''The Matchmaker'' is a 1954 play by
Thornton Wilder, a rewritten version of his 1938 play ''
The Merchant of Yonkers
''The Merchant of Yonkers'' is a 1938 play by Thornton Wilder.
History
''The Merchant of Yonkers'' had its origins in a 1835 one-act farce ''A Day Well Spent'', by the English dramatist John Oxenford. In 1842 ''A Day Well Spent'' was extended int ...
''.
History
The play has a long and colorful history.
John Oxenford's 1835 one-act
farce ''A Day Well Spent'' had been extended into the full-length play ''
Einen Jux will er sich machen'' by Austrian
playwright Johann Nestroy
Johann Nepomuk Eduard Ambrosius Nestroy (; 7 December 1801 – 25 May 1862) was a singer, actor and playwright in the popular Austrian tradition of the Biedermeier period and its immediate aftermath. He participated in the 1848 revolutions and ...
in 1842. In 1938, Wilder adapted Nestroy's version into the Americanized comedy ''
The Merchant of Yonkers
''The Merchant of Yonkers'' is a 1938 play by Thornton Wilder.
History
''The Merchant of Yonkers'' had its origins in a 1835 one-act farce ''A Day Well Spent'', by the English dramatist John Oxenford. In 1842 ''A Day Well Spent'' was extended int ...
'', which attracted the attention of German
director Max Reinhardt, who mounted a
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
production, which ran for 39 performances.
Fifteen years later, director
Tyrone Guthrie expressed interest in a new production of the play, which Wilder extensively rewrote and rechristened ''The Matchmaker''. The most significant change was the expansion of a previously minor character named Dolly Gallagher Levi, who became the play's centerpiece. A widow who brokers marriages and other transactions in
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as en ...
at the turn of the 20th century, she sets her sights on local merchant Horace Vandergelder, who has hired her to find him a wife. After a series of
slapstick situations involving mistaken identities, secret rendezvous behind carefully placed screens, separated lovers, and a trip to night court, everyone finds themselves paired with a perfect match.
Productions
The play starring
Ruth Gordon as Dolly and
Sam Levene
Sam Levene (born Scholem Lewin; August 28, 1905 – December 28, 1980) was a Russian Empire-born American Broadway, film, radio, and television actor and director. In a career spanning over five decades, he appeared in over 50 comedy and dr ...
as Horace Vandergelder, debuted at the
Edinburgh Festival
__NOTOC__
This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...
in Scotland o
November 4, 1954 at the Edinburgh Festival, in Berlin�
and at the
Theatre Royal Haymarket in London's
West End. Due to a salary dispute with Broadway producer David Merrick, Sam Levene left the production after playing the role of Horace Vandergelder for over a year in Europe. Loring Smith replaced Levene as Horace Vandergelder and opened on Broadway December 5, 1955 at the
Royale Theatre
The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (formerly the Royale Theatre and the John Golden Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 242 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, the thea ...
, later transferring to the
Booth
Booth may refer to:
People
* Booth (surname)
* Booth (given name)
Fictional characters
* August Wayne Booth, from the television series ''Once Upon A Time''
*Cliff Booth, a supporting character of the 2019 film ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' ...
to complete its run of 486 performances.
Ruth Gordon's performance in the title role earned her a
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 ce ...
nomination as Best Actress; Guthrie won as Best Director.
Characters and original Broadway cast
The characters and original cast of ''The Matchmaker'' are recorded at the
Internet Broadway Database.
[
*Horace Vandergelder, a Merchant of Yonkers – Loring Smith
* Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi, a Friend of Vandergelder's Late Wife – Ruth Gordon
*Irene Molloy, a Milliner – Eileen Herlie
*Minnie Fay, Mrs. Molloy's Assistant – ]Rosamund Greenwood
Rosamund Mary Greenwood (12 June 1907 – 15 July 1997) was a British actress who was active on screen from 1935 until 1990.
