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Ethel Merman: A Life Hardcover - 2007
by Brian Kellow
A biography equal to the outsized personality of one of Broadway's best-loved stars
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.
In this entertaining and authoritative biography, Brian Kellow traces Merman's life from her childhood in Queens, New York, through her three decades at the peak of Broadway celebrity. In an era dominated by outsized personalities and egos, none was more vibrant and powerfulthan Merman's, yet beneath the tough-dame image was an enormously vulnerable and often lonely woman. Kellow's book, which includes recollections from more than 120 of Merman's friends, colleagues, and family members, stands as the definitive biography and an affectionate portrait of an unforgettable star. Fans of Broadway history and of the great Ethel Merman will find Kellow's biography an irresistible read.
Description
Viking Adult, November 2007. Hardcover. Used - Acceptable/Fair. Dust jacket has shelf wear.
NZ$9.97
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Details
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Title
Ethel Merman: A Life
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Author
Brian Kellow
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Binding
Hardcover
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Edition
First Edition
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Condition
Used - Acceptable
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Pages
336
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Volumes
1
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Language
ENG
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Publisher
Viking Adult, New York
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Date
November 2007
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Illustrated
Yes
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Bookseller's Inventory #
235027
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ISBN
9780670018291 / 0670018295
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Weight
1.28 lbs (0.58 kg)
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Dimensions
9.52 x 6.34 x 1.13 in (24.18 x 16.10 x 2.87 cm)
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Ages
18 to UP years
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Grade levels
13 - UP
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Library of Congress subjects
Motion picture actors and actresses - United, Singers - United States
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Library of Congress Catalog Number
2007014646
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Dewey Decimal Code
B
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Summary
A biography equal to the outsized personality of one of Broadway's best-loved starsFrom 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.In this entertaining and authoritative biography, Brian Kellow traces Merman's life from her childhood in Queens, New York, through her three decades at the peak of Broadway celebrity. In an era dominated by outsized personalities and egos, none was more vibrant and powerful than Merman's, yet beneath the tough-dame image was an enormously vulnerable and often lonely woman. Kellow's book, which includes recollections from more than 120 of Merman's friends, colleagues, and family members, stands as the definitive biography and an affectionate portrait of an unforgettable star. Fans of Broadway history and of the great Ethel Merman will find Kellow's biography an irresistible read.
From the publisher
Brian Kellow is the features editor of Opera News, where his column, “On the Beat,” appears monthly. He is the author of The Bennetts: An Acting Family and the coauthor of Can’t Help Singing: The Life of Eileen Farrell. A classically trained pianist, Kellow has also written for Opera and Playbill, among others. He lives in New York City.
Media reviews
'A clear-eyed, perceptive take on the reign of Queen Ethel of Broadway.
An editor at Opera News and an entertainment reporter and biographer, Kellow nimbly sidesteps the booby traps other writers have hit while writing about Ethel Merman. Though he gives her temperament its due, he admirably avoids overloading his account with tales of a sometime-outrageous diva. He places Merman's ascendancy and success in the context of 20th-century New York City. Gershwin, Porter, Berlin and others provided the scores, and their confluence created such classics as Girl Crazy, Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy. Content at center stage on Broadway, Merman was less happy out of town. Hollywood, in particular, was not her place, as evidenced by the middling films she lensed at Warner Bros. and Paramount. She did score, at least with city audiences, with the film version of Call Me Madam, but losing the main role in the film adaptation of her Broadway triumph Gypsy to Rosalind Russell was a major career disappointment. For Merman, happiness clearly began when the curtain went up. A headstrong, outspoken only child, Merman, notes Kellow, saw only in black and white, a worldview that gave her considerable force onstage but sabotaged four marriages. Her melancholy demise found her down in the depths of the Upper East Side, alone with the ashes of her parents, one ex-husband and Ethel Jr., a daughter whose death may have been an "accidental suicide."
Kellow displays a keen sense of how and why Merman worked, and his profile of her personal life is an aching refrain worthy of the musical Follies.'
Kirkus Reviews
About the author
Brian Kellow is the features editor of "Opera News," where his column, "On the Beat," appears monthly. He is the author of "The Bennetts: An Acting Family" and the coauthor of "Can't Help Singing: The Life of Eileen Farrell." A classically trained pianist, Kellow has also written for "Opera" and "Playbill," among others. He lives in New York City.