Alan Jay Lerner: A Lyricist's Letters (59 page)

    
91
Sir David Lean (1908–91) was a film director and producer, whose famous epic films included
The Bridge on the River Kwai
(1957),
Lawrence of Arabia
(1962),
Doctor Zhivago
(1965), and
A Passage to India
(1984).

    
92
Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt (1858–1919) was president of the United States from September 14, 1901, to March 3, 1909.

    
93
John Philip Sousa (1854–1932) was an American composer, remembered for his large catalogue of marches.

    
94
Lyricist Hal Hackady’s (?–) credits include
Minnie’s Boys
(1970),
Ambassador
(1971), and
Goodtime Charley
(1975).

    
95
Richard Kapp (1936–2006) was an American conductor who founded the ensemble Philharmonia Virtuosi of New York.

    
96
Jerome Alden (1921–97) was a playwright and screenwriter, whose work included a play about Theodore Roosevelt,
Bully
.

    
97
Jeremy Gerard, “Len Cariou Does a Bully ‘Teddy and Alice,’”
Chicago Tribune
, November 12, 1987. Accessed online:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1987-11-12/features/8703250415_1_night-music-richard-kapp-demon-barber
(22 August 2012)
.

    
98
Frank Rich, “Theater: Teddy and Alice,”
New York Times
, November 13, 1987
.

    
99
Bernstein had recorded
West Side Story
with the opera singers Jose Carreras and Kiri Te Kanawa for Deutsche Grammophon.

    
100
Actress Amanda Waring (1966–) has appeared in the musicals
From Here to Maternity
and
Love off the Shelf
, in addition to the title role in
Gigi
. She is the daughter of the actress Dorothy Tutin and the actor Derek Waring.

    
101
Matt Wolf, “Classic ‘Gigi’ Flops Again,”
Associated Press/Mid Cities Daily News
, October 1, 1985, 6
.

    
102
Beryl Reid (1919–96) was a British actress, nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in
The Killing of Sister George
(1968).

    
103
Jean-Pierre Aumont (1911–2001) was a French actor who played numerous roles on stage and screen, the latter including
Heartbeat
(1946) with Ginger Rogers and
Lili
(1953) with Leslie Caron.

    
104
David Jacobs (1926–2013) was a popular British radio broadcaster, associated with programs such as
Juke Box Jury, Any Questions?
and
The David Jacobs Collection
.

    
105
Beverly Sills (1929–2007) was a highly respected and popular soprano, specializing in
bel canto
repertoire. Upon her retirement, she became an administrator, most notably as general manager of the New York City Opera and as chairman of the Metropolitan Opera.

    
106
Bob Hope (1903–2003) was one of the most important entertainers of the twentieth century, remembered especially for his series of “Road” movies with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour.

    
107
Mercier Cunningham (1919–2009) was an esteemed dancer and choreographer, notable for his role in the American avant-garde, including collaborations with composer John Cage.

    
108
Michele Lee (1942–) is an American actress and personality, whose musical theater appearances have included
How to Succeed
(1961) and
Seesaw
(1973).

    
109
Copy in the Paley Center, New York. Information on the program from
http://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=robert+kennedy&p=3&item=T86:0249
(accessed: 22 August 2012).

    
110
That is, for the Kennedy Center Honors.

    
111
Richard Stilgoe (1943–) is a British songwriter, whose varied career has included writing the lyrics for the original 1984 version of
Starlight Express
.

    
112
Completed by Lloyd Webber with lyricists Stilgoe and Charles Hart,
The Phantom of the Opera
opened on October 9, 1986, in London’s West End, where it continues its run. It is currently the longest-running musical in Broadway history.

    
113
Actress Sarah Brightman (1960–) originated the role of Christine in
The Phantom of the Opera
, and was Lloyd Webber’s wife at the time of the show’s opening.

August 31, 1918: Born in New York City

September 1936: Arrives at Harvard

March 29, 1938: Premiere of
So Proudly We Hail!

April 8, 1938: New York debut of
Fair Enough

October 1939: Announces
The Little Dog Laughed
(unproduced)

June 26, 1940: Marries Ruth Boyd

October 8, 1942: Premiere of
Life of the Party
in Detroit

November 11, 1943: Broadway premiere of
What’s Up?

November 1944: Begins work on
The Day before Spring

June 1945: Starts to draft
Brigadoon

November 22, 1945:
The Day before Spring
opens on Broadway

February 1946: MGM takes up option on screen version of
The Day before Spring
(incomplete)

October 1946:
Brigadoon
announced to the press

March 13, 1947: Broadway premiere of
Brigadoon

April 1947: Splits with Frederick Loewe

June 1947: Divorces Ruth Boyd

July 1947: Announces new collaboration with Kurt Weill

September 1947: Marries Marion Bell

October 7, 1948: Broadway debut of
Love Life

January 1949: Starts to write
Royal Wedding

September 15, 1949: Divorces Marion Bell

March 19, 1950: Marries Nancy Olson

May 1950: Reunites with Loewe and starts to write
Paint Your Wagon

February 1951: MGM buys screen rights to
Brigadoon

March 1951:
Royal Wedding

October 1951:
An American in Paris

November 12, 1951: Broadway premiere of
Paint Your Wagon

March 1952: Begins first attempt at
My Fair Lady

March 20, 1952: Wins Academy Award for screenplay of
An American in Paris

April 1952: Considers writing musical version of
Casablanca
with Loewe

September 1952: Considers movie version of
The Girl of the Golden West

October 1952: Abandons first attempt at
My Fair Lady
; severs collaboration with Loewe

February 1953: Starts work on new songs for movie version of
Paint Your Wagon
with Arthur Schwartz

