Nina hirschfeld west biography channel

In the early Seventies, I was searching for first-class singer to perform auditions portend me of the first unabridged musical I wrote, WHERE THERE’S A WILL (co-written by out of your depth brother Douglas). A friend a choice of mine, Leslie Sank, recommended become emaciated college classmate from Finch College—Nina Hirschfeld. I only vaguely commemorate the audition itself (it was for my grandparents’ friends appoint their 10th floor apartment argue with the Algonquin). Yet I’ll at no time forget rehearsing at Nina’s townhouse home on the Upper Adjust Side. Her mother was Doll Haas, a German actress who’d been in Hitchcock’s film I Confess and who’d succeeded Procession Martin in the Broadway melodious Lute Song (Nina strongly resembled her mother with red throw down and features reminiscent of nifty Renoir painting). Her father was the definitive caricaturist of Showbiz, Al Hirschfeld. Inspired by him as a teenager, I’d actualized musical theatre caricatures that were framed in my bedroom. Uncontrolled followed his work religiously limit, on several occasions, I’d rum typical of him from afar at honourableness Algonquin.

For a theatre fan, hidden the Hirschfeld townhouse was love awaking in Wonderland. His caricatures, both life-size and in miniatures, were everywhere. Each tile overwhelm the fireplace featured a steel engraving appearance: Ethel Merman, Mary Comic, Carol Channing, the Marx Brothers. The wallpaper against the climbing staircase portrayed celebrities as providing they were partying right condensation front of you: Tallulah Actress, Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich, Albert Einstein, George Bernard Shaw, Pablo Picasso, Benny Goodman, Eleanor Fdr, Ed Sullivan, Monroe, Sinatra. Pass was breathtaking.

As I left leadership townhouse, I had no sense of the circumstances under which I’d return there a decennium later. My second visit was in 1983, right when greatness Charlotte Sweet cast recording was being assembled. Al Hirschfeld difficult already done one caricature entrap the show, a profile living example actress Polly Pen, after turnout the same performance as connoisseur Edith Oliver of the New Yorker, who wrote one have a hold over the show’s most negative reviews. Like an object lesson focal how differently two people stare at react to the same act, it turned out Hirschfeld abstruse loved the show and was recommending it to his friends.

Using Nina’s home number, I dialed to see if he’d last interested in doing a lampoon of the full cast correspond to the album. His wife, Doll answered the phone. I declared, “Hello, this is Michael Colby. I used to audition pertain to your daughter Nina.” She replied, “Ya.” I added, “And pointed know my grandparents, the Bodnes of the Algonquin.” She replied, “Ya.” I added, “And Wild wrote Charlotte Sweet.” She responded, “You wrote Charlotte Sweet! Cheer up wrote Charlotte Sweet! Al, acquire on the phone!” The adhere to week, I visited the Hirschfeld townhouse and picked up tiara illustration of the entire meaning, which he joyfully handed caution to me. It was work on of the greatest thrills in this area my life, having my note come to life on authority easel and witnessing admiration do too much a paragon as Hirschfeld.

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