Cy Feuer
Encyclopedia
Cy Feuer was an American
theatre producer
, director, composer
, and musician
.
Born Seymour Arnold Feuerman in Brooklyn, New York,he studied trumpet privately with Max Schlossberg(personal communication...2006), he became a professional trumpet
er at the age of fifteen, working at clubs on weekends to help support his family while attending New Utrecht High School
. It was there he first met Abe Burrows
, who in later years he would hire to write the book for Guys and Dolls. Having no interest in mathematics
, science
, or sports, he dropped out of school and found work as a trumpeter on a political campaign truck. He later studied at the Juilliard School
before joining the orchestras at the Roxy Theater
and later Radio City Music Hall
. In 1938, he toured the country with Leon Belasco and His Society Orchestra, eventually ending up in Burbank, California
. Following a ten-week stint there, the orchestra departed for Minneapolis, but he opted to remain in California.
Feuer found employment at Republic Pictures
, serving as musical director, arranger, and/or composer of more than 125 mostly B-movie
s, many of them serials
and westerns, for the next decade, save for a three-year interruption to serve in the military during World War II
. During his Hollywood sojourn, he enjoyed a tumultuous one-year affair with actress Susan Hayward
, worked with Jule Styne
, Frank Loesser
, and Victor Young
, among others, received five Academy Award nominations for his film scores, and married divorcée
Posy Greenberg, the mother of three-year-old Bobby. (The couple later had a son of their own named Jed.)
In 1947, having decided he had no real talent for film scoring, Feuer returned to New York City
, where he teamed up with Ernest H. Martin. After an aborted attempt to stage a production based on George Gershwin
's An American in Paris
, they produced Where's Charley?
, the 1949 Frank Loesser
adaption of Charley's Aunt
. Although it was panned by six of the seven major New York critics, positive word-of-mouth about the show, particularly Ray Bolger
's star turn in it, kept it running for three years. Over the next several decades, Feuer & Martin mounted some of the most notable titles in the Broadway
musical
canon, including Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
, both of which won the Tony Award for Best Musical
. As of 2007, How to Succeed... is one of only seven musicals to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
.
Feuer was also a stage director. Among his Broadway directing credits were Little Me
and the ill-fated I Remember Mama
.
Feuer & Martin's greatest career success was the 1972
film version of Cabaret
, which won eight Academy Awards
and earned them a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy. They were also responsible for the 1985
screen adaptation of A Chorus Line
, which proved to be one of their biggest flops.
Feuer's memoir
, I Got The Show Right Here: The Amazing, True Story of How an Obscure Brooklyn Horn Player Became the Last Great Broadway Showman (ISBN 0743236114), written with Ken Gross, was published by Simon & Schuster
in 2003.
Feuer served as president, and later chairman, of the League of American Theatres and Producers (now called The Broadway League
) from 1989 to 2003. He died on May 17, 2006 of bladder cancer
in New York City
, aged 95.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
theatre producer
Theatrical producer
A theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The independent producer will usually be the originator and finder of the script and starts the whole process...
, director, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Born Seymour Arnold Feuerman in Brooklyn, New York,he studied trumpet privately with Max Schlossberg(personal communication...2006), he became a professional trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
er at the age of fifteen, working at clubs on weekends to help support his family while attending New Utrecht High School
New Utrecht High School
New Utrecht High School is a coeducational public high school in Brooklyn, New York City, serving 3,114 pupils. It is part of New York City Region 7....
. It was there he first met Abe Burrows
Abe Burrows
Abe Burrows was a Tony and Pulitzer-winning American humorist, author, and director for radio and the stage.-Early years:...
, who in later years he would hire to write the book for Guys and Dolls. Having no interest in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, or sports, he dropped out of school and found work as a trumpeter on a political campaign truck. He later studied at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
before joining the orchestras at the Roxy Theater
Roxy Theater
The Roxy Theatre was a 5,920 seat movie theater located at 153 West 50th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, just off Times Square in New York City. It opened on March 11, 1927 with the silent film The Love of Sunya, produced by and starring Gloria Swanson. The huge movie palace was a leading...
and later Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
. In 1938, he toured the country with Leon Belasco and His Society Orchestra, eventually ending up in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. Following a ten-week stint there, the orchestra departed for Minneapolis, but he opted to remain in California.
Feuer found employment at Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
, serving as musical director, arranger, and/or composer of more than 125 mostly B-movie
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
s, many of them serials
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
and westerns, for the next decade, save for a three-year interruption to serve in the military during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During his Hollywood sojourn, he enjoyed a tumultuous one-year affair with actress Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward was an American actress.After working as a fashion model in New York, Hayward travelled to Hollywood in 1937 when open auditions were held for the leading role in Gone with the Wind . Although she was not selected, she secured a film contract, and played several small supporting...
, worked with Jule Styne
Jule Styne
Jule Styne was a British-born American songwriter especially famous for a series of Broadway musicals, which included several very well known and frequently revived shows.-Early life:...
, Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser
Frank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
, and Victor Young
Victor Young
Victor Young was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. He was born in Chicago.-Biography:...
, among others, received five Academy Award nominations for his film scores, and married divorcée
Divorcee
Divorcee, refers to a person whose marriage has ended in divorce, a legal dissolution of marriage before death by either spouse. The feminine form is "divorcée", and the masculine "divorcé". At one time the term had negative cultural and religious associations...
