Leonard Sillman
Encyclopedia
Leonard Sillman was an American Broadway producer. Born in Detroit, Michigan
on May 9, 1908, he was the brother of June Carroll
, the brother-in-law of Sidney Carroll
and the uncle of Steve Reich
and Jonathan Carroll
. He is perhaps best known for his series of musical revues, Leonard Sillman's New Faces, which introduced many major stars to Broadway audiences, such as Eartha Kitt
, Inga Swenson
, Paul Lynde
and Maggie Smith
. Versions of New Faces were produced in 1934, 1936, 1943, 1952
, 1956, 1962 and 1968. The very first New Faces in 1934 included actors Henry Fonda
, Imogene Coca
and Frances Dewey Wormser
.
Songwriter Arthur Siegel
, who contributed many songs to the New Faces series and radio show, described Sillman's philosophy: "He believed that a revue should be a potpourri, a bouillabaisse, in which there was something for everyone. Pace was very important. He didn't want to give an audience a chance to think about what it just saw. The music had to be nonstop." Sillman also produced many other plays from the 1930s into the late 1960s, including All in Fun (1940), Mask and Gown (1957) and the Family Way (1965). His autobiography Here Lies Leonard Sillman: Straightened Out at Last was published by the Citadel Press in 1959. Sillman died on January 23, 1982 in New York City
.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
on May 9, 1908, he was the brother of June Carroll
June Carroll
June Carroll was an American lyricist, singer and actress.Born June Sillman in Detroit, Michigan, Carroll appeared in the Broadway musical New Faces of 1952, singing the Murray Grand standard, Guess Who I Saw Today, as well as two songs that she also wrote: Penny Candy and Love is a Simple...
, the brother-in-law of Sidney Carroll
Sidney Carroll
Sidney Carroll was a film and television screenwriter. Although Carroll wrote most frequently for television, he is perhaps best remembered today for writing the screenplay for The Hustler for which he was nominated for an Academy Award...
and the uncle of Steve Reich
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael "Steve" Reich is an American composer who together with La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass is a pioneering composer of minimal music...
and Jonathan Carroll
Jonathan Carroll
Jonathan Samuel Carroll is an American author primarily known for novels, which can be characterized as magic realist, slipstream or modern fantasy...
. He is perhaps best known for his series of musical revues, Leonard Sillman's New Faces, which introduced many major stars to Broadway audiences, such as Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
, Inga Swenson
Inga Swenson
Inga Swenson is an American actress.Inga Swenson was a graduate of Central High School in Omaha, Nebraska, Class of 1950...
, Paul Lynde
Paul Lynde
Paul Edward Lynde was an American comedian and actor. A noted character actor, Lynde was well known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched and Harry MacAfee, the befuddled father in Bye Bye Birdie...
and Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE , better known as Maggie Smith, is an English film, stage, and television actress who made her stage debut in 1952 and is still performing after 59 years...
. Versions of New Faces were produced in 1934, 1936, 1943, 1952
New Faces of 1952
New Faces of 1952 is a musical revue with songs and comedy skits. It ran on Broadway for nearly a year in 1952 and was then made into a motion picture in 1954...
, 1956, 1962 and 1968. The very first New Faces in 1934 included actors Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
, Imogene Coca
Imogene Coca
Imogene Fernandez de Coca was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows....
and Frances Dewey Wormser
Frances Dewey Wormser
Frances Dewey Wormser was an American stage actress, entertainer and vaudeville performer.-Personal life:...
.
Songwriter Arthur Siegel
Arthur Siegel
Arthur Siegel was an American songwriter.Born on December 31, 1923 in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, he grew up in Asbury Park, New Jersey...
, who contributed many songs to the New Faces series and radio show, described Sillman's philosophy: "He believed that a revue should be a potpourri, a bouillabaisse, in which there was something for everyone. Pace was very important. He didn't want to give an audience a chance to think about what it just saw. The music had to be nonstop." Sillman also produced many other plays from the 1930s into the late 1960s, including All in Fun (1940), Mask and Gown (1957) and the Family Way (1965). His autobiography Here Lies Leonard Sillman: Straightened Out at Last was published by the Citadel Press in 1959. Sillman died on January 23, 1982 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.