42ND STREET MOON

A Moon Studded Evening

2009-07-10T16:00:00.001-07:00

(Photo: Special Guests Jan Wahl and Paula West)

Open: A stage bereft of persons, a lone-lit piano, and 12 stark chairs.

Enter: Dave Dobrusky, Maestro of all things Moon, followed by Bill Fahrner and Caroline Altman. Bill sat on the end of stage right and began the evening with a plaintive and tender “Hooray for Hollywood;” the music continued as Caroline Altman delivered a touching oratory tribute to Hollywood during the Depression Era.

And We’re in the Money was off to an amazing start…

The cast (in alphabetical order) Caroline Altman, Derek Travis Collard, Robbie Cowan, Bill Fahrner, Sarah Kathleen Farrell, Rob Hatzenbeller, Nina Josephs, Alexandra Kapreilian, Greg MacKellan, Darlene Popovic, Stephanie Rhoads, and Justin Torres whipped through hit after hit from “Singing in the Rain” and “Jeepers Creepers” to “Some Like it Hot” and of course the title song, “We’re in the Money.”

There were even special guests: the Decobelles, the Jesters, Jan Wahl and a breathy and bold Paula West. Paula joined the evening unannounced and sang an audacious “Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise.”

Every single member of the cast shined that night, but I was absolutely astonished by the felicity of Darlene Popovic’s comedic timing and Greg MacKellan’s masterful knowledge of all things Musical.

When Greg joined Darlene in “We’re in the Money,” he sang the lyrics in pig Latin à la Ginger Rogers. The audience sat mesmerized, only to be jolted into hysterics when Darlene implored them to join in Greg’s version. “Everybody!” she said coyly.

One of the most touching moments came after “We’re in the Money,” when the mic was passed between the actors to explain what Moon means to them. Darlene summed up most of the actors’ sentiments, “This is a family.”

However, it was Justin’s declaration, “It’s tough being one of the only straight male actors in musical theatre,” that once again brought the house down with laughter.

After intermission Jan Wahl looked like she was having the time of her life on stage. Who could blame her? She was being serenaded by the sultry tones of Bill, Robbie, Rob, Justin, and Derek singing the Kern-Fields gem, “The Way You Look Tonight.” Five hunks to one “woman of many hats,” them’s odds Jan looked kindly on!

The show was only part of the evening, which began with hors d'oeuvres, wine and a silent auction. After the concert, patrons visited with the cast as more wine and desserts were passed. I’m told the auction was a huge success, as was the entire evening.

Kudos to Board Member and Event Chair Joanna Leighton-Nevesny, Moon’s Managing Director Lauren Hewitt, Greg MacKellan, the cast and all the volunteers who made the gala fundraiser such a wonderful event.

This concert was reminiscent of the earliest days of Moon: no props, no scenery, just beautiful music, brilliant singers and an evening of entertainment that brought all those in attendance just a little bit closer together. I know it sounds mushy, but it’s true.

P.S. The evening was a fundraiser. If you weren’t able to make it, but would like to make a donation to 42nd Street Moon you can do so by clicking here.

P.P.S. For more about the gala (and specifically Jan Wahl’s involvement) check back next week!

A New Moon

2009-07-10T15:27:00.001-07:00

(photo: New 42nd Street Moon Blogger Ken Levin with Maureen McVerry at We're in the Money)

Hello all you Moonies!

I’d like to introduce myself, ever so quickly. My name is Ken and I became a full-fledged Moonie in February when Lauren called me (quite out of the blue) and asked if I’d be interested in House Managing the final three shows of the season. Already familiar with 42nd Street Moon’s mission, I jumped at the chance of working for an organization that felt the same way about musical theatre as I did.

More recently when Lauren and Greg asked me to take over the blog I jumped again.

I can’t express how excited I am to be doing this! Well I could, but it would probably take a much lengthier blog, some diagrams, and perhaps an interpretative dance or two. Suffice it to say, I’m pretty excited.

As you may have noticed we haven’t had a blog entry in… quite sometime. I aim to change that. I know Moon has had a few different voices in the past, and I hope to take the best parts of those who have come before me and add my own panache.

You’ll also find me a bit more conversational in style. And to that effect, I hope you will join in the conversation. Leave comments, give opinions, and answer questions (oh yes… there will be questions and pop quizzes in the upcoming months!)

