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| William 'Biff' McGuire, a 2-time Tony nominee (and 'South Pacific' original), dies at 94 | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 06:23 pm EDT 04/04/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 06:21 pm EDT 04/04/21 | |
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| From the Hollywood Reporter: William "Biff" McGuire, whose Broadway career spanned seven decades and included a role in the original ''South Pacific'' and Tony-nominated turns in ''The Young Man From Atlanta'' and ''Morning's at Seven,'' has died. He was 94. Further down in the obit: In 1949, he portrayed a radio operator in the original Broadway production of ''South Pacific,'' directed by Josh Logan and starring Mary Martin, and he even convinced Oscar Hammerstein to change a line in a song he performed, "There Is Nothing Like a Dame." So what was the lyric change? I Googled and found the answer in a 2004 interview McGuire gave to Nancy Rosati of Talkin' Broadway: ['South Pacific'] was a wonderful time. I sang the recitative in “Nothing Like a Dame.” There was one line that Oscar Hammerstein said wasn’t working and he was going to take it away from me. I said, “Wait a minute. I don’t think it’s a very good line.” (laughs) I was much younger then. He said, “Do you think you could write a better one?” “I don’t know, but before you take it away from me, let me think about it.” He said, “Go ahead, but remember - no writer’s credit.” The original line was “Lots of things in life are beautiful, but brother, there is one thing that is not like any other.” I went upstairs and worked on it, and I finally came up with (singing) “Lots of things in life are beautiful, but brother, there is one particular thing that is nothing whatsoever in any way, shape or form like any other.” He said I could try it and I did it that night. There was a howl from the audience - it was a great line. He said, “No writer’s credit on that.” I said, “No, but I collaborated with you on it.” (laughs) |
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| Link | The Hollywood Reporter: William 'Biff' McGuire Dead: Two-Time Tony-Nominated Actor Dies at 94 |
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| That's Billis' line | |
| Posted by: Michael_212 10:29 pm EDT 04/04/21 | |
| In reply to: William 'Biff' McGuire, a 2-time Tony nominee (and 'South Pacific' original), dies at 94 - WaymanWong 06:21 pm EDT 04/04/21 | |
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| Isn't that Myron McCormick singing that line on the cast album? In the performance script that's Billis' line. | |
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| re: That's Billis' line | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 11:38 pm EDT 04/04/21 | |
| In reply to: That's Billis' line - Michael_212 10:29 pm EDT 04/04/21 | |
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| That may well be how it's written in the script, but on the cast album, although McCormick as Billis sings "We got nothin' to put on a clean white suit for, what we need is what there ain't no substitute for," someone else sings the "Lots of things in life are beautiful...." line -- and now I guess we know who that someone else is :-) | |
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| re: That's Billis' line | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 12:55 am EDT 04/05/21 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 12:54 am EDT 04/05/21 | |
| In reply to: re: That's Billis' line - Michael_Portantiere 11:38 pm EDT 04/04/21 | |
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| I finally got to see McGuire on stage in The Young Man from Atlanta at the Goodman Theatre pre-Broadway in '97. Rip Torn and Shirley Knight were the leads. Knight and McGuire gave particularly powerful performances. Torn, of course, was a force of nature. He did a lot of schtick if I remember correctly, but was very charismatic and amazing to watch while he was doing it. McGuire's wife Jeannie Carson had a TV series in the mid-50's and also played Jo March in a TV production of Little Women with a Richard Adler score. McGuire and Carson are delightful as Woody and Sharon on the '60 revival cast album of Finian's Rainbow. I'm going to have to check out the South Pacific cast album CD tomorrow morning now that I know who actually sang that line. |
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| Great story! – n/m | |
| Posted by: reed23 07:01 pm EDT 04/04/21 | |
| In reply to: William 'Biff' McGuire, a 2-time Tony nominee (and 'South Pacific' original), dies at 94 - WaymanWong 06:21 pm EDT 04/04/21 | |
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