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Publicity, nerve, and verve made David Merrick possibly the most successful producer in the history of Broadway. Not since the days of David Belasco or Florenz Ziegfeld had the theatre produced such a spectacular producer-star. He was dubbed The Barnum of Broadway or, less flatteringly, The Abominable Showman, and Clive Barnes of the
New York Times said he had showmanship running out of his ears. Although he was best known for his musical productions, including
Hello Dolly! (1964) and
42nd Street (1980), he produced many nonmusicals as well; Cecil Smith of the Los Angeles Times wrote that he was one of the most sensitive and effective producers of fine dramas in modern Broadway. Merrick's career, tempered by a legal background, is an undisputed testimony to his artistic sensibilities, his razor-edged business acumen, his talent for public relations, and his unrelenting drive.
This study chronicles the life and career of one of the last of Broadway's independent producers, David Merrick, who produced eighty-eight plays on Broadway during his professional lifetime. Following a chronology of his career and a biographical sketch, all his plays, plus film productions, are carefully documented with credits, runs, synopses, and review citations. An annotated bibliography includes his own writings and a chronologically organized listing of books and articles about him. An appendix is devoted to major awards given to Merrick, his productions, and other principals and stars involved with them; and a second appendix lists theatre productions that were made into films. Carefully cross-referenced and indexed, the book adds to the growing number of studies that organize essential resources for research and scholarship in American theatre.
Sommario
Preface
Chronology
Biography
Productions
Writings by Merrick
Writings about Merrick: Books and Periodicals
Writings about Merrick: Newspapers
Appendix A: Awards
Appendis B: Productions Sold to Films
Index
Info autore
BARBARA LEE HORN is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Speech, Communication Sciences, and Theatre at St. John's University in New York. Her publications include The Age of Hair: Evolution and Impact of Broadway's First Rock Musical (1991), Joseph Papp: A Bio-Bibliography (1992), David Merrick: A Bio-Bibliography (1992), Colleen Dewhurst: A Bio-Bibliography (1993), Ellen Stewart and La Mama: A Bio-Bibliography (1993), and Maxwell Anderson: A Research and Production Sourcebook (1996), all available from Greenwood Press.
