By: Tabitha Garnica
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| "I wouldn't trust any man as far as you can throw a piano." |
“I can never remember being
afraid of an audience. If the audience
could do better, they’d be up here on stage and I’d be down there watching
them.” ~ Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman was one of the first
female Broadway powerhouses. She paved
the way for so many present-day Broadway babies such as, Patti LuPone,
Bernadette Peters, and Sutton Foster. Her voice is so recognizable and unique
and she is the queen of belters.
Why does this make her so
special? Well in the first place, altos
have enough problems finding suitable leading lady roles in musical theatre.
(This deserves its own blog post so stay tuned). Ethel Merman originated some of the greatest
alto leading lady roles such as: Annie Oakley(Annie Get Your Gun), Reno Sweeney (Anything Goes), Rose(Gypsy) and
Sally Adams(Call Me Madam).
Her roles always seem to have the
wonderful mix of grace and humor. She
gave her roles this quality because from all the documentaries I have seen and
books I have read that feature her, she had an extremely spunky
personality. Shockingly, she never received
professional voice lessons and when a critic suggested that she needed them,
she told him to take a hike. Mary Martin
was up for a Tony award for playing Maria in The Sound of Music the same year Merman was up for playing Rose in Gypsy.
After Martin won, Merman said, “Ya Can’t Buck a Nun!”
Ethel Merman also performed in
movies and concerts. If you were to go to a Merman concert not only would you
be in store for a night of beautiful talent; you would also be in store for a
night of quality comedy. She used humor
to comment on her career and her personal life.
Merman seemed to be a person who handled the challenges life through at
her with strength and sass while conducting a fabulous Broadway career. Female performers can accredit much
inspiration and motivation from her example.
She will always be remembered by the Broadway community for her killer
voice, her comedic instincts, and her fascinating personality.
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