{"title":"Theater and Performing Arts","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"richard-rodgers-three-letters-signed-to-johnny-green-1944-1948-discussing-liliom-carousel-lorenz-hart-s-estate-and-broadway-casting","title":"Richard Rodgers — Three Letters Signed to Johnny Green, 1944–1948, Discussing “Liliom” \/ Carousel, Lorenz Hart’s Estate, and Broadway Casting","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn engaging group of three typed letters signed “Dick” by Richard Rodgers, addressed to fellow composer and conductor Johnny Green. Written between 1944 and 1948 on Rodgers’s personal New York letterhead, the correspondence comprises five pages and offers a candid view of his creative work, professional obligations, and friendship with Green.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNovember 21, 1944 — Two pages. Rodgers discusses the success of I Remember Mama before turning to his work with Oscar Hammerstein on “Liliom,” the project that would become Carousel. Explaining that other responsibilities leave little time for composition, he describes coming to the office on Saturday afternoons and Sundays to find the peace and quiet necessary to write. He also discusses arrangements involving producer William Perlberg and director Walter Lang.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJanuary 28, 1946 — Two pages. In a frank and thoughtful letter, Rodgers declines the responsibility of serving as Green’s executor. He explains that administering the estate of his former collaborator, Lorenz “Larry” Hart, is already an exceptionally demanding task. Turning to theatrical matters, he enthusiastically describes Middleton singing “Without a Song” at the St. James Theatre and reports that “Irving” subsequently rehearsed several songs with him. The references appear to concern Ray Middleton and Irving Berlin during preparations for Annie Get Your Gun.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJune 15, 1948 — One page. Writing hurriedly before catching a train, Rodgers agrees that Green should wait until a proposed project with “David” has taken clearer shape before presenting a plan to Rodgers and Hammerstein. He closes affectionately with greetings to Green’s family.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEach letter bears Rodgers’s handwritten signature, “Dick.” Together, they document the personal and professional exchanges between two prominent figures in American musical entertainment during the 1940s.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition: Generally very good, with horizontal mailing folds, two filing holes at the top of each sheet, light age toning, and occasional minor handling marks. Small pencil price notations appear on the concluding pages of the two longer letters. No envelopes are shown.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThree letters; five pages total. Offered together.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Archive Authority","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44749584171086,"sku":null,"price":795.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0768\/8155\/9630\/files\/IMG_4036.jpg?v=1793463393"},{"product_id":"elvis-presley-1958-rca-victor-record-shipment-to-graceland-with-recording-and-reissue-paperwork","title":"Elvis Presley — 1958 RCA Victor Record Shipment to Graceland, with Recording and Reissue Paperwork","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn engaging four-item collection documenting the business behind Elvis Presley’s recordings, highlighted by a June 11, 1958 shipment of phonograph records from RCA Victor in Nashville to Elvis at Graceland.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe principal document is a yellow-and-red Railway Express Agency Air Express shipper’s receipt, naming Elvis Presley at 3764 Highway 51 South, Memphis, Tennessee. RCA Victor’s Nashville office shipped one package described as “phono records,” weighing two pounds, with a declared value of $50. The receipt is dated the morning after Presley’s June 10 Nashville recording session. Individual recordings and disc formats are not specified.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAccompanying material comprises a later recording-session reference sheet listing four celebrated titles, including “A Big Hunk O’ Love” and “I Need Your Love Tonight”; an undated Jordanaires payment statement totaling $909; and an annotated “Presley Prepack from England” working list relating to catalog and reissue preparation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe recording reference sheet includes release information extending into September 1977 and should be understood as later reference material concerning the 1958 recordings.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition: Generally good, with toning, creases, handling wear, small edge tears, and handwritten working annotations. The receipt retains its carbon backing. No Elvis Presley autograph is represented.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA compelling group for collectors of Elvis recording history, RCA Victor memorabilia, and Graceland-related documents.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Archive Authority","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44771415654478,"sku":null,"price":975.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0768\/8155\/9630\/files\/IMG_4100.jpg?v=1793631985"}],"url":"https:\/\/thearchiveauthority.com\/collections\/theater-and-performing-arts.oembed","provider":"The Archive Authority","version":"1.0","type":"link"}