Margaret Hamilton/A Little Night Music- Page 2

[JMVR]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 6:45pm

How was she in the stage Wizard of Oz? I never knew this!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 7:11pm

^Yes! I'd be more interested in seeing pictures or audio of her as the witch in the stage versions of the Wizard of Oz.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 7:32pm

I don't think he was saying she was in a stage version of The Wizard of Oz.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 7:38pm

And, she reprised her role as the Wicked Witch of the West several times at the MUNY in St. Louis, once at Casa Manana in Fort Worth, and probably in a few other places too.

Seems like it to me.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 7:48pm

My bad. I misread!

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 8:11pm

I feel like B12B saw her at Kansas City Starlight...but I could be totally making that up.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 8:21pm

^The MUNY run is also mentioned on her wikipedia page and a few other sites as well.

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 10:30pm

Yes, she was in a live stage production of The Wizard of Oz, and I saw her play the Witch when it was at the Starlite Theatre in Kansas City in the mid-'70s. I was about 12 or 13, then. The Hudson Brothers played the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion (oy!). The show wasn't very good, but Maggie was wonderful recreating her legendary screen role.

As some of you know (not many though), after meeting her in person one summer in NY before I turned seven, she agreed to be my pen pal for my second grade class project. We corresponded for the entire school year, and I have several signed pictures, postcards and letters from her. She was a lovely person who was so terrific with children and any of her fans. Very giving of her time and attention. I adored her!

It's really great to hear this clip of her from A Little Night Music. I talked to her son about it a couple of years ago, and he said it was one of her favorite roles ever. She was so used to playing non-glamorous maids, witches, housekeepers, busybodies, etc., but to play Madame Armfeldt, who had "numbered kings among her lovers," was a dream come true. She finally got to be the "princess" (albeit an aged one) instead of the "witch."

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 12:25am

That's an absolutely amazing story-what a great woman!

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 8:26am

Glad you enjoyed it, Eric. And she was, indeed!

The best part for me was meeting her at the age of seven. I was taken into her dressing room at Lincoln Center (she was appearing as Aunt Eller in "Oklahoma!" then), and they closed the door with just the two of us inside (not even my parents were with us---they waited outside). I had "an audience with the Wicked Witch of the West." I asked her many questions, and she actually did her witch's laugh for me, since I apparently looked highly skeptical about this sweet "little old lady" who was supposedly the wicked witch in my favorite film.

I'll never forget that day or her.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 2:15pm

Yes, indeed, a lovely anecdote! Thank you, Best12.

[broadwaydanwi]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 9:49pm

Margaret also played Parthy in SHOW BOAT at Milwaukee's Melody Top during the summer of 1979. She was a friend of the Top's producer, Mr. Guy S. Little, Jr. He visited her Gramercy Park residence many times, and he has several pieces of her memorabilia at his charming residence. He told me many times what a wonderful human being she was. This world was a much better place with her in it. She is missed by many.