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Mary Martin, Broadway Legend
Contributor(s): Davis, Ronald L. (Author)

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ISBN: 0806139056     ISBN-13: 9780806139050
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
OUR PRICE: $28.30  

Binding Type: Hardcover
Published: April 2008
Qty:
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Biography & Autobiography | Entertainment & Performing Arts
- Biography & Autobiography | Women
Dewey: B
LCCN: 2007028943
Physical Information: 1.01" H x 6.04" W x 9.18" L (1.43 lbs) 312 pages
Themes:
- Chronological Period - 20th Century
Features: Bibliography, Dust Cover, Illustrated, Index, Table of Contents
Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2008 pg. 73
Library Journal 02/15/2008 pg. 106
Booklist 03/15/2008 pg. 13
New York Times Book Review 06/22/2008 pg. 16
Reference and Research Bk News 05/01/2008 pg. 273
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:

The first book-length biography of a theater icon

South Pacific. The Sound of Music. Peter Pan. As the star of these classic Broadway musicals, Mary Martin captivated theater audiences with her impish persona and magnificent voice. Now Ronald L. Davis fills a major gap in theater history, moving beyond Martin's own 1976 memoir to provide a complete picture of her life and career.

Lively and engaging, Davis's biography is the first book-length portrait of the theater icon, spanning her lifetime to reveal facts about her childhood, marriages, and friendships--as well as artistic collaborations that included the likes of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, and Elia Kazan.

Born in Weatherford, Texas, and mother to the future actor Larry Hagman, Martin went to California after the failure of her first marriage. There, she auditioned for every studio without success. "Audition Mary" finally had her big break when she won a talent contest, leading to her breakthrough 1938 performance in Leave It to Me--in which she wowed audiences singing "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." Davis traces Martin's numerous appearances on Broadway, in touring productions, and on television, showing how--through hard work and persistent optimism--she built a career that lasted nearly fifty years and earned her the adoration and respect of fans and colleagues alike.

Because Martin's life was entwined with many luminaries of the stage, this biography offers rich insights into theater history, including accounts of how various productions were developed. No other book tells her story in such detail--it is must reading for fans and an essential resource for theater aficionados everywhere.


Contributor Bio(s): Davis, Ronald L.: -

Ronald L. Davis is Emeritus Professor of History at Southern Methodist University, where he was Director of both the Oral History Program on the Performing Arts and the De Golyer Institute for American Studies. He has written many books on the performing arts in America, including the best-seller Hollywood Anecdotes.


 
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