Her father and her uncle were U.S. congressmen. Her grandfather was a U. S. senator. Although born to privilege in Alabama and groomed in a convent school, Tallulah Bankhead resolved not to be just another Southern belle.
Quickly she rose to the top and became an acclaimed actress of London's West End and on the Broadway stage. Her performances in many plays of the 1920s brought her to the notice of Hollywood. She starred in such Paramount films as My Sin, Faithless, The Devil and the Deep, and Thunder Below. Even though she won a New York Film Critics Circle Award for her leading role in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944), she never achieved the prominence in movies that she enjoyed in the theater and on radio. On the New York stage she originated the starring roles of Regina Giddens in Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes and of Sabina in Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth.
Tallulah, like Eudora, Flannery, and Coretta, was a southern woman identifiable by her first name. Her flamboyant public personality may be the most fully realized and memorable character Bankhead ever played. She became famous for her snappy repartee, candid quotes, and scandalous lifestyle. She was disposed to remove her clothes and chat in the nude. Overfond of Kentucky bourbon and wild parties, she was a lady baritone who called everybody "Dahling."
In Tallulah, first published in 1952 and a New York Times bestseller for twenty-six weeks, Bankhead's literary voice is as lively and forthright as her public persona. She details her childhood and adolescence, discusses her dedication to the theater, and presents amusing anecdotes about her life in Hollywood, New York, and London. Along with a searing defense of her lifestyle and rambunctious habits, she provides a fiercely opinionated, wildly funny account of American stage at a time when the movies were beginning to cast theater into eclipse. This is not only a memoir of an independent woman but also an insider look at American entertainment during a golden age.
Broadway star Nick Cartell – currently headlining as Jean Valjean on the national tour of Les Misérables – has released his new album A Thousand Spotlights on CD and in streaming and digital platforms today, Friday, July 26.
Tony Award nominee Mary Bridget Davies’(A Night with Janis Joplin) new studio album Don’t Compromise Yourself: The Very Best of Mary Bridget Davies is out now. Listen now!
Center Stage Records will release the concept recording of LIFELINE, the new musical written by Becky Hope-Palmer with music and lyrics by Robin Hiley.
Anthony Wayne, star of MIGHTY REAL: A FABULOUS SYLVESTER MUSICAL, will perform a new solo evening at THE GREEN ROOM 42 on August 5. Don't miss this special event showcasing his incredible talent.
Jaime Lozano & The Familia release a new video for 'No Podemos Regresar' in collaboration with Concord Theatricals, showcasing a Spanish version of the song.
Center Stage Records has released the world premiere recording of GRUMPY OLD MEN, the new musical by Dan Remmes, Neil Berg and Nick Meglin. Listen now!
The original cast recording of MY TRUE LOVE, an Off-Broadway musical by Ben Boecker, will be released on July 19, 2024. The show features a pop comedy score and explores themes of love, consent, and empowerment.
A new Carousel Studio Cast recording is on the way! Recorded in April 2023 with the Sinfonia of London (conducted by John Wilson). We have all the details on the new album here!
Theatrical licensing for the musical, String, with book by Sarah Hammond, and music and lyrics by Adam Gown, is now available, alongside the release of its six-song original studio cast recording
Go inside the studio for the making of Aaron Lazar's upcoming album 'The Impossible Dream,' featuring Josh Groban, Neil Patrick Harris, Kelli O'Hara, Shoshana Bean, and more! Watch in this video.
PS CLASSICS released two new tracks from the album JEFF HARNAR sings SAMMY CAHN: THE SECOND TIME AROUND, featuring guest artists CLINT HOLMES, MOIPEI, and NICOLE ZURAITIS. Learn more!
Algos Music has announced the release of the new album by vintage vocalist extraordinaire ALLYSON BRIGGS – Promises, Prayers, and Raindrops: Allyson Briggs Sings Burt Bacharach – on CD and in digital and streaming platforms.
In 2025, BearManor Media will publish Lawrence Schulman's third book for BearManor Media, called Peter Allen: Somebody's Angel - The Boy From Oz In The Key of Camp. Learn more.
Amnon Kabatchnik's new book, 'Murder in the West End: The Plays of Agatha Christie and Her Disciples,' explores the works of Agatha Christie and her followers. Now available in hardcover and trade paper.
On Friday, July 26, 2024, Academy Award-winning composer Kris Bowers and GRAMMY Award-winning violinist Charles Yang are spotlighted on a heartfelt new album, For A Younger Self, featuring the talented musicians of the American Youth Symphony (AYS) conducted by Carlos Izcaray.
Nick Cartell – currently starring as Jean Valjean on the national tour of Les Misérables – has released “It All Fades Away,” the new single from his upcoming album A Thousand Spotlights. Listen now!
Serge Clivio releases the album SERGE AND FRIENDS, featuring 14 tracks from live shows in NYC. The album includes personal stories, duets with talented friends, and supports Cancer Research.
Assigning age-appropriate tasks to children helps instill responsibility, self-worth, and important life skills, as illustrated in the children's book THE AMAZING ROBERTA WIGGLESWORTH.
Geneva Carr and playwright Matthew Greene will discuss their theater-themed murder mystery novel, There's No Murder Like Show Murder, at The Drama Book Shop on July 30, 2024.
Jeff Harnar's new album, JEFF HARNAR SINGS SAMMY CAHN: THE SECOND TIME AROUND, features six new tracks and guest appearances by Clint Holmes, Moipei, and Nicole Zuraitis. Learn how to purchase.