HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAL PRINCE, EDDIE CANTOR AND MARIO LANZA

*Today is the birthday of three great showmen: Mr. Eddie Cantor, Hal Prince and the late great and amazing Mario Lanza. I had an association with Hal while we were in negotiations with his company for adapting "Some of My Best Friends: into the musical based on that play called "Mr. Mumford's Miracle". I was adapting with "Friends*' author Stanley Hart. It was a nice friendship that all changed after 9/11. But that's another story.

Eddie Cantor was a classic performer. And he was one of my all time favorite performers. His song "Making Whoopie" was a comedy classic. Eddie Cantor introduced a *christmas song in 1934 on his radio program that had been dismissed by several fanous performers for being too juvenile and underwhelming. That song was "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" -- and after one performance by "mister "c" the song sold four hundred thousand copies of the song and 175,000n in sheet music sales. Not bad! Mario Lanza had one of the most amazing voices since Caruso. Mario of course played the part of Caruso in that amazing 1952 MGM musical. He died tragically at the tender age of thirty-eight. My favorite movie of his was "The Seven Hills Of Rome" in 1958. My only hope is that Mario is singing with the angels. The first manager's meeting with the new district manager will be Friday in Riverside. Long day's drive that day. Well, until later!!!