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Ethel Merman
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Actress and singer Ethel Merman was born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann in Astoria, a suburb of New York City, on January 16, 1909. She later shortened her name to Merman because, she said, "If you put Zimmermann up in lights, you'd die from the heat." Merman showed an early interest in singing, and her parents, Edward and Agnes, encouraged her. Edward Merman, an accountant, loved to sit at the family piano and sing, and his daughter often joined him. Even then her voice showed signs of becoming a giant instrument; she noted later in a New Yorker interview that, "The neighbors used to hear me, of course." Merman made her public debut at the age of five, singing at a Red Cross camp.
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Ethel Merman’s Broadway is a one-woman show that captures the essence and spirit of the absolutely amazing Ethel Merman. McKenzie captures the personality and vocal stylings of Merman and brings Merman’s humanity to the audience. She ... balances out the piece, mixing personal tales, popular songs, and audience interaction into one classy act. Under the premise of interviewing for a movie about Merman’s life, McKenzie really lets us into Merman’s history from her start as a secretary (120 words-a-minute) to her becoming the “Queen of the Broadway Musical.” McKenzie also lets us into Merman’s soul as we learn about her four husbands and her two children, Little Ethel and Little Bobby.
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Who would have guessed that legendary Broadway singer Ethel Merman would have a lot in common with the uncanny actor Christopher Walken? They both grew up in Astoria, both the children of immigrants, a father from German, and a mother from Scotland. Of course, Merman's family predates Walken by a couple generations, but what a coincidence!
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From her breakout rendition of George Gershwin’s "I Got Rhythm" in 1930 to her triumphant performance as Gypsy’s Mama Rose in 1959, Ethel Merman defined Broadway stardom for two generations of music lovers. Merman’s singing voice—brassy, penetrating, and undeniably American—has transcended genre and era to become a cultural icon. As an entertainer she burned with unstoppable energy. Offstage she was the original diva, a woman who knew what she wanted and brooked no interference. Her spats and frequently off-color zingers have become part of theater lore.
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Ethel Merman, a self-taught singer born in 1909, was considered the Queen of Broadway for thirty years. From 1930 until 1959 she introduced more songs from the best of Gershwin, Porter, Berlin and Sondheim than any other singer. When she belted out "There's No Business Like Show Business," she made it an instant hit.
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Merman must have been disappointed when the Tony went to Mary Martin for The Sound of Music. There have been any number of idiotic Tony decisions over the years, but it is inconceivable that anyone playing Maria Von Trapp could possibly outclass Merman's Mamma Rose. But Oscar Hammerstein's death made Sound of Music a sentimental favorite with Tony voters. Gypsy's powerhouse book and score did not even receive the courtesy of nominations.
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Ethel Merman