Margaret Hamilton/A Little Night Music

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 6/28/07 at 10:12pm

I've just got the cast recording for A Little Night Music (love it!) and one I remebered a fact I read: That Margaret Hamilton (The Wicked Witch of the West) played Mme. Armfeldt in the show.

Did anyone see her? How was her performance?

[Glebb]

Posted: 6/28/07 at 10:37pm

Didn't see Ms. Hamilton in that role but I did see Glynis Johns in the role of Mme. Armfeldt in a horrid Los Angeles production in the 80s.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 6/28/07 at 10:40pm

I've heard a recording of her "Liaisons"...and while she is NOT a singer, she handles the piece well. I have a photo of her in the role, i just don't know how to include pics.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/28/07 at 10:41pm

I wanna see the photo!!!!!!

you can upload it to www.tinypic.com

then get a link to post.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 6/28/07 at 10:47pm

For whatever reason, it turns sideways...but here it is!
[IMG]

Updated On: 6/28/07 at 10:47 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/28/07 at 10:53pm

Wow! that is great. Thanks so much for that.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 6/28/07 at 10:53pm

That's fantastic husk! Thanks for the picture.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 6/28/07 at 10:57pm

No problem!

Hamilton was in several Broadway productions, though she is rarely on a recording. She played Aunt Eller in "Oklahoma!" several times, including the City Center one, and was in the original cast of "Goldilocks!" (she's on ONE song, and you have to strain to pick her out.). And, she reprised her role as the Wicked Witch of the West several times at the MUNY in St. Louis, once at Casa Manana in Fort Worth, and probably in a few other places too.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 6/28/07 at 10:58pm

I would have loved to see her play Eller.

[markypoo]

Posted: 6/29/07 at 10:51am

I DID see her in the role, in 1974 at the Shubert in Chicago. The comment on her handling the song capably is 100% correct. The remainder of her performance - and the caliber of the entire production as well - was flawless. I don't know how the Broadway version could have been any better.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 6/29/07 at 11:40am

I saw her in NIGHT MUSIC at the Kennedy Center Opera House, circa Spring of 1974 I believe (or 75?) She was most effective, in an understated way, and clearly having the time of her life. She was small of stature, but not frail, and I remember her singing the part successfully. The show was not terribly at home in the cavernous opera house -- the Eisenhower would've been better for the designs and performances. (I don't like it at City Opera either -- it's a very intimate show.) I think it was likely Hamilton's last big thing -- no?

The productions was sound, with George Lee Andrews, non-speaking Frid on b'way, playing Frederick, probably in his early to mid-30s. He was too young, and it made the Anne/Frederick dilemma a bit odd. Jean Simmons was fine, but I recall missing the comedic brio of Glynis, whom I'd seen the previous summer in NY. After Simmons played the role, Desiree fell into similar hands. I saw Virginia McKenna in London -- sophisticated but dull. I still think Glynis and Liz Taylor are the best casting, though Taylor couldn't exactly shine in the poor film.

Hamilton seemed to be having the time of her life.

[markypoo]

Posted: 6/29/07 at 12:24pm

I think it was likely Hamilton's last big thing -- no?

In reality, I was fortunate enough to catch her TWICE more on stage following ALNM.
In mid-1975 following the close of the NM tour, she appeared with Jack Gilford and Keene Curtis at the Academy Theatre in Lake Forest, IL in a revival of TOO MUCH JOHNSON which one critic labeled as the bomb of the year!
Then in summer 1979 she reprised her role of Parthy at the Milwaukee Melody Top in SHOW BOAT.
Ah memories!

[morosco]

Posted: 6/29/07 at 1:42pm

Remember her as Cora? Spokesperson for Maxwell House? I'd forgotten all about that.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/29/07 at 4:11pm

http://www.roadode.com/margaret_1.shtml

:)

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 6/29/07 at 4:17pm

I've heard that soundboard recording of her that is floating around. She is delightful.

My problem with Hamiliton as well as Gingold is does anyone believe that -even in their youth - Barrons and noblemen would have PAID to have sex with them?

A young Glynis Johns yes. But a young Hermione Gingold or a young Margaret Hamiliton? Doubtful.

Posted: 6/29/07 at 4:47pm

she looks *gorgeous* in that photo!!!
(at least, to me!)

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/29/07 at 5:25pm

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 11/15/11 at 8:56pm

For those who have never heard this....
Margaret Hamilton sings "Liaisons"

[After Eight]

Posted: 11/15/11 at 9:44pm

I was fortunate enough to see her in Night Music. She was excellent.

I also saw her in Come Summer and UTBU. She didn't have a very good role in the former. She was very funny in UTBU, a black comedy by James Kirkwood with a marvelous cast, which I found to be hilarious.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 11/16/11 at 9:10am

I worked for the host theater in Fort Lauderdale where the national tour played its last two or three weeks. (I believe it came to us from Boston.) Because Jean Simmons and Hermoine Gingold were leaving to do the London production after their engagement with us, Hamilton was left behind in Boston and Gingold used Fort Lauderdale as a pre-London "refresher".

Although Hermoine was Hermoine with her not inconsiderable "character" charm, she was nearly incomprehensible when required to pronounce complicated words and sentences.

Several of the company members told me Hamilton was much better in the role.

BTW Jean Simmons was lovely (though I prefer Johns in video clips) on stage and off.
Updated On: 11/16/11 at 09:10 AM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 11/16/11 at 10:25am

I also saw her in Chicago and for what it's worth (I was very young and very stagestruck) I remember her, Jean Simmons and George Lee Andrews all being wonderful.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 11/16/11 at 10:28am

Somewhere I have an 8 x 10 of Margaret Hamilton, Hermione Gingold, Glynnis Johns, and Jean Simmons cutting a cake (I think).

I'll have to see if I can dig it out.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 11/16/11 at 8:42pm

After being dumped in Boston, Margaret Hamilton sent the cast (including Gingold) and crew of the national tour the loveliest opening night telegram. I thought that was so classy!

[JMVR]

Posted: 11/16/11 at 10:12pm

Was there huge entrance applause for Hamilton or was she not as appreciated then as she is now?

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 4:05pm

I didn't see Hamilton in NIGHT MUSIC. However, THE WIZARD OF OZ was very much a beloved classic by the mid-70s. I'm sure audiences knew who she was and that she was hired, in part, for her name.

But I don't recall huge entrance applause for Jean Simmons or Hermoine Gingold. The way the show opened with basically two overtures, both with actors on stage and the entire company performing the "Night Waltz", didn't really encourage entrance applause because viewers tended to "discover" the leads at different times. There was some clapping, of course, but unless I've forgotten, nobody had a big-applause entrance.

Despite the use of stars as Desiree and Armfeldt, Prince treated the show as an ensemble piece.