Coundown:The Merman Centennary begins

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 9:36pm

99 years ago Ethel Agnes Zimmermann was born in Astoria.

This marks the beginning of her Centenary year.

The list of standards she introduced goes on and on... I Got Rhythm, You're an old Smoothie, Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries, Edie was a Lady, You're the Top, It's Delovely, I Get a Kick Out of You, Anything Goes, Blow Gabriel Blow, Down in the Depths on the 90th Floor, Riding High, A Lady Needs a Change, Friendship, I've Still Got My Health, Let's Be Buddies, Make it Another old Fashioned Please, Doin' What Comes Natur'lly, You Cain't Get a Man with a Gun, They Say it's Wonderful, I got Lost in His Arms, I Got the Sun in the Mornin', The Hostess with the Mostes', You're Just in love, Gee But It's Good to Be Here, Mutual Admiration Society, Small World, Everything's Coming Up Roses, Together Wherever We Go....

A partial list.

13 shows..only one a financial failure (HAPPY HUNTING) though even it ran a full year on Broadway.

She took her final Broadway Bow the closing night of HELLO DOLLY! which also opened on Jan 16 in 1964. She turned down the chance to open it but agreed to take over the role from March through December 1970.

Radio Announcer: "What would you say have been big disappointments?

Merman: "Marriages! But we all make mistakes, that's why they put rubbers on pencils. And that's what I did. I made a few loo-loos!"

[steveshack]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 8:37am

IT IS TIME FOR AN ETHEL MERMAN THEATRE ON BROADWAY.

And it's a shame that it hasn't already happened. No one introduced more songs to the American songbook that Ethel Merman. We held a 99th Birthday celebration at our show last night. I'll have lots of pics along with a video soon. In the meantime, in the video linked below, Jim Brochu talks a bit about her in a TV interview.


Big Voice Video Diary #14

[philcrosby]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 9:01am

She was a one of a kind performer who changed the way Broadway sounded forever.

She was the first "belter," whose voice could be heard just as well in the far reaches of the balcony as it could in the orchestra -- without any microphones.

She created some of the most memorable roles in the American theatre, and introduced a large part of what is considered the Great American Songbook. Composers fell over themselves to have her sing their songs.

She was tough, she was generous, she was stingy, she was loyal. There was an absolute American original.

[kooky]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 9:35am

What a great idea steveshack, THE MERMAN THEATRE - - wouldn't this be
the best year for that to happen!

[madbrian]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 9:42am

While I'm not a huge fan, I can't dispute her accomplishments or contributions to theater. Naming a theater after her is long overdue.

[steveshack]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 10:37am

madbrian, the tragedy of Merman, which is true of many musical theater performers, is that her amazing energy, the one the electrified audiences, was simply not translatable to any other medium. You had to be there. That's why live theatre is live theatre. Later, she was so imitated, that her style became comedic and a parody. But for those who were there, even if they weren't "fans," they couldn't deny the power of her presence.
THE BIG VOICE: GOD OR MERMAN?

[ahmelie]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 10:47am

Steveshack-

That's what I've always figured, though I've never really been a "fan" of hers, I more respect her for what she did to theatre, I would kill to see her in Gypsy or Anything Goes. She's one of those performers who I am sure was a legend because of her presence and charisma.

And a theater in her name is long, long, long overdue.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 11:50am

If you want to see Ethel in her prime, translating beautifully to televison, type in "Merman Como" to the site-that-must-not be named, and you'll see Perry Como giving her lessons in how to sing "softly."

The boom mike descends and she tries to whisper "When the Red Red Robin" softly into the mike--and surprisingly it's quite lovely!

But then she says, "Aw come on, Perry, that's no fun--I like to sing LOUD!" And the camera pulls back and she does what she did better than anyone: BELT.

[steveshack]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 11:52am

Pictures from our Merman Birthday Party were just posted online here at Broadway World. We had three Merman "dress-ups" in competition and the kicker was that two of the three were women!! Who'da thunk it?? :)
Press Break: Merman's 99th Birthday Party

[bially082]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 1:11pm

That video on the-site-that-shall-not-be-named was PRICELESS. Thanks for that!

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 3:47pm

I Agree that a theatre needs to be named for her. I would suggest the Imperial since that is where both AGYG and CALL ME MADAM opened and where GYPSY closed. It's right in the heart of the theatre district too.

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 3:52pm

...or the Broadway, where Gypsy opened.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 4:32pm

You had to see Ethel Merman live to really appreciate her for her singing and for her "take charge" star stage presence. I was lucky to see her in 5 shows: HAPPY HUNTING which my Dad took me to--we sat in the last row of the balcony and had no trouble hearing her; GYPSY, twice at the Broadway and once at the Imperial, and twice in Rochester,NY when GYPSY went on tour with Merman; the revival of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN at the Broadway; and in HELLO DOLLY at the St. James. I also went to the Carnegie Hall concert which she starred in in the early 1980's--wow what an evening that was with the audience going wild.

I have already mentioned the need for a theatre to be named for her on this Board before. I think the Imperial would be the best choice since she had 3 shows that played there, as already mentioned, and it is a Shubert house; the Shubert Organization has recently re-named 2 theatres for its own--now it is Ethel's turn. It could be dedicated on her 100th birthday, next January 16th, 2008.

[steveshack]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 5:42pm

The Imperial is a perfect choice.

Let's start a groundswell. If our show has the legs that it seems to have, and we last for another year, we'll be glad to find a way to make that one of our focuses for 2007. After all, our show is a love letter to Ethel (in a small way). Let's do it!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 7:32pm

that Merman cake is *TOO CUTE*!!!

& that clip with Perry Como was so fun!

one thing that i love so much about Merman is how obvious it is that SHE! LOVES! MUSIC!!!! she cant *HELP* but swing, her arms start goin, her toes start tappin...she just really ***ENJOYS*** feeling the music flow thru her!

[alterego]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 7:53pm

Why isn't there a Merman Theatre? Surely the name Merman is far more recognisable to theatregoers than Schoenfeld or Bernard B. Jacobs? How do we start the ball rolling?
Updated On: 1/17/07 at 07:53 PM

[Danielm]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 7:58pm

Thank you Gypsy and Steveshack. There are just certain performers who are live performers and recordings and video can't capture what they do. Merman was one of those.

[steveshack]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 8:59am

I can't find it on "that site" but there is a SPECTACULAR video of Merman and Fred Astaire at the Hollywood Bowl which has the same "plot" as this Perry Como one. Except they go through and entire medley where he sings her songs and she sings his. It's so utterly charming and wonderful on both their parts. It's from one of Astaire's TV specials. If you haven't seen it, hunt it down.
Big Voice Video Diaries