Julie Andrews is one of the most established actress’ to ever walk across a Broadway stage. This humble star has been nominated for the Tony’s three times and refused her third nomination because she felt the other cast members had been overlooked. I have chosen to write about Mrs. Andrews because she has done so much and I aspire to be like her
Julie Elizabeth Wells was born October 1, 1935 in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England.Her birth father, Ted Wells, was a school teacher and he divorced her mom on the eve of WWII. She had a musical family with her mother, Barbara, being a pianist and her stepfather, Ted Andrews, being a singer both on Vaudeville. Together they formed a musical act and entertained troops throughout England.Her stepfather discovered her voice when he was trying to bond with her and got her into show biz there in England. By the age of eight she was studying with Lilian Styles-Allen who at the time was a famous concert singer. By age ten she had joined the family act and took on her stepfathers name. World War II restricted Ms. Andrews from going to school because it was too dangerous for her to go to school. She says “There was a lot of evacuation going on at that time. All the children were being evacuated into the country. I was, too, for a while. The air raids towards the end of the war particularly were coming so fast and furiously -- with the doodlebugs (buzz bombs) as we called them -- that no housewife could get anything done and everything just ground to a halt for a while.” Since school wasn’t an option Ms. Andrews resulted to performing to pass time by. In 1946 a radio debut was made for Julie Andrews singing a duet with Ted Andrews on a BBC variety show. Her first performance was as a solo artist ...
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...onfidence never falters no matter what the circumstances. She is living proof that no matter what life throws your way you can always find a way to make it work. Also Julie Andrews personality has a bit of gracefulness to it. She can always be looked up to as someone elegant and classy. She is the perfect role model for any young girl with non etiquette tendencies. Along with being a role model for young women she also proves many things to older woman as well. Such as no matter how old you are you can still make money and you’re never too old to quit. When her vocal cords were messed up she still did acting just not singing. This shows older women that even if your signature trait is cut off there are still other things you can do to succeed. Julie Andrews will forever go down in history as the most successful actress in America due to her outstanding reputation.
With all that Ethel Waters has contributed to music and film, it is surprising that she is often forgotten. She was a talented blues singer whose unique style distinguished her from other blues singers and she was a jazz vocalist as well. Her talent extended beyond singing, when she became a dramatic actress who earned award nominations for her performances. What was most remarkable about Waters' performances was how she reconstructed the mammy character into one that challenged stereotypes.
Jennie, Schulman. "Geoffrey Holder: A Life in Theatre, Dance, and Art." Back Stage 20 Sept. 2002: 11-12. Rpt. in Back Stage. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
If there is truly tradition to be found among the great theatres both on and off Broadway, then certainly the Sullivan Street Playhouse and its long running production of The Fantasticks rates as one of the most celebrated of New York theatrical traditions. Maintaining its place as the longest running production Off Broadway, The Fantasticks remains an enchanting and insightful tale of both young love and bitter disillusionment. It also reminds one, in this age of spectacle and the mega-musical, how powerful and truly inspiring theatre itself can be. Clearly, one of the great strengths of this production and a large part of its appeal for audiences over the last four decades lies in the fact that both the story and the style of presentation compliment each other so completely. Here we find the non-essentials are stripped away, and we are left to rely simply on the imagination of both the audience and the performers to create a magical evening.
Ever heard of a story that sings of the “Angel of Music” and the “Phantom of the Opera”? A tale that once you have listened to the sweet melody that you will realized that you've pasted the “Point of No Return”? This love triangle has captivated multitudes ever since the 1910 original Phantom of the Opera was published in France by Monsieur Leroux, although most story lovers recall the musical of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber or the motion picture adaption. Although this story has been entertaining people for over a century, in this new era have prerecorded voices and movements begun to overshadow the talented performers of live theater? Although “The lavish screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera (2005) only deepened the damage” of the dislike of musicals made into film “with non-stars in the leads and an unimaginative production,”(Musical),which version, the live performance or the film, makes the story more attractive? To answer these questions, permit this essay to analyze two methods of storytelling: 2011 live performance Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall and the 2005 film, and decide if music and story lovers everywhere have too “turned from true beauty”.
Audra has lived a truly spectacular life under the stage light, performed in multiple arenas, on multiple stages, in an array of roles, sometimes as herself and sometimes as a character very unlike herself, won multiple awards, and continues to amaze audiences with her talent and charm.