March 1953: Signs contract to write musical of
Li’l Abner
with Schwartz

October 1953: Starts writing screenplay of non-musical
Green Mansions
for MGM

November 1953: Ends collaboration with Schwartz; Burton Lane takes over as composer of
Li’l Abner

December 1953: Undertakes further work on
Huckleberry Finn
for MGM. Production on movie of
Brigadoon
begins

August 1954: Resumes work with Loewe on
My Fair Lady
; abandons
Abner

September 1954: Premiere of movie version of
Brigadoon

April 1955: Plans musical adaption of
Saratoga Trunk

March 15, 1956:
My Fair Lady
opens on Broadway

April 1956: Abandons
Saratoga Trunk

May 1956: Begins work on screenplay of
Gigi
without Loewe

February 1957: Loewe agrees to write score for
Gigi
. Lerner directs rehearsals of National Tour of
My Fair Lady

March 15, 1957: World premiere of songs dedicated to Harvard, with music by Leonard Bernstein, at Carnegie Hall

March 27, 1957: Revival of
Brigadoon
opens at City Center, New York

April 21, 1957:
My Fair Lady
wins six Tony Awards. Lerner moves to Paris to work on
Gigi
.

October 1957: Announces work on
Father of the Bride
with Loewe; divorces Nancy Olson

December 1957: Abandons work on
Father of the Bride

December 25, 1957: Marries Micheline Muselli Pozzo di Borgo

April 1958: Loewe suffers heart attack and cannot attend London premiere of
Fair Lady

May 15, 1958:
Gigi
receives world premiere screening. Lerner and Loewe consider musical version of
Life with Father

February 1959: Lerner and Loewe start work on
Camelot

February 18, 1960: Lerner elected president of Dramatists Guild

April 18, 1960:
My Fair Lady
receives Russian premiere

October 1, 1960: First performance of
Camelot
in Toronto

October 4, 1960: Lerner hospitalized for bleeding ulcer

October 14, 1960: Lerner takes over direction of
Camelot

December 3, 1960: Broadway debut of
Camelot

April 6, 1961: Announces new collaboration with Richard Rodgers

February 11, 1962:
The Broadway of Lerner and Loewe
TV special is aired

September 30, 1962:
My Fair Lady
closes on Broadway

October 1962: Announces details of
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
with Richard Rodgers

Early 1963: Works on screenplay of
My Fair Lady

May 23, 1963: Produces birthday celebration for President Kennedy at the Waldorf-Astoria

July 1963: Collapse of collaboration with Rodgers; Burton Lane takes over as composer of
On a Clear Day

January 1964: Agrees to write screenplay and lyrics for
Doctor Dolittle

October 1964:
My Fair Lady
movie is released to cinemas

December 1964:
My Fair Lady
wins New York Film Critics’ Award

March 8, 1965: Divorces Micheline Muselli Pozzo di Borgo

October 17, 1965: Broadway premiere of
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

November 15, 1966: Marries Karen Gunderson

January 1966: Announces collaboration with André Previn on
Coco

February 27, 1966: Tribute to Lerner screens on
The Bell Telephone Hour
. Pre-production on movie of
Camelot
begins in the same month.

August 1966: Visits Coco Chanel in Paris to discuss
Coco

October 1967: Charity premiere of
Camelot
film in New York

1968: Writes new songs with Previn for movie of
Paint Your Wagon
and screenplay of
On a Clear Day
for Barbra Streisand

February 1969: Celebrates twenty-five years in show business at the Waldorf-Astoria

October 16, 1969: Premiere of
Paint Your Wagon
movie

December 18, 1969: Broadway premiere of
Coco

June 17, 1970: Movie of
On a Clear Day
opens in cinemas

November 1970: Announces stage adaptation of
Lolita
with music by John Barry

March 15, 1971:
Lolita, My Love
opens in Boston tryout, but closes before reaching Broadway

September 1971: Lerner and Loewe reunite to write score for
The Little Prince
and revision of
Gigi
for the stage

Early 1973: Filming of
The Little Prince
takes place

May 15, 1973: Stage version of
Gigi
opens in San Francisco

November 1973: Starts to write
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
with Bernstein

November 13, 1973: Broadway premiere of
Gigi

April 11, 1974: Premiere of City Center show
Music! Music! Music!
for which Lerner wrote some “footnotes”

April 21, 1974: Lerner and Loewe win Tony Award for Best Score for
Gigi

April 30, 1974: Divorces Karen Gunderson

December 10, 1974: Marries Sandra Payne

December 1974:
The Little Prince
is released

1975: Extensive work completed on
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

March 25, 1976: Anniversary revival of
My Fair Lady
opens on Broadway

May 4, 1976:
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
opens

Fall 1976: Work begins on
Carmelina

1976: Divorces Sandra Payne

January 1977: Lerner appears in musical theater festival in Australia and starts work on memoir
The Street Where I Live

March 1977: Announces
Carmelina
to the press

May 30, 1977: Marries Nina Bushkin

Fall 1978: Publication of
The Street Where I Live

April 8, 1979: Broadway premiere of
Carmelina

May 14, 1979: Tribute to Lerner and Loewe at Museum of the City of New York

Summer 1979: Briefly discusses collaboration with Michel Legrand on
The Mountains of Peru

November 1979: Major revival of
My Fair Lady
in London, with direction by Lerner

July 8, 1980: New York premiere of revival of
Camelot

October 16, 1980: New York revival of
Brigadoon

April 1981: Begins work on film adaptation of
The Merry Widow
and briefly works on
Copperfield

May 1981: Announces
Dance a Little Closer
, with Charles Strouse

August 1981: Divorces Nina Bushkin

August 18, 1981: Marries Liz Robertson; Harrison revival of
My Fair Lady
opens on Broadway

February 1982: Agrees to direct
Dance a Little Closer