- News>
- Movies & Theatre
Broadway remembers al Hirschfeld, names a theater after him
New York, June 24: Broadway remembered al Hirschfeld as the man who made the stage and its performers come alive in graceful pen-and-ink drawings - and then it named a theater after him.
New York, June 24: Broadway remembered al Hirschfeld as the man who made the stage and its performers come alive in graceful pen-and-ink drawings - and then it named a theater
after him.
From Arthur Miller to Carol Channing to Whoopi Goldberg
to Nathan Lane, they spoke and sang the praises of the
show-biz caricaturist during a joyous ceremony in which the
Martin Beck theatre, a venerable Broadway playhouse, was
rechristened the al Hirschfeld theatre.
"People in a Hirschfeld drawing all shared the one quality of energetic joy in life that they all wished they had in reality," Miller said. "Looking at a Hirschfeld drawing of yourself is the best thing for tired blood."
Hirschfeld, who died January 20 at age 99, began drawing theater performers in 1926. For nearly 70 years, much of his work appeared in the New York Times. He would have been 100 years old last Saturday.
The participants in yesterday's memorial service spanned generations - from 92-year-old Kitty Carlisle Hart to Channing and Barbara Cook to Audra McDonald and Matthew Broderick.
One of the more touching moments came when Victor Garber sang a song in praise of Nina, the name of Hirschfeld's daughter, who joined Garber on stage for a bow. Her name always appeared in each of her father's drawings, hidden in the lines for readers to find.
After the speeches and songs, the audience walked out of the theater and filled the street as a ribbon was cut and a red cloth fell from the theater's marquee, revealing a self-portrait of the artist in white lights.
"People in a Hirschfeld drawing all shared the one quality of energetic joy in life that they all wished they had in reality," Miller said. "Looking at a Hirschfeld drawing of yourself is the best thing for tired blood."
Hirschfeld, who died January 20 at age 99, began drawing theater performers in 1926. For nearly 70 years, much of his work appeared in the New York Times. He would have been 100 years old last Saturday.
The participants in yesterday's memorial service spanned generations - from 92-year-old Kitty Carlisle Hart to Channing and Barbara Cook to Audra McDonald and Matthew Broderick.
One of the more touching moments came when Victor Garber sang a song in praise of Nina, the name of Hirschfeld's daughter, who joined Garber on stage for a bow. Her name always appeared in each of her father's drawings, hidden in the lines for readers to find.
After the speeches and songs, the audience walked out of the theater and filled the street as a ribbon was cut and a red cloth fell from the theater's marquee, revealing a self-portrait of the artist in white lights.