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The Day Before Spring
''The Day Before Spring'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. Productions The 1945 touring production closed in Chicago after three days due to a crippling coal strike. The show then opened at the Shubert Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts on October 30, 1945, with the ''Billboard Magazine'' critic writing "Lerner and Loewe look like potential supermen." The musical opened on Broadway on November 22, 1945 at the National Theatre, and closed on April 13, 1946 after 167 performances. Directed by Edward Padula and choreographed by Antony Tudor, the cast included Lucille Benson, John Archer, Bert Freed, Irene Manning, William Johnson and Patricia Marshall. On Feb. 21, 1961, Los Angeles Times reported that Arthur Freed, producer of "Gigi", would produce a film version for MGM starring Debbie Reynolds, despite the play and any of its songs "having never caught on." The project never materialized. The show was performed in July 2007 b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frederick Loewe
Frederick Loewe (, originally German Friedrich (Fritz) Löwe ; June 10, 1901 – February 14, 1988) was an Austrian-American composer. He collaborated with lyricist Alan Jay Lerner on a series of Broadway musicals, including ''Brigadoon'', '' Paint Your Wagon'', '' My Fair Lady'', and ''Camelot'', all of which were made into films, as well as the original film musical '' Gigi'' (1958), which was first transferred to the stage in 1973. Biography Loewe was born in Berlin ( Charlottenburg), Germany, to Viennese parents Edmund and Rosa Loewe. His father was a noted Jewish operetta star who performed throughout Europe and in North and South America; he starred as Count Danilo in the 1906 Berlin production of '' The Merry Widow''. Loewe grew up in Berlin and attended a Prussian cadet school from the age of five until he was thirteen. At an early age Loewe learned to play piano by ear and helped his father rehearse, and he began composing songs at age seven. He eventually attended ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bert Freed
Bert Freed (November 3, 1919 – August 2, 1994) was an American character actor, voice-over actor, and the first actor to portray Detective Columbo. Life and career Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Freed began acting while attending Penn State University, and made his Broadway debut in 1942. Following World War II Army service in the European theatre, he appeared in the Broadway musical ''The Day Before Spring'' in 1945 and dozens of television shows between 1947 and 1985. His film debut occurred, oddly enough, in a musical '' Carnegie Hall'' (1947). Freed portrayed Rufe Ryker in the television series ''Shane'', in which Freed added a unique touch of realism by beginning the show clean-shaven and growing a beard from one week to the next, never shaving again through the season. Freed played homicide detective Lt. Columbo in a live 1960 television episode of ''The Chevy Mystery Show'' seven years before Peter Falk played the role, and also before Thomas Mitchell po ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Broadway Musicals
Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Theatre'' as the proper noun in their names (12 others used neither), with many performers and trade groups for live dramatic presentations also using the spelling ''theatre''. or Broadway, are the theatrical performances presented in the 41 professional theatres, each with 500 or more seats, located in the Theater District and the Lincoln Center along Broadway, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Broadway and London's West End together represent the highest commercial level of live theater in the English-speaking world. While the thoroughfare is eponymous with the district and its collection of 41 theaters, and it is also closely identified with Times Square, only three of the theaters are located on Broadway itself (namely the Broa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1945 Musicals
1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: ** Germany begins Operation Bodenplatte, an attempt by the '' Luftwaffe'' to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries. ** Chenogne massacre: German prisoners are allegedly killed by American forces near the village of Chenogne, Belgium. * January 6 – WWII: A German offensive recaptures Esztergom, Hungary from the Russians. * January 12 – WWII: The Soviet Union begins the Vistula–Oder Offensive in Eastern Europe, against the German Army. * January 13 – WWII: The Soviet Union begins the East Prussian Offensive, to eliminate German forces in East Prussia. * January 16 – WWII: Adolf Hitler takes residence in the '' Führerbunker'' in Berlin. * January 17 ** WWII: The Soviet Union oc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lost Musicals
Lost Musicals is a British musical theatre project established in 1989 by Ian Marshall Fisher. It is dedicated to presenting lost or forgotten musicals by famous American writers, and has been responsible for the first revivals of the lesser-known works of writers such as Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, Alan Jay Lerner, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Harold Arlen and Jerome Kern. Approach and philosophy Ian Marshall Fisher researches, reconstructs and directs each show based upon exactly what the writers had written, with no changes, amendments and no edits to their original work. In an interview with ''The Stage'' in 2005, Fisher commented "My original idea was to celebrate the writers in accurately presenting what they had written – and I don't just mean the songwriters but the bookwriters too. That's where my series stands alone. Although other series have sprung up in the last ten years, they don't honour and have a love for the books that I do." In another interview, F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hunter Bell
Hunter Houston Bell is an American writer and theatre actor. Early life and education Bell was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and was raised in Wilson, North Carolina until the seventh grade, when he moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Hunter earned a B.F.A in theatre from the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. Career Bell began his career with smaller regional theater productions. Some notable credits include his appearance in the Ensemble of the 1999 Paper Mill Production of '' Rags'', as a Performer in the Chester, Connecticut 2002 World Premiere production of ''Actor, Lawyer, Indian Chief'', and as George in a 2003 Musicals in Mufti Concert production of '' Oh, Boy!''. Hunter Bell rose to stardom because of his work on, and appearance in, the musical '' itle of show', for which he wrote the book, alongside Jeff Bowen, who wrote the music and lyrics. The project first appeared in the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2004. It opened at T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Debbie Reynolds
Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career spanned almost 70 years. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portrayal of Helen Kane in the 1950 film '' Three Little Words''. Her breakout role was her first leading role, as Kathy Selden in ''Singin' in the Rain'' (1952). Her other successes include '' The Affairs of Dobie Gillis'' (1953), ''Susan Slept Here'' (1954), ''Bundle of Joy'' (1956 Golden Globe nomination), '' The Catered Affair'' (1956 National Board of Review Best Supporting Actress Winner), and '' Tammy and the Bachelor'' (1957), in which her performance of the song " Tammy" reached number one on the '' Billboard'' music charts. In 1959, she released her first pop music album, titled ''Debbie''. She starred in ''Singin' in the Rain'' (1952), '' How the West Was Won'' (1962), and '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'' (1964), a biographical film a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arthur Freed
Arthur Freed (September 9, 1894 – April 12, 1973) was an American lyricist and Hollywood film producer. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture twice, in 1951 for '' An American in Paris'' and in 1958 for '' Gigi''. Both films were musicals. In addition, he produced and was also a co-lyricist for the now-iconic film ''Singin' in the Rain''. Early life Freed was born to a Jewish family in Charleston, South Carolina, and wrote poetry while a high schooler at Phillips Exeter Academy. After graduating in 1914, he began his career as a song-plugger and pianist in Chicago. After meeting Minnie Marx, he sang as part of the act of her sons, the Marx Brothers, on the vaudeville circuit, and also wrote material for the brothers. He soon began to write songs, and was eventually hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. For years, he wrote lyrics for numerous films, many set to music by Nacio Herb Brown. Career In 1939, after working (uncredited) in the role of associate producer on '' The Wizard ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patricia Marshall
Patricia Marshall (January 13, 1924 – December 11, 2018) was an American actress and singer. Marshall performed in Broadway plays, two feature films, and a television episode. She won an award in 1946 for one of her Broadway performances. Biography and career Marshall was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 13, 1924, as Marriam Patricia Murphy. She attended West High School in Minneapolis. She acted in the Broadway plays ''You'll See Stars'' (1942), ''What's Up?'' (1943), ''Hats Off to Ice'' (1944), ''The Day Before Spring'' (1945), ''The Pajama Game'' (1954), and ''Mr. Wonderful'' (1956). In 1947, she had a role in the film '' Good News'' that was originally supposed to go to Gloria DeHaven. Due to a disagreement between DeHaven and the film's producer over the script, DeHaven abandoned her role and was suspended, and Marshall was given the role. Marshall later sang on Steve Allen's ''The Tonight Show''. She was married to Daniel Markowitz from 1947 until they div ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Johnson (actor)
William Johnson (March 22, 1916 – March 6, 1957) was an American actor and singer of the stage and screen.Obituary ''Variety'', March 13, 1957, page 63. Biography Born in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, Johnson began his career as a child actor on the stage. He made his Broadway debut at the age of 8 as Gaffe in the 1924 play '' Shipwrecked''. He returned to Broadway in 1926 to portray the Hangman in Rudolf Friml's '' The Vagabond King''. He worked as a vaudeville performer up through the early 1930s. In 1939 he made his film debut in '' Mr. & Mrs. Jesse Crawford at Home'' where he sang the songs " The Very Thought of You" and "I Love You Truly". He only appeared in two more films during his career, the roles of Captain Bill Barclay in ''Keep Your Powder Dry'' and Buzz Fletcher in '' It's a Pleasure'', both in 1945. He studied engineering at the University of Maryland. In 1940, Johnson returned to Broadway after a fourteen-year absence to star in the musical review ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Irene Manning
Irene Manning (born Inez Harvuot, July 17, 1912 – May 28, 2004) was an American actress and singer. Biography Manning was born as Inez Harvuot on July 17, 1912 in Cincinnati, Ohio, one of five siblings. Both of her parents were singers. Her family loved to go on outdoor picnics where the featured activity was group singing. This family environment helped Irene to develop a keen interest in singing at a very early age. Her sisters later complained that little Irene would sing in her sleep, keeping them awake. Manning trained as an opera singer at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester and performed with that city's Civic Music Association in 1935. Manning performed with a four-woman USO show in England and the United States and recorded with Glenn Miller and his Army Air Force Band. Miller was involved in making swing records to be broadcast into Nazi Germany as part of the American Broadcasting System in Europe. Because she had been a light opera star prior to World War II a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Archer (actor)
John Archer (born Ralph Bowman; May 8, 1915 – December 3, 1999) was an American actor. Early life Archer was born Ralph Bowman in Osceola, Nebraska, the son of Eunice Melba (née Crawford) and Joseph Emmett Bowman. Archer moved to California at the age of five. He attended Hollywood High School and the University of Southern California, where he studied cinematography, expecting work behind the camera. Radio When finding work in the field of cinematography proved difficult Archer drifted into acting, working as a radio announcer and actor, including one year (beginning in 1944DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 14) in the starring role of Lamont Cranston in ''The Shadow'', a role originally played by Orson Welles. Stage Archer honed his acting skills in plays at the Ben Bard Playhouse. He appeared on Broadway in ''The Odds on Mrs. Oakley'' (1944), ''One-ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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