Consider this MoonBlog v. 3.0; funnier (I hope), more informative (I get to break all the Moon News that’s fit to print), and Moonier (I want all my Moon family in on the action – actors, production and administrative staff, and most importantly FANS!).

Wildcat Opens, Lead Casting Remembered

2009-05-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

The Moon’s ongoing production of Wildcat started with a bang last week when the show opened with lead Maureen McVerry wearing a vintage garter that Lucille Ball had worn when she had the role. The packed audience at the Eureka Theatre on Saturday included John Henry, a self-described Lucille buff who brought the garter and invited Maureen to wear it for her opening night performance.

The cast and audience mingled after the performance over appetizers from restaurant sponsor L’Olivier’s (many people don’t know that the opening night shows include catered receptions, let alone wine). The next day, Neil Wilburn, the author of the upcoming book “Lucy Goes to Broadway,” a historical look at Lucille’s time on the small stage that’s set to hit shelves before the show’s 50th anniversary, participated in the post-production cast and crew talk back.

Neil (shown here with Rob Hatzenbeller (Joe Dynamite) and Maureen) said that Lucille had planned to film a movie version of Wildcat in the early 1960s. When it didn't happen, Ann-Margret was announced for the role a few years later but the casting was never fruitful. He also spoke about how Lucille had carefully chosen Wildcat because the role was such a departure from her Lucy Ricardo character, but that Desi had urged her to put more "Lucy" into her characterization, which she reluctantly did. Neil said he feels the show itself is very underrated and hopes his book will get more theaters interested in producing it.

Wildcat can be seen at the Eureka Theatre until May 24. More information and tickets can be found on the 42nd Street Moon website.

Wildcat Director Kalon Thibodeaux on Oilbums and Old Souls

2009-05-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

When I met Kalon Thibodeaux at the first Wildcat rehearsal, I was impressed by his extensive work with the Moon and his enthusiasm about the upcoming production (not to mention his general friendliness and big welcome to a new fan of the theater). The San Franciscan acted in Flora the Red Menace, Minnie’s Boys (for which he received a Bay Area Critics Circle Award nomination), and other Moon productions before directing Oh, Lady Lady. He told me about his passion for theater, his staging style, and the myriad reasons he finds joy in the work.

EG: What drew you to direct Wildcat?

KT: When I sat down to read through it, what I loved about it instantly was its power. When the show was developed, it featured the work of Lucille Ball (has there ever been a more gutsy comedienne?) and choreographer Michael Kidd. And although Wildcat was his Broadway debut as a composer, Cy Coleman was obviously capable of creating a full, powerful sound that’s evident in songs like "Corduroy Road" and "Hey, Look Me Over." All of this is perfectly fitting for a show about getting your hands dirty to chase your dream, a theme that's manifested through things like hard hitting, big singing "oilbums" and the onstage building of an oil rig. It's a big musical with a big heart and I like that kind of theater.

What types of shows or themes are you most intrigued by?

I've been involved in theater for about 20 years now. I think the main reason I've stuck with it so long is that I like variety. I like being able to research and create in a specific period or environment intensely for a few months and then get to move on to a completely different style of theater. I find it liberating and a wonderful opportunity to learn about things that I probably wouldn't have had the time or energy to look into on my own.

The last Moon show I directed, for example, was set in 1912 (like Wildcat), but it was much more of a New York society farce than the Wild West, rugged feel of Wildcat. Hardly any elements of design have been used in both. I like to let the theater take me on the ride according to the task at hand.

What was your reaction to finding the Moon after moving to San Francisco?

It was wonderful. I, in a way, bumped into it. I was just auditioning wherever I could and the Moon happened to be looking for someone to play Harpo Marx in their production of Minnie's Boys. Stephanie saw me at a general audition and they had me come in and read. I fell in love instantly. I guess you could say I'm sort of an "old soul" and, especially as a performer, I absolutely love the classical musical theater style. It's probably because a lot of it is so heavily influenced by old vaudeville acts. I found myself playing roles at the Moon that were originated by people like Jimmy Durante and Willie Howard. Where else do you get to have that much fun?

Not many places, I’d say. You can read more of Kalon’s joyous takes on musical theater on his personal blog and see it on stage when Wildcat opens on May 7.

"Wildcat" Maureen McVerry on Acting, Directing and Observing

2009-05-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

This week I talked to Maureen McVerry, who's playing the title role in the Moon's upcoming show "Wildcat." Her previous Moon productions have included "The Student Gypsy," "Pardon My English" and the recently performed "High Spirits."

