An Evening With Ethel Merman (BBC--1965) — Page 2

How many under 40 year old viewers of the Merman concert will get her Fabian reference?

It's great that you found this. Man, I tried. I really tried. I keep thinking all these smart, cultured folks connect with the Merm, but I never can. It can't just be a generational thing. There are many fine artists of the first half of the 20th century I adore from film, theatre, music and beyond. I watched about half of this concert and then had to shut it down. I was genuinely impressed with the clarity and volume of her voice and in how comfortable she seemed on stage - in the same way in which I'd be impressed with a good public speaker. But, hey, I thought she was terrific in her limited film roles. But when she sings, I get nothing.

I'm not posting this to be a contrarian or to rain on anyone's parade, I'm just genuinely curious about why I just don't connect with one of the most popular, iconic stars of an artform I love. Are there any folks on here -- like me, in their 20s -- who are big Merm fans?

I'm not in my twenties, but once was. I was a huge Ethel Merman fan at that age. Incidentally, I think some of the best performed numbers in the BBC show are in the second half, which the earlier poster skipped. Her voice is unique and natural--no moaning, squealing, or sound board tricks. You understand every word; and she never breathes in the middle of one of them, as many singers today do. She's singing full out and live while constantly on the move in that TV special, with no edits I could see; and she never even breathes heavily, let alone in the wrong place. What fantastic natural technique and stamina she had! The ANNIE GET YOUR GUN revival was the next year, and she might have looked old for the role--but she certainly had plenty of verve for it.

I was a big Merman fan from about age 14 (1971). Needless to say, I was a bit of an outcast in high school (to steal a line from Alec Mapa, after school I used to kick my own ass). I got a chance to see Merman in concert in 1974, by then which she had made slight changes in her concert from the one seen in this broadcast, including adding the 'Here's How George Gershwin Put Me On the Map' story.

By 1977 she would've been 69 years old, which is really too old for a television show (see Ball, Lucille: LIFE WITH LUCY). Yes, you could argue that THE GOLDEN GIRLS was successful, but three of those actresses had been in our living rooms for years, and we already had a bond with them. Merman was never a 'warm' actress, even in her romantic scenes in CALL ME MADAM, she still delivers the wisecracks. Television is a very intimate medium, and her outsized personality was even less suited to television than it was to movies.

Having seen Merman in concert twice, but never in a Broadway role, I can tell you that seeing her live was indeed electrifying. But I do understand why watching a grainy 50 year old television clip would leave you scratching your head wondering what all the fuss was about.

---

Oh, good! Try me, PalJoey! As for LuPone, I was a big LuPone fan since I was a kid. I mean, I once called a talk radio program which had an open call-in hour to complain about how Andrew Lloyd Webber had treated her in Sunset Blvd. When I was, like, 10. (I know, I know). If it's brassiness you're referring to, that's not a problem for me at all. I like them brassy and sassy and I like them quiet and subtle. But, to me, The Merm sound lacks any, well, human element to me. I imagine that, had a cross country truck driver the ability to belt, he'd sing like The Merm. It feels very one-note to me. I know that sounds harsh. Just the way I react. I guess I'm impressed by her vocal power, but I'm not moved or entertained in any way.

Updated On: 8/5/13 at 07:38 PM

I know that sounds harsh. Just the way I react. I guess I'm impressed by her vocal power, but I'm not moved or entertained in any way.

That's not harsh at all. In fact, that's a very common reaction to Merman. "Moved" is not actually what people who like Merman take away from a Merman experience. "Entertained," however is...but only people who like her are entertained by her.

If you are looking for a singer who "moves" you, look elsewhere.

HOWEVER...for those who are entertained and even exhilarated by her, there is her classic 13-minute duet-medley with Mary Martin from the Ford 50th Anniversary television show, including the famous medley of "I" songs:



The famed June 15, 1953 television special brought together two of the greatest leading ladies Broadway has ever known. The highlight of the program is Merman and Martin's 13-minute duet medley, where they sing the songs that made them famous, plus much more. On their own, Merman sings two numbers and Martin performs a brilliant comedy routine about changes in fashion over the first half of the 20th century.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

http://youtu.be/l0QhfT-dgFU

---

Updated On: 8/5/13 at 08:55 PM

Since Gaveston brought upn Judy, here is the famous "Last of the Big Belters" duet that Garland and Merman did on Judy's television show.

Watching Judy take delight in Ethel's unabashed brashness was instrumental in my developing a taste for Ethel.

I sometimes think that she's just so BIG that she seems to inspire boldness and confidence and a determination-to-be-happy. At least, that's what I think Judy experiences with her here, and why they were such good friends. It's like Judy needed a little more Ethel in her life, to protect her from the leeches on the outside and the demons that leeched her from within.

http://youtu.be/hbjvsFHwtzE

---

The Merman/Martin duet sequence was directed, in all its brilliant two-stool simplicity, by none other than Jerome Robbins.

---

I came to enjoy Mary Martin sort of the way some here have come to like Merman.

I never saw Martin live and her charm and charisma never fully engaged me on TV. Though I could imagine she was an excellent actress, her voice struck me as weak compared to Merman and other greats of the period.

But as the duet above shows, Martin actually holds her own with Merman quite well. Maybe Martin isn't as brassy throughout her entire range, but she's no pushover either.

***

And then there's Gertrude Lawrence--who never met a key she could find twice. And yet she was one of the great musical stars of the mid-20thy century.