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Say Darling
''Say, Darling'' is a three-act comic play by Abe Burrows and Richard and Marian Bissell about the creation of a Broadway musical. Although the play featured nine original songs with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Jule Styne, all of the songs were presented as either rehearsal or audition material and not as the thoughts or feelings of the characters. Background In a case of art imitating life not once, but twice, the show is an adaptation of Richard Bissell's semi-autobiographical novel of the same name which chronicled his experience adapting his novel '' 7½ Cents'' for ''The Pajama Game'', making it in essence a play of a book about a musical adaptation of a book. It focuses on Jack Jordan (David Wayne), who is brought to Broadway to help develop his best-seller into a musical for leading lady Irene Lovelle (Vivian Blaine). His journey provides him - and the audience - with an education about what goes on behind-the scenes on the Great White Way, fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jule Styne
Jule Styne (; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer best known for a series of Broadway musicals, including several famous frequently-revived shows that also became successful films: ''Gypsy,'' '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,'' and '' Funny Girl.'' Early life Styne was born to a Jewish family in London, England. His parents, Anna Kertman and Isadore Stein, were emigrants from Ukraine, the Russian Empire, and ran a small grocery. Even before his family left Britain, he did impressions on the stage of well-known singers, including Harry Lauder, who saw him perform and advised him to take up the piano. At the age of eight, he moved with his family to Chicago, where he began taking piano lessons. He proved to be a prodigy and performed with the Chicago, St. Louis, and Detroit Symphonies before he was ten years old. Career Before Styne attended Chicago Musical College, he had already attracted the attention o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Abbott
George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades. Early years Abbott was born in Forestville, New York, to George Burwell Abbott (May 1858 Erie County, New York – February 4, 1942 Hamburg, New York) and Hannah May McLaury (1869 – June 20, 1940 Hamburg, New York). He later moved to the city of Salamanca, which twice elected his father mayor. In 1898, his family moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he attended Kearney Military Academy. Within a few years, his family returned to New York, and he graduated from Hamburg High School in 1907. In 1911 he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester, Sweeney, Louise"Director George Abbott"''Christian Science Monitor'', January 6, 1983 where he wrote his first play, ''Perfectly Harmless'', for the University Dramatic Club. Abbott then attended Harvard University, to take a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Virginia Martin
Virginia Martin (December 2, 1927 – August 27, 2009) was an American actress and singer known for her work on the Broadway stage and on television. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 1963. Early life Martin was born in Tennessee, the daughter of Tommy T. and Harville Martin. She had two brothers, Jere and Donald, and was a graduate of the University of Chattanooga. Theatre Martin made her Broadway debut during the original run of the musical '' South Pacific'' in the role of Ensign Bessie Noonan. In 1954, Martin was in the chorus of the original Broadway cast for the musical ''The Pajama Game''. In 1955, she was a part of the cast of the musical ''Ankles Aweigh'', again in the chorus. She next appeared in the revue show ''New Faces of 1956''. In 1958, Martin understudied the lead role of Irene Lovelle under star Vivian Blaine in the musical ''Say, Darling''. In 1961, Martin originated the role of Hedy La Rue in the original ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould (; né Goldstein; born August 29, 1938) is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s. Elliott's breakthrough role was in the ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' (1969), for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The following year Gould starred as Capt. Trapper John in Robert Altman film ''M*A*S*H'' (1970) for which he received BAFTA Award and Golden Globe Award nominations. He continued working with Altman in '' The Long Goodbye'' (1973) and ''California Split'' (1974). Other notable film roles include Alan Arkin's ''Little Murders'' (1971), Ingmar Bergman's '' The Touch'' (1971), Richard Attenborough's '' A Bridge Too Far'' (1977), ''Capricorn One'' (1978), ''The Silent Partner'' (1978), Warren Beatty's '' Bugsy'' (1991), ''American History X'' (1998), Steven Soderbergh's '' Contagion'' (2011), and ''Ruby Sparks'' (2012). He starred as Reuben Tishkoff in the ''Ocean's'' film series (2001, 20 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', and the second in 1973 for '' The Heartbreak Kid''. Other well-known screen roles of his include Bing Edwards in the ''Brother Rat'' films, traveling salesman Ali Hakim in the musical ''Oklahoma!'', and the sadistic prison warden in 1974's '' The Longest Yard''. He starred as Oliver Wendell Douglas in the 1960s television sitcom '' Green Acres'' and as Frank MacBride in the 1970s crime drama ''Switch''. He also had a recurring role as Carlton Travis on '' Falcon Crest'', opposite Jane Wyman. Early life Edward Albert Heimberger was born in Rock Island, Illinois, on April 22, 1906, the eldest of the five children of Frank Daniel Heimberger, a real estate agent, and his wife, Julia Jones. His year of birth is often given as 1908, but this is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Constance Ford
Constance Ford (born Cornelia M. Ford; July 1, 1923 – February 26, 1993) was an American actress and model. She is best known for her long-running role as Ada Lucas Hobson on the daytime soap opera '' Another World'', which she played from 1967 until shortly before her death in 1993. She is also well-known for appearing in nearly two dozen movies from 1956 to 1974, with her most noteworthy role being the matriarch Helen Jorgenson in '' A Summer Place'' (1959). Early years Constance Ford was born Cornelia M. Ford on July 1, 1923 in The Bronx, to parents Cornelia R. (née Smith) and Edwin J. Ford. Her siblings were Arthur, John, and Evelyn. Ford was a graduate of St. Barnabas Grammar and High School, and she attended Hunter College. She studied acting at HB Studio in New York City. Career Ford initially worked as a model for the Montgomery Ward catalog when she was 15 years old. Her face became famous in the Elizabeth Arden 1941 advertising campaign for ''Victory Red'' lipsti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Horace McMahon
