RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN. Ethan Mordden. Harry N. Abrahms; 1992

This huge, heavily illustrated, and beautifully written coffee table tome on the wonderful duo of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II is not only a visual treat but is packed with information on these two gentlemen and musical theater in general. R&H began their collaboration with the influential Oklahoma, then followed this with such great musicals as Carousel, The King and I, South Pacific, The Sound of Music and others. Mordden writes with enthusiasm, wit, and knowledge about these works, and also devotes a chapter to the team's one and only score written specifically for a film, State Fair. Mordden also provides backstage details and looks at the cast members of these shows, some of whom were famous, some of whom faded into obscurity. Mordden also looks at the film  versions of such shows as Oklahoma, South Pacific, the mega-hit Sound of Music and others, comparing both versions with his usual verve. An absolute must for devotees. Mordden has written many other books on musical theater and this is one of his best.

Verdict: Superb book! ****.

SOME ENCHANTED EVENINGS

SOME ENCHANTED EVENINGS: The Glittering Life and Times of MARY MARTIN. David Kaufman. St. Martin's; 2016.

Mary Martin went to Hollywood early in her career, but although she appeared and even starred in a few movies, she was dissatisfied with her film work and had much greater success on Broadway. Like many artists, this very talented woman lived for her work, and had a problematic, but ultimately loving, relationship with at least one child, her son Larry Hagman, famous as "J. R" on Dallas. Martin's marriage to her son's father did not last long, but she had a much longer union to her second husband, the mostly gay Richard Halliday, who guided her career when he wasn't alienating people with his temper and his alcoholism. Her shows included One Touch of Venus, South Pacific, Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, and for my money made the best Annie Oakley when she did Annie Get Your Gun on the road and for television. Some Enchanted Evenings also looks at Martin's work in less successful shows, such as the musical Jennie, and the play Legends, in which Martin was teamed with Carol Channing. The book hints at a "special relationship" between Martin and Janet Gaynor (Gaynor's husband, interestingly enough, is the only person quoted in the book who knocks Martin), as well as Jean Arthur, without ever really elaborating.When a reporter spoke to Martin about Larry Hagman, and asked what it's like having an icon for a son, she responded, "My dear, my son is a star. I am an icon." Although the author mentions his husband in the acknowledgments, the book does on occasion betray a kind of amusingly old-fashioned take on LGBT issues.

Verdict: Exhaustive, well-researched, imperfect, but very readable bio of the venerable entertainer. ***1/2.

THEN AND NOW: A MEMOIR Barbara Cook

THEN AND NOW: A Memoir. Barbara Cook with Tom Santopietro. HarperCollins; 2016.                                                                                                                                                             Barbara Cook made her Broadway debut in the now-forgotten Flahooley, but she went on to great success in Plain and Fancy, and even greater success as Marian Paroo in The Music Man. And there were other triumphs to come. To say Cook had a weird childhood is an understatement. Her father walked out at six because he could no longer live with her mother, who lived vicariously through her daughter and did not seem to see her as a separate entity. Cook and her mother shared the same bed (non-sexually) until she was twenty! Cook's one and only marriage ended in divorce -- she had a long-time affair with the married actor, Arthur Hill [The Andromeda Strain] -- but gave her a beloved son, and she also developed a taste for food and, much worse, a continuous desire for alcohol. Her weight ballooning and alcohol taking over her life, Cook was even more depressed when in desperation her son moved in with his father. Hitting rock bottom, Cook, with the aid of friends and co-workers, was able to get off the bottle and began much concert work, including a night at Carnegie Hall, and was finally back on Broadway in Sondheim by Sondheim. Cook did some "straight" dramatic work on Broadway in Little Murders and other shows, and also wound up in the British production of the ill-fated Stephen King musical Carrie. As the memoir's title suggests, this book gives a backstage, insider's look at the differences between the theater in its golden age and today, when shows are no longer written for stars, and someone can graduate into a leading role without having had much experience, as in the past. Along the way Cook offers interesting sketches of such people as the difficult and self-absorbed Elaine Stritch [Monster-in-Law] and Music Man co-star Robert Preston [The Lady Gambles], whom she inexplicably seemed to find super-sexy. Despite working with many gay men over the years, she temporarily freaked out when her son came out of the closet. Cook was honored with a Kennedy Center award in 2011. Cooks' other notable musicals include Bernstein's Candide, The Gay Life, and She Loves Me. Cook was as good an actress as she was a a singer, as she proved in the "A Little Sleep" episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In this she played a "bad," wealthy party girl who finds her destiny at an isolated cabin. Her co-star was Vic Morrow and Paul Henreid was the director.    

Verdict: Good, quick read of an interesting life and career. ***.