Given that "High Spirits'" Ruth is such a different character from the strong and spunky Wildcat Jackson, I was looking forward to hearing how Maureen approaches the theatre and her work in it. It was good to hear the self-described “drama queen of Redwood City” talk about her direction of school musical; she says she’s passionate about passing a love of musical theater onto her teenage children and students. We talked about what she seeks when choosing a theatre, why a Masters of Fine Arts isn’t necessary for quality acting, and seeking inspiration.

EG: What about the namesake role in “Wildcat” appealed to you as an actor?

MM: When Greg [MacKellan] told me that the role was prepared for Lucille Ball in the early ‘60s, I read it and was intrigued by the fact that the show has been completely forgotten even though it was once a staple. The show’s theme song, "Hey, Look Me Over," was very popular at the time, and it’s made it easy to tell people about the upcoming production.

Which of Wildcat Jackson’s characteristics are similar to your own?

I think she’s much more emotional than I am, but I’m also very strong-willed and goofy. What can I say? I’ve never been a shrinking violet!

What drew you back for your fourth Moon production?

The Moon is such a positive company. It has a very refreshing attitude about putting on shows and retains a sense of joy and community that other theater companies don’t have. Come to think of it, I don’t know of other companies that even practice communal vocal warm-ups.

Also, any time I spend a number of weeks working with [musical director] Dave Dobrusky I come out a stronger singer with better technique.

How did you decide to teach musicals to middle school students?

I think that the tradition of great performances will be lost if we don’t expose it to kids and teenagers. We need to do a better job of making sure that this art form is introduced to them and carries on. I bring my students to see Moon performances, and I’ve never had any of them anything less than “Wow”—they’re very captured by it.

What about your own musical education experience do you hope to pass on or change for your students?

I actually hated my high school theater department because it wasn’t very well run. It wasn’t until I took a theater class at Cal in adulthood that I realized I wanted to take part in productions. Since then, I’ve found that watching good acting is a great way to learn. I don’t have an MFA as I don’t think it’s necessarily needed to be a good performer—the best way to become a quality actor is to observe people on the street and watch good acting on stage.

Maureen’s advice is applicable to actors and theatergoers seeking great acting—and as San Franciscans we’re lucky to be exposed to a wide range of theatrics on just about any street. My conversation with Maureen got me thinking about acting and presentation around us that we’ve either tuned out or shaken our heads in wonder about. What have you seen that’s stage-worthy around you lately?

Maureen can be seen in “Wildcat” at the Eureka Theatre from May 7 through 24. More information and tickets can be found on the 42nd Street Moon website.

Moving Forward, Looking Back: A Reflection on the Growth of 42nd Street Moon

2009-04-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

The revamping of the 42nd Street Moon blog this spring provides a good opportunity to reflect on the birth of the company, a labor of love and a triumphant addition to local arts by co-founders Greg MacKellan and Stephanie Rhoads.

Greg had spent much of his career performing, producing and directing in New York and LA. He’d created a six CD series of rare show music featuring name Broadway stars including Judy Kaye, Rebecca Luker, and Patricia Morison. He relocated to San Francisco in 1992, where he was acquainted with director Rick Simas and voice teacher Edward Sayegh. The close friends of Stephanie introduced her to Greg as she was eager to meet the man who was producing the very music from shows she had such a great love for.

Over dinner, Stephanie and Greg discussed their mutual passion for unknown or forgotten musicals from the 1920s through 1960s. They mourned the demise of the New Amsterdam Theatre Company, which had presented staged-concert versions of these shows in New York.

The year before the acclaimed Encores! series began, the two decided to collaborate and create their own company to present pared-down concert productions of shows that would rarely, if ever, be seen anywhere else.

“Musicals were a main form of entertainment for Americans before TV,” Stephanie says. “There were so many shows by songwriters like the Gershwins that were never seen by contemporary audiences. After toying with the idea of creating a revue of such material, we decided to do what we really wanted to do – concert musicals – to whatever extent we could.”

Greg adds, “When we started, we didn't really realize we were starting a theatre company. We just had a passion for these shows and wanted to present them.”

