Happy 50th Anniversary to ILLYA DARLING

Thanks for sharing, Nowak Darling!

And to those who haven't seen TOPKAPI : stream it or buy it. Mercouri is DELICIOUS in it!

In '67 my parents took the entire family on a combo NYC/Bermuda vacation. While in the former one matinee afternoon, we kids were sent off to Man of La Mancha at the ANTA, and my folks went to see Illya. During one scene (so I was told later on), Melina started hurling plastic wine cups out into the audience and my Mother caught one and presented it to me back at the hotel. And that's my story.

As an adolescent I was a fan of Orson Bean's, so I wanted to see this musical; I was not very familiar with Ms. Mercouri, although as a child I had heard the popular instrumental "Never on Sunday" many times. Anyway, my equally uninformed parents thought it would be nice if I took my young brother along with me. So, twofers in hand (remember those from the schools and NYC info center in Times Square?) we took the ferry from Staten Island, hopped on the only train I was familiar with, the number 1, and ventured to the Mark Hellinger Theater, where we got down front center orchestra seats for a preview matinee. (I can't remember what the cost was but I'm pretty sure it was less than $15, maybe $10 or so.) We both enjoyed it, but I was bombarded with questions from my sibling afterwards. Funny, the song I remember most (aside from the "Never on Sunday" movie theme also used in the show) was "Take a Little Drink of Ouzo," which was cut before opening night. I remember it was performed to exuberant choreography. Thanks for those memory-invoking photos.

Updated On: 4/12/17 at 01:24 AM

One of the most exciting overtures ever.

It was towards the end of the run of the stage adaptation when I saw it on Broadway - that was one of my earliest memories of Broadway.

But the performance I saw was bittersweet. All throughout the performance, Melina was silently crying as she sang -- I was seated close to the front and could see the tears coursing down her cheeks! I found out later on that it was the day her father died in Greece...and maybe because of her anti-regime views of the then Greek government, she could not return home for the sad event.

But a really great lady and performer!

Interesting too: the show arrived before the ubiquity of body mics. Mercouri managed the vocal demands -- not great, but substantial enough for a non-singer -- with great skill. Unlike Bacall, with whom one might compare her singing, she could corral a melodic line, whether purring or barking. It was an effective vocal performance. I wonder how hard it was for her, 8 times a week, since she danced a fair amount in the show. Like Bacall, she was a smoker. But then, everyone in the theater was back then.

Updated On: 4/13/17 at 11:26 AM