Pictures of Stars from Summer Stock (and Broadway)

[broadwaydanwi]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 9:38am

Hello again from Milwaukee!

Another summer is over, but you are still able to enjoy the memories of summer stock theatre by visiting my website and checking out a new gallery of rare photographs from Melody Top Theatre.

All of the images were taken from the scrapbooks kept by a local performer, the late Clyde Miller. Clyde worked on almost every stage in Milwaukee, and his wife Sally took amazing photographs of him with stars who visited the city to play on Melody Top's arena stage from 1967 to 1979. Below is a list of the legendary troupers, and many of them are pictured in their original stage costumes and make-up:

THE WOMEN: Ann Blyth, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Anne Jeffreys, Chita Rivera, Eileen Brennan, Gretchen Wyler, Jane Powell, Jaye P. Morgan, Karen Morrow, Kaye Stevens, Lois Hunt, Margaret Whiting, Marisa Pavan, Rita Moreno and Selma Diamond.

THE MEN: Arte Johnson, Bill Hayes, Dave Madden, Earl Wrightson, Edwin Steffe, Gabriel Dell, George Charikis, Hal March, Jack Bailey, Jean Pierre Aumont, John Raitt, Leonard Nimoy, Michael Callan, Peter Palmer, Robert Q. Lewis, Ross Martin, Stubby Kaye and Van Johnson.

Please enjoy the pictures, and I am looking forward to your positive feedback. The comments left on this site have helped me generate a lot of interest in, and brand-new content for, "Memories of Melody Top." I want to personally thank everyone who visited my website since its launch last November!
Memories of Melody Top Page, Seeing Stars

[beaemma]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 6:10pm

This website brings back so many great memories. The photos are all impressive, but I especially appreciate the beautiful Chita Rivera in an IRMA LA DULCE costume and the ever studly John Raitt in costume for 1776 and KISMET. Ann Blyth's make-up and hair don't exactly suggest a nun, but her singing was lovely in SOUND OF MUSIC. The color photo showing the interior of the tent theatre during a performance is just magnificent! It really captures the atmosphere. Thanks so much for adding these to your already terrific site!

[broadwaydanwi]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 8:58am

Thanks! I have many more photographs to post on the site, including color shots taken during performances of LI'L ABNER and 1776 at Melody Top.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 11:17am

1) Once again, very grateful for the website!

2) That story of the apprentice helping Betty White during SOUTH PACIFIC was a delightful read! Someone should forward that to Ms. White!!

3) Leonard Nemoy as Fagan in OLIVER!? Seriously??

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 11:29am

Capn-
It's not as weird as Leonard Nimoy as Henry Higgins.

Or, in another circuit, having Vincent Price or Rip Taylor play Fagan. Or the Cowboy from The Village People in Meet Me in St. Louis opposite Cathy Rigby.

[Jon]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 2:55pm

What's strange about Leonard Nimoy as Fagin? He's a talented character actor.

For an additional Star Trek/Oliver tie-in, Georgia Brown played Worf's adoptive mother on Star Trek TNG.

[beaemma]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 3:43pm

Right! Nimoy's an actor, not a Vulcan. I thought he was excellent as Fagin and as Higgins. He's one of the many actors who did such terrific jobs creating iconic roles that people had difficulty accepting them as other characters, but Nimoy had the goods and delivered in these summer stock performances.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 4:25pm

Great stuff as always! Can't wait for more! I would love to have seen Karen Morrow and John Raitt in Annie Get Your Gun!

[broadwaydanwi]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 8:33am

Although she has not yet responded to the story about her on my website, I do know that Betty White was told about it. I hope it made her smile! Her career in the entertainment world is proof that good work, combined with kindness to others, will be remembered for a long time. I was in a Borders book store on Friday, and I saw a 2011 calendar featuring pictures from her amazing career. Betty White will be the major pin-up girl for 2011!

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 10/7/10 at 9:17am

God, I love this stuff!

Why don't we still have stuff like this today?

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 10/7/10 at 1:30pm

^ Probably b/c the stars want more money than the theatres can pay them.

[broadwaydanwi]

Posted: 10/7/10 at 2:50pm

Lack of stars and lack of material are the main reasons why we no longer have summer stock theatres. But it is still fun to dream about the performers who would appear in tent productions of shows like GRAND HOTEL, CITY OF ANGELS and THE SECRET GARDEN. I know Melody Top considered producing SWEENEY TODD, and Jo Anne Worley was mentioned for the part of Mrs. Lovett. I think she would have been great!

[melodytopper]

Posted: 10/8/10 at 1:39pm

Site looking better and better!

[broadwaydanwi]

Posted: 10/9/10 at 12:59pm

Thanks, melodytopper!

Here is a simple quiz for anyone who hasn't looked at the new gallery of pictures:

What performer is pictured with a cigarette in his or her hand?

[beaemma]

Posted: 10/10/10 at 3:56pm

Hal March! I had to look at some of the photos again to find him, and noticed two oddities that hadn't stuck me before. Ann Blyth, who is not in costume for a show in one of the photos of her, is wearing some kind of heavy looking fur coat or jacket in the middle of summer, and Jaye P. Morgan looks like she just ate something that spoiled. Wonder what had her bent out of shape! Most of the stars are caught in their standard "pose for the fan" look, but I especially like the shots that seem more relaxed and candid, like Van Johnson and Selma Diamond.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 10/10/10 at 5:42pm

Surely there are enough actors whose careers on Broadway haven't taken off or have stalled, would prefer to do shows in a tent than hang around town, collecting unemployment (f they can get it), or waiting for pilot season to start!

[beaemma]

Posted: 10/10/10 at 7:28pm

I think one problem with finding leading actors for these shows might be that the kind of Broadway actors sondheimboy2 describes are not well known to potential summer stock or regional audiences. The actors might be willing to do the work, but might not get hired for that reason. The summer theatres were star driven back then. It's a pity, because I'm sure many current theatre people would be great in this type of venue. Many Melody Top stars who were most popular at the box office were people known from movies (Van Johnson, Jane Powell, Ann Blyth) and television (Jo Anne Worley, Mimi Hines). People like John Raitt were known to theatre fans, but also did quite a bit of television on music and variety shows. I'm not sure how many from those backgrounds have the skills and willingness to do regional or summer stock now.

[broadwaydanwi]

Posted: 10/10/10 at 7:52pm

Both Hal March and Selma Diamond are pictured with cigarettes in their hands.

Back to the discussion at hand... I think the meaning of the phrase "Broadway star" has changed a lot over the last 40 or 50 years. If summer stock tents would come back to life, I wouldn't expect A-list Broadway names to perform in them. Instead, I would be happy to see leading roles played by talented performers who have a few Broadway credits to their names. Everyone who reads this message board has ideas of who would make an excellent Dolly Levi or Harold Hill. They may never get to perform those roles on Broadway, but I'm sure they would be excellent in summer stock.


Updated On: 10/10/10 at 07:52 PM