Seize Your Copy Some Enchanted Evenings: The Glittering Life And Times Of Mary Martin Crafted By David Kaufman Distributed In Booklet

was very informative, but a bit dry, There were some gossipy tidbits, as the other reviewers said, but overall I found the book a bit difficult to finish as I lost interest after the middle part due the protracted, detailed pacing.


There was mildly interesting thread of Mary Martin's supposed lesbianism, but that actually petered out toward the end ha.
I actually found the sidebar information about Larry Hagman, her son, the most interesting, and was drawn toward his story as an abandoned son, who made amends with his mother toward the end of her life.


If you are a musical theater fan, this is a good book, If you are seeking high drama or lifechanging inspiration, this may not be it, Mary Martin had a wonderful life, and she had many fans, I hope she felt happy for her accomplishments, For as long as I can remember, Mary Martin's voice has been part of the soundtrack of my life, As a small child, I recall listening to cast recordings of "South Pacific" and "The Sound of Music" and being captivated by her smooth singing and unique style.
During high school, I was thrilled to find her autobiography, "My Heart Belongs" in the school library, Somewhere I have a cassette on which I recorded excerpts of that book, I needed to do that because I really did not want to bring it back to school, but I also didn't want to incur the wrath of the librarian.


Nowadays, I dont hear her name very often, even on radio shows dedicated to theater music, Since I regularly listen to the cast recordings of the musicals in which she starred, however, she is still part of my musical landscape.
So I was thrilled when Bill Rudman, artistic director of The Musical Theater Project, an organization of which I am a proud member, dedicated one of his weekly radio shows to Martin's work.
During that broadcast, he mentioned this newly published biography and I just knew I had to read it, I often dislike show business biographies because I really don't care one way or another about the tawdry events they depict.
But I knew that if Rudman recommended it, it had to be great, And I was most definitely not disappointed,

I was glad to learn more about the films Martin made in the's, These were, by all reports, quite forgettable, though I admit that I'm hoping to find them on Turner Classic Movies because I'd love to see them at least once.


Her Broadway work is, of course, the stuff of legend, Even though most of the theater related stories in this book were ones I've heard before, I was thrilled beyond words to be reminded of them anew.
Reading about her less popular shows such as "Lute Song" and "Jenny" was most interesting, I love the score to "Jenny," but I knew next to nothing about the plot,

Her television work is also very well documented, You'll read about her groundbreaking specials of the's with Ethel Merman and Noel Coward and, of course, about that wonderful place called "Never Never Land.
" You'll also learn a bit about the talk show she cohosted in the's which was geared towards senior citizens,

Modern technology allowed me to enhance my reading in some pretty wonderful ways, Not only did I listen to most of the cast recordings mentioned, but I was also able to find clips from the TV shows and interviews Kaufman discusses.
This allowed me to consider Kaufman's perspective while also thinking about my own,

The book jacket blurb says that while Martin's show business life was the stuff of fairy tales, her personal life was the exact opposite.
After reading the book, I'm not really sure I agree with that assessment and I wonder if the author himself does.
I will say this: Martin was a much more complex woman than one might expect from hearing her interviews,

Her relationship with her son, Larry Hagman, whom many of you will know from his work on "Dallas" and, if you are as old as I am, "I Dream of Jeannie," was at times quite tempestuous.
She was very young when he was born and she essentially abandoned him to pursue her career, This is not idle gossip in fact, Martin herself spoke about it, If she had one big regret in her life, this was it, Fortunately, their relationship improved in her later years, Her daughter, Heller, chose a career outside of show business this is also discussed,

Kaufman does not shy away from addressing rumors about Martin's lesbianism, Her husband, Richard Halliday, was a gay man and it is interesting to consider their marriage in that context, Halliday is not portrayed as a very nice man, though Martin clearly thought the world of him, He managed just about every aspect of her life and career and, since she always had someone to take care of her, she apparently welcomed this.
Given the independent spirit she showed after his death, it is intriguing to consider what she would have done differently if she took charge of other aspects of her life earlier than she did.
Somewhere in the book, Kaufman mentions that Martin told someone that when you pursue a career in show

business, you must sublimate your sexuality and put that energy into serving your audience.
I don't recall the details, but I found that comment interesting to ponder,

