Ethel Merman
 Ethel Merman (January 16, 1908 - February 15, 1984) was a star of stage and film musicals, well known for her incredible vocal range and diction, and comic acting (although she could do drama also). ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ She was born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, in Astoria, Queens, New York, of a German Lutheran father and Scottish Presbyterian mother, although many people long assumed she was Jewish because of her pre-stage last name (which is common among non-Jewish Germans as well, particularly when there are two "n"s at the end of the name) along with the fact that she was from New York, New York. She was raised a Protestant. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Merman was married and divorced five times: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She was known for her powerful (belting) alto voice, exact enunciation, and accurate pitch. Because stage singers performed without microphones when she began singing professionally, she had great advantages in show business, despite the fact that she never received any singing lessons. In fact, Broadway lore holds that Richard Rodgers warned her to never take a lesson after first hearing her naturally developed gift for the first time. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ She began singing while working as a secretary. She eventually became a full time vaudeville performer, and played the pinnacle of vaudeville, the Palace Theatre in New York City. She had already been engaged for Girl Crazy, a musical with songs by George and Ira Gershwin, which also starred a very young Ginger Rogers (19 years old) in 1930. Her rendition of I Got Rhythm in the show was popular, and by the late 1930s she had become the first lady of the Broadway musical stage. Many consider her the leading Broadway musical performer of the twentieth century with her signature song being "There's No Business Like Show Business". ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Merman starred in five Cole Porter musicals, among them "Anything Goes" in 1934 where she introduced "I Get a Kick Out of You", "Blow Gabriel Blow", and the title song. Her next musical with Porter was Red, Hot and Blue in which she co-starred with Bob Hope and Jimmy Durante and introduced "It's Delovely" and "Down in the Depths." In 1939's "DuBarry Was A Lady", Porter provided Merman with a "can you top this" duet with Bert Lahr, "Friendship". Like "You're the Top" in "Anything Goes", this kind of duet became one of her signatures. Porter's lyrics also helped showcase her comic talents in duets in "Panama Hattie" ("Let's be Buddies"), and "Something for the Boys", ("By the Mississinewah"). ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Irving Berlin supplied Merman with equally memorable duets, including "Anything You Can Do" with Ray Middleton in Annie Get Your Gun and "You're Just in Love" with Russell Nype in Call Me Madam. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ In 1951, Merman won the 1951 Best Actress Tony Award for her performance as Sally Adams in Call Me Madam. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Perhaps Merman's most revered performance was in Gypsy as Gypsy Rose Lee's mother Rose. Merman introduced Everything's Coming Up Roses, Some People, and ended the show with the wrenching Rose's Turn, gaining standing ovations for her work. She did not get the role in the movie version, however, which went to movie actress Rosalind Russell, and Merman was quoted as saying: "I know her sort, I can't say...but it rhymes with 'witch' and you'll find her sort in a kennel". She also insulted Russell's husband, Freddie Brisson, by calling him the "Lizard of Roz". ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Ironically, Merman lost the Tony Award to Mary Martin, who was playing Maria in The Sound of Music. "How can you beat a nun?", philosophized Merman. The competitiveness notwithstanding, Merman and Martin were friends off stage and starred in two musical specials on television (unfortunately the two shared something else in common -- they would both die of cancer-related illnesses at the age of 76). ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Merman retired from Broadway in 1970 when she appeared as the last Dolly Levi in Hello Dolly, a show initially written for her. No longer willing to "take the veil" as she described being in a Broadway role, Merman preferred to act in television specials and movies. Despite having a reputation for a salty tongue, and having introduced ribald Cole Porter lyrics, Merman was known to dislike theatre fare in the 1970s like "Oh Calcutta" for being lewd. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ She was predeceased by one of her 2 children, her daughter, Ethel (known as "Ethel, Jr,"). ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ After Merman was diagnosed with brain cancer in 1983, she collapsed and died several weeks following the surgery at the age of 76 in 1984; she had been planning to go to Los Angeles to appear at the Oscars that year. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Merman co-wrote two volumes of memoirs, "Who Could Ask for Anything More" in 1952 and an additional volume in 1979. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
January 16: January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 349 days remaining (350 in leap years).... 1908: 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar).... February 15: February 15 is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 319 days remaining (320 in leap years).... Ethel Merman related Images and Photos (experimental) | ~ Table of Content ~
~ Related Subjects ~Call Me Madam (2) - Broadway (2) - Cole Porter (2) - Gregorian Calendar (2) - January 16 (2) - Leap year (2) - February 15 (2) - You're Just in Love (1) - Russell Nype (1) - Sally Adams (1) - Best Actress Tony Award (1) - 1951 (1) - Annie Get Your Gun (1) - Friendship (1) - Bert Lahr (1) -~ Community ~
| ||||||||||||||||
Lexicon - Contact us/Report abuse - Privacy Policy - Spiritus-Temporis.com ©2005. - stvers1 - 2012-02-10 - evol2 - 0.39