Alexander H. Cohen Presents

In 1941 ALEXANDER H. Cohen's first Broadway production was "ANGEL STREET" by the year 2000 he would have created a total of 101 origination presentations. I was fortunate enough to attend several of ALEX Cohen's plays during the 60's and
DEAR WORLD is timeless.

ANGELA Lansbury long before her "Murder She Wrote" series portrayed Countess Aurelia, a musical loosely based on "The Madwoman of Chaillot" dark, striking heavily made up eyes, avant garde designer frocks, pillbox hats to wonderful wide brimmed bonnets, tons of sparkling costume jewelry, elbow length gloves, puffing while spitting a mixture of witticism and warm advice.

DEAR WORLD was memorably fun with much brightness and color. Directed by JOE Layton costume design by
FREDDY Wittop, an original scenic design by OLIVER Smith and of course music and lyrics by JERRY Herman and what a soundtrack that was! It's been awhile but some of the most wonderful tunes are,

Dear World, I've Never Said I Love You, Each Tomorrow Morning, I Don't Want To Know, Kiss Her Now, And I Was Beautiful,
The Spring Of Next Year, One Person, Garbage and the ingenious The Tea Party.
Such fun and captivating lyrics with a score that soared.

This was one of my favorites but not my first viewing of an ALEXANDER H. Cohen production.
Yes! the 60's was a classic time and DEAR WORLD premiered in 1969.

"A TIME FOR SINGING" opened in 1966, my first play, I remember the drama of a dimly lit stage, the haunting music and what a strong soundtrack! I remember a love story, dusty irritated coal miners and beautiful robust women singing strong and fierce, stunning choreography by DONALD McKayle then death, unfortunately not much else, but what I remember most is it's score. At the time, the dramatic dialogue for one my age basically held my attention because of the score and my favorites to this day...

How Green Was My Valley : The Anthem

Old Long John: A strong song in a visually stunning scene, a dark metalic blue lighting on the realistically sweat grimed coal miners with their large silver hammers. This was a masterpiece sequence, and my guess is we have JEAN Rosenthal
to thank, in my adult life I learned lighting is indeed everything.

What A Good Day Is Saturday: The standard cheerful show tune with catchy lyrics that we find ourselves singing to at home.

When He Looks At Me, Far From Home, I Wonder If, Let Me Love You, Tell Her, How I Adore Your Name,
Why Would Any One Want To Get Married, There Is Beautiful You Are....
These beautiful tunes made it a love story.

And ofcourse, A Time For Singing. Haunting music created by JOHN Morris direction and memorable lyrics by
GERALD Freedman. To this day I still own the very worn vinyl.

"HALF WAY UP THE TREE" opened in 1967, honestly I was just getting into it, when my mother silently shrieked, burying my head into the hand purse that was in her lap, murmuring some thing about this being way to adult for me and to go to sleep.
And what was all that about? A production written and directed by PETER Ustinov produced by ALEXANDER H. Cohen.
The stage glowed, a young pregnant psychedelically dressed hippie with a long bandana scarf and coffin shades was mouthing off to those around her in a bleedin' sharp cockney accent. No music score here.

"THE HOME COMING" carried away the Tony for Best Play in 1967.

"WAITING IN THE WINGS" opened in 1999, especially special for me, because now as an adult I remember more.
Thank you Mr. Cohen for remembering to invite me. This show stopper headliners were LAUREN Bacall and
ROSEMARY Harris about two aging stage stars sharing a residential home for retired actresses.
Impressive outdoor design by RAY Klausen. No musical here, but plenty of laughs, veridical performances by true legends.
Written by NOEL Coward and directed by MICHAEL Langham at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

And ofcourse there were many more productions with seductively brilliant casts, these were just the few gems I remember from this Broadway producer and as usual there was always that aura around ALEXANDER H. Cohen, great showman,
producer and innovator, he could look you in the eye and one could feel a genuine person there, not your regular show biz type. A person who was a class act and he had heart.

Aside from producing plays in in London's West End such as "THE PRICE" and backing "PLAZA SUITE" he coordinated the origin of the theatre community's participation in the "I LOVE NEW YORK" campaign, he has done so much more than mentioned here, raising millions for causes, one for the Actor's Home a retirement home for aged actors. In 1976 turning the Manhattan Plaza on West 43rd Street which had been a bankrupt and empty tower into the now flourishing subsidized apartment colony for workers in the performing arts. His tenacity won the freedom for the 1975 Tony Award winners
Kani and Ntshona who were imprisoned in South Africa for anti-apartheid activity, ALEX Cohen collected signatures from prominent theatre figures for a letter of protest that ran a full page ad in the New York Times.

ALEX Cohen restored theatres. There was the Mechanic Theatre in Baltimore, in Philadelphia it was the Erlanger and the Locust Street Theatres, there was the O'Keefe Centre in Toronto, opening that theatre with RICHARD Burton and
JULIE Andrews' "CAMELOT"

ALEX Cohen conceived and administered FACT... the First American Congress of Theatre, bringing together ever the 300 reps of the profit, non profit and regional theatrical organizations of America to Princeton University.

ALEX Cohen knew everyone! Producing specials for LIZA, MARLENE Dietrich, PLACIDO Domingo and collaborating with partner and spouse HILDY Parks, ALEX Cohen produced many star studded events and specials for television, there were
3....Night of 100 Stars, more celeb activity with Parade of Stars, CBS; On The Air, The NBC 60th Anniversary Celebration,
Happy Birthday Hollywood, The Disney MGM Grand Opening and ALEX produced the glamour fueled Emmy Awards on three occasions for each major network. Taking it to another level with his producer portrayal in WOODY Allen's film
"The Purple Rose of Cairo" ALEX also contributed a spoken cameo for A&E on the bio for MAE West.

During the 60's I had attended his weekly television show as ALEXANDER H. Cohen presented and interviewed the many celebrities, artistes and entertainers. On that day I was introduced to the notorious heavy weight champion of the world,
CASSIUS Clay aka MUHAMMED Ali.

These overtures earning him just about every major show business award. A Tony, an Emmy, an Oscar, he was also awarded for The Theatre World, Showman Of The Year, The Comedy Award, The Shubert Foundation Award,
The Actors Fund Medal, The National Arts Club Medal Of Honor, The Christopher Award, The Theatre Hall Of Fame, and ofcourse ALEX was the mastermind behind the Tony Awards the early years...when one dressed up to attend a Broadway opening when theater was theatre.

Ever visited ALEX Cohen's New York City office?
Remember if you will the back drop where his desk sat. Atleast 70 of his productions are framed PLAYBILL posters.
My only regret and I wonder was it his, ALEX Cohen never video taped a single play. Thank goodness for the Tony Award
broadcasts, the only records of musical theatre in the United States for a 40 year period.
Now sold on dvd and appropriately titled "Broadway's Lost Treasures" on pbs.

In 1998 at the Douglas Fairbanks Theatre, ALEX wrote, directed and starred in his farewell one man performance of
ALEXANDER H. Cohen the producer, storytelling the successes, flops and infamous feuds between he and those in the know and the whose who? in this entertaining and wickedly funny off Broadway presentation of "STAR BILLING"

Ever remember how your love for culture and the Arts were forfilled? Well, mine began here.
Amongst the many Broadways shows, the ballets, the operas, the inspirational off-off Broadway presentations I have attended, you always remember your first.