Horace McMahon (May 17, 1906 – August 17, 1971) was an American actor. He was one of Hollywood's favorite heavies. McMahon began his acting career on Broadway, then appeared in many films and television series. In 1962, he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance in the series '' Naked City'' (1958–1963). Early years McMahon was born in South Norwalk, Connecticut. He became interested in acting when he was a student at Fordham University School of Law. Career In his early career he mostly played thugs or jailbirds, but in 1949 he starred in his most acclaimed role, as Lieutenant Monaghan in the drama play ''Detective Story'' and in 1951 he reprised his character in Paramount Pictures' film version ''Detective Story'', alongside Kirk Douglas and Eleanor Parker. McMahon also starred on television, in the ABC police series '' Naked City'' as Lt. Mike Parker, a gruff, no-nonsense, but warmhearted cop's cop, interested only in justice and doing th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Johnny Desmond
Johnny Desmond (born Giovanni Alfredo De Simone; November 14, 1919 – September 6, 1985) was an American singer who was popular in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Biography Early years Desmond was born Giovanni de Simone in Detroit, Michigan, United States. He began singing in the St. Joseph's parish choir when he was 11 years old. As a boy he also sang on a local radio station, but at age 15 he quit to work at his father's grocery. He attended Northwestern High School. He retained a love of music, and briefly attended the Detroit Conservatory of Music before heading to the nightclub circuit, playing piano and singing. In 1939, he formed his own singing group. The group was first called the Downbeats. After being hired to work with Bob Crosby's big band in 1940, it was renamed the Bob-O-Links. The group appeared on 15 commercial recordings by the Crosby orchestra, including two charted hits, "You Forgot About Me" (which reached No. 15), and "Do You Care?" (No. 18). War ye ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martin Beck Theatre
The Al Hirschfeld Theatre, originally the Martin Beck Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 302 West 45th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1924, it was designed by G. Albert Lansburgh in a Moorish and Byzantine style and was constructed for vaudevillian Martin Beck. It has 1,404 seats across two levels and is operated by Jujamcyn Theaters. Both the facade and the interior are New York City landmarks. The Al Hirschfeld's auditorium and stage house share a design for their facade. There is a double-height arcade with cast-stone columns at the base of the theater. The eastern section of the arcade contains the auditorium entrance, the center section includes a staircase with emergency exits, and the western section leads to the stage house. Red brick is used for the upper stories of the facade. Albert Herter, a muralist who frequently collaborated with Lansburgh, oversaw much of the interior design. A square ticket lobby is directly insid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
August Wilson Theatre
The August Wilson Theatre (formerly the Guild Theatre, ANTA Theatre, and Virginia Theatre) is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 245 West 52nd Street (Manhattan), 52nd Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, the theater was designed by C. Howard Crane and Kenneth Franzheim and was built for the Theatre Guild. It is named for Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson (1945–2005). The August Wilson has approximately 1,225 seats across two levels and is operated by Jujamcyn Theaters. The facade is a New York City designated landmark. The facade is designed as a variation of a 15th-century Tuscan villa, with a stage house to the west and an auditorium to the east. The facade has a stucco surface and openings with quoins, as well as a loggia. The placement of window openings reflected the theater's original interior arrangement. The front of the theater had facilities for the Theatre Guild, inclu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matt Mattox
Matt Mattox (August 16, 1921 – February 18, 2013) was an American jazz dance, jazz and ballet dancer. He was a Broadway performer and a specialty dancer in many Hollywood musicals. His best-known film role was as Caleb Pontipee in the 1954 film ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers''. After his Broadway and film career, Mattox moved to Europe, where he became a well-respected dance teacher. Birth and career Mattox was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and became a protégé of the legendary jazz dance pioneer Jack Cole (choreographer), Jack Cole, with whom he worked on Broadway in ''Magdalena: a Musical Adventure'' (1948). His other Broadway credits include creating the role of the Jester in the original production of ''Once Upon a Mattress'' (1959), and Harry Beaton in the 1957 revival of ''Brigadoon''.Matt Mattox Internet Broadway Database] (accessed May 16, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Choreographed
Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who creates choreographies by practising the art of choreography, a process known as choreographing. It most commonly refers to dance choreography. In dance, ''choreography'' may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. Dance choreography is sometimes called ''dance composition''. Aspects of dance choreography include the compositional use of organic unity, rhythmic or non-rhythmic articulation, theme and variation, and repetition. The choreographic process may employ improvisation for the purpose of developing innovative movement ideas. In general, choreography is used to design dances that are intended to be performed as concert dance. The art of choreography involves the specification of human ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
