Volume 46 - No. 02
January 14, 2016
y Frederick Gomez
Amazing stories of human beings driven by love and courage and eventual triumph abound everywhere. There is no shortage of such documented cases. But what about some of the most incredible true moments of people overcoming remarkable circumstances which remain hugely unknown to the general public and, therefore, uncelebrated by the mainstream media? Let us glimpse at some of these true slices of life, and how love and courage led to great moments of triumph.
On the evening of November 16, 1959, the world premiere of the Broadway musical, The Sound of Music, made its debut. It is well known that The Sound of Music became one of the most beloved and popular musicals to ever hit the Great White Way, amassing 1,443 total performances and capturing the hearts of theater-goers and critics, alike. What is not well known, are the hidden elements which took place backstage, behind the footlights, and unknown to the world at large. Unlike the musical production itself, the mysterious unraveling of events hidden behind the curtain were the stuff of real human drama, and not of the world of make-believe. What occurred stunned many ‘insiders’ who witnessed it.
It involved The Sound of Music’s principal star, famed actress, Mary Martin, who dazzled her audience of adoring fans each night. It is no secret that Mary Martin became the favorite of Richard Rogers, who wrote the music, as well as Oscar Hammerstein II, who wrote those immortal lyrics. Mary Martin was their unabashed favorite to personify their life’s productions, not only in Sound of Music, but she was also Rogers and Hammerstein’s pride of joy, especially when Martin won the highest accolade possible for any Broadway musical play, the Tony Award, for Best Actress for their South Pacific musical in 1949. That Mary Martin was a gifted genius on stage was a well-known fact; she had a photographic memory, what medical experts refer to in textbook parlance as an ‘eidetic memory.” Subsequently, her memorized lines for her stage performances were flawless to the nth degree. Mary Martin’s performance so mesmerized critics and audiences, alike, that she received standing ovations each and every night. But, something mysterious crept in, like a dark shadow from the stage wings. It wasn’t noticeable at first, but, ever so slowly, something took hold of Mary Martin which, ironi-
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cally, she, herself, was unaware. Somehow, the onslaught of the years dulled her performances, and they became routine and no longer magical to see. Something inexplicably died within her. Critics turned on her, and audiences ceased in their adoration. Not knowing at the time what had happened to herself, Mary Martin took time to visit her dear friend, the noted lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein II, who lay dying of cancer in the hospital. Comforting the great Hammerstein, he noted her sadness and asked what was wrong. Martin explained. Then she asked the great one, “What has happened to me? What has gone wrong?” Hammerstein, it is recorded, smiled serenely then said these words to Mary Martin, “Mary, love in your heart isn’t put there to stay. Love isn’t love till you give it away.”
The following night, Mary Martin went through her paces on stage, but this time, the ending was far, far different. When she had finished, there was not a dry eye in the house; the audience stood as one in a long standing ovation!
The newspaper critics all stood erect, as well!
Rushing to the theatre wings, Mary nearly collapsed, so overwhelmed in sheer joy and excitement! Stagehands, still hearing the deafening ovation from the audience, rushed to Mary Martin’s side congratulating her with excitement! Then, they asked the great question: “Mary, what happened out there, onstage, tonight?” Martin turned silent, then, with tears rolling down her face, looked at the quizzical faces about her and answered: “Tonight . . . I gave my love away!” Oscar Hammerstein II, died shortly after. But not before he heard of Mary’s recaptured love and triumph! And not before Mary Martin, his favorite actress, won the Tony Award for her performance in Sound of Music, on April 24, 1960. But four months later, Oscar Hammerstein II, America’s most influential lyricist, died. How truly remarkable was Mary Martin’s stage transformation back then? Esteemed and influential Broadway critic,
Richard Watts, Jr., of The New York Post was a most seasoned critic reputed to be strict and never given to exaggeration. The powerful critic studied Mary Martin’s performance and he printed these very words in his newspaper column: “Nothing I have ever seen her do prepared me for the loveliness, humor, gift for joyous characterization and sheer lovableness of her performance!” Even though Mary Martin achieved greater fame in her subsequent role as Peter Pan, there was never anything like that night, back in 1959, as Maria von Trapp. There may never be a more magical moment such as that, again. Remarkably, as life often has it, very few people knew of the behind-the-scenes drama which changed her life forever.
From that time onward, until her death on December 1, 1913, at the age of 76, Mary Martin always carried with her, words stitched on her pillow. Words given to her by her mentor, Oscar Hammerstein II. The words on
‘Amazing True Stories’ Continued on Page 2