Ethel Merman: A Life by Brian Kellow
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Book Summary Author: Brian Kellow Edition: Paperback Format: Bargain Price Published: 2008-10-28 ISBN: N/A Number of pages: 336 Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) |
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Book Reviews of the Ethel Merman: A Life
Customer Review: Merman for the rest of us
Summary: 4 Stars
As someone with only a superficial knowledge of Ethel Merman and her place in the American musical theater, this book was a revelation. It's not only a fascinating and lively portrait of this one-of-a-kind show biz icon, the book also provides some terrific insight into how the Broadway musical evolved with the ever changing currents of American culture.
Kellow wisely avoids the biographer's temptation to write an "authoritative" version of his subject's life. He avoids the pitfalls of the academic tome and instead offers the reader a vivid portrait of Merman's professional triumphs and personal failures. Kellow sketches the arc of Merman's life through vivid anecdotes, the memories of those who knew her, and, most importantly, through Merman's own words. For me, the latter was the most enlightening and entertaining. Bossy, brassy, sharp-tongued and often vulgar, Merman was at heart a kid from Queens who, Kellow reminds us, despite her success and the circles she ran in, would never be accused of pretentious affectation.
And to me, that's the real joy of this book. Kellow lets us see Merman warts and all. This is certainly no hagiography, but Kellow clearly has affection and respect for this legend of the musical theatre. His prose is vibrant and evocative as he deftly shows the reader how Merman owned the stage like no one before or since. And Kellow doesn't sentimentalize Merman's ill fortune offstage. In the end, Merman was incapable of being anything but the persona she had created, and in the end, that was all she was left with. Kellow understands that this is the heart of the Merman story-- the monumental achievements onstage and the disappointments, betrayals and tragedies of her life offstage.
Finally, I have to say that there were many hilarious moments in this book. Kellow deftly lets these moments play without embellishment. Often it's Merman in her own words who provides the laughs. But any book about Merman would have to include the incredible number of show biz legends she either knew or worked with. Many of these moments are terrific but one bit in particular concerning a moment onstage between a young Betty Grable and the incomparable Bert Lahr nearly caused me to crack a rib with laughter.
This book is a real page turner and not just for people with an interest in Merman or the American musical theater. You don't need to be a Merman fan or a Broadway fan to thoroughly enjoy this compelling portrait of a time when American power and American culture were ascendant and Ethel Merman was the confident voice of a nation hitting its stride.