Ethel Merman: A Life

· Sold by Penguin
5.0
1 review
Ebook
352
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

“Kellow’s chronology is dishy and seamless; he understands the dynamics of the theater world and makes you feel the exhilaration of an evolving hit and the frustrations inherent in working with a performer like Merman.”—The New York Times Book Review
 
“[Kellow] has painted a vivid portrait of a Broadway diva who shone brighter and sang louder than anyone else.”—The Washington Post BookWorld

More than twenty years after her death, Ethel Merman continues to set the standard for American musical theater. The stories about the supremely talented, famously strong-willed, fearsomely blunt, and terrifyingly exacting woman are stuff of legend. But who was Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, really? Brian Kellow’s definitive biography of the great Merman is superb, and the first account to examine both the artist and the woman with as much critical rigor as empathy. Through dozens of interviews with her colleagues, friends, and family members, Kellow (author of Can I Go Now?: The Life of Sue Mengers, Hollywood's First Superagent) traces the arc of her life and her thirty-year singing career to reveal many surprising facts about Broadway’s biggest star.

Ratings and reviews

5.0
1 review
Susan Anderson
April 18, 2014
Always an old style Broadway fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. What a tribute to an honest, amazing woman, warts and all. The research and care the author gives to the telling of the story of a profound talent is evident on every page. Bravo, Mr. Kellow!
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About the author

Brian Kellow is the author of Can I Go Now?: The Life of Sue Mengers, Hollywood's First Superagent; Pauline Kael: A Life in the Dark; The Bennetts: An Acting Family and the coauthor of Can’t Help Singing: The Life of Eileen Farrell. His articles have appeared in Vanity FairThe Wall Street JournalThe New York ObserverOpera, and other publications. Kellow lives in New York City.

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