|
|
|
50th Anniversary for "I Can Get It For You Wholesale" |
News/2012 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
While the
big celebration this year will commemorate Barbra Streisand's 50th
anniversary as a recording artist, let's save some confetti for an
equally important milestone: Barbra's 50th anniversary as a breakout
Broadway star. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Barbra
Conquers Broadway
March 22, 2012
Fifty
years ago today, Barbra Streisand opened on Broadway for the
very first time. The date was March 22, 1962 and the show was "I
Can Get It For You Wholesale." It was, without a doubt, one of
the most important events of Barbra's career.
"Wholesale"
played
at
the
Shubert
before
moving
to
the
Broadway
Theatre
toward
the
end
of
its
run
of
300
performances.
The
show
closed
on
December
8,
1962.
The
show
as a
whole
was
not
a
critical
success,
but
the
supporting
role
that
Barbra
portrayed
received
raves.
Barbra's
Miss
Marmelstein
earned
her
a
New
York
Drama
Critics
Award
and
a
Tony
nomination
(the
show's
only
one).
Most
agree
that
Barbra's
presence
in
"Wholesale"
was
the
singular
reason
the
show
lasted
as
long
as
it
did
on
Broadway.
To
this
day,
Barbra
fondly
remembers
her
opening
night
in
"Wholesale."
During
her
2003
interview
at
The
Actors
Studio,
Barbra
took
pride
in
telling
James
Lipton
how
Leonard
Bernstein
stood
and
led
a
three
minute
ovation
at
the
conclusion
of
her
"Miss
Marmelstein"
number.
Today,
we
also
stand
and
applaud
Barbra
on
this
most
noteworthy
of
anniversaries.
|
| |
|
Arthur Laurents and Barbra Streisand
|
|
|
What
director
Arthur
Laurents
was
initially
looking
for
in
the
character
of
Miss
Marmelstein
was
not
exactly
what
Barbra
Streisand
showed
him
at
her
first
audition.
Laurents
conceived
Marmelstein
as a
middle
aged
spinster,
perhaps
someone
who
had
spent
a
lifetime
of
dreary
toil
in
the
garment
trade.
Barbra,
at
19
years
of
age,
represented
anything
but
a
spinster
type.
In
his
memoir
called
"Original
Story"
Laurents
wrote,
"Eight bars into her
first song, I knew
she had to be in the
show. She began with
a comedy number from
an Off-Broadway
review she'd been
in, then 'Sleepin'
Bee' followed by
'Soon It's Gonna
Rain.' I would have had her sing every song she knew just to sit
back and revel in the glory of that voice."
|
Arthur Laurents (left)
with Barbra and the
cast |
When
Barbra Streisand
tried out for the part,
Laurents immediately
reconceived the
character, tailored to
what Barbra could bring
to the role. It was an
unprecedented move, but
a move that would be
well rewarded. Barbra
was a sensation as
Miss Marmelstein,
bringing down the house
each night with her big
number.
Without Barbra
Streisand, it's a
certainty that "I Can
Get It For You
Wholesale" would not be
remembered today. |
|
|
|
|
|
Playbill's Opening Night
Coverage
|
|
|
|
Barbra and
Phyllis Newman: Friendly Rivals
July
28,
2012
Barbra's 1962 Tony nomination for playing Miss
Marmelstein in "I Can Get It For You Wholesale"
put her in direct competition with Phyllis Newman, up for her
supporting role as the towel-clad, beauty contest winner Martha Vail
in "Subways Are for Sleeping."
 
Head to
Head: Newman as Martha Vail & Streisand as Miss Marmelstein
The
lead stars of "Subways Are for Sleeping" were Sydney Chaplin and
Carol Lawrence. Jule Styne wrote the music, and Comden & Greeen,
the lyrics. The show was directed and choreographed by Michael
Kidd.
As a
supporting player, Newman was featured in just two musical
numbers: a solo turn ("I Was A Shoo-In") and a duet with her
on-stage husband, Orson Bean ("Strange Duet"). Both
performances
were
well
received.
