Monday, February 27, 2023
February 27, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler
“The thing about Doug Henning was that he could make the audience disappear, too!” — Nathan Lane
Merlin, the infamo…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 08:02AMThursday, February 23, 2023
February 23, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler
Today is the anniversary of when the 1979 musical Sarava, “the new hot musical” as it was billed, reluctantly opened on Br…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 02:42PMMonday, February 20, 2023
February 20, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler
In May of 1964, an election year, a new play opened on Broadway by A. E. Hotchner titled The White House. It depicted a relati…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 02:31PMTuesday, February 14, 2023
Barry Bostwick and Carole Demas, the first Broadway Danny and Sandy, in “Grease” (1972).February 14, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler
Fifty-one years ago, on Valentine…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 08:52AMWednesday, February 1, 2023
Latecomer Larry Kert with the original cast of “Company” (1970).Theatre Yesterday and Today, February 1, 2023, by Ron Fassler.
To continue with more on replacements, the story of how La…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 08:41AMMonday, January 30, 2023
Elaine Stritch as she appeared on Broadway as Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1963).Theatre Yesterday and Today, January 30, 2023, by Ron Fassler.
Due to a warm response…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 09:14AMSaturday, January 28, 2023
Tovah Feldshuh (left) and Lea Michele (right) as Mrs. Brice and Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” (2022).Theatre Yesterday and Today, January 28, 2023, by Ron Fassler.
When an original cast …
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 10:42AMTuesday, January 17, 2023
James Earl Jones, born on this date, January 17, 1931.January 17, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler
James Earl Jones, who turns ninety-two today, was the first dramatic act…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:31AMTuesday, January 10, 2023
January 10, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler
Though the Tony Awards have been handed out since 1948, the citing of nominees didn’t enter the mix until 1956. Since then, a…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 09:28AMFriday, January 6, 2023
Walter Matthau as Oscar and Art Carney as Felix in “The Odd Couple” (1965).January 6, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler
“Can two divorced men share an apartment witho…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 07:56AMMonday, January 2, 2023
Frank Fenton, Joseph Cotton, Katharine Hepburn, Van Heflin and Shirley Booth in “The Philadelphia Story” (1939). Photo by Vandamm.January 2, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron F…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 10:52AMSunday, January 1, 2023
Cole Porter (photo by Horst P. Horst).January, 1, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler
In the spirit of ringing in the new year, here’s a reprise of a column I previously wr…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:50AMTuesday, December 27, 2022
If this cover is unfamiliar, it’s the British edition which, to my mind, is far superior in look and feel to its American counterpart.December 27, 2022: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 12:35PMTuesday, December 20, 2022
Robert Preston as Professor Harold Hill informing the denizens of River City they’ve got “Trouble” (1957).December 20, 2022: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler
A day late, an…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 12:25PMTuesday, December 13, 2022
December 13, 2022: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler
The Canadian postage stamp created in his honor.Christopher Plummer was born on this date in 1929. He died in February of 202…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 07:24AMSaturday, December 10, 2022
As an inveterate theatergoer since the age of twelve, I’ve chronicled in these columns and elsewhere about the days when I saw shows on a weekly basis in the late 60s and early 70s. I’ve…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 01:06PMFriday, October 14, 2022
Angela Lansbury (1925–2022).In yesterday’s column, Angela Lansbury’s whirlwind of activity in the 1970s was explored. Not only did she perform on Broadway and the West End, as well as …
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 12:50PMThursday, October 13, 2022
By Ron Fassler
Angela Lansbury as Rose in “Gypsy” (1974).In yesterday’s column, I chronicled the late Angela Lansbury’s first twenty years as a film, television and stage actress (…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 02:56PMWednesday, October 12, 2022
By Ron Fassler
As I take to the keyboard to write a tribute to Angela Lansbury, who passed away yesterday five days shy of her 97th birthday, I’m surprised I had never gotten around to do…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 10:43PMTuesday, October 11, 2022
Robert Preston and Mary Martin as Michael and Agnes in “I Do! I Do!” (1966).It’s not hyperbole to say that when I saw Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt’s two-character musical I Do! I Do…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 05:12PMFriday, September 23, 2022
NY Times ad for the CBS televised opening night concert at Philharmonic Hall, the inauguration of Lincoln Center, 9.23.62.Is there anyone that doesn’t get a thrill from standing in front …
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:43AMTuesday, September 6, 2022
Throughout my life, I’ve always been intrigued by the notion of time travel. It could have something to do with growing up in the 1960s when all sorts of media were obsessed with the idea.…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 06:02PMFriday, July 8, 2022
Paul Scofield as Sir Thomas More in the film of “A Man for All Seasons” (1966).The title of Garry O’Connor’s 2002 biography Paul Scofield: An Actor for All Seasons seemed an appropr…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 09:23AMTuesday, July 5, 2022
Susan Johnson (drawn by Hirschfeld) with Eddie Foy Jr., James Gannon and Art Lund in “Donnybrook” (1961).She only appeared in five musicals that were recorded. Yet if you are someone lik…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 12:50PMMonday, July 4, 2022
Howard Da Silva (Ben Franklin) and William Daniels (John Adams) in “1776” (1969). Photo by Martha Swope.Can’t let July 4th go by without my annual tribute to the musical 1776, a brill…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:01AMTuesday, June 21, 2022
Self-portrait of Al Hirschfeld at his drafting table in his Koken barber chair.The artist Al Hirschfeld, a theatrical treasure of the highest order, was born 119 years ago today. Chroniclin…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:56AMWednesday, June 15, 2022
On this day twenty-two years ago, a new production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth opened at the Music Box Theatre. Directed by former director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Terry Hands, it w…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 03:27PMFriday, June 10, 2022
Jaquel Spivey, John-Michael Lyles and James Jackson, Jr. at the first Broadway preview curtain call for “A Strange Loop” (Photo: Jeenah Moon for The New York Times).I’ve been handicap…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 12:00PMTuesday, June 7, 2022
Charles Strouse and Lee Adams’ “The Telephone Hour” from “Bye, Bye Birdie” (1960).Composer Charles Strouse was born on this date ninety-four years ago. His more than thirty stage …
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 09:26AMThursday, June 2, 2022
During the height of my teenage theatergoing years, which occurred between 1969 and 1973, I was never happier than when I would pore over the New York Times’ ABC’s Directory in order to …
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:46AMFriday, May 20, 2022
Julie Andrews singing “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?” at the recording session for “My Fair Lady” (1956).Having listened to a steady stream of Broadway original cast recordings over the…
SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 01:44PM 