Biography
After training at London's Central School, she was on stage from the late 1920s. Her theatre work included st ...
*Cornelius Hackl, a Clerk in Vandergelder's Store – Arthur Hill
*Barnaby Tucker, an Apprentice in Vandergelder's Store – Robert Morse
Robert Alan Morse (May 18, 1931 – April 20, 2022) was an American actor, who starred in ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (musical), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', both the 1961 original Broadway production ...
*Ermengarde, Mr. Vandergelder's niece, whom Ambrose wants to marry — Prunella Scales
Prunella Margaret Rumney West Scales (''née'' Illingworth; born 22 June 1932) is an English former actress, best known for playing Sybil Fawlty, wife of Basil Fawlty (John Cleese), in the BBC comedy '' Fawlty Towers'', her nomination for a ...
*Miss Flora Van Husen, a Friend of Vandergelder's Late Wife – Esme Church
Esme Church (10 February 1893 – 31 May 1972) was a British actress and theatre director. In a long career she acted with the Old Vic Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company and on Broadway. She directed plays for the Old Vic, became head of the ...
*Malachi Stack – Patrick McAlinney
Patrick Andrew McAlinney (9 November 1913 – 22 August 1990) was an Irish character actor who starred in many British dramas and sitcoms. His most memorable roles included a brother on the hit sitcom '' Oh, Brother!'', which starred Derek Nimmo ...
*Ambrose Kemper, an Artist – Alexander Davion
*Gertrude, Vandergelder's Housekeeper – Charity Grace
*Miss Van Husen's Cook – Christine Thomas
*Rudolf, a Waiter – William Lanteau
*Joe Scanlon, a Barber – Philip Leeds
*August, a Waiter – John Mulligan
Adaptations
The 1958 film version, adapted by John Michael Hayes and directed by Joseph Anthony
Joseph Anthony (born Joseph Deuster; May 24, 1912 – January 20, 1993) was an American playwright, actor, and director. He made his film acting debut in the 1934 film ''Hat, Coat, and Glove'' and his theatrical acting debut in a 1935 producti ...
, starred Shirley Booth as Dolly, Anthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins (April 4, 1932 – September 12, 1992) was an American actor, director, and singer. Perkins is best remembered for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's suspense thriller '' Psycho'', which made him an influentia ...
as Cornelius, Shirley MacLaine as Irene, Paul Ford
Paul Ford Weaver (November 2, 1901 – April 12, 1976) was an American character actor who came to specialize in authority figures whose ineptitude and pompous demeanor were played for comic effect, notably as Mayor Shinn in ''The Music Man'' (1 ...
as Vandergelder, and Robert Morse
Robert Alan Morse (May 18, 1931 – April 20, 2022) was an American actor, who starred in ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (musical), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', both the 1961 original Broadway production ...
reprising his Broadway role as Barnaby.
The story enjoyed yet another incarnation in 1964 when David Merrick, who had produced the 1955 Broadway play, partnered with composer Jerry Herman to mount the hugely successful, Tony Award-winning musical '' Hello, Dolly!'' starring Carol Channing
Carol Elaine Channing (January 31, 1921 – January 15, 2019) was an American actress, singer, dancer and comedian who starred in Broadway and film musicals. Her characters usually had a fervent expressiveness and an easily identifiable voice, ...
.
A film version of ''Hello, Dolly!'' was released in 1969 starring Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...
in the lead role.
See also
* '' On the Razzle'', 1981 farce by Tom Stoppard also based on the 1842 musical '' Einen Jux will er sich machen''
References
External links
*
''The Matchmaker'' Plot Summary and Critical Analysis
by the Thornton Wilder Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matchmaker, The
1954 plays
Broadway plays
Plays by Thornton Wilder
Plays set in the 19th century
Plays set in New York City
Plays based on other plays
American plays adapted into films
Culture of Yonkers, New York
A Day Well Spent