Some Enchanted Evenings

May 9, 2016
Theater critic Kaufman (Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door) continues in his theatrical biography niche with arguably the most exhaustively researched treatise ever compiled regarding Broadway and Hollywood legend Mary Martin, best known for originating roles in South Pacific and The Sound of Music. Kaufman’s tome begins in Martin’s teens, as he struggles to find the truth of Martin’s marriage to Ben Hagman in conflicting accounts from Martin’s family, friends, and notoriously unreliable autobiography. The sense of uncertainty persists as Kaufman drops hints about Martin’s widely rumored romantic relationship with close friend and fellow actor Janet Gaynor, noting her early choices in queer-oriented reading materials and the duo’s latter-day intimate friendship. At times, Kaufman’s propensity for denseness and frequent asides into backstage networking make his prose too dry for any but the most scholarly of theatre buffs. Still, insights into the changing nature of Broadway over the course of Martin’s lengthy career make this an intriguing read for those interested in charting such histories, and Martin stands as an essential touchstone for those who came after.

The charmed life and times of Broadway sweetheart Mary Martin (1913-1990).Longtime theater critic Kaufman's (Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door, 2008, etc.) biography of stage star Martin will tick all the boxes for ardent fans of the performer--the author deftly summarizes her career and personal history--but those not part of the cult will find a curiously bland subject. Martin's gift was an endearing quality, a unique ability to emotionally connect to audiences in a live setting; while a more than able vocalist, she lacked a truly distinctive vocal instrument, and her early-career onscreen forays (her attempts at movie stardom would come to naught) proved lackluster and unmemorable. Martin shone on the Broadway stage, where she capitalized on her winsome charm in storied productions of South Pacific, The Sound of Music, and, most famously, Peter Pan. Martin's work in these roles inspired adoration, but there is precious little to dig into: the shows were masterpieces, she was excellent in them, and that's about it. Perhaps attempting to invest dramatic stakes in the tale, Kaufman alludes to rumors of lesbian relationships between Martin and actresses Jean Arthur and Janet Gaynor, but gently and without much evidence to support the claims. The author evenhandedly recounts Martin's longtime marriage to the gay, dictatorial Richard Halliday, a difficult personality who clashed terribly with Martin's son, the free-spirited actor Larry Hagman (the product of a previous marriage), but even here the narrative lacks any real tension or drive. Kaufman has produced an encomium rather than a page-turner. A warm and well-researched--though not particularly compelling--appreciation of one of the stage's most beloved performers and, on the evidence here, least interesting legends. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 15, 2016

From overnight stardom in her 1938 Broadway debut singing the siren-infused "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" in Cole Porter's Leave It to Me! to her subsequent iconic turns as Nellie Forbush in South Pacific, the inimitable Peter Pan, and Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Mary Martin (1913-90), with her mantel full of Tony Awards, breathed the most rarified air of 20th-century American musical theater success. As he did with his biography of Doris Day, theater critic Kaufman excels in providing revelatory contrasts between public and private personas. In Martin's case, the abandonment of her son, famed actor Larry Hagman, her lifelong lesbian proclivities, and marriage to closeted homosexual Richard Halliday, who also happened to be her manager, provided Kaufman with continually intriguing material, which he juxtaposes with the embarrassment of musical theater riches found in his stories, interviews, anecdotes, and extensive notes and bibliography. The author also quotes liberally from Martin's 1976 autobiography, My Heart Belongs, which could have easily upstaged the work, yet Kaufman has a deft hand in its use, and Mary's voice is a supporting player. VERDICT Glittering is the operative word. Martin was a thoroughly captivating performer for her entire lengthy career and Kaufman's work does right by her.--Barry X. Miller, Austin P.L., TX

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2016
She was the girl whose heart belonged to Daddy and the boy who would never grow up. She played everyone from Peter Pan to Nellie Forbush, Annie Oakley to Maria von Trapp. No matter who would step into those roles in subsequent years, their iconic interpretations belong to Mary Martin, the spritely spitfire with a voice as big as she was small. From Cole Porter to Rodgers and Hammerstein, composers wrote with Martin in mind, channeling her natural charm into audience-pleasing hits and launching a career that went from the big screen during Hollywood's golden era to television during the small screen's heyday of bringing live theatrical performance into the home. The Great White Way, however, was where Martin shone, a success that eclipsed the failures in her personal life, as both wife of the Svengali-like Richard Halliday and estranged mother of actor Larry Hagman. Kaufman's treatment of Martin is evenhanded as he exposes her weaknesses and strengths to shed important new light on one of American musical theater's most revered stars.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)