My Mom's Blog by Thoroughly Modern Millie

Sunday, August 30, 2009

THEATRE MEMORIES
In a recent comment from popps, he asked, "what is my earliest memory of going to the theatre?"

What a great question - that got me thinking about what a great post it would make.

Empty Theatre (almost) by Jaako, on Flickr

It had to be in the very late 30's or early 40's when my girlfriend and I decided it was time to go to Boston to see a play. Neither of us ever had a reason to go to the big city so this was a very big deal. We had to take a bus and a train which took us right into the heart of the city.

The play was "Life With Father."

Seeing a play was so much better then watching a movie, it was a" LIVE Performance" and we were hooked!!

After that experience we went to as many plays that we could afford. For the longest time our seats were in the second balcony but we got there! How I hated climbing those stairs - even then!

In the 50's I got to see "The King and I" staring Yul Brynner and Gertrude Lawrence. By this time I could afford a better seat. Yay!

What I remember vividly is the scene where the King and the teacher do the number "Shall We Dance." The two swung all over the stage and at one point the teacher's gown went over the head of one of the musicians in the orchestra pit! What a show stopper that was. (I'm sure that happened at every performance.)

Another play that I saw in the early 50's was "Mexican Hayride."

It never made a hit on Broadway but I enjoyed it very much. The scene that stands out in my mind took place in a nightclub were the set was all in shades of brown and blue.

That spring I bought myself an outfit in those colors!

In the 60's my parents and I went to see "Fiddler on the Roof." Orchestra seats!!

I wish I had the playbill so I could tell you who we saw in it but I can say this, they were all wonderful.

To this day, I never tire of hearing the songs from "Fiddler."

In the 80's we treated my sister-in-law on the occasion of her birthday, "La Cage aux Folles" and orchestra seats!!

Wonderful songs and wonderful costumes. I remember reading an article about how heavy those costumes were - they weighed a ton but were gorgeous.

And that smash number, "The Best of Times."

What is your earliest memory of the theatre?

posted by millie garfield @ 1:48 PM | Permalink | I LOVE COMMENTS >>

Comments:

I hardly have any theatre memories. I've gone to perhaps two shows in my life. But I want to expose my sons to theatre. I am planning to take them to our local venue this november. There are some children's musicals playing. What a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season. I hope they like it!

# posted by

Anonymous : 10:04 PM

When I was a child in England, one of the London theaters (I think) would tour a children's pantomime at Christmas. My parents took me to see three of them in the early 50s, and Julie Andrews had the lead in all three. They also took me to two Gilbert and Sullivan productions: "HMS Pinafore" and "Trial By Jury." I remember only snippets of the shows, but I do remember being all dressed up and on my best behaviour.

# posted by

Ronni : 10:21 PM

The small city I grew up in had only a small theater group and an operetta company. I saw several Gilbert and Sullivan productions, and Brigadoon, but I was hooked. YOu were lucky to be able to see the ones you did, Millie.

# posted by

kenju : 11:53 PM

I am afraid that we were too poor for theater tickets and then when I was on my own, I moved overseas. I do remember taking off to New York one Thanksgiving and seeing the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. That impressed me. Later as an adult we had season tickets to theaters in the cities. I saw Jack Lemon once at the National Theater...but cannot for the life of me remember the play.

# posted by

Tabor : 8:16 AM

My first Stage Play was "South Pacific" and my 12 year old son was in the orchestra. It was a local production but I will never be as thrilled seeing a play as I was that night.

My first play on Broadway was "The Will Rogers Revue" and I saw "Phantom Of the Opera" in San Francisco.

I did see the Rocekettes in NYC when I was twelve and was in the High School production of HMS Pinafore as well as a couple of other plays. That is the extent of my experience with the boards.

# posted by

Darlene : 3:52 PM

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# posted by

Anonymous : 8:51 PM

Feels great to have someone your age blogging. Keep going :)

Regards from Portugal

# posted by

José Luís Batalha : 9:28 PM

The various places I lived growing up we didn't have access to theatre (or at least I didn't get to see any live plays/musicals if there were some) -- local philharmonic orchestra, movies were my fare.

My first play exposure was being in the Jr. and Sr. High School plays. I fell in love with acting and did a lot of college and amateur theatre, acting, producing, directing, until I married years later. I aspired to visiting Broadway and off Broadway theatre but never made it.

I recall seeing a St. Louis Municipal Opera production of "South Pacific" featuring Juanita Hall, Bloody Mary from the original Broadway production. A few years later I was mesmerized by the Denison University (Ohio) production of "The Fantasticks" with John Davidson when he was a student there, before he ventured into the entertainment world. I also recall seeing Ray Milland in "The Witness For The Prosecution," other plays, etc. during the ensuing years.

