The Andrews Sisters were a close harmony singing group, consisting of sisters
LaVerne Sophia Andrews (contralto; July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967),
Maxene Angelyn Andrews (soprano; January 3, 1916 – October 21, 1995),
Patricia Marie (a.k.a. Patty) Andrews (mezzo-soprano; lead; born February 16, 1918).
All were born in Minnesota to a Greek immigrant father and a Norwegian American mother.
Patty, the youngest and the lead singer of the group, was only seven when the group was formed, and just twelve years old when they won first prize at a talent contest at the local Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, where LaVerne played piano accompaniment for the silent film showings in exchange for free dancing lessons for herself and her sisters. Once the sisters found fame and settled in California, their parents lived with them in a Brentwood estate until their deaths, and several cousins from Minnesota followed them west. The sisters returned to Minneapolis at least once a year to visit family and friends and/or to perform.
They started their career as imitators of an earlier successful singing group, the Boswell Sisters. After singing with various dance bands and touring in vaudeville with the likes of Ted Mack, Leon Belasco, and comic bandleader Larry Rich, they first came to national attention with their recordings and radio broadcasts in 1937, most notably via their major Decca record hit, Bei Mir Bist Du Schön (translation: To me, you are beautiful), originally a Yiddish tune, the lyrics of which Sammy Cahn had translated to English and which the girls harmonized to perfection. They followed this success with a string of best-selling records over the next two years and they became a household name by 1940.
Over Here! is a musical with a score by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman and book by Will Holt. The original Broadway production was directed by Tom Moore and choreographed by Patricia Birch, with scenic design by Douglas W. Schmidt and costumes by Carrie F. Robbins.
Over Here! was a follow-up to the Sherman brothers' World War II musical Victory Canteen, an off-Broadway production that featured 1940s icon Patty Andrews. The setting is a cross-country train trip in the United States during World War II (hence the name of the play, in contrast to the popular patriotic war anthem entitled Over There). The show begins as a nostalgic look at 1940s America but quickly evolves into a social commentary about the fear of dying in battle, prejudice, and discrimination.
After thirteen previews, the show opened on March 6, 1974 at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for 341 performances. The opening night cast included Patty and Maxene Andrews (of the Andrews Sisters) and newcomers John Travolta, Treat Williams, Marilu Henner, Samuel E. Wright, and Ann Reinking, all of whom went on to achieve successful careers. The show closed on January 4, 1975 under controversial conditions. "The producers blamed Patty and Maxine, claiming they wanted more money and made unreasonable demands, and cancelled the national tour. The Andrews sisters blamed the producers, claiming they had mismanaged the show from the beginning and were now using them as scapegoats." According to an article in The New York Times, the tour was cancelled due to a "salary dispute" between the Andrews sisters and the producers.
The show was scheduled to make its West End debut in 2007 at London's Apollo Theatre. The announced cast included Donna McKechnie and Frances Ruffelle and Richard Fleeshman; however, the production never occurred.
Radar online reports that Cody Linley will be staring in an all new Broadway production of Over Here! set to launch early in 2010. An official website is launched with open auditions for the opposite role to star Cody Linley for a production set for January 2010 in Los Angeles It is confirmed that Cody Linley, Spencer Liff and Evan Kasprzak will be starring in a revival of Over Here! in The Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills in January 2010. A full cast announcement has been promised over the Holiday season.
Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_Here!
A10
Comes with foil splice, pads and a 7-day money back guarantee from 8tracksRBack.
