All stories by Diana Bertolini on BroadwayStars

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Kay Brown Barrett: The First Victim of "Scarlett Fever" by Diana Bertolini

I recently processed the papers of talent scout and agent Kay Brown Barrett, known professionally as Kay Brown, or Katherine Brown. In her capacity as a scout for Selznick International Pict…

SOURCE: The New York Public Library at 08:59AM
Friday, June 28, 2013

A Disturbed Genius Seen Through the Eyes of an Intimate Friend: William Inge and Barbara Baxley by Diana Bertolini

Though not as well remembered today as Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller, in the 1950s, William Inge was the most successful and acclaimed playwright in America. During that decade, Inge…

SOURCE: The New York Public Library at 07:44PM
Thursday, April 25, 2013

Life is a Cabaret! A Study Guide to a Great American Musical by Diana Bertolini

If you're interested in doing research on a musical, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has an embarrassment of riches. To find all the information we have, you may have to …

SOURCE: The New York Public Library at 07:46AM
Thursday, January 17, 2013

Metamorphosis of a Song: “What Do the Simple Folk Do?” by Diana Bertolini

I've blogged before about my joy in finding something I never knew existed in the richly varied archival holdings of the New York Public Library, but while processing the James Barton Papers…

SOURCE: The New York Public Library at 06:37AM
Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The Lost Musicals: Redhead by Diana Bertolini

Musicals are often most associated with women, or at least with divas: the larger than life stars that musicals are built around. To get a show produced you want to have a decent score and …

SOURCE: The New York Public Library at 05:35AM
Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Ruth Chatterton: A Screen Career in Photographs (In Defense of the Fan Collection) by Diana Bertolini

This post is about a fascinating, talented and beautiful movie star of the 1930s named Ruth Chatterton. However, it's also about a dedicated fan who preserved her legacy. Yes, this is the ty…

SOURCE: The New York Public Library at 12:39PM
Monday, August 6, 2012

Wait for Me, World: The Kander, Ebb and Wasserman Musical that Never Was by Diana Bertolini

Most archivists will tell you that the best part of our job is the feeling of possibility. Every time you open a box and start digging through it, you might find that something amazing &mdas…

SOURCE: The New York Public Library at 07:44AM
Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Frank McHugh: A Beloved Character Actor Who Played an Important Role in World War II by Diana Bertolini

Unless you’re a classic film buff, you’ve probably never heard of Frank McHugh, and most of the hundred odd movies he appeared in during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s have fallen in…

SOURCE: The New York Public Library at 08:36AM
Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Lost Musicals: Skyscraper by Diana Bertolini

The successful casting of non-singing stars (or at least stars not known for singing) such as Rosalind Russell in Wonderful Town, Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady and Richard Burton in…

SOURCE: The New York Public Library at 05:24AM
Friday, January 13, 2012

The Lost Musicals, Hollywood Edition: Comden and Green’s Wonderland by Diana Bertolini

Wonderland isn’t technically lost — it was never made, but I found a rare script for this would-be film musical in the Betty Comden Papers. Betty Comden and Adolph Green, were th…

SOURCE: The New York Public Library at 09:32AM
Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Wheel Is Come Full Circle: A Production History of "King Lear" at the Public Theater (Part 2: 1996 & 2007) by Diana Bertolini

Joseph Papp conceived of a marathon at the Public Theater of every one of Shakespeare’s plays, in the order in which they were written. This began under Papp in 1988 and was continued …

SOURCE: The New York Public Library at 06:56AM
Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The Wheel Is Come Full Circle: A Production History of King Lear at the Public Theater Part I: 1962 & 1973 by Diana Bertolini

This fall from October 18 - November 20, 2011, the Public Theater will be presenting a new production of what many consider Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy, regal, emotionally powe…

SOURCE: The New York Public Library at 06:35AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards