Alexander A. Aarons

Alexander A. Aarons , also Alex A. Aarons (born May 15, 1890 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , † May 14, 1943 in Los Angeles ) was an American theater producer . He became known for his collaboration with producer Vinton Freedley , which culminated in the opening of the joint Alvyn Theater, with George Gershwin and his brother Ira Gershwin , with whom he produced nine musicals in the 1920s and early 1930s, and with Fred Astaire and his Sister Adele Astaire .

Life

1890 to 1919

Alexander A. Aarons was the son of the theater producer and composer Alfred E. Aarons . He grew up in the theater milieu, was influenced by it and learned a feeling for developing talents. He attended various schools in New York City . Professionally, he first became the owner of a men's fashion store in Manhattan .

1919 to 1923 First years as a producer

Aaron's career as a theater producer began in 1919. His father planned the musical La, La, Lucille with Victor Herbert as the composer. Alexander had previously heard songs by George Gershwin, whose music he was so enthusiastic about that he convinced his father to hire Gershwin as a composer for the musical and to be allowed to produce it himself. It was a reasonable success, but the performances were soon suspended due to an Actors' Equity Association strike . Alex A. Aarons was then responsible for a post-Broadway tour of the musical. Even after the next production, The Hole in the Wall, in 1920, he was still a co-owner of the men's fashion business. He then produced Oui Madame at a small theater in Philadelphia with music by Victor Herbert . Vincent Youmans was the pianist at the rehearsals . For his next production, For Goodness' Sake , he was able to win over Fred Astaire and Adele Astaire . He engaged both despite the failure of their last musical engagement. The Love Letter was canceled after only thirty-one performances. Fred Astaire writes that the seller approached him about his career when he bought a tie. The seller turned out to be Alex A. Aaron. Aarons announced his plan to produce the next musical with the Gershwins and the Astaires. Astaire left the Bouthique with a new tie and new hope for his Broadway career. Four months after this episode, on February 21, 1922, For Godness' Sake premiered at the Lyric Theater in New York. However, the musical only contained three songs by George Gershwin and five lyrics by Iras, as both were still otherwise contractually bound. During the performances at the Lyric Theater in New York, Aarons was able to convince the Astaires for a London production of the musical. With the new title Stop flirting and four new songs by George Gershwin, the production came to 455 performances. No theater production with Fred Astaire achieved more performances.

1924 to 1933 collaboration with Vinton Freedley

Then Aaron's long-term collaboration with Vinton Freedley began. Freedley had been an actor in For Godness' sake . As a result, the two got to know each other better and decided to work together as a production team. After the first joint production The new Poor in January and February 1924 at the Playhouse Theater, they won George and Ira Gershwin as well as the two Astaires for their next production Lady, Be Good! . The musical became a great financial success. The Gershwins became their house composers and their next productions up to 1927, Tell me More , Tip-Toes , Oh, Kay! and Funny Face came from their pen. Oh, Kay! became a huge success. The English star Gertrude Lawrence made her American debut . At Funny Face again the Astaires played the leading roles. The first musical again without the participation of the Gershwins was Here's Howe in 1928. The music was composed by Roger Wolfe Kahn and Joseph Meyer (1894–1987). Irving Caesar wrote the text . The song Crazy Rhythm from it became a jazz standard . Other musicals in 1928 were Hold Everything! and Treasure Girl by George and Ira Gershwin, which was the first flop of the Gershwins' collaboration with Aarons and Freedley. Spring is here and Heads up! Followed in 1929 . Richard Rodgers wrote the music for both and Lorenz Hart wrote the lyrics. After the stock market crash in 1929 , the number of new productions decreased. It took almost a year until Girl crazy followed on October 14, 1930 . It was the last successful collaboration of the Gershwins with Aarons and Freedley and it was also the last joint production Aarons with Freedley at the Alwyn Theater. Because of the financial losses in times of the economic crisis, they, like many other theater owners, had to hand over the theater to their creditors despite the success of the current production. At first, Aarons and Freedley continued to work together, both at the Alvin Theater and at other theaters. Singin 'the Blues 1931 and Pardon my English 1933, the ninth and final musical production with the Gershwins, were Aaron's and Freedley's last joint productions. Aarons failed to recover from his financial losses and withdrew from the theater business.

1934 to 1943 Hollywood

Then Aarons tried his luck in Hollywood , but without much success. In 1935 he was a production assistant on Broadway Melody of 1936 . In the preparations for the biographical musical film Rhapsody in Blue about the life of George Gershwin he had an advisory role until his death. Alex A. Aarons was married to Ella Mulligan. The marriage remained childless.

Productions (selection).