Greg, who began a lifetime love of musicals as a child, learned about the “Golden Age” of musical theatre and composers like Porter, Kern, Rodgers & Hart, and the Gershwins as a teenager. That was the genesis of 42nd Street Moon for him, Greg recalls. “As I got older and became a professional performer and later producer and director, I wanted to help bring those songs to a contemporary audience in a way that would make them as urgent and fresh as they had been when they were new. It was important to me because I felt that a major part of America’s cultural legacy had fallen by the wayside to some extent.” He started with a cabaret show, which led to a staged concert of Cole Porter’s Jubilee at LA’s Westwood Playhouse, CDs, and finally San Francisco and Stephanie.

A long-time performer in theatre, concerts, cabarets, and cruise ships, Stephanie had previously created a two-woman show with Golden Age Broadway music. The singer and actor was well-connected with local San Francisco actors, directors, and theater companies. This was a good combination with Greg’s ties to major licensing agencies, the Cole Porter Trust, and Jerome Kern’s daughter Betty, who facilitated their access to some of her father’s earliest works.

Seeking a name for their new venture, Greg and Stephanie wanted something that symbolized the era of musical theatre they were focusing on. “42nd Street Moon” had been the nickname for the lights over 42nd Street (the main musical theatre thoroughfare in the 1920s), and it became the name of the new company.

The two hit the ground running. They opened their first production three-show series, including Jubilee, One Touch of Venus, and Oh, Lady! Lady!!, at the New Conservatory Theatre Center in the summer of 1993. Positive advance press and reviews in the San Francisco Chronicle led to a week of sold out shows for all three of Moon’s first productions.

The great opening didn’t ensure easy growth, however. Greg and Stephanie, who are now Artistic Director and Producing Director, respectively, made their own copies and called publishing houses themselves between rehearsals. Funding was an ongoing concern. An endless number of tasks had to be completed, and they called on archivists, a theater critic, and community members to join the company’s advisory board and offer advice on successfully running the organization.

Rehearsal and performance space has been another ongoing issue for the company. After a few years, the company outgrew the tiny space at NCTC, and moved performances to the Eureka Theatre. This former movie theater is where audiences can now see most Moon shows, including the upcoming Wildcat. The current offices and rehearsal studio, "MoonSpace," was a lucky find by Moon’s Board President, J. Pattterson McBaine. Formerly the Church of Christ, it is now lovingly referred to by Moonies as “The Church of Cole Porter.”

Today, Greg and Stephanie collaborate on season planning, creative staff hiring, casting, and special events. They say they are constantly looking for ways to keep the company fresh and improve the product by speaking with audience members, their board members, and artistic colleagues locally and nationally.

“We've really revamped how we do things, tried to shake up our thinking about what we do, how we accomplish it and what we feel is important,” Greg says. “I think that’s crucial when you have a long-time artistic tenure with a company. Moon 2009 doesn’t bear a lot of resemblance to the Moon of 1993, which is how it should be. The one thing that hasn’t changed, however, is our passion for musical theater. Stephanie and I are hooked for life, and hopefully our audiences are as well.”

Greetings from New Moon Team Member

2009-04-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday,

As the newest member of the 42nd Street Moon online team, I’d like to provide a brief mid-season introduction. I’ll be working in tandem with Artistic Directors Greg MacKellan and Stephanie Rhoads and Managing Director Lauren Hewitt to profile cast members and provide communications about the theater through the social Web. You can expect to see news and features here every Tuesday and Friday.

When theater board member and blog network BlogHer co-founder Elisa Camahort Page asked if I’d be interested in working with the Moon, I was excited about the possibility of teaming up with a passionate local arts organization. I met the group at a recent rehearsal for “High Spirits” and was intrigued by their commitment to bring musical theater to diverse audiences. And once I knew that I wouldn’t be asked to sing (it’s safe to say that my tone deaf self is better with words than notes), I was eager to participate and find out more about the productions and people—the “Moonies”—involved.

A few notes about my background (I’ll keep it brief, I promise):

I blog about Bay Area arts and culture at Goliblogski, where I cover exhibitions, plays, performances, and other work that tickles my fancy.

I’m intrigued by the ways that arts organizations connect with people who can benefit from exposure to their creativity. Working with the Chicago-based non-profit arts coalition Artistic Circles to promote their documentary about women religious leaders bringing their communities together after September 11 was a formidable experience for me. I’ve been committed to utilizing the tools at my disposal to make the efforts of similar small but mighty organizations visible ever since.

