How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 101st birthday?
How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 101st birthday?
#1How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 101st birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 6:16pm
It's tomorrow (Friday), January 16.
She would have been 101. Or 99. Or 95. Depending on what mood she was in when she was asked.
UPDATE: CORRECTED MY MATH.
#2re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 100th birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 6:22pm
Here she is with Irving
Here she is with Mary
And here she is on What's My Line
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOP951kSvu0
jacobsnchz14
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
#2re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 100th birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 6:25pm
We should have 100 posts of 100 different pictures depicting her life.
She would have been 101, BTW.
Updated On: 1/15/09 at 06:25 PM
#3re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 100th birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 6:29pmWe could all change our avatars (just for the day) to pix of Ethel....
"Like the good Lord says . . . Ya gotta take the rough with the smooth, Baby!" Madame Rose
#4re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 100th birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 7:16pmWell, she did have a son. Perhaps he has something official planning for his mother's 100 birthday? from rC in austin, texas
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
miss pennywise
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
#5re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 100th birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 7:18pmAs someone mentioned, Ethel's 100th birthday was last year.
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
**********
"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
ifuweregay93
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/06
#6re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 100th birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 7:23pmI agree with changing the avatar.
#7re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 100th birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 7:26pm
^As do I. I call this one. 
<<-- Help save Terminator: SCC
"The gay one?" -- Marissa Jaret Winokur on the Jonas Brothers.
"The gay one?" -- Marissa Jaret Winokur on the Jonas Brothers.
Ed_Mottershead
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/20/05
#8re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 100th birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 8:30pmEthel Merman was the greatest Broadway musical performer, EVER. Why not name one of the houses after her -- say, the Majestic or the Imperial -- both theatres in which she performed often to the delight of the millions who saw her.
BroadwayEd
#9re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 100th birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 8:45pmI'll change the avatar. Don't know too what. You'll just have to wait.
Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.
CurtainPullDowner
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
#10re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 100th birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 9:05pm
I get a "kick" out of this one.
<<<<<<<<<<<
She should have her own theatre!
Updated On: 1/15/09 at 09:05 PM
#11re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 100th birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 10:10pmI'm down! Changing my avatar as soon as I post this!
"Who says you can't bend over backwards and eat bugs if you want to? I guess the bugs would probably say you can't do that that, but assuming that they are willing and consenting bugs, then there's no problem. Let's wig out eating bugs."
-RuPaul
ThankstoPhantom
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/13/05
#12re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 100th birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 10:16pm
Ethel Merman was the greatest Broadway musical performer, EVER. Why not name one of the houses after her -- say, the Majestic or the Imperial -- both theatres in which she performed often to the delight of the millions who saw her.
Maybe a new theatre, or one of the corporate-named theatres...but please, don't get rid of the Majestic and Imperial, two of few remaining theatres with such grand names. It's bad enough the Plymouth and Royale were changed. These names mean something to their original creators and were named so for a reason.
But on topic: Happy Birthday to Ethel! :)
How to properly use its/it's:
Its is the possessive. It's is the contraction for it is...
#13re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 100th birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 10:28pm
I'm changing mine to this one. 
<<-- Help save Terminator: SCC
"The gay one?" -- Marissa Jaret Winokur on the Jonas Brothers.
"The gay one?" -- Marissa Jaret Winokur on the Jonas Brothers.
#14re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 101st birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 11:02pm
100, 101, 99, 95...fixed the math.
I was having a busy day and I counted wrong.
But so did SHE.
ThankstoPhantom
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/13/05
#15re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 101st birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 11:21pmI swapped my picture from the recent revival of Gypsy to the same scene with Merman.
How to properly use its/it's:
Its is the possessive. It's is the contraction for it is...
#16re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 101st birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 11:32pmChanged. Love it.
Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.
miss pennywise
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
#18re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 101st birthday?
Posted: 1/15/09 at 11:52pm
Yeah, who's counting? Once you're past 95, it's all gravy. 
<= I chose my avatar for the day because last week I went to the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and discovered this wonderful painting of Ethel when she was in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN in the 1960s. It was one of my first Broadway shows and she was, of course, phenomenal.
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
**********
"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
#19re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 101st birthday?
Posted: 1/16/09 at 12:01amI found this great picture of William Gaxton and Ethel from Anything Goes.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
Josh Freilich
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/06
#20re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 101st birthday?
Posted: 1/16/09 at 12:08am
How about we all play "I Got Rhythm" in our rooms as loud as we can possibly get our stereos to turn up...
...and then play it 19 times!
"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid
#21re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 101st birthday?
Posted: 1/16/09 at 12:12am
Whatever we all do, we should be LOUD about it!
Here's my all time favorite video clip of Ethel.
Being SOFT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hkBCjuqOKw
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#22re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 101st birthday?
Posted: 1/16/09 at 1:57amOMG! La Merman was a total GENIUS performer of the OLD school/highest caliber! WOW!!!! So much to learn from her! We should all bow down to her genius and YES, a theater should be named for her.
#23re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 101st birthday?
Posted: 1/16/09 at 2:18amI have Mine....from her days as Reno Sweeney
"I think lying to children is really important, it sets them off on the right track" -Sherie Rene Scott-
#24re: How shall we celebrate Ethel Merman's 101st birthday?
Posted: 1/16/09 at 2:24am
I plan on revisiting the Annie, or Granny as some call it, Get Your Gun recording. It's one of my favorite Cast Albums. I was slightly, no completely, obsessed with Ethel's "I'm an Indian Too" for a very long time. I discovered a mixed CD I made a few years back the other day, and found I included Ethel singing "Doin' What Comes Naturally". Her delivery of those lyrics, some of the funniest ever written, immediately had me in hysterics.
I plan on watching clips from "Call Me Madam", "The Muppet Show", and Ethel's television appearance with Mary Martin.
And I plan on pulling out the Ethel Merman Disco Album. For obvious reasons.
Happy Birthday Ethel. You will always be the Queen of musical theatre.
Updated On: 1/16/09 at 02:24 AM