The Hole in the Wall

The play in three acts by Fred Jackson (1886-1953) was premiered on March 26, 1920 at the Punch and Judy Theater and came to June 1920 on seventy-three performances. The scenes are Madam Mystera's and a police station. George B. Seitz was co-producer .

For Godness' sake

The musical in two acts premiered on February 21, 1922 at the Lyric Theater and had one hundred and eight performances by May 20, 1922. Arthur Jackson wrote the text after a book by Fred Jackson. The music was written by William Daly and Paul Lannin. George Gershwin also wrote three songs for the musical and his brother Ira contributed five lyrics. The most famous piece and a highlight of the musical was All to Myself from the pen of the Gershwins .

The New Poor

The play in three acts by Cosmo Hamilton († 1942) was premiered on January 7, 1924 at the Playhouse Theater and was thirty-two performances by February 1924. Vinton Freedley was co-producer.

Lady, Be Good!

The musical in two acts premiered on December 1, 1924 at the Liberty Theater and had three hundred and thirty performances by September 12, 1925. Ira Gershwin wrote the text based on a book by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson (1884–1949). The music is by George Gershwin. Vinton Freedley was co-producer.

Tell me more

The musical in two acts premiered at the Gaiety Theater on April 13, 1925 and had one hundred performances by July 11, 1925. The text based on a book by Fred Thompson and William K. Wells (1884-1956) was written by BG DeSylva and Ira Gershwin. The music is by George Gershwin.

Tip toes

The musical in two acts premiered at the Liberty Theater on December 28, 1925 , and had one hundred and ninety- two performances by June 12, 1926. The text based on a book by The text based on a book by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson was written by Ira Gershwin. The music is by George Gershwin. Vinton Freedley was co-producer. The main roles were played by QueenieSmith and Jeanette MacDonald . Well-known songs from it were Looking for a boy, That certain feeling, Sweet and Low down.

Oh, Kay!

The musical in two acts premiered on November 22, 1927 at the Alvin Theater and had two hundred and forty-four performances by June 23, 1928. Ira Gershwin wrote the text based on a book by Guy Bolton and PG Wodehouse . The music is by George Gershwin. Vinton Freedley was co-producer. The main characters were Gertrude Lawrence, Oscar Shaw , Victor Moore and Betty Compton . Successful songs from it became Maybe , Clap Yo 'Hands , Do, Do, Do and Someone to watch over me .

Funny faces

The musical in two acts premiered at the Alvin Theater on May 22, 1927, and had two hundred and forty-four performances by June 1928. Ira Gershwin wrote the text based on a book by Fred Thompson and Paul Girard Smith . The music is by George Gershwin. Vinton Freedley was co-producer. Fred and Adele Astaire were the main characters. Successful songs were Funny Face, 'S Wonderful and My one and only.

Here's Howe

The musical in two acts premiered at the Broadhurst Theater on May 1, 1928 and had seventy-one performances by June 30, 1928. Irving Caesar wrote the text, based on a book by Fred Thompson and Paul Girard Smith . The music comes from Roger Wolfe Kahn and Joseph Meyer. Vinton Freedley was co-producer. The most successful song from it was Crazy Rhythm .

Treasure girl

The musical in two acts premiered on August 11, 1928 at the Alvin Theater and had sixty-eight performances by January 5, 1929. The text based on a book by Fred Thompson and Vincent Lawrence († 1946) wrote Ira Gershwin. The music is by George Gershwin. Vinton Freedley was co-producer. The leading actors at the beginning were Gertrude Lawrence, Clifton Webb and Walter Catlett . Well-known songs from it became I've Got A Crush On You, Oh, so nice, I don't think I'll fallin love today and Feeling I'm falling.

Hold everything

The musical in two acts premiered at Broadhurst Theater on October 10, 1928, and had seventy-one performances by October 5, 1929. Lew Brown and BG DeSylva wrote the text based on a book by John McGowan (1894–1977) and BG DeSylva. The music is by Ray Henderson . Vinton Freedley was co-producer.

Spring is here

The musical in two acts premiered on May 11, 1929 at the Alvin Theater and had one hundred and four performances by June 8, 1929. Lorenz Hart wrote the text based on a book by Owen Davis . The music is by Richard Rodgers. Vinton Freedley was co-producer. The best known song was With a song in my heart.

Heads up

The musical in two acts premiered at the Alvin Theater on November 11, 1929, and had one hundred and forty-four performances by March 15, 1930. Lorenz Hart wrote the text after a book by John McGowan and Paul Gerard Smith. The music is by Richard Rodgers. Vinton Freedley was co-producer. The main actors at the beginning were Ray Bolger and Victor Moore.

