Oh my, she was just that way. That was Ethel, I met her 45 years ago and believe me, that is the real deal. She lived next door to my cousin in CO, and believe me she sang and sang on practice and drove the neighbor's crazy. But what a voice.
Yes she was one of a kind. Saw her concert at Ocean State Theater in 1979. She was signing her autobiography the next day at the Harvard Bookstore. When my friend and I got our turn to say 'hello', my friend told Ethel that I could sing 'Rose's Turn' and asked if she would like to hear me. She replied "No thanks. No singing today, just signing!".
Patti LuPone can sing but when she sang "Anything Goes" at the Tonys lo those many years ago it was ridiculous. Couldn't understand any of the lyrics. Forbidden Broadway justly lampooned her. Elaine Paige is better but I still couldn't quite decipher all the lyrics. Ethel Merman, to quote Porter, was "the tops".
I always marvel how Ethel performs her big numbers in new contexts. She is absolutely a joy in this performance - and the choreography is really fun. But, oh, how I wish they had given her a few more verses of the song.
Without question, she is the best. I like Stefani Germanotta's interpretation, too, but many others who performed recent revivals don't even come close to either of them.
It was my honor to meet Ethel merman in 1979, in the small town of blairsden California. Which was truly the Lost Sierras at that time. My late father had been a fan of hers and so was I. She was having dinner with her son and I introduced myself. She was extremely gracious and as it was my birthday she signed a napkin. Happy Birthday Chris Ethel merman 1979. If you knew blairsden in the early and late 70s it's the last place you would think you would find Ethel merman, but I got lucky, and I still have the napkin !
We should all be so fortunate and grateful that Ethel brought all of these wonderful shows to us. All the standard songs that have held through the ages she was the first one to introduce them. Now they’re part of every day life! Thanks so much Ethel!!
I have always loved Ethel Merman. But, do you not remember during the 1970s and 1980s how uncool it was to like her. People used her as a caricature of the bad version of 60s big hair and moo moos. I'm glad that is all behind us.
Hot take, any school kid is within grounds to make fun of you liking Ethel Merman, simply on the name alone because it sounds funny as a kid. That doesn’t diminish her talent but you don’t need to internalize the opinion of 11 year olds since they really aren’t a level playing field for arguments or thought. lol otherwise you grow up and people like what they like and I’ve never cared but it’s shitty if others have made you feel bad for your your opinion.
In the early 1960s, on our weekends off at Palm Beach and Whale Beach, we, Morson and Harold, Oliver, Ray, Mervyn and Christopher, listened with delight to Ethel. Gypsy enthralled us. Only Harold had been to New York then.
Ethel’s voice was so huge she didn’t need a mic to reach the top rafters! Very few people are capable of doing that without sounding like they are shouting. Ms. Merman never shouted - she simply SANG. Huge, incredible voice.
This is pure, classic and sensational Merman at her best. She sill had the moves, energy and those blessed lungs that she already had at the beginning of her career. Thank you for this time capsule of brilliant and genuine natural talent.
And for those that don't know Cole Porter wrote the music for this show "Anything Goes" 1934 especially for Miss Merman. She was adored by every song writer in America. From this show came numerous mega hits that all became her trademark songs. She was royalty of the musical theatre world.
There will never be another to compare with ETHEL 🎉. An American treasure! 🏆. 🌹 💐. Can only imagine her taking center stage in HEAVEN! 🎵 Curtain up! 🎵 Light the lights ✨! Cause🎵I had a dream ✨ there I was 🎶in St Peter's Office and he was saying to me SING 🎵 so I did 🎶 and it woke the Dead!
Was born in the 40s. I had heard about Ethel Merman on Broadway in the thirties and was a real thrill to hear her sing "Anything goes" and that alone was worth the price of admission back in 1934, in the Alvin Theatre which was renamed the Neil Simon Theatre.
Merman is marvelous. And true to form once she started singing she rarely would glance at the other performers. She made certain she was the center of attention. A confident performer, well aware of her considerable talent, Merman deserved all of her fame. ...Rowby.
The great Ethel Merman must have charmed Cole Porter with her rendition of this song. the dancing was wonderful. as well. She was a charismatic, terrific performer and a joy to watch.
Just think what an honor for George Gershwin to say to Ethel if there’s anything in these songs that you don’t like I would be happy to change them. I can guarantee you he never said that to anyone else! And a half songs written for her, and shows written for her, what a privilege!!!
Ethel Merman had a marvelous powerful voice of course, but perfect pronunciation also let you understand every word she sang as well, meaningful delivery of the lyrics as well, little wonder all those composers, Porter, Berlin, Gershwin, etc, she knew them all, loved her for making their music come alive.
Or even if Karen Allen had reprised Marion Ravenwood, who was the PERFECT foil and partner for Indiana Jones, instead of that.. insufferable 'damsel trope'.
She was the favorite of the composers of "The Great American Songbook" (beginning with Irving Berlin). They trusted her to represent their best work both accurately and, equally important, clearly. In the days of awkward, outsized and dicey microphones, Ethel's elocution could deliver the goods even without a mic!
How do you know she didn’t? Ask the Puritans! Plymouth Rock is on.a Roll! Midlife crisis? Pshh... defeat Isis!!! Moses supposes that, here in OUR day, things have a way of coming up roses. Until you’ve danced on Basin Street, you’ll never know how much it means, where the elite REALLY come to eat... Ask Ron and Nancy, ask Ethel, too - the truest riposte may not be so mete, but peanut butter is not quite ... jelly beans.
This version: Times have changed And we've often rewound the clock Since the Puritans got a shock When they landed on Plymouth Rock If today Any shock they should try to stem 'Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock Plymouth Rock would land on them In olden days a glimpse of stocking Was looked on as something shocking Now heaven knows Anything goes Good authors too Who once knew better words Now only use four-letter words Writing prose Anything goes The world has gone mad today And good's bad today And black's white today And day's night today And those guys today That women prize today Are just silly gigolos So even out in high society You can forget propriety Goodness knows Anything goes The world is topsy turvey Unconventional Technicolor Hypertensional Love love love Is here to stay And Anything (The world is ever-ever changing) Anything (You have to do some rearranging) Anything anything anything goes Brother Anything goes
@@atmaximum the original lyrics seemed to me to be more of a satire of people claiming the changes are bad, with the overall point being, "the world is changing, and for the better". Though everyone is entitled to their own interpretation.
I like the cadence in other songs more. But it's nice to hear her version. My mom and I were talking about this, presumably from the Colgate Comedy Hour in the 1950s. Frank Sinatra was also in the show.
Good song for the pandemic. Also a way to say two fingers up to the establishment, you’re not taking the arts away from the people of the world. Like nature, show business always finds a way. Great voice too.
Big star from a lost world with a great big voice big heart big personality. Do you remember her playing a traumatised soldier who thought he was she? Just a brief cutaway in a classic 70's comedy airplane.
It is said there was a songsmith (sorry, don't remember who) who said never give Merman a bad lyric as the audience would hear it in the second balcony.
