Back in the day when lavish Hollywood musicals filled the screens of cinemas worldwide and, of course, the box office, the producers and casting directors were faced with a problem. How do you cast a megastar, a guaranteed money spinner, in a musical when the star can't sing? No problem with Doris Day, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Jane Powell or Julie Andrews - they could sing and they could act. Deborah Kerr couldn't sing but she could act the pants off most of her peers. Likewise Audrey Hepburn.
Enter Marni Nixon.
Marni, who died last year aged 86, provided Kerr's singing voice in The King and I and Hepburn's voice in My Fair Lady. In West Side Story she ghosted Natalie Wood's voice without Natalie knowing the voice wasn't her own!
The practice eventually disappeared along with the blockbuster musical and when one did come along the actors did their own singing. After watching the most recent of these, La La Land, rumour has it that a member of the audience said: "Where is Marni Nixon when you need her?" Actually, it wasn't a rumour - it was me!
At this year's Edinburgh Fringe, Marni Nixon is brought back to life by Sam Nixon (pictured, no relation) and Gin Palace Productions. The scenario is the recording studio as Marni prepares to dub Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady whilst talking about some of the other stars she has dubbed.
Having seen clips of a Julie Andrews/Sound of Music show by the company I'm sure that they and Sam Nixon will do "The Greatest Singer You've Never Heard of" justice.
The 1-hour show had its Edinburgh premiere today at Greenside, 6 Infirmary St., Edinburgh EH1 1LT. (venue no. 236).
Forthcoming shows: August 5-6 & 8-12 All at 12:35pm.
Tickets.Forthcoming shows: August 5-6 & 8-12 All at 12:35pm.
Lance.
PS: I know it's not jazz - Edinburgh has its own Jazz & Blues Festival but, to me, there's always a jazzy feel about Fringe events!
2 comments :
Thanks Lance, I go to see it on Wed 9th, looking forward to it!
"We are here to tell the story of Marni, but we were attracted to write the show through the music. The 50's were a golden age for Hollywood and I'm certain that any music fans thinking of coming to see us would get a lot out of hearing us perform from the selection we have chosen".
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