Doretta Morrow and Alfred Drake sing selections from Kismet (1958)
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- Опубліковано 16 лют 2021
- Alfred Drake and Doretta Morrow starred in Kismet on Broadway in 1953. Here they are reunited on a 1958 tv show to sing a lovely medley from that show. Please enjoy. I do not own or claim copyright to this material.
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Love Kismet...this show will never go again...the fanatics would try to blow up the theatre.
Doretta Morrow was a beauty and what an incredible voice. The show had only been closed 4 years when this was filmed. Alfred Drake sounded wonderful. A great clip!
Two greats. Drake has to be the greatest leading man the golden age of Broadway has ever seen. Morrow is sweet and the voice of an angel.
A bit of trivia: Doretta Morrow played Marsineh, the Poet's daughter, in the 1953 stage production of "Kismet". Alfred Drake played "The Poet". Morrow sang "Stranger In Paradise", not with Drake, but with another baritone who would later become a Broadway legend. Richard Kiley played the Caliph, Marsineh's lover. Drake's leading lady in "Kismet" was Joan Diener, who played Lalume. Interestingly, both Kiley and Diener would later star opposite each other in "Man Of La Mancha" as Don Quixote and Aldonza respectively.
DMNEMAINE: More trivia if you can stand it. Doretta Morrow two, almost three years earlier originated the role of “Tuptim” in THE KING AND I. After the first choice Rex Harrison turned down the role, it was offered to Drake, riding high after KISS ME, KATE and of course OKLAHOMA! and with Rogers and Hart, BABES IN ARMS. Unfortunately, he stated he could do it for six and had other projects to direct or wanted to produce. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN MAGNIFICENT and the show would be very different than what people know today, at least the role would be bigger. It is, in all honesty more of a supporting role, bald head or not. Later in the summer of ‘53 before preparing for KISMET, Drake did do the role and he was excellent as Rogers mentioned in his autobiography. I only wish Rogers tapped him for the role when doing the vocally stupendous ‘64 revival that opened the State Theater at Lincoln Center (it was recorded for RCA and released on Sony several years ago. Rise Stevens as “Anna”, the young lovers were excellent AND Patricia Neway (the creator of Mother Abbess in THE SOUND OF MUSIC sang “Lady Thiang”. The fly in the ointment with no voice (I guess to prove anyone could do the role) was Darren McGavin. Not very regal vocally. Oh, if only Drake had been tapped to perform and record it. 🥲. However both Drake and Morrow teamed for a TV special about Marco Polo which was released on Cd. To conclude with KISMET, Richard Kiley originated the “Caliph” but was a baritone if not as deep of voice as Drake. Drake made certain the role was written high and Kiley commented about that. There was no jealousy but it does offer vocal variety. In ‘65 when Lincoln Ctr. revived KISMET, Drake performed his original role and Lee Venora, as she played “Tuptim” the year before performed “Marsinah”; I don’t remember who played the Caliph but after Kiley every performer had been a tenor! Get both on CD but don’t bypass the original recordings.
Yes, Patricia Morrison, after doing KISS ME, KATE in London, costarred with Brynner in THE KING AND I (first billing too!) for the final 9 months of the Broadway run and began the national tour with him before he left for Hollywood. She later toured I think with Drake as “Lalume” although Anne Jeffreys did the role at Lincoln Ctr. and recorded it for the revival cast recording. Morrison and Drake first appeared in TWO BOUQUETS in ‘38, then KATE, toured in KISMET and might have made it in THE KING AND I. They don’t have that caliber of performer like Drake, Morrison, Morrow, Kiley and Jeffreys (who also did KATE and toured with it) on Broadway or just working anymore. 😫🤯😢😩. BUT THERE ARE CAST, STUDIO AND REVIVAL RECORDINGS! 👌😄🤪😍😎
@@johnpickford4222 Alfred Drake eventually did "The King and I", subbing while Yul Brynner was on vacation.
@@johnpickford4222It was Richard Banke who played the Caliph in the Revival. He was awesome but in my mind couldn't hold a candle to Kiley.
🎹🎹🎹 How I adore watching this clip with the incomparable Doretta Morrow.
Interestingly, "The Olive Tree" was originally the show's opening number during its pre-Broadway tryout on the West Coast in 1953. Drake's performance of the song (and anything he chose to do) was definitive. There never was a greater Broadway leading man! Thanks for posting!
This is gorgeous. The first new Doretta Morrow video I've seen in awhile and what a treasure it is with her singing along side Alfred Drake. I can only hope that more wonderful material featuring the divine Ms. Morrow comes to light.
They are marvellous together!
Magnificent. I have always adored Doretto Morrow's unique soprano voice. Thanks a zillion times for posting this. I am sending it to friends.