I auditioned for two musicals at the Toledo Rep and another two at my high school to no avail—the line “you can tap dance but your singing hurts my ears” became a familiar one. I ended up on the arts public relations team. Fancy that.

Thanks for having me. I look forward to hearing from you about content you’d like to see from the Moon and am excited to meet you—at “Wildcat,” perhaps?

Bring On The Girls!

2008-01-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

One of the most remarkable theatrical memoirs ever written is by the musical book and lyrics collaborators P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton, looking back at their wild and fruitful careers together and apart in both London and New York in the first three decades of the 20th century. It was published in 1953, when most of the theatrical managers they dealt with, such as Flo Ziegfield, Abe Erlanger and Col. Henry W. Savage, were safely gone from the earth and they could tell outrageously funny insider stories about their greed, cupidity, and general insanity. In fact, it may be the wittiest memoir I have ever read, and the sheer pleasure Bolton and Wodehouse took in each other's sensibilities comes through on every page. Though not available at the San Francisco Public Library (what's wrong with that place?), you can order a used copy on Amazon (click here).

There is a long chapter in the book about the genesis of "Oh, Lady, Lady" that is fascinating. After their first two collaborations, "Oh, Boy!" and "Leave It to Jane," Bolton and Wodehouse were on top of the world, thinking they could do no wrong, which of course is when they turned out three turkeys in a row, "The Rose of China," "The Riviera Girl," and "Miss 1917." Their account of this trio of disasters is hilarious, and by the end of them, the two authors are thinking about going back to architecture and journalism respectively. Out of the blue, however, they were contacted by Ray Comstock, the theatrical manager of the Princess Theatre, who wanted them to try and recreate their "Oh, Boy!" success and out of that process they produced yet another smash with "Oh, Lady, Lady."

It wasn't all smooth sailing, however. At the out-of-town tryout in Wilmington, Delaware, on a Wednesday matinee performance on Christmas Eve, only 36 people showed up in the audience, and they didn't utter a single peep or laugh. Let me quote the rest:

"They were so quiet that halfway through the first act Bolton, forgetting their existence, rose and addressed Harry Brown, who was playing his opening scene with Carroll McComas.

"That's wrong, Harry," he said. "You'll kill the laughs if you keep pointing to the settee. Carroll would be bound to know what you were talking about." His voice trailed off into silence as he became aware of thirty-six blank faces which had turned and were regarding him with astonishment from rows one and two. Plum [Wodehouse] came to the rescue.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said. "We must apologize. We're down here trying to get this show right for New York, and Mr. Bolton has just spotted something that is wrong. Would you mind if we fixed it?" Some civil person said, "Not at all. Go ahead," and Guy, encouraged, found his voice. "There are so few of you," he said, "and you were keeping so quiet that I had quite forgotten you were there." This got a better laugh than any of the lines in the show, and Guy said, "We're all a little dizzy these days, and I thought we were having a rehearsal. If you don't mind, we'll have one now."

It was one of the most successful rehearsals in the history of the stage. The audience listened with rapt attention as the authors made their corrections. Many of them contributed suggestions. When the performance ended, the cast came down to the footlights and signed the programs that were handed up to them."

Check out the whole book. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Tom Orr's "Venus" Memories

2007-12-12T00:48:00.000-08:00

Tom Orr has become a 42nd Street Moon regular in the last two-and-a-half years. He debuted with us in Mack & Mabel, and has appeared in several shows since then. He has contributed his talents to the Gala and behind the scenes as well. Tom just sent me this lovely little remembrance of his experience in One Touch of Venus.

My favorite memories from "One Touch of Venus," as usual when I do a Moon show, all involve watching from the wings. In the typically short rehearsal process, we're often dismissed early if we're not in a given scene and so we don't get to see the process as our fellow castmates work on a dance sequence or finesse a dramatic moment in rehearsal.

Then we get to the Eureka and put the show together
with all the light cues and costumes just in time for
the audiences to come enjoy what we've created. So the
only chance we ever get to see the show is when we're
in the wings waiting for an entrance or during a
costume change. I always make an effort to catch my
colleagues strutting their stuff: e.g. Amy Louise Cole
nailing a zinger with her impeccable timing; or Nina
Josephs standing centerstage and smoldering at the end
of a solo; etc.

