Martha Wright (actress)
Encyclopedia
Martha Wright is a retired American actress best known for her performances on Broadway
and on television.
Beginning to sing in radio, musical theatre
and opera
in her native Seattle as a teenager, Wright moved to New York City
and debuted on Broadway by age 21, where she soon had a major success as Mary Martin
's replacement in South Pacific
. She also continued to sing on the radio. In the mid-1950s, she also performed on television, including in her own show.
Wright and her husband, restaurateur George J. Manuche Jr., had four children, and Wright curtailed her performing by the late 1960s, returning for a few engagements in the 1970s and 1980s.
, near Seattle. At the age of seventeen, she began to sing on the radio in and around Seattle. Wright also began to sing opera at the same time, including in Mozart
's The Abduction from the Seraglio
. She then joined a touring company in the chorus of Up in Central Park
.
Moving to New York City
, Wright began to sing on RKO-WOR Radio
with its orchestra in 1947. She soon became the understudy for Florence George as Désirée Artôt
in the operetta Music in my Heart, with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
. Wright took over the role from the ailing George in out-of-town tryouts and created the role on Broadway
(1947–48). Other early Broadway roles included Carol in Great to Be Alive! (1950) and Nellie Forbush in South Pacific
(1951–54), taking over the latter role from Mary Martin
and playing it for 1,047 performances. Wright also began to appear on television in The Eyes Have It and other programs.
In May, 1955, Wright married George J. Manuche Jr., a former U.S. Air Force pilot and owner Mike Manuche's Restaurant in Manhattan. In 1960, she again replaced Mary Martin in a Broadway role, Maria in The Sound of Music
. She then performed in non-musical productions such as Mary, Mary
at The National Theatre
in Washington, D.C.
She also continued to sing on the radio for CBS
and recorded several albums such as Censored and Love, Honor and all that Jazz. She also appears on Firestone Presents Your Christmas Favorites (1964) with Gordon MacRae
, Franco Corelli
, and Roberta Peters
. On television, she appeared on The Bell Telephone Hour
several times and in her own 15-minute series, The Martha Wright Show
, which aired in 1954 on Sunday evenings on ABC
opposite Ronald W. Reagan's General Electric Theater
on CBS. She performed a solo act around the U.S. at venues such as The Cocoanut Grove nightclub at The Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles
. She was a World's Fair
Ambassadress in Seattle in 1962.
live broadcast of Cole Porter
– An All-Star Tribute. She also appeared in Bell Telephone Hour telecasts with Duke Ellington
and Maureen O'Hara
.
In 1978, Wright returned to concert singing in A Tribute to Rodgers and Hart
at the 92nd Street Y
in Manhattan and A Tribute to Rodgers and Hammerstein
that same year. In 1980, she performed The Sounds of Rodgers and Hammerstein at The King Cole Room in The St. Regis-Sheraton Hotel in New York City, followed, in 1983, by A Salute to Burton Lane
and E. Y. Harburg at the 92nd Street Y.
Wright is retired and lives with her husband in Massachusetts
.
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...
and on television.
Beginning to sing in radio, musical theatre
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...
and opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in her native Seattle as a teenager, Wright moved 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...
and debuted on Broadway by age 21, where she soon had a major success as Mary Martin
Mary Martin
Mary Virginia Martin was an American actress and singer. She originated many roles over her career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music. She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1989...
's replacement in South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
. She also continued to sing on the radio. In the mid-1950s, she also performed on television, including in her own show.
Wright and her husband, restaurateur George J. Manuche Jr., had four children, and Wright curtailed her performing by the late 1960s, returning for a few engagements in the 1970s and 1980s.
Early life and career
Wright was born in Duvall, WashingtonDuvall, Washington
Duvall is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located on SR 203, halfway between Monroe and Carnation. The population was 6,695 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, near Seattle. At the age of seventeen, she began to sing on the radio in and around Seattle. Wright also began to sing opera at the same time, including in Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's The Abduction from the Seraglio
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Die Entführung aus dem Serail is an opera Singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner with adaptations by Gottlieb Stephanie...
. She then joined a touring company in the chorus of Up in Central Park
Up in Central Park
Up in Central Park is a Broadway musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Sigmund Romberg...
.
Moving 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...
, Wright began to sing on RKO-WOR Radio
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
with its orchestra in 1947. She soon became the understudy for Florence George as Désirée Artôt
Désirée Artôt
Désirée Artôt was a Belgian soprano , who was famed in German and Italian opera and sang mainly in Germany...
in the operetta Music in my Heart, with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
. Wright took over the role from the ailing George in out-of-town tryouts and created the role on 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...
