Mary Martin

Mary Martin (1913–1990) was an American actress and singer whose Broadway performances included originating Maria in The Sound of Music and Peter Pan in Peter Pan.

Peter Pan (musical): A 1954 Broadway musical adaptation of J. M. Barrie’s play, starring Mary Martin as Peter Pan. Martin’s flying, live-televised Peter Pan became one of her defining performances.
Richard Rodgers: An American composer who partnered with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II to create influential Broadway musicals. Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote the roles of Nellie Forbush and Maria, both performed by Martin.
Broadway theatre: The professional theater industry centered on productions in Manhattan’s Broadway district. Martin’s career was built around Broadway productions and their long-running star roles.
Peter Pan (1955 musical): A 1955 NBC television adaptation of the Broadway musical Peter Pan, starring Mary Martin. Its live broadcast preserved Martin’s performance for a national television audience.
The Sound of Music: A 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical about the von Trapp family and their escape from Nazi-occupied Austria. Martin originated Maria on Broadway and won a Tony Award for the role.
Oscar Hammerstein II: An American lyricist and librettist who helped redefine musical theater through collaborations with Richard Rodgers. Hammerstein co-created South Pacific and The Sound of Music, two defining Martin vehicles.
Theatrical flying: Stage technology and rigging techniques that suspend performers or objects above a theater stage. Peter Pan’s flight made Martin’s physical performance inseparable from stage machinery.
Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical: A Tony Award category recognizing a leading performance by an actress in a Broadway musical. Martin won the award for South Pacific and later for The Sound of Music.
South Pacific: A Rodgers and Hammerstein musical set on a Pacific island during World War II. Martin starred as nurse Nellie Forbush in its original Broadway production.
Jerome Robbins: An American choreographer and director whose work transformed Broadway and ballet. Robbins directed and choreographed the original Broadway production of Peter Pan.

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