In "Venus," my favorite number was in the bus station
scene. I had a couple of quick bits as Taxi Black
before and after "Way Out West In Jersey." Every night
I'd stand offstage left and happily watch Juliet,
Anil, Elise and Jarrod bust out Tom Segal's amazing
jitterbug choreography while Chris Macomber hooted and
hollered as Mrs. Kramer. The dance came out of
nowhere, had nothing to do with the plot, and brought
down the house every time, kicking the energy level up
with the actors and audience. It's that electricity
that makes me love musical theater.

-- Tom Orr, "Taxi Black"

Opening Night for a "Lady"

2007-12-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

Office Manager Annette Lai has provided some pictures from the Opening Night reception for Oh, Lady! Lady!! on Nov. 24th. This is most of the company outside the Eureka Theatre.

And here is dynamic director Kalon Thibodeaux with dashingly dapper choreographer Tom Segal

Leading Man Michael Cassidy with some "old-timers."

Costumer Louise Jarmilowicz with Kalon

Annette Lai with "Mr. B. Russel Sprout," Tyler Kent

Remembering Betty Kern Miller

2007-11-29T00:26:00.001-08:00

Mike's post about the Kern lawsuit reminded me of Betty Kern Miller -- Jerome Kern's daughter whose relationship with her attorney Andrew Boose is disputed by her daughter. Mrs. Miller was a generous and enthusiastic supporter in the early days of 42nd Street Moon.

I first "met" Betty -- over the phone -- in 1989. I was producing a CD of early Jerome Kern songs called -- what else? -- Early Kern, and I had been planning to use a photo of the great composer as a baby on the album cover, which I thought was a cute idea. I can't remember through whom, but somehow I acquired Betty Kern's phone number and gave her a call at her horse ranch in Kentucky (horses were her big passion).

I explained my idea to her and she promptly told me it sounded kind of stupid to her, and suggested instead that she send me a photo of her father as a young man. That's how I got a previously unpublished photograph of Jerome Kern on my album cover.

In 1993, when Stephanie and I were starting 42nd Street Moon, we very much wanted to present some of the early Kern musicals -- Oh, Lady! Lady!! and Sweet Adeline, specifically. We weren't having much luck getting the rights. I called Betty Kern and she said "Let me make a phone call or two." The next day we found out we were approved, and because she vouched for us, the "vaults were opened," so to speak, and we began to get access to many shows that had been gathering dust on licensing agency shelves.

The last time I spoke to her was probably late 1995 when we were presenting the American premiere of Kern & Hammerstein's London show Three Sisters. She was quite frail at that point, but still feisty (on the phone, at least), and regretted that she would not be able to come out for the show. She died the following spring.

Kern Granddaughter Sues Guide Dogs for the Blind

2007-11-24T18:58:00.000-08:00

Matthew Guerrieri is a "composer, pianist, and conductor" who writes an extraordinarily entertaining blog about mostly classical music in Boston, besides writing professional reviews for the local "Boston Globe." A couple of days ago, he wrote about the insane legal wranglings being brought by a few of the legal heirs to Jerome Kern, composer of the currently running 42nd Street Moon show, "Oh, Lady! Lady!!" Click here to check it out. Guerrieri's final thought is worth repeating:

"I will remind everyone that Jerome Kern died in 1945; the fact that people are still hiring attorneys to tangle over his royalties 60-plus years later tells you something about the strange state of our current intellectual property regime. And some of those royalties are apparently earmarked as charitable bequests, as Cummings [one of Kern's granddaughters] is also suing the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind."

Agnes de Mille and "One Touch of Venus"

2007-11-14T16:41:00.000-08:00

The choreographer Agnes de Mille is one of the most important American cultural figures of the 20th century, but she seems to be fading from historical memory except as the originator of the ambitious ballets for "Oklahoma," which were mostly preserved in the movie version.

She was born in 1905, granddaughter to the famous economic philosopher Henry George on her mother's side, and niece to the infamous film producer/director Cecil B. Demille on her father's side. She decided she wanted to be an actress, and then a dancer, but she wasn't conventionally pretty enough for either, and so she made her own way on her own terms. Before becoming an "overnight success" in the early 1940s with her ballet "Rodeo" for the touring Ballet Russe, quickly followed by her startling choreography for "Oklahoma" and "One Touch of Venus," she was a starving artist for decades. In New York, she became best friends with Martha Graham, where the two of them basically created what we think of as American Modern Dance. In the 1930s, she took a five-year sabbatical to London where she was collaborator and best friends with the great British choreographer Anthony Tudor when he was a starving artist.