(1947–48). Other early Broadway roles included Carol in Great to Be Alive! (1950) and Nellie Forbush in South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
(1951–54), taking over the latter role from Mary Martin
Mary Martin
Mary Virginia Martin was an American actress and singer. She originated many roles over her career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music. She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1989...
and playing it for 1,047 performances. Wright also began to appear on television in The Eyes Have It and other programs.
In May, 1955, Wright married George J. Manuche Jr., a former U.S. Air Force pilot and owner Mike Manuche's Restaurant in Manhattan. In 1960, she again replaced Mary Martin in a Broadway role, Maria in The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
. She then performed in non-musical productions such as Mary, Mary
Mary, Mary (play)
Mary, Mary is a play by Jean Kerr. The play became one of the longest-running productions of the decade. After two previews, the Broadway production opened on March 8, 1961 at the original Helen Hayes Theatre , where it ran for nearly three years and nine months before transferring to the Morosco...
at The National Theatre
National Theatre (Washington, D.C.)
The National Theatre is located in Washington, D.C., and is a venue for a variety of live stage productions with seating for 1,676.Despite its name, it is not a governmentally funded national theatre, but operated by a private, non-profit organization....
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
She also continued to sing on the radio for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and recorded several albums such as Censored and Love, Honor and all that Jazz. She also appears on Firestone Presents Your Christmas Favorites (1964) with Gordon MacRae
Gordon MacRae
Gordon MacRae was an American actor and singer, best known for his appearances in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, Oklahoma! and Carousel and films with Doris Day like Starlift.-Early life:Born Albert Gordon MacRae in East Orange, New Jersey, MacRae graduated from...
, Franco Corelli
Franco Corelli
Franco Corelli was a famous Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated universally for his powerhouse voice, electrifying top notes, clear timbre, a...
, and Roberta Peters
Roberta Peters
Roberta Peters is an American coloratura soprano.One of the most prominent American singers to achieve lasting fame and success in opera, Peters is noted for her 35-year association with the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York...
. On television, she appeared on The Bell Telephone Hour
The Bell Telephone Hour
The Bell Telephone Hour is a long-run concert series which began April 29, 1940 on NBC Radio and was heard on NBC until June 30, 1958. Sponsored by Bell Telephone, it showcased the best in classical and Broadway music, reaching eight to nine million listeners each week. It continued on television...
several times and in her own 15-minute series, The Martha Wright Show
The Martha Wright Show
The Martha Wright Show is a 15-minute musical variety program starring singer and actress Martha Wright which aired at 9:15 pm EST on ABC television from April 18 to December 5, 1954...
, which aired in 1954 on Sunday evenings on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
opposite Ronald W. Reagan's General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald W. Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.-Radio:...
on CBS. She performed a solo act around the U.S. at venues such as The Cocoanut Grove nightclub at The Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. She was a World's Fair
Century 21 Exposition
The Century 21 Exposition was a World's Fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962 in Seattle, Washington.Nearly 10 million people attended the fair...
Ambassadress in Seattle in 1962.
Later years
By the late 1960s, Wright had four children and had retired to raise her family. In 1964, however, she appeared on the NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
live broadcast of Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
– An All-Star Tribute. She also appeared in Bell Telephone Hour telecasts with Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
and Maureen O'Hara
Maureen O'Hara
Maureen O'Hara is an Irish film actress and singer. The famously red-headed O'Hara has been noted for playing fiercely passionate heroines with a highly sensible attitude. She often worked with director John Ford and longtime friend John Wayne...
.
In 1978, Wright returned to concert singing in A Tribute to Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart...
at the 92nd Street Y
92nd Street Y
92nd Street Y is a multifaceted cultural institution and community center located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, at the corner of E. 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Its full name is 92nd Street Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association...
in Manhattan and A Tribute to Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
that same year. In 1980, she performed The Sounds of Rodgers and Hammerstein at The King Cole Room in The St. Regis-Sheraton Hotel in New York City, followed, in 1983, by A Salute to Burton Lane
Burton Lane
Burton Lane was an American composer and lyricist. His most popular and successful work is the musical Finian's Rainbow, "the score for which Lane will always be most remembered."-Biography:...
and E. Y. Harburg at the 92nd Street Y.
Wright is retired and lives with her husband in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.