# posted by

joared : 5:18 AM

Oh dear, nothing positive. A friend of my mother took me to see something at the Russ....the San Diego HS Auditorium of the time, and I was allergic to it. I couldn't stop sneezing.

# posted by

Mage : 11:01 AM

My first theater experience was in high school when a classmate took me to see the ballet Giselle. In my later years I saw Cat's and The Phantom Of The Opera on stage. I also saw Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.

I did a little operetta work in high school. But nothing amazing.

# posted by

momma : 12:06 PM

I believe my first was Kismet sometime in the early 50's. I was astounded and fascinated by the scant costuming. So what else would you expect from a Catholic girl from a Catholic boarding school. LOL

# posted by

Maria : 5:31 PM

I suppose Millie this post makes me think more about the theatre moment that I most missed experiencing....

And that being Rex Harrison singing, "Why Can't A Woman Be More Like A Man"! My Fair Lady was such a grand production.

# posted by

Alan G : 1:46 PM

Thanks for all your comments about your various theatre experiences.

After reading them I realize how lucky I was to have lived near the "try-out city of Boston." I was able to see many plays before they went to New York, most were good even before they were polished productions.

It also got me thinking about "the ocean" which I tend to take for granted - the Atlantic Ocean is a stones throw from my house!

# posted by

millie garfield : 4:10 PM

Joared
You mentioned seeing John Davidson in a college production of "The Fantasticks" when he was a student.

Well, let me tell you he's still a great performer!! Every few years he comes to Kings Point in Florida and puts on an outstanding show!!

He's 68 years old now, has amazing energy and loads of talent.

His shows are sellouts -

# posted by

millie garfield : 4:24 PM

As to professional productions, my first exposure was in the mid-1950s and, like Ronni, it was Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore - at the Starlight Theater in Swope Park (Kansas City MO), an outdoor theater. My folks took us kids, our paternal grandmother and uncle. The second was in the late 1960s, When my MIL took me and my daughters to see The Wizard of Oz in Forrest Park (St Louis MO), also an outdoor theater. As luck would have it a tornado warning was sounded by the sirens during the production. (I don't think anything was damaged in the St Louis area that night.)
Cop Car

# posted by

Anonymous : 10:28 AM

Thanks for following up on your first theatre memory.
As someone who grew up in England my first memory was also a "Pantomime" but i remember the journey home through the fog more than the performance.
so...
what is your earliest memory of the cinema?

# posted by

popps : 2:53 AM

popps

You ask another good question -" What is the earliest memory of the cinema"?

I had to be about eight years old when I saw "King Kong." That has to be one of my most outstanding movie experiences.

Many years later saw the remake - they should have quit when they were ahead!

# posted by

millie garfield : 10:40 PM

I think there might be a "universal truth" lesson to learn there - if you are a film maker then make your own film, don't remake someone elses.
Especially when it was so perfect as King Kong - Fay Wray was perfect.
And sexy.
But 8 years old - weren't you terrified?

# posted by

popps : 4:57 PM

I was late going to the theater for the first time. The small college town where I grew up had no live theater.

It was in Atlanta, the "big city"
75 miles from Athens where I saw my first live theater when I was 18.

It was the play, a Broadway touring company version of "Harvey" Remember that one with the big white rabbit only Elwood P. Dodd could see?

Then shortly thereafter I saw the musical touring company of "South Pacific"...(Some Enchanted Evening)

I still get goose bumps just remembering that one.

# posted by

Chancy : 10:50 PM

popps

You ask another interesting question - Was I terrified by King Kong?

I had to stop and think about that - No, I wasn't - I felt bad that KK was treated so badly by his captives. I still remember his sad eyes when he was being shot at.

Fay Wray was scared silly but I knew as an 8 year old he was not going to harm her!! Now, you have got me thinking, What was the reaction of other kids who saw the movie?

# posted by

millie garfield : 5:14 PM

Hey, Millie -- nice to hear John Davidson is still singing. I had wondered what he might be doing. I was working at the TV station in Columbus, Ohio, about an hour drive from Granville where he was a student at Denison. My friend told me she had heard there was this really exceptionally talented student performer there we should see, so we did. His performance was really outstanding. I never met him or knew him. Strange, now that I think about it, that we didn't have him as a guest on our show because we had a really talented Quintet and featured name artists frequently when they were in town, in addition to our own vocalists. Maybe he graduated and went off to NYC fame and fortune.

# posted by

joared : 5:16 AM

As many of theatre lovers I LOVE the musical South Pacific ! It is my favourite ever...I've seen it in New York and next week I’m going to visit my sister and I just got some pretty good tickets via:
http://www.tickethold.com
So I'll be analyzing as well as enjoying the show.

# posted by

TaylorSwift : 6:39 AM