Cleveland Institute of Music's Mixon Hall to Present MARY MARTIN: AMERICA'S SWEETHEART

The Musical Theater Project honors a Broadway legend in "Mary Martin: America's Sweetheart," to be presented at Mixon Hall at Cleveland Institute of Music. There will be two performances on Sunday, October 26, at 2pm and 7pm.

Co-hosted by TMTP artistic director Bill Rudman and music director Nancy Maier, the concert will revisit many of Martin's star turns including Nellie Forbush in Rodgers & Hammerstein's "South Pacific," the title role in "Peter Pan," and the first Maria in "The Sound of Music."

To highlight Martin's long and illustrious career of 40 years, the concert will be divided between two vocalists: Ursula Cataan (the younger Martin) and Sandra Simon (the older Martin). Rudman will provide commentary.

In act one, Cataan will perform Martin's 1938 breakout hit, Cole Porter's "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," and take audiences on a tour of such beloved songs as "A Wonderful Guy" from "South Pacific" and the iconic "I've Gotta Crow" from "Peter Pan." Then in act two, Simon picks up with selections from the 1959 classic "The Sound of Music" including the title song and "My Favorite Things"; the touching "My Cup Runneth Over" from "I Do! I Do!" and even a song from "Hello, Dolly!," a musical Martin took to London and several American cities including Cleveland.

TMTP's multi-media concert includes dozens of still images and some choice clips from Martin's early films. Says Rudman: "Mary Martin described herself as 'a hayseed from Texas,' and she could charm the birds off those trees. But she could also display a come-hither sexiness. In short, she had it all. Broadway audiences loved her, and she held Baby Boomers like me spellbound as Peter Pan on TV."

Cleveland Institute of Music is located at 11021 East Boulevard in University Circle. General tickets are priced at $26 and TMTP Member tickets are $21. Tickets are available through the TMTP box office at 216-245-8687 or online at MusicalTheaterProject.org.

"Mary Martin: America's Sweetheart" is presented as part of "The Song Is You!" concert and cabaret season produced each year by The Musical Theater Project at a variety of locations. The show follows by two weeks its companion piece honoring the second "first lady" of the American musical: "Ethel Merman: Loud but Honest," will be performed October 12 at Stocker Arts Center at 2pm.

A Leading Ladies Pass to both "Ethel Merman: Loud but Honest" and "Mary Martin: America's Sweetheart" can be purchased for $30 exclusively from the TMTP Box Office through October 1st by calling 216-245-8687.

To post a comment, you must register and login.