Overall,
however,
the show
garnered mostly negative reviews. The
uncomfortable-for-1962 subject of homelessness, and surprisingly
lackluster performances by Chaplin and Lawrence were often
cited.
Review
from
Billboard,
Jan.
6,
1962:
Newman and Bean's supporting performances, like
Streisand's in "Wholesale" were the show's saving graces.
Newman, Bean (and choreographer Kidd) received the show's only
Tony nominations.
Newman
was
her
show's
sole winner when the awards were handed out
on April 29, 1962.
Despite losing the award to
her "Subways" competitor, Barbra Streisand has remained friends with
Phyllis Newman through the years.
Phyllis is clearly a Streisand fan.
In
2000,
Phyllis attended
Timeless
at
Madison
Square
Garden
in
New
York
and received an on-stage welcome from Barbra. It
couldn't have been more cordial.
Phyllis
was
also
one
of
the
lucky
128
patrons
invited
to
attend
Barbra's
intimate
performance
at
New
York's
Village
Vanguard
in
2009.
And
Phyllis
proudly
displays
this
lovely
mid-sixties
photo
on
her
web
site.
Newman
has
been
a
mainstay
of
the
New
York
stage
for
decades,
often
appearing
in
productions
involving
her
late
husband,
lyricist
and
writer,
Adolph
Green.
She
even
worked
with
'Wholesale"
director
Arthur
Laurents
in
the
1979
musical,
"The
Madwoman
of
Central
Park
West."
Laurents
directed
the
show
and
co-wrote
the
book
with
Newman.
|
Photo:
phyllisnewman.com |
|
In
addition
to
her
Tony
win
for
"Subways,"
Newman
was
nominated
in
1987
for
her
supporting
role
in
Neil
Simon's
"Broadway
Bound."
In
2009,
the
Tonys
honored
her
with
the
first
ever
Isabelle
Stevenson
award
for
founding
The
Phyllis
Newman
Women's
Health
Initiative
of
The
Actors'
Fund
of
America. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Crossing Paths
July
28,
2012
The
1962
Tonys
were
handed
out
at
New
York's
Waldorf
Astoria
hotel
on
April
29.
Barbra
was in attendance that evening and
probably
brushed
elbows,
unknowingly,
with
several
of the people
who
would
go
on
to
influence
her
career.
|
Notable
1962 Tony Nominees |
|
|
|
|
|
Nominee |
Category |
Winner |
|
|
|
|
Joe
Layton (2 nominations) |
Director (Musical)
"No Strings" |
Abe Burrows
"How to Succeed in Business...." |
|
|
|
|
|
Choreographer
"No Strings" |
|
Tie:
|
Joe Layton "No
Strings"
Agnes DeMille "Kwamina" |
|
|
Joe
Layton choreographed the production numbers for "My Name
Is Barbra" (1965)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michael
Kidd |
Choreographer
"Subways Are for Sleeping" |
|
Tie: |
Joe Layton "No
Strings"
Agnes DeMille "Kwamina" |
|
|
Michael
Kidd choreographed Barbra in "Hello, Dolly!" (1969)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peter
Matz |
Musical Conductor
"No Strings" |
Elliot Lawrence
"How to Succeed in Business..." |
|
Peter
Matz arranged for Barbra's first album (1963)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orson
Bean |
Featured Actor (Musical)
"Subways Are for Sleeping"
|
Charles Nelson Reilly
"How to Succeed in Business..." |
|
Barbra
made her national TV debut with Orson Bean on "The Jack
Paar Show (1961)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jerry
Herman |
Score
"Milk and Honey" |
Richard Rodgers
"No Strings" |
|
Barbra
sang Jerry Herman's music and lyrics in "Hello, Dolly!"
(1969)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Walter
Matthau |
Featured Actor (Play)
"A Shot in the Dark" |
Walter Matthau
"A Shot in the Dark" |
|
Walter Matthau co-starred
opposite Barbra in "Hello, Dolly!" (1969)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Molly
Picon |
Best Actress (Musical)
"Milk and Honey" |
Diahann Carroll
"No Strings" |
|
Molly
Picon
co-starred
with
Barbra
in
"For
Pete's
Sake"
(1974)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
