05/09/2016
Theater critic Kaufman (Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door) continues in his theatrical biography niche with arguably the most exhaustively researched treatise ever compiled regarding Broadway and Hollywood legend Mary Martin, best known for originating roles in South Pacific and The Sound of Music. Kaufman’s tome begins in Martin’s teens, as he struggles to find the truth of Martin’s marriage to Ben Hagman in conflicting accounts from Martin’s family, friends, and notoriously unreliable autobiography. The sense of uncertainty persists as Kaufman drops hints about Martin’s widely rumored romantic relationship with close friend and fellow actor Janet Gaynor, noting her early choices in queer-oriented reading materials and the duo’s latter-day intimate friendship. At times, Kaufman’s propensity for denseness and frequent asides into backstage networking make his prose too dry for any but the most scholarly of theatre buffs. Still, insights into the changing nature of Broadway over the course of Martin’s lengthy career make this an intriguing read for those interested in charting such histories, and Martin stands as an essential touchstone for those who came after. (July)
Some Enchanted Evenings: The Glittering Life and Times of Mary Martin
Narrated by Bernadette Dunne
David KaufmanUnabridged — 17 hours, 24 minutes
Some Enchanted Evenings: The Glittering Life and Times of Mary Martin
Narrated by Bernadette Dunne
David KaufmanUnabridged — 17 hours, 24 minutes
Overview
A fascinating new biography of Mary Martin, the girl whose heart belonged to daddy, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Janet Gaynor, and Peter Pan.
Mary Martin was one of the greatest stars of her day. Growing up in Texas, she was married early to Benjamin Hagman and gave birth to her first child, Larry Hagman. She was divorced even more quickly. Martin left little Larry with her parents and took off for Hollywood.
She didn't make a dent in the movie industry and was lured to New York where she found herself auditioning for Cole Porter and his new show Leave It to Me! After she sang the bawdy “My Heart Belongs to Daddy”, she ended up on the cover of Life magazine. Six years later, she became the toast of Broadway when she starred in South Pacific. After that, she flew as Peter Pan, yodeled in The Sound of Music, took Hello, Dolly! on the road, and shared a four-poster with Robert Preston in I Do! I Do!
Her personal life was just as interesting: in NYC, she met and married Richard Halliday, a closeted upper-class homosexual who adored her, Broadway, and interior decorating (though probably not in that order). They were a powerful twosome. There were rumors about Martin, too, being in a lesbian relationship with both Janet Gaynor and Jean Arthur.
Peopled with legends like Ethel Merman, Ezio Pinza, Noël Coward, and a starry cast of thousands, David Kaufman's Some Enchanted Evenings is the delectable story of the one and only Mary Martin, a self-described chicken farmer from Texas who became Peter Pan and capture America's heart.
Editorial Reviews
“Kaufman comes up with a solid, valuable portrait of one of the 20th century’s most memorable actresses.” – Washington Post
“Reveals a much more complex and even baffling figure than Martin herself gave us in her memoir… A lively story, filled with amusing details…” –Wall Street Journal
“Probing, compassionate, revelatory…” –USA Today
“Kaufman’s treatment of Martin is evenhanded as she exposes her weaknesses and strengths to shed important new light on one of American musical theater’s most revered stars.”— Booklist
“Warm and well-researched… The author deftly summarizes her career and personal history…” – Kirkus Reviews
“Glittering is the operative word. Martin was a thoroughly captivating performer for her entire lengthy career and Kaufman’s work does right by her… Kaufman excels in providing revelatory contrasts between public and private personas.” – Library Journal
“Arguably the most exhaustively researched treatise ever compiled regarding Broadway and Hollywood legend Mary Martin… Insights into the changing nature of Broadway over the course of Martin’s lengthy career make this an intriguing read…” –Publisher’s Weekly
06/15/2016
From overnight stardom in her 1938 Broadway debut singing the siren-infused "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" in Cole Porter's Leave It to Me! to her subsequent iconic turns as Nellie Forbush in South Pacific, the inimitable Peter Pan, and Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Mary Martin (1913–90), with her mantel full of Tony Awards, breathed the most rarified air of 20th-century American musical theater success. As he did with his biography of Doris Day, theater critic Kaufman excels in providing revelatory contrasts between public and private personas. In Martin's case, the abandonment of her son, famed actor Larry Hagman, her lifelong lesbian proclivities, and marriage to closeted homosexual Richard Halliday, who also happened to be her manager, provided Kaufman with continually intriguing material, which he juxtaposes with the embarrassment of musical theater riches found in his stories, interviews, anecdotes, and extensive notes and bibliography. The author also quotes liberally from Martin's 1976 autobiography, My Heart Belongs, which could have easily upstaged the work, yet Kaufman has a deft hand in its use, and Mary's voice is a supporting player. VERDICT Glittering is the operative word. Martin was a thoroughly captivating performer for her entire lengthy career and Kaufman's work does right by her.—Barry X. Miller, Austin P.L., TX
This somewhat plodding biography uses detailed anecdotes to flesh out actress Mary Martin’s enigmatic and capricious personality. Bernadette Dunne’s narration is soft, understated, and controlled. Both Martin’s marriages are examined at some length. Her marriage to the crass Ben Hagman produced son Larry Hagman, who played television’s J.R. Ewing on “Dallas”. Insights are provided for Martin’s lack of great success in films and her very great success in both Cole Porter and Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway vehicles. Her roles in the Broadway and television versions of the musical PETER PAN are mined for many behind-the-scenes insights. Dunne’s narration reflects an entirely different period and style in American musical theater. Those who remember that time will enjoy returning; students of that era will be enlightened. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
2016-06-12
The charmed life and times of Broadway sweetheart Mary Martin (1913-1990).Longtime theater critic Kaufman's (Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door, 2008, etc.) biography of stage star Martin will tick all the boxes for ardent fans of the performer—the author deftly summarizes her career and personal history—but those not part of the cult will find a curiously bland subject. Martin's gift was an endearing quality, a unique ability to emotionally connect to audiences in a live setting; while a more than able vocalist, she lacked a truly distinctive vocal instrument, and her early-career onscreen forays (her attempts at movie stardom would come to naught) proved lackluster and unmemorable. Martin shone on the Broadway stage, where she capitalized on her winsome charm in storied productions of South Pacific, The Sound of Music, and, most famously, Peter Pan. Martin's work in these roles inspired adoration, but there is precious little to dig into: the shows were masterpieces, she was excellent in them, and that's about it. Perhaps attempting to invest dramatic stakes in the tale, Kaufman alludes to rumors of lesbian relationships between Martin and actresses Jean Arthur and Janet Gaynor, but gently and without much evidence to support the claims. The author evenhandedly recounts Martin's longtime marriage to the gay, dictatorial Richard Halliday, a difficult personality who clashed terribly with Martin's son, the free-spirited actor Larry Hagman (the product of a previous marriage), but even here the narrative lacks any real tension or drive. Kaufman has produced an encomium rather than a page-turner. A warm and well-researched—though not particularly compelling—appreciation of one of the stage's most beloved performers and, on the evidence here, least interesting legends.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940169606744 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 07/12/2016 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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