It has been said of the late Danny Kaye that he proved it was possible for one person to do everything in one lifetime. Well, maybe not everything, but the list of his accomplishments is certainly impressive. Not only was he the consummate clown—singer, dancer, actor, juggler, musician and fencer ( that's really him, and not a double, crossing swords with Basil Rathbone in The Court Jester ) —but he spoke 32 languages, flew his own airplane and conducted symphony orchestras. He logged in over 20 years traveling the world as an ambassador for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund ( UNICEF ) ; cooked gourmet Chinese meals at his home for royal dignitaries; and was awarded an honorary degree by the American College of Physicians and Surgeons after studiously observing and even assisting in several medical procedures. At the height of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. Not bad for a high school dropout from Brooklyn.
Pictured The Kid From Brooklyn.
The Kid From Brooklyn, subtitled, 'The Danny Kaye Musical,' is Mark Childers and Peter J. Loewy's homage to the eccentric genius of the 'tummler'—Catskills-circuit jargon for a multitalented entertainer whose job is to generate 'tumult'—born David Daniel Kaminsky, and to his wizardly muse and wife, Sylvia Fine. It premiered at Fort Lauderdale's Broward Stage Door Theatre, then went on to play at the El Portal Theatre in Los Angeles, where it holds the record for the longest-running and highest-grossing show ever to play thereat. On June 7, the production starring Brian Childers and Karin Leone comes to Chicago's Mercury Theatre on its way to New York City.
Windy City Times: Comedy these days tends toward the snarky stand-up variety, leading to many of the great clowns in American Theatre—Red Skelton, Jimmy Durante—being ignored in recent years. Why did you choose Danny Kaye as your subject?
Peter Loewy: Danny Kaye has always been an icon, in my eyes. Watching his TV show every week in my living room is a very special memory for me. His talents were limitless.
WCT: I recall someone once asking him how he managed to pursue so many outside interests, and he replied that he 'concentrated very intensely' on whatever interested him at the time. How are you going to pack all that into one evening and still have room for the music?
PL: With a man as diverse as Danny Kaye, it can be a daunting task trying to incorporate all the facets of his life into a single script. While developing the play, however, we found that the issues that most interested people were the universal themes: love, ambition, power struggles.
WCT: Kaye's prodigious humanitarian missions are well-known, but like many gifted performers who are expected to be funny all the time, he was often a less-than-pleasant person. Was it difficult to reconcile these two sides of his character?
PL: We can only speculate on why his public and private personae were in such strong opposition. There are indications that he may have had manic-depressive tendencies—sometimes he would go to therapy three times a day. Personally, I think that a lot of his dark nature had to do with his losing his mother at a very young age, and that his many overseas tours for UNICEF may have been fueled by his sympathy for the children. In the show, we try to stay true to our research, and to present audiences with an honest portrayal of the man.
WCT: Some of my favorite memories of Danny Kaye are his serious film roles—Me And The Colonel, The Five Pennies, The Madwoman Of Chaillot. Will these be acknowledged in the show?
PL: Well, we include the 'Lullaby in Ragtime' from The Five Pennies. There is so much material to choose from, but our purpose wasn't simply to chronicle Kaye's achievements. The audiences will leave knowing more about him than they did before, but they were pretty clear in what it was they wanted to learn.
WCT: Sooner or later, the question has to be asked—will the show address the rumors of Kaye's bisexuality?
PL: Yes, it will—but subtly. Those who get it, will get it. And those who dismiss the rumors—which were never confirmed—will probably not catch the references.
WCT: What were your own goals in creating The Kid From Brooklyn? What do you hope your show will do?
PL: Our goal was, first, to introduce new generations to the magic of this charismatic performer and to reacquaint long-time fans with their favorite. But Danny Kaye's comedic style paved the way for countless entertainers—among them, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams and Steve Martin—and it is also my hope that he will never be forgotten.