In addition to her choreographic gifts, Agnes turned out to be an exquisite writer, and her memoir of her Starving Artist years, entitled "Dance to the Piper," (click here to order a copy) is one of the greatest artistic memoirs ever written, with prose that reads as smoothly as the incomparable food writer M.F.K. Fisher, who was a contemporary.

The memoir's sequel, "And Promenade Home," published in 1958, is not quite as successful, being a strange combination of stories of artistic triumphs/disasters and her neurotic romance which turns into a World War II separated marriage with Walter Prude, who remained her husband until his death in 1988. The great sequence in the book, however, is a surprisingly frank 50-page backstage chronicle of the making of "One Touch of Venus," which was a series of outrageous disasters from the very beginning until it squeaked out as a Broadway triumph in the end.

Here's her description of Mary Martin arriving for the first day of rehearsal surrounded by the professional ballet dancers who Agnes had cast rather than the usual young boyfriends and girlfriends who usually ended up in the chorus:

"I'm not very good at this," Miss Martin said to me simply as she put on her beautiful costly hat before leaving that first day. "I'm going to need lots of help."

Sono Osato [the star dancer, half Irish/half Japanese sensation from the Ballet Russe] later spoke crisply to me over a chocolate malted. "I've made a decision. I'm going to be a gentleman...I'm going to fix it so that she looks better than all of us. Do you think she'd mind if I coached her a little?"

I gazed at Osato with something close to awe. She had spent her teens with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo...and had learned theater entirely with the Russian dancers, whose second technique is chicanery. They expect nothing else and they give nothing else. From the outright criminal compassing of planned accidents (broken glass and slashed slipper ribbons) to constant ungrounded suspicion, they never, under any circumstances, practice anything but deviousness...Somo, however, was gallant and, as she said, a gentleman. So she approached Mary Martin and the coaching began very gently and unobtrusively.

"Why do you stand like that, with your knees all slack and your chest caved in?"

"They told me to in Hollywood," said our star meekly.

"Never mind Hollywood. This is Olympus. My goodness," Sono said, "you've got a fine body. Be proud of it. Throw out your chest - and here, tuck your tail in. Stand on your feet. Put your heels down and stand hard. Be proud."

"I wish I could move the way you do," said Mary.

"You're going to move like yourself," said Osato, "and it will be dandy. But you've got to have confidence."

And thereafter every day I could see, from the corner of my eye, Sono take her quietly aside to work out their problems. Mary straightened, Mary walked and stood like a deity, and it didn't take her very long to learn. She did, as Sono had promised, dandy. Mary has never scorned coaching since.

There's fifty pages of this kind of writing about the disastrous Boston tryouts that are an intimate, fascinating look at the truly bizarre collection of disparate geniuses that were brought together by the producer Cheryl Crawford for this project. There are accounts of librettist Ogden Nash (Broadway debut), director Elia Kazan above whose Group Theatre style was completely at odds with the material, three crazy costume designers including the couturier Mainbocher, book writer S.J. Perelman, and the great composer Kurt Weill.

Just before her death in 1993, de Mille published a 500-page biography of her great friend and colleague Martha Graham that's one of the best artist's biographies ever written. If you ever see it at the library or a used bookstore, I can't recommend it highly enough.

More VENUS Opening Night Shots

2007-11-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

More shots from the opening night reception of our 15th Anniversary Season opener, One Touch of Venus.

The Blog is Back

2007-11-09T00:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the return of the Blog -- the 42nd Street Moon Blog, that is. We had a good year from 2005 to summer 2006 and then disappeared for a very long hiatus. We've now begun our 15th anniversary season, however, and it seemed like the time was ripe to return. Fifteen seasons is something to celebrate, and blogging is one way to keep the celebration going all year long.

My name is Greg MacKellan -- I am (along with Stephanie Rhoads) the Founding Artistic Director of 42nd Street Moon. I'll be checking in here as often as possible to discuss Moon and musicals, and will be joined by Annette Lai (our intrepid Office Manager) and "sfmike," a very special "friend of Moon."

As I write this, we are in the middle of the final week of performances for ONE TOUCH OF VENUS the first show of our season (and, if I might add, one of the most successful we've ever done). Here are a few visual mementos of the VENUS experience -- starting with some candids from the opening night reception.