Let me be clear though: although Kaufman discusses all of these things, not once does the book become trashy or gossipy.
In order for the reader to get a clear picture of Martin, these things must be considered, He handles them with poise and grace and most of what he writes comes from primary sources,

Mary Martin had a true zest for life and this is captured throughout the book, She lived largely on the stage, but it is clear that she loved and valued her friends and also enjoyed her knitting and other pastimes.
Although she never played Mame Dennis, that's who I kept thinking about as I got to know this vivacious woman who lived every moment with passion and verve.
In, she premiered the Rodgers and Hammerstein song "Cockeyed Optimist, " Although it was written for the character Nellie Forbush in "South Pacific," this book proved that it could just as easily have been penned about Martin herself.
Our hearts will forever be blessed by the sound of her music and we will sing once more,
Thoroughly researched. Well written. Did not know Mary was a lesbian as the book suggests Gossipy, wellwritten bio of Mary Martin, a Broadway legend in the midth century, largely erased from popular culture now because, despite the popularity of the stage musicals in which she starred South Pacific, The Sound of Music, Annie Get You Gun, she made very few movies, and none at all after she became a stage superstar.
The only real record we have of her at her peak is the video of the TV broadcast of Peter Pan, which was actually done several years after she had done the role on Broadway.
The author is occasionally guilty of including material just because he went through the trouble of digging it up the chapter on her life in Brazil includes much tedious detail simply because Kaufman had lots of source materialletters, interviews, but generally this is fast and satisfying read for entertainment bio fans.
I'm really not sure what compelled me to pick up this book, In the Merman vs. Martin discussion, I have always been soundly in the Merman camp, Films in which I have seen Martin perform have not captivated me at all, Her cast recording of "Hello, Dolly" has always struck me as lackluster and pokey, So, why did I read this I wanted to see what I missed, Kaufman does a good job of painting a pretty compete portrait of a fiercely private woman who valued "image and career" above anything else, including her parents and her children.
The one exception was the man who became her second husband, Richard Halliday, A closeted homosexual himself, he was the ideal Pygmalion to create the Martin the world came to know and treasure, Kaufman pulls no punches in his assertion that Martin herself was probably a lesbian as well, Maybe they each found someone with whom they could be themselves, It proved a profitable and lengthy relationship of mutual dependence, I enjoyed reading about the many people with whom Martin worked, and her predictable runins with virtually all of them, I'm not sure if hardcore Martin fans would enjoy this book, but for the rest of us, it provides a glimpse into what all the fuss was about.
Gossipy with a lot of inside info about various productions, But over all, meh. Five but will appeal only to those raised on the Broadway musicals of the 's and 's, Well researched, much minutiae of life in the theater, a detailed history ofth century musical comedy, I really didnt like this book much at all, Although I dont expect biography writers to fawn over their subject over much this took the opposite to extreme, He seemed almost as if he resented Mary Martin, Very weird. She had an interesting and very unusual life, Mary Martin is known to many as Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up, But do you know about her attempted Hollywood career, or how she got her start on Broadway What about her fascinating marriage to producer Richard Halliday, or the fact that she is the mother of legendary TV actor Larry Hagman All of this, and more, is explored in David Kaufmans fantastic biography SOME ENCHANTED EVENINGS: THE GLITTERING LIFE AND TIMES OF MARY MARTIN.


Kaufman begins with Martins childhood in Weatherford, TX, where she was beloved by her family and community, It traces her attempt at a Hollywood career in Los Angeles, where she becomes known as “Audition Mary” and marries Richard Halliday, a closeted gay man whose alcoholism and erratic behavior was disparaged by many Kaufman also hints at Martins own homosexuality, but never outright confirms it.
The book also explores her fraught relationship with Larry, her son from her first husbandshe left Larry with her mother while pursuing her career.


Kaufman reveals the complex underbelly of this sparkling, congenial, charismatic performer whose charm and humor endeared her to millions.
Drawing from Martins memoir another enjoyable read and interviews with those who knew her, Kaufman has conducted a wellresearched biography with an appropriately critical eye.
He also writes in an engaging style that, while analytical, never feels too academic for the average reader,

A treat for fans of Broadway musicals and pop culture history, SOME ENCHANTED EVENINGS is a delight to read.
.