THEIR FAVORITE THINGS: Fiddler on the Roof Co-Creator Sheldon Harnick Shares His Theatregoing Experiences
By Andrew Gans
August 15, 2012
Playbill.com's new feature series, Their Favorite Things, asks members of the theatre community to share the Broadway performances that most affected them as part of the audience.
This week we spotlight the choices of Sheldon Harnick, the Tony Award-winning co-creator of Fiddler on the Roof, Fiorello!, She Loves Me and more, who recently published "The Outdoor Museum," a tribute to New York City that features his own poetry and the photography of his wife, Margery (Beaufort Books).
Julie Harris in Member of the Wedding.
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"This was the first show I saw when I relocated to New York. It was a wonderful introduction to the magic of the New York theatre — and Julie Harris' performance was luminous. It was almost impossible to believe that this grown woman could play a child so convincingly." |
Audrey Hepburn in Ondine.
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"I spent my last cent at a ticket broker's to get a front-row seat. It was worth every penny: Audrey Hepburn was enchanting." |
Barbara Cook in Candide.
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"Barbara was the penultimate singing actress in this role. And it didn't hurt, of course, that she had been coached by Leonard Bernstein himself." |
Robert Preston in The Music Man.
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"His was an incredibly dynamic, charming performance." |
Zero Mostel in Rhinoceros.
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"To watch Zero gradually transform himself into a rhinoceros without the aid of makeup was an extraordinary experience. The message of the play became even more frightening." |
Gwen Verdon in Redhead.
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"Gwen's personality reached out into the auditorium and embraced all of us who sat there enthralled." |
Alfred Molina in Red.
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"It's difficult to convey genius, but Molina's towering performance brought Mark Rothko vividly to life." |
Uta Hagen in Streetcar Named Desire.
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"She was the first actress I saw perform the role of Blanche. No one has moved me more in that role." |
Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady.
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"Perfection. I can't imagine anyone inhabiting the role of Professor Higgins more completely." |
Hugh Jackman in The Boy From Oz.
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"What an astonishing performance! I paid Mr. Jackman the ultimate tribute. After seeing the show as a Tony voter, I actually went out and bought tickets to see him again!" |