemaic dynasty, of which Cleopatra was the last representative, was founded at the end of the fourth century BC. The Ptolemies were not of Egyptian extraction, but stemmed from Ptolemy Soter, a Macedonian Greek in the entourage of Alexander the Great."For additional sources that describe the Ptolemaic dynasty as " Macedonian Greek", please see , , , and . Alternatively, describes them as a "Macedonian, Greek-speaking" dynasty. Other sources such as and describe the Ptolemies a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