Girl crazy

The musical in two acts premiered at the Alvin Theater on October 30, 1930 and had two hundred and seventy-two performances by June 6, 1931. Ira Gershwin wrote the text, based on a book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. The music is by George Gershwin. Vinton Freedley was co-producer. Well-known songs were Bidin 'my time, Embraceable you , But not for me and I got rhythm . Cast included Willie Howard, Ginger Rogers and Ethel Merman on their Broadway debut .

Pardon my English

The musical in two acts premiered at the Majestic Theater on January 20, 1933, and had forty-three performances by February 25, 1933. Ira Gershwin wrote the text based on a book by Herbert Fields . The music is by George Gershwin. Vinton Freedley was co-producer.

The Alvin Theater

Aarons and Freedley prompted the success of Oh, Kay! to open their own theater. The first performance took place on November 22, 1927 with the musical Funny Face . The musical theater was designed by the architect Herbert J. Krapp and held between 1400 and 1500 spectators. The name was formed from the first syllables of the first names Alex and Vinton. In 1983 it was renamed the Neil Simon Theater after Neil Simon .

literature

James Ross Moore: AARONS, Alexander A. In: John A. Garraty, Mark C. Carnes: American National Biography . Oxford University Press
Aarons and Freedley, In: Ken Bloom: Broadway: An Encyclopedia. Routledge, New York, 2013 ISBN 978-1-135-95020-0 , p. 1f (English)
Jennifer Ashley Tapper, William A. Everett: Alexander A. Aarons and Vinton Freedley: The smart sophisticates . In: Laura MacDonald, William A. Everett: The Palgrave Handbook of Musical Theater Productions . Palgrave Macmillan, 2016 ISBN 978-1-137-44029-7 (English)
Aarons and Freedley. In: Ken Bloom: The Routledge Guide to Broadway. Routledge, New York 2007, ISBN 978-0-415-97379-3
Deena Rosenberg: Fascinatin Rhythm: The collaboration of George and Ira Gershwin , The University of Michigan Press, ISBN 978-0-472-08469-2

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Jennifer Ashley Tapper, William A. Everett: The Palgrave Handbook of Musical Theater Producers . In: Laura MacDonald, William A. Everett (Eds.): The Palgrave Handbook of Musical Theater Producers . Springer, New York 2017, ISBN 978-1-137-43308-4 , pp. 119 (English, google.de [accessed on November 1, 2017]).
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u James Ross Moore: Alexander A. Aarons. In: American National Biography. John A. Garraty, Mark C. Carnes, accessed August 17, 2017 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Ken Bloom: Aarons and Freedley . In: Broadway: An Encyclopedia . Routledge, New York 2013, ISBN 978-1-135-95020-0 , pp. 1 (English, google.de [accessed October 31, 2017]).
↑ Steven Suskin: Show Tunes: The Songs, Shows, and Careers of Broadway's Major Composers . Oxford University Press, USA, 2010, ISBN 978-0-19-531407-6 ( google.de [accessed November 1, 2017]).
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y The Broadway League: Alex. A. Aarons - Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB. Retrieved October 31, 2017 .
↑ Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935). Retrieved November 1, 2017 .
↑ Thomas S. Hischak: The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theater, Film, and Television . Oxford University Press, USA, 2008, ISBN 978-0-19-533533-0 (English, google.de [accessed November 1, 2017]).

personal data
SURNAME	Aarons, Alexander A.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Aarons, Alex A.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American theater producer
DATE OF BIRTH	May 15, 1890
PLACE OF BIRTH	Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , United States
DATE OF DEATH	May 14, 1943
Place of death	Los Angeles , California , United States

[:3-1] Jennifer Ashley Tapper, William A. Everett: The Palgrave Handbook of Musical Theater Producers . In: Laura MacDonald, William A. Everett (Eds.): The Palgrave Handbook of Musical Theater Producers . Springer, New York 2017, ISBN 978-1-137-43308-4 , pp. 119 (English, google.de [accessed on November 1, 2017]).

[:2-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u James Ross Moore: Alexander A. Aarons. In: American National Biography. John A. Garraty, Mark C. Carnes, accessed August 17, 2017 .

[:0-3] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Ken Bloom: Aarons and Freedley . In: Broadway: An Encyclopedia . Routledge, New York 2013, ISBN 978-1-135-95020-0 , pp. 1 (English, google.de [accessed October 31, 2017]).

[4] Steven Suskin: Show Tunes: The Songs, Shows, and Careers of Broadway's Major Composers . Oxford University Press, USA, 2010, ISBN 978-0-19-531407-6 ( google.de [accessed November 1, 2017]).

[:1-5] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y The Broadway League: Alex. A. Aarons - Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB. Retrieved October 31, 2017 .

[6] Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935). Retrieved November 1, 2017 .

[7] Thomas S. Hischak: The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theater, Film, and Television . Oxford University Press, USA, 2008, ISBN 978-0-19-533533-0 (English, google.de [accessed November 1, 2017]).