By Ligia Fernandez
Return to Main Entertainers
Archive Page
June 2006
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Mary Martin
(1913 - 1990)
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One of the most vivacious and versatile leading ladies of
40-50s Broadway, Mary Martin's big break came in 1938 with her show-stopping
rendition of My Heart Belongs to Daddy in Cole Porter's LEAVE IT TO
ME. Her performance lead her to a contract with Paramount Studios, where she
appeared a string of B-musicals including KISS THE BOYS GOODBYE, RHYTHM ON
THE RIVER, THE GREAT VICTOR HERBERT and BIRTH OF THE BLUES. Following her
marriage to Richard Halliday (who later became her manager), she made a
triumphant return to the Broadway stage in ONE TOUCH OF VENUS introducing the
haunting ballad Speak Low. Afterwards, she accepted an offer to
headline a tour of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN.
Then came spunky nurse Nellie Forbush in SOUTH PACIFIC leading to her
first Tony Award. Other Tony Awards followed for PETER PAN and THE SOUND OF
MUSIC. In 1966, she co-starred with Robert Preston in the two-character
musical I DO! I DO! in what would be her final Broadway show.
She also starred in a world tour of HELLO DOLLY! and appeared opposite
Carol Channing in the U.S. tour of the non-musical play LEGENDS.
She lived long enough to enjoy the monumental success of her son,
"Dallas" star Larry Hagman. |
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Hugh Jackman
(1968 -) |
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Hugh Jackman is definitely one of the Tony Awards most
entertaining hosts ever. Already an established stage and screen
personality in his native Australia, Jackman appeared in several Aussie
musical theatre productions including Gaston in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and Joe
Gillis in SUNSET BLVD. In 1998, he was cast as Curly in London's National
Theatre's highly-acclaimed mounting of OKLAHOMA.
American movie audiences were introduced to Jackman as Wolverine in the
action film X-MEN. Roles in the X-MEN sequels, KATE AND LEOPOLD, SOMEONE
LIKE YOU and VAN HELSING followed.
In 2003, he took Broadway by storm playing fellow Aussie performer Peter
Allen in the autobiographical musical THE BOY FROM OZ. He walked off with
practically every major award, including the Tony, and made such an
indelible impression that the OZ producers decided to close the show rather
replace him when his Broadway contract was up. Later this year, he will
reprising OZ in a much-anticipated Australian tour scheduled to begin August
3 in Sydney. |
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