Mark East III's Memories of Hello, Dolly!
Mark East III, Eve Arden, and Chicago Company |
Mark East III
had a very extensive career appearing in Hello, Dolly!
He was on vacation from New York and was visiting friends in Chicago. He decided to go see a friend, Donnie Meyers, who was dancing in Hello, Dolly!
He was on vacation from New York and was visiting friends in Chicago. He decided to go see a friend, Donnie Meyers, who was dancing in Hello, Dolly!
They were
having drinks afterward and Donnie mentioned that there was a replacement
audition the next day and she would get his name on the list.
Mark showed up
the next day, sang his eight bars, was asked by the stage manager, Pat Tolson, to sing "Til
There Was You".
He sang it, the SM came up to him and said, "You already had the job. I just wanted to hear you sing it!"
He sang it, the SM came up to him and said, "You already had the job. I just wanted to hear you sing it!"
Eve Arden (Courtesy Mark) |
Mark had no
put-in rehearsal before his first performance in Chicago. He did fine until the
"Dolly" number, when a dancer literally had to jump over his head to
get to his position!
There was a
put-in rehearsal the next day.
In May, 1966,
Mark joined the 3rd National Co. in Chicago with Carol Channing.
Shortly afterward, she left to film "Thoroughly Modern Millie". Eve Arden , who Carol had understudied years before in Let's Face It, filled in during Carol's absence...and won a Sarah Siddons Award in the process.
In September,
1966, the company left Chicago, re-joined Carol in Houston, Texas to open
the new Jesse Jones Auditorium.
Mark toured
with Carol Channing until June, 1967. Ended
the tour (also at
the Jesse
Jones Auditorium.)
When Carol
closed the show in Houston in 1967, Time Magazine and several TV crews were
there to cover it.
After the regular curtain call, they were given 5 seconds to clear the stage, after which Carol took a solo bow, resplendent in her white outfit. It was very effective.
After the regular curtain call, they were given 5 seconds to clear the stage, after which Carol took a solo bow, resplendent in her white outfit. It was very effective.
When the
Pearl Bailey company left the St. James Theater in December, 1969, Phyllis
Diller came in with an all-new cast. Mark was part of that company.
Phyllis was
replaced in that company in March, 1970 by Ethel Merman, who stayed
with the show until it closed in December, 1970.
Mark was in the revival in 1978 at the
Lunt-Fontanne, again with Carol Channing.
Eve Arden |
Mark’s
thoughts on his Dollys
Carol
Channing was Dolly Levi. Her performance never changed. It was
consistently wonderful.
Eve Arden was
a very nice person, and did a credible job.
Phyllis
Diller was, in Mark’s opinion, second only to Carol. She was genuinely
funny, without using any "tricks". Always in character. She always
did a curtain speech which turned into a 15-minute comedy routine which the
audience loved. She would invite celebrities in the audience to join her
onstage, most notably Bob Hope.
Ethel Merman
was Ethel Merman, a force to be reckoned with, and could out-sing the
orchestra and chorus easily. Pleasant, though distant.
Gower Champion |
Gower
Champion was a genius, who took relatively simple choreography and, by making
it precise and elegantly rendered, made it look difficult.
Marge
Champion was mostly involved with the companies Mark was in. She was pleasant
to work with.
David Merrick
didn’t scare Mark at all. Mark heard all
the stories of Mr. Merrick’s horrible acts. He was just glad Mr/ Merrick kept them
working.
Mark's thoughts on each of the Dollys that he worked with: best moment during the run
of the show
Carol - Hat Shop scene - Impeccable
timing. Every laugh possible was achieved.
Eve - Lead-in to "Parade". The
Ephraim speech was touching.
Phyllis - Eating scene was hysterical.
Ethel - "Dolly" number. She
literally shook the rafters.
Mark's favorite
memories of each
Carol - They played the White House. Did the
Elegance" number and the "Dolly"
number in the East Room, and then had champagne and dancing in the foyer.
Carol rented a movie theater in
Milwaukee on Thanksgiving Day 1966, and
treated the cast and crew to a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, anything
we wanted from the concessions stand, 6 color cartoons and a showing of
"The Fortune Cookie" starring Jack Lemmon.
Carol - Christmas 1966 - 3-course dinner
and gifts. Each boy got a funereal
black tie. Each girl got size 8 underpants. (Sondra Lee got the same gift in 1964!)
Phyllis - Met at an Actors Fund Benefit during her run with Dolly. Mark had his
glasses on and she told me he looked like an accountant.
Phyllis - Found out from family that she
had once been engaged to Mark's cousin Joe
Dunlop in Lima, Ohio.
Ethel - Was with the show when it broke
the record for the longest-running
show on Broadway.
Courtesy Mark East III |
Thank
you Mark East III for the gifts you have given and continue to give
to the world!
With grateful XOXOXs for your support,
I want this to be a definitive account of Hello, Dolly!
If any of you reading this have appeared in any production of Hello,
Dolly!, I'm interested in speaking with you! Do you know Mark East III personally? Do you
have any
pics? If you have anything to add or share, please contact me at Richard@RichardSkipper.com.
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!
May 31
7:30pm
CHICO'S HOUSE OF JAZZ, 631 Lake Ave., Asbury Park, NJ 07712
RICHARD SKIPPER: AT LAST!
ReVision Theatre and the City of Asbury
Park couldn't have a better summer kickoff! After introducing ReVision
Theatre to the great City of Asbury Park 5 years ago, Richard Skipper
returns in "Richard Skipper: At Last". Richard is the perfect start to
the musical summer of 2012 in Asbury Park.
For more information visit www.revisiontheatre.org or call us at
732-455-3059. To purchase $15.00 General Admission tickets please visit http://revisiontheatre.tix.com.
This show is not to be missed! Musical Direction by: Rich Siegel
Please do what YOU can to be more aware that words and actions DO HURT...but they can also heal and help!
Tomorrow's blog will be..More Dolly Memories!
Thank you, to all the mentioned in this blog!
Thank you, to all the mentioned in this blog!
Here's to an INCREDIBLE tomorrow for ALL...with NO challenges!
Please contribute to the DR. CAROL CHANNING and HARRY KULLIJIAN FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS
TILL TOMORROW...HERE'S TO AN ARTS FILLED DAY
Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com
This Blog is dedicated to Mark East III and EVERYONE who has EVER had a connection with Mark on ANY Level!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!
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