2007-07-01 09:03:40 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Performing Arts
They broke the mold when they made Ethel Merman.
She was spot-on at every performance -- full energy and full voice. Speaking of her voice, can you imagine the fist-fight that would ensue if some sound engineer today tried to slap a body mic on her? [Of course, she'd have to submit -- in this era of ridiculous over-amplification, even her battleship of a voice would be smothered.]
No matter what happened in her personal life, that dame showed up and did the performance. On the two B'way shows I did, we'd have people call out sick for the most trivial matters. So little commitment -- and so little respect for the privilege of doing a show in New York.
I also must mention Angela Lansbury, who was always exciting to watch. She had the rare gift of projecting a character to even the back row, without being over-the-top energy-wise -- she was utterly vivid, yet still grounded.
And though he's far before my time, George M. Cohan was a phenomenally talented showman, both onstage and as a writer, composer, director, and producer. Of course, he was defiantly opposed to the formation of Actors' Equity, so that diminishes my appreciation of him somewhat.
2007-07-01 11:49:52 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ethel Merman. Mary Martin. Angela Lansbury. Julie Andrews. John Raitt. Patti Lupone. Tommy Tune. Chita Rivera. Shirley MacLaine. Rodgers and Hammerstein. Agnes deMille. Gordon Macrae. You pick.
2007-07-01 16:26:08 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow...such a difficult question to just give one answer. Here's a few to think about:
Gwen Verdon
Chita Rivera
Jerry Orbach
Joel Grey
Patti Lupone
Mandy Patinkin
Bernadette Peters
Betty Buckley
Ben Vereen
Nathan Lane
Harvey Fierstein
Idina Menzel
Kristin Chenowith
Audra Mcdonald
2007-07-02 10:16:56 · answer #3 · answered by doggy1117 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
John Lloyd Young.
2007-07-01 22:21:43 · answer #4 · answered by jbird 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dean Balkwill!!!! Rent, Lion King
2007-07-01 23:33:58 · answer #5 · answered by Broadway Cowgirl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Miss Gypsy Rose Lee!!!
2007-07-02 01:37:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
George M. Cohan
2007-07-01 16:11:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Idina Menzel. You can't get much brighter than a green face!
2007-07-01 20:53:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Y
O
U
2007-07-01 17:42:01 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