Posy Greenberg, the mother of three-year-old Bobby. (The couple later had a son of their own named Jed.)
In 1947, having decided he had no real talent for film scoring, Feuer returned to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he teamed up with Ernest H. Martin. After an aborted attempt to stage a production based on George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
's An American in Paris
An American in Paris
An American in Paris is a symphonic tone poem by the American composer George Gershwin, written in 1928. Inspired by the time Gershwin had spent in Paris, it evokes the sights and energy of the French capital in the 1920s. It is one of Gershwin's best-known compositions.Gershwin composed the piece...
, they produced Where's Charley?
Where's Charley?
Where's Charley? is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the play Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway and in the West End...
, the 1949 Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser
Frank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
adaption of Charley's Aunt
Charley's Aunt
Charley's Aunt is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. It broke all historic records for plays of any kind, with an original London run of 1,466 performances....
. Although it was panned by six of the seven major New York critics, positive word-of-mouth about the show, particularly Ray Bolger
Ray Bolger
Raymond Wallace "Ray" Bolger was an American entertainer of stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of the Scarecrow and Kansas farmworker Hank in The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
's star turn in it, kept it running for three years. Over the next several decades, Feuer & Martin mounted some of the most notable titles in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
canon, including Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name....
, both of which won the Tony Award for Best Musical
Tony Award for Best Musical
This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack...
. As of 2007, How to Succeed... is one of only seven musicals to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year...
.
Feuer was also a stage director. Among his Broadway directing credits were Little Me
Little Me
Little Me was the parody "confessional" self-indulgent autobiography of "Belle Poitrine" , subtitled The Intimate Memoirs of the Great Star of Stage, Screen and Television, by Patrick Dennis, who had achieved a great success with Auntie Mame...
and the ill-fated I Remember Mama
I Remember Mama (musical)
I Remember Mama is a musical with a book by Thomas Meehan, lyrics by Martin Charnin and Raymond Jessel, and music by Richard Rodgers.-Origins:...
.
Feuer & Martin's greatest career success was the 1972
1972 in film
The year 1972 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Avanti!, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon and Juliet MillsB...
film version of Cabaret
Cabaret (film)
Cabaret is a 1972 musical film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing National Socialist Party....
, which won eight Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
and earned them a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy. They were also responsible for the 1985
1985 in film
-Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out Of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.* Bliss wins AFI Award for best Movie...
screen adaptation of A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
, which proved to be one of their biggest flops.
Feuer's memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
, I Got The Show Right Here: The Amazing, True Story of How an Obscure Brooklyn Horn Player Became the Last Great Broadway Showman (ISBN 0743236114), written with Ken Gross, was published by Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
in 2003.
Feuer served as president, and later chairman, of the League of American Theatres and Producers (now called The Broadway League
The Broadway League
The Broadway League, formerly the League of American Theatres and Producers and League of New York Theatres and Producers, is the national trade association for the Broadway theatre industry...
) from 1989 to 2003. He died on May 17, 2006 of bladder cancer
Bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is any of several types of malignant growths of the urinary bladder. It is a disease in which abnormal cells multiply without control in the bladder. The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that stores urine; it is located in the pelvis...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, aged 95.
Additional Broadway credits
- Can-CanCan-Can (musical)Can-Can is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and a book by Abe Burrows. The story concerns the showgirls of the Montmartre dance halls during the 1890s....
(1953) - The Boy FriendThe Boy FriendThe Boy Friend is a musical by Sandy Wilson. The musical's original 1954 London production ran for 2,078 performances, making it briefly the third-longest running musical in West End or Broadway history until it was surpassed by Salad Days...
(1954) - Silk StockingsSilk StockingsSilk Stockings is a musical with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Cole Porter.Hildegarde Knef gives a vivid backstage account of the casting, rehearsals, tryouts and Broadway opening of "Silk Stockings" in her autobiography "The Gift Horse:...
(1955) - Hamlet (1964)
- SkyscraperSkyscraper (musical)Skyscraper is a musical with a book by Peter Stone, lyrics by Sammy Cahn, and music by Jimmy Van Heusen.Based on the 1945 Elmer Rice play Dream Girl, it focuses on an antiques dealer who is determined to save her midtown Manhattan brownstone from the bulldozer. The girders of a new skyscraper are...
(1965) - Walking HappyWalking HappyWalking Happy is a musical with music by Jimmy Van Heusen, lyrics by Sammy Cahn and book by Roger O. Hirson and Ketti Frings. The story is based on the play Hobson's Choice by Harold Brighouse...
(1966) - The ActThe Act (musical)The Act is a musical with a book by George Furth, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander.It was written to showcase the talents of Kander and Ebb favorite Liza Minnelli, who portrayed Michelle Craig, a fading film star attempting a comeback as a Las Vegas singer. The thin plot was little more...
(1977)
Awards and nominations
- 2003 Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for Lifetime Achievement - 1967 Tony Award for Best Musical (Walking Happy, nominee)
- 1966 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (Skyscraper, nominee)
- 1966 Tony Award for Best Musical (Skyscraper, nominee)
- 1963 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (Little Me, nominee)
- 1963 Tony Award for Best Musical (Little Me, nominee)
- 1963 Tony Award for Best Producer of a Musical (Little Me, nominee)
- 1962 Tony Award for Best Musical (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, (winner)
- 1962 Tony Award for Best Producer of a Musical (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, winner)
- 1951 Tony Award for Best Musical (Guys and Dolls, winner)