In earlier days, when Richard Rodgers was still alive and still writing new musicals with other collaborators, the Rodgers & Hammerstein office required final casting approval for anyone in a leading role appearing in any major productions of their work. I had auditioned for and had been cast as Laurey in \u201cOklahoma!\u201d being produced by Dallas Summer Musicals. Before the contracts could be signed, I had be approved by Mr. Rodgers. He needed to hear me sing.<\/p>\n
\n\tTheir office scheduled a meeting with him. <\/p>\n
I remember, vividly, walking up to the entrance of their building at 598 Madison Avenue. I stood for a long moment, looking up at that address. I was directed to take the elevator to the 4th Floor. Arriving at that floor, I entered a spacious main office area. Tilda Stonburn, their receptionist, graciously welcomed me. She stood, walked toward and opened the door to Mr. Rodgers\u2019 office.<\/p>\n
\n\tHe was standing in the middle the room and greeted me cordially.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe room had windows the entire length of the street side, a seating area and coffee table to my right, and foremost \u2026
\n a grand piano by the bank of windows. <\/p>\n
\n\tHe invited me to sit, and after \u201cchatting\u201d for a moment or two, he stood, walked to the piano and invited me to join him there. I did and centered myself in the crook of the grand piano, facing him. He began to play, \u201cOut of My Dreams\u201d \u2026. (This her most challenging song !!)<\/p>\n
I began to sing.
\u2026 At this point, memory fades.<\/p>\n
\n\tI know he played and I sang through the rest of Laurey\u2019s repertoire: \u201cMany a New Day\u201d and \u201cPeople Will Say We\u2019re in Love\u201d.<\/p>\n
\tAs he rose from the piano, he must have said something \u2026
As I prepared to leave his office, I must have said something to him. I have no memory of those closing moments.<\/p>\n
\n\tHowever, I do have this photograph of him, and in his hand writing, he autographed the photo me.
\u201cFor Suellen, Fondly, Richard Rodgers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThank you, Mr. Rodgers.<\/p>\n
\tOh, yes. I was approved to play Laurey in \u201cOklahoma!\u201d starring John Davidson, for Tom Hughes\u2019s Dallas Summer Musicals.
<\/p>\n
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In earlier days, when Richard Rodgers was still alive and still writing new musicals with other collaborators, the Rodgers & Hammerstein office required final casting approval for anyone in a leading role appearing in any major productions of their work. I had auditioned for and had been cast as Laurey in \u201cOklahoma!\u201d being produced by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":224,"featured_media":696,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlight"],"metadata":{"_thumbnail_id":["696"]},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n