“Edelweiss, Edelweiss every Morning you Greet Me…”

The 20^th Century logo appears, the famous theme song plays, a few birds chirp, the alps appear, and suddenly Mary Poppins is singing. I hope you’ve guessed our next musical. The Sound of Music is known to many as a classic film that everyone must see. Mary Poppins, or Julie Andrews, played Maria Rainer while Christopher Plummer played the intimidating Captain von Trapp. In addition to those famous actors, another actress may be familiar. Sister Sophia in The Sound of Music was actually played by Marni Nixon, Audrey’s Hepburn’s singing voice in the movie version of My Fair Lady.

j             The Sound of Music is based on the true story of a young postulant struggling in the convent. She is sent to be the governess for Captain von Trapp’s seven children who have scared away dozens of governesses. Through music, love, and laughter, Maria brings the house back to life and eventually falls in love with the Captain right before the Nazi’s invade Austria. This courageous and caring woman actually existed. Most people are unaware of the true story of Maria. While she was in the process of becoming a nun, she was chosen to teach one of the ten von Trapp children. Eventually, she taught the children music and fell in love with all of them. Even though she married Georg, the Captain, she admits to not loving him.

            Another interesting fact about this movie is that Broadway is where the show originated. The musical Broadway version of this show starred Mary Martin as Maria Rainer and Theodore Bikel as Captain Georg von Trapp. The Broadway version had additional numbers that did not make the cut in the movie, such as "How Can Love Survive?" and "No Way to Stop it". The show aired on November 16, 1959 and ran over 1,000 times. The show did well until the movie premiered. The stage could not compete with real mountains, beautiful architecture, and intimacy created with lighting and camera angles. Mary Martin was not cast as Maria in the movie because the producers wanted a box office name. Luckily for Julie Andrews, she had just produced Mary Poppins and the initial casting fell through. Audrey Hepburn, or Eliza Doolittle, was offered the role but declined. In my opinion, no actress besides Julie Andrews will ever be Maria. Her perfect pitch leaves every listener satisfied and always takes me back to my childhood.

            In the near future, Carrie Underwood will be played Maria von Trapp in a special television version of The Sound of Music. I am quite skeptical about a country artist playing a nun in Salzburg, Austria. Maybe she will prove me wrong. Thanks for reading and as always, “It’s a grand night for singing!”

           

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“I’ll Be Wearing Ribbons Down My Back This Summer”

As you know, Barbra Streisand is my favorite actress and singer. So naturally, I chose to incorporate her into my next post. Only one year after the fabulous Funny Girl, Streisand appeared in Hello Dolly! as Mrs. Dolly Levi, a widow who believes every matter should be left to her, especially matchmaking. Mr. Horace Vandergelder, played by Walter Matthau, is the local store owner with two hardworking employees: Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker. Interestingly enough, Cornelius Hackl was played by Michael Crawford, who starred in a musical we will talk about in an upcoming entry, The Phantom of the Opera. The plot of Hello Dolly! is to find love, which happens to all of the characters. The audience may be misled by songs like “Love is Only Love,” “Before the Parade Passes By,” and my personal favorite, “Goodbye,” which give the audience the impression that love will never be found. That may have been the intention of director Gene Kelly, who was the lead in the cheerful musical Singin’ in the Rain.

Like most musical films, the story originated on the stage. Hello Dolly! was actually a musical on Broadway with the longest show run for a short time. After it opened on January 16, 1964 and closed on December 27, 1970, it lost the title of longest running musical to shows like Les Miserable and Phantom of the Opera, the longest running musical to date. The actress who played Dolly Levi was none other than Carol Channing, an actress known for her character in Thoroughly Modern Millie and her booming tenor-like voice. After the show closed with Channing in the lead, other actresses, like Ethyl Merman, brought the show back as a revival. Again, you know my not-so-warm feelings for Merman. I believe Streisand was the right choice for the movie as Channing and Merman were both too old and sang too low. Even though the Broadway version did not receive much recognition, the movie was very popular. This was due in part to the stellar cast, which also included Louis Armstrong, who played himself. The musicality of this show and many others that include Barbra Streisand, remind me that it’s always “A Grand Night for Singing!”

“I got 36 Expressions, Sweet as Pie to Tough as Leather…”

Have you ever heard of the show Ziegfeld Follies? If you have not, I can bet you have heard of one of Ziegfeld’s girls, Lucille Ball. The connection this show has with our next musical is the owner, Mr. Ziegfeld. On March 26, 1964, Fanny Brice became a Ziegfeld girl in the wonderfully funny and enchanting Funny Girl. This musical, my all-time favorite, starred Barbra Streisand, my all-time favorite actress.

            The show begins with a young Jewish girl, Fanny Brice, aspiring to be on the stage. Her dreams come true when “Nicky” Arnstein (her pet name for him) discovers her in a no-name theatre and introduces her to Florenz Ziegfeld, the owner of the Ziegfeld follies. The audience watches Fanny Brice’s rise to stardom, her marriage to “Nicky” Arnstein, and eventual divorce from him. In the Broadway version, Sydney Chaplin played the dashing Nick Arnstein.

            A few of the famous songs from this spectacular show include “If a Girl Isn’t Pretty”, “His Love Makes Me Beautiful”, “People”, and “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” This show was based on the true story of the real Fanny Brice, who was an actress, singer, radio voice, and part of the Ziegfeld follies. The show opening was postponed five times due to “artistic differences” among the two directors. One director furiously left because of the initiative the newer director took. No one thought the show would take off, but it became one of the most well-known and loved musicals because of Barbra Streisand’s show-stopping performance.

            When the show moved to the big screen, Streisand played Fanny Brice once again because of her history with the role. She was the only Fanny Brice in the Broadway show; she was never replaced. In addition to Streisand, another cast member appeared in the movie. Kay Medford, returned to play Mrs. Brice in the movie. Nicky Arnstein was replaced by the handsome Omar Shariff. Many songs were cut or altered for the movie, which ultimately helped the show. There is one part of every Streisand that is unforgettable; her extreme breath control. This, and her wonderful acting, led her to win her first Oscar for “Best Actress.” She went on to make dozens of records and movies while becoming one of the most successful and most-loved actresses in the world. She inspired me to sing, and reminds me that it’s always “A Grand Night for Singing!”

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