I've heard fascinating stories about the original production from a friend, Stu Hodes who was in the dancing chorus. In those days, chorus and principals generally did not mix, and he didn't get to meet Alfred Drake until the night of the star's final performance when he threw a party for the chorus members!
Doretta Morrow was born in.1927 and died in 1968 at only 40 years.Her only film was Because you re mine with Mario Lanza
I read how the uncouth Lanza delighted in humiliating poor Doretta by leaving his dressing room door open while he indulged in his
latest “amour” ; enough to put the poor girl off film-making for life.
Ma dove ha letto queste sciocchezze? Allora io ho letto che LANZA non voleva baciare la Doretta perche ' aveva l'alito pesante... Quanto a chiamare LANZA "rozzo" si dovrebbe vergognare!! Chi canta come lui ed è amato da migliaia di persone per la sua voce d'oro non può essere che di animo nobile!
This is INCREDIBLE! I don'w know how it escaped me for the past two weeks. I had no idea that footage like this existed Drake AND Morrow together. Wow! THANK YOU!!!
Now I'm torn between this cast and the movie -- both are excellent.
To me, Doretta and Alfred have no equals..
@@winfieldritzert2176 Howard keel was TERRIBLE in the film version! This was one of three movies where He played Drake's parts: "Okahoma!", "Kiss Me, Kate", and "Kismet. He sucked hosewater in all three.
@@steveb1164 Alfred Drake is a tough act to follow...
Wonderful to see Drake and Morrow together. It's a shame no one on the TV show seems to have thought of having them sing "Rhymes Have I" together, as it was their big duet in the show, and it's delightful. (In the stage show, of course, they played father and daughter; the Caliph who sang "Stranger In Paradise" with Morrow was Richard Kiley.) I wonder if this clip came from the Bell Telephone Hour?
Doretta was Tuptim in original KING AND I.
I never get tired of watching this clip.
Thanks for posting it.
Thank you for posting this. It brought tears to my eyes as I have loved this Music (and this version/cast) since my early teens listening to WFUV (FM) in an apartment in the Bronx. Of course, I know the Alexander Borodin music as well.
And Drake was a Bronx boy, too, before Brooklyn College, then Broadway. Too bad he never got the film versions.
@@tuberdma I was born in Maine with my earliest memories being of two very different houses in Poughkeepsie. Something like an Army brat, as our Dad worked for the Veterans Administration moat of his life following WW 2. Both he and my piano teacher were Army Air Corps, which I found out about her only after her death. One would never know from Drake’s diction that he was from The Bronx. I once placed a chance acquaintance to within two blocks of her residence by only her accent!
Good stuff!
Thank you. How wonderful to see them! His Olive Tree is superb
Alfred Drake played Curley in Oklahoma, i believe opposite Joan Roberts.
Drake is singing a small portion of the Richard Kiley part in "Stranger in Paradise" with Morrow singing most of it. Good way to use them for the medley format. How can I obtain this clip and any other Doretta Morrow clips such as "My Darling"? Any help regarding Doretta material will be appreciated.
Can someone please tell me why Alfred Drake didn’t appear in any Hollywood musicals? Was it his choice? His talent just comes of the screen.
Just love this, but it seems somewhat off to have Marsinah sing 'Stranger in Paradise' with her dad! I suppose she had to sing it in a lower key than she was used to to accommodate Drake. Love it nonetheless.
That's exactly what I was thinking and came here to write. Sort of creepy. She should have been singing it to Richard Kiley. Actually, very creepy!
HUH?, first time EVER hearing it song by the female lead, "starry eyed to an angel like you", doesn't seem appropriate.
Wanna guess how I got my name?
You were named after the actor Jimmy McHugh?
@@johnpickford4222 no, but his co-star Doretta Morrow. I just so happened to marry a McHugh. Coincidentally, my father in law was James McHugh.
Very nice and interesting...wondering if one of the great and beautiful dancers is Dolly Sharp ( of Deep Throat fame).. Great singers of course. Greatest actor in any genre may have been Dolly Sharp and a terrific HOOFER TBOOT! Please note I sed hoofer...not hoefor! HAHA
Well, your posting certainly poured cold water on this excerpt. I hadn’t associated porn with either of these performers or this music. I’m not a prude but it is an out of line for this video. Keep it in your pants and out of someone’s throat.
@@johnpickford4222 that's the SPIRIT...right back atya geezer. Lol
@@johnjepsen4243 I think you are referring to yourself and meant ‘squeezer’ but watch for blue balls.
@@johnpickford4222 that's the SPIRIT. Back atya GEEZER!LOLLOLLOLLOLLOL
Kismet ???