From a young age, Eva had aspirations of becoming a famous actress. She enjoyed the theatre, and often put on small performances with her sister Erminda. When Eva was fifteen, she moved to Buenos Aires to pursue her interest in theater, a risky pursuit, because finding work and achieving success were not guaranteed. Fortunately, she was successful in finding work. She performed small, low-paying jobs until she captured her fir...
Born February 9, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York as Carole Klein, she was playing the piano by the age of four. While still in high school she was in her first band, the Co-Sines. Carole was a huge fan of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller (the duo who penned hits for Elvis Presley, the Coasters and Ben E. King), she became a regular at DJ Alan Freed's local Rock 'N' Roll shows. She met songwriters Paul Simon and Neil Sedaka as well as Gerry Goffin, whom she later forged a writing partnership with, while attending Queens College.
Personality wise, she was persuasive, determined, confident, ambitious, risk-taking, and hardworking. Some of those personality traits are those of which I do not possess. However, they are traits that I desire to be able to portray and use in my life. I am, personally, not a very confident or risk-taking type of person so to attempt to apply these two traits to the way that I go about my life, might influence the way that I decide to try and accomplish certain things. I could use the personality trait of being confident for school presentations, or even sports events. Being the type of person who is risk-taking would allow for myself to be daring enough to go for what I desire in life, both academically and athletically. Margaret Sanger is someone to look up to because she wasn’t willing to back down, and stood up for what she believed in as well as what she thought was
Sonneborn, Liz. “Temple, Shirley.” A to Z of American Women in the Performing Arts 2014.
The Impact of Ethel Merman Ethel Merman is described by PBS as the most successful musical comedy performer of her generation. Merman is known for contributing her loud and clear vocals to the Broadway stage and changing the way that people observe women on Broadway as well (PBS). Appearing and starring in several Broadway blockbusters, her acting career appeared to go through somewhat transitional phases to where she could act less and less like herself in character. Merman left her mark as an entertainer and her voice continues to be a spectacle. Ethel’s life before Broadway speaks a lot to her career on Broadway.
Early life and introductions to theater and dance began when Katherine was just a young girl. Katherine’s childhood was neither the easiest nor the best. Grew up as a middle class child, till the loss of her mother whom died and left her brother and herself to their father, later due to financial situations the family had to sell their home (Banes, 1998). With no place to go Katherine’s sibling and her self, went to permanently live with their aunt (O’Connor, 2002). Living with Katherine’s aunt is where she acquired interest in the world of entertainment as she watched her aunt and cousin rehearse for black vaudeville shows. Shortly after that Kather...
As in all genres, the musicals have had its share of failures. Some worthy dramas have been pressed into service and musicalized and sometimes butchered in the process, and audiences have had to watch a fine play diluted into a mediocre musical. But the successes have been many and spectacular and they have left a long lasting effect on the American art and culture.
Ella Fitzgerald is a great role model to kids and other adults. She shows us that hard work and determination can lead us to do great thing. She shows us that we should us the talents that we have. She inspired the people to go after their dreams and never give up on themselves. She loved children that wanted to peruse their dreams and she made them come true by helping them do the things that she loved to do when she was a kid.
Theatre has heavily evolved over the past 100 years, particularly Musical Theatre- a subgenre of theatre in which the storyline is conveyed relying on songs and lyrics rather than dialogue. From its origination in Athens, musical theatre has spread across the world and is a popular form of entertainment today. This essay will discuss the evolution and change of musical theatre from 1980-2016, primarily focusing on Broadway (New York) and the West End (London). It will consider in depth, the time periods of: The 1980s: “Brit Hits”- the influence of European mega musicals, the 1990s: “The downfall of musicals”- what failed and what redeemed, and the 2000s/2010s: “The Resurgence of musicals”- including the rise of pop and movie musicals. Concluding
August Strindberg was undoubtedly a contemporary writer, but where gender issues were concerned, he preferred to support the past. His work reflected the cultural and societal environment around him in 1887; this suggests themes throughout Miss Julie, such as gender inequality and women’s’ rights, were inflicted by his own struggle between classes and promiscuous relationships with women. It becomes apparent in the play that Miss Julie, a self-portrait of Strindberg, typifies Strindberg’s creative energy and the close relationship between his writing and lifestyle. Miss Julie’s downfall can be associated with many aspects of her life, ranging from the masculine influence in her life, to her degenerated brain, thus making her a damaged, frail woman. Her on-going battle of the sexes and gender inequality are liable for her inevitable fate.