美国名人 编剧 导演 演员 制片人 乔治·艾博特.docx

美国名人编剧/导演/演员/制片人乔治艾博特GeorgeAbbottWasKnownas'MisterBroadway'playstopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:24repeatByNancySteinbach2005-11-26(MUSIC)VOICEONE:mShirleyGriffith.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmberwiththeSpecialEnglishprogram.PeopleinAmerica.EveryweekwetellaboutapersonimportantinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.Today,wetellaboutthemanknownas"MisterBroadway,"GeorgeAbbott.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ExpertssayprobablynooneinthehistoryoftheAmericantheaterinfluenceditmorethanGeorgeAbbott.Helivedtobeonehundred-sevenyearsold.Heremainedactiveuntilhedied,Januarythirty-first,nineteenninety-five.YoucantellthehistoryoftheBroadwaytheaterareainNewYorkCitybytellingthestoryofGeorgeAbbott'slife.Hewroteplays.Hedirectedthem.Heproducedplays.Andheactedinthem.Hewasinvolvedinmorethanonehundredtwentyproductions.Someofhismostpopularshowsweremusicals.Theyinclude"Jumbo,""PalJoey,""CallMeMadam/'"PajamaGame/'"Fiorello!"and"DamnYankees."Insomeyears,hehadthreehitshowsatthesametime.VOICETWO:"DamnYankees"openedinNewYorkinnineteenfifty-five.GeorgeAbbotthelpedwritethemusicalplay.Andhedirectedit.ItwoneightoftheTonyawardsgiveneachyearforthebesttheaterproductionsonBroadway.Innineteenninety-four,anotherperformanceof"DamnYankees"openedonBroadway.GeorgeAbbotthelpedwiththeproduction.Hewasonehundredsixyearsold."DamnYankees"isaboutabaseballplayerontheWashingtonSenatorsbaseballteam.Hesellshissoultothedevilsothesenatorswillwinthechampionship.Amajorpersonintheplayisabeautifulwomanwhoworksforthedevil.HernameisLola.Oneofthebestknownsongsfromthatshowis"WhateverLolaWants":(MUSIC)VOICEONE:GeorgeFrancisAbbottwasbornineighteeneighty-seveninNewYorkState.HisfamilymovedtothewesternstateofWyomingwhenhewaselevenyearsold.GeorgeworkedasacowboyduringsummersbeforethefamilymovedbacktoNewYorkState,nearthecityofBuffalo.HeattendedtheUniversityofRochester;whereheplayedfootballandtookpartintheactingclub.HethenstudiedplaywritingatHarvardUniversity.Innineteentwelve,hewononehundreddollarsforaplayhewrotecalled"TheManintheManhole."GeorgeAbbottmovedtoNewYorkCityinnineteenthirteen.Buthehadaslowstartinthetheater.Hedidnotgetmanyactingjobs.Twoyearslater,hebecameanassistanttoatheaterproducer.Soonhewasdeeplyinvolvedwithre-writingplaysandproducingthem.Hehadhisfirsthitshowinnineteentwenty-six.Itwascalled"Broadway."VOICETWO:GeorgeAbbottworkedinHollywood,too.Hewasinvolvedinproducingelevenmoviesbetweennineteentwenty-eightandnineteenfifty-eight."AllQuietontheWesternFront"wasoneofthemostpraised.Healsoproducedfilmsofthemusicalplays"DamnYankees,""Where'sCharley."And"ThePajamaGame".Afewweeksbeforehisdeath,MisterAbbottreportedlywasworkingonanewversionof"ThePajamaGame."Themusicalplayisaboutworkersinapajamafactory.Theclothingworkersareplanningtostrikeformorepay.Howmuchmore?Sevenandahalfcents.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Beginninginnineteentwenty,GeorgeAbbotthadatleastoneplayonBroadwayeachyear.Sometimestherewereasmanyasfive.MisterAbbottlikedworkingwithyoungzunknownactors.Heoncesaidaproducerwasbetteroffifhedidnothaveastarinhisshow.Hesaidworkingwithoutastarsavesmoneyanddamagetothenerves.ThatiswhyGeorgeAbbottgaveactingjobstoactorswhowereunknownatthetime.Manybecameveryfamous.HelenHayes,GeneKelleyzEddieAlbert,ShirleyMacLaine,andCarolBurnettarejustafew.Healsohelpedunknownsongwriters,dancersandproducerslikeHaroldPrince,LeonardBernstein,BobFosseandJeromeRobbins.GeorgeAbbottchangedtheAmericantheaterinmanyways.Hewasthefirsttoproducemusicalshowsthatwereseriousdramas,notjustlightlovestories.Andhewasthefirstproducertouseballetdancersinamusicalshow.HeworkedwiththeballetexpertGeorgeBalanchine.Thatwasinnineteenthirty-six.Theplaywas"OnYourToes."Themusicwas"SlaughteronTenthAvenue."(MUSIC)VOICETWO:GeorgeAbbottwonjustabouteveryawardapersoncanwininthetheater.HereceivedaspecialTonyawardforhislifetimeofwork.HealsoreceivedtheKennedyCenterlifetimeachievementawardinnineteeneighty-two.AndhewonTonyawardsforfourofhismusicalshowsincluding"Fiorello!""Fiorello!"alsowonthePulitzerPrizefordramaafteritopenedinnineteenfifty-nine.ItisaboutthelifeofFiorelloLaGuardia,themayorofNewYorkCityduringthenineteenforties.Manycriticssaidthesong"LittleTinBox"wasthebestintheshow.Itmakesfunofthewaypoliticianstrytoexplaintheiractionswhentheyareaccusedofspendingpublicmoneyfortheirownuse.Hereis"LittleTinBox"from"Fiorello!":(MUSIC)VOICEONE:GeorgeAbbottearnedmillionsofdollarsinthetheater.Buthedidnotspendhismoneyfreely.Healwayshelpedthepoor;however.Andhequietlyprovidedmoneytoproduceshowsthatnooneelsewouldsupport.MisterAbbottwasmarriedthreetimes.Hehadadaughterwhoalsoworkedinthetheater.Shediedinnineteeneighty-four.VOICETWO:GeorgeAbbottwasalwaysinvolvedinnewprojects,usuallyseveralatonetime.Buthealwaystookcareofhishealth.Hesaiditwasimportanttoeatthreemealsadayandgetenoughsleepeachnight.Healwaysworeasuitandtie.Andhealwayssaidwhatwasnecessary,notawordmore.ForMisterAbbott,theplaywasthemostimportantthing,andnothingwaspermittedtointerfere.Actorsandpeoplewhowenttohisplayslovedhimforit.WhenGeorgeAbbottcelebratedhisonehundredthbirthdayinnineteeneighty-seven,theateractorshonoredhimwithabigparty.Theyalsoperformedforhim.TheyendedtheirshowwithasongGeorgeAbbottespeciallyliked.Sowethoughtwewouldendwithittoo.Itiscalled"Heart",fromGeorgeAbbott'sshow,"DamnYankees."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyNancySteinbachandproducedbyLawanDavis.mShirleyGriffith.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmber.ListenagainnextweekforanotherPeopleinAmericaprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.