The Matchmaker is a play by Thornton Wilder. Thornton Niven Wilder ( April 17, 1897 &ndash December 7, 1975) was an American Playwright and Novelist.

The play has a long and colorful history. John Oxenford's 1835 one-act farce A Day Well Spent had been extended into a full-length play entitled Einen Jux will er sich machen by Austrian playwright Johann Nestroy in 1842. John Oxenford ( August 12, 1812 - February 21, 1877) English Dramatist, was born at Camberwell, London A farce is a Comedy written for the stage or film which aims to Entertain the audience by means of unlikely extravagant and improbable situations disguise and mistaken He Will Go on a Spree (1842 also known as He'll Have Himself a Good Time ( German: Einen Jux will er sich machen) is a play by Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or Drama. Johann Nepomuk Eduard Ambrosius Nestroy ( December 7, 1801 &ndash May 25, 1862) was an Opera singer actor and primarily In 1938, Wilder adapted Nestroy's version into an Americanized comedy entitled The Merchant of Yonkers, which attracted the attention of German director Max Reinhardt, who mounted a Broadway production. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and The Merchant of Yonkers is a play by Thornton Wilder. John Oxenford 's 1835 one-act Farce A Day Well Spent had been extended into Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A theatre director or stage director is a practitioner in the Theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production (a play, Max Reinhardt ( September 9, 1873 - October 30, 1943) was an Austrian (later naturalised American) theatre and film Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located It was a dismal failure, running for a mere 39 performances.

Fifteen years later, director Tyrone Guthrie expressed interest in a new production of the play, which Wilder extensively rewrote and rechristened The Matchmaker. Sir William Tyrone Guthrie ( 2 July 1900 &ndash 15 May 1971) was an Anglo-Irish Tony Award -winning theatrical director The most significant change was the expansion of a previously minor character named Dolly Gallagher Levi, who became the play's centerpiece. A widow who brokers marriages and other transactions in Yonkers, New York at the turn of the 20th Century, she sets her sights on local merchant Horace Vandergelder, who has hired her to find him a wife. Yonkers is the fourth largest city in the US State of New York (behind Rochester, Buffalo, and New York City) and the largest city in The twentieth century of the Common Era began on After a series of slapstick situations involving mistaken identities, secret rendezvous behind carefully-placed screens, separated lovers, and a trip to night court, everyone finds themselves paired with a perfect match. Slapstick is a type of Comedy involving exaggerated physical violence or activities which exceed the boundaries of common sense such as a character being hit in the face with

The play was a success at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland and at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London's West End before finally opening on Broadway on December 5, 1955 at the Royale Theatre, later transferring to the Booth to complete its run of 486 performances. Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for several simultaneous arts and cultural Festivals which take place during August each year in Edinburgh, Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Theatre Royal Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) The Bernard B Jacobs Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 242 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in midtown- Manhattan. The Booth Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 222 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in midtown- Manhattan, New York City Ruth Gordon's performance in the title role earned her a Tony Award nomination as Best Actress; Guthrie won as Best Director. Ruth Gordon Jones ( October 30, 1896 – August 28, 1985) better known as Ruth Gordon, was an Academy Award - The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented

The 1958 film version, adapted by John Michael Hayes and directed by Joseph Anthony, starred Shirley Booth, Anthony Perkins, Shirley MacLaine, Paul Ford, and Robert Morse. The Matchmaker is a 1958 American Comedy film directed by Joseph Anthony. John Michael Hayes (born May 11, 1919 in Worcester Massachusetts) is an American Screenwriter. Joseph Anthony ( May 24, 1912 &ndash January 20, 1993) was an American Playwright and director Shirley Booth ( August 30 1898 – October 16 1992) was an American Actress. Anthony Perkins ( April 4, 1932 – September 12, 1992) was an Academy Award -nominated Golden Globe -winning American Shirley MacLaine (born April 24, 1934) is an American Academy Award -winning Film and Theater Actress, well-known Paul Ford ( November 2, 1901 – April 12, 1976) born Paul Ford Weaver, was an American Actor born in Baltimore Maryland Robert Morse (born May 18, 1931, Newton Massachusetts) is an American Actor.

In 1964, the play enjoyed yet another incarnation when David Merrick, who had produced the 1955 Broadway production, mounted a hugely successful, Tony Award-winning musical version entitled Hello, Dolly!, with a score by Jerry Herman and starring Carol Channing. David Merrick ( November 27 1911 &ndash April 25, 2000) was a prolific Tony Award -winning American Theatrical producer The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented Hello Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder 's 1938 Jerry Herman (born July 10, 1931) is an American Composer / Lyricist of the Broadway Musical theater. Carol Elaine Channing (b January 31 1921, Seattle Washington) is an American Singer and actress.

Tom Stoppard's farce, On the Razzle (1981) is yet another play based on the same story.

Characters and original Broadway cast

• Horace Vandergelder, a Merchant of Yonkers – Loring Smith
• Mrs. Loring B Smith ( November 18[[ 890]]&mdash July 8[[ 981]] was an American stage film radio and television actor frequently of broadly comic and gregarious Dolly Gallagher Levi, a Friend of Vandergelder's Late Wife – Ruth Gordon
• Irene Molloy, a Milliner – Eileen Herlie
• Minnie Fay, Mrs. Ruth Gordon Jones ( October 30, 1896 – August 28, 1985) better known as Ruth Gordon, was an Academy Award - Eileen Herlie (born Eileen Herlihy; March 8 1918 &ndash October 8 2008 was a Scottish-American Actress. Molloy's Assistant – Rosamund Greenwood
• Cornelius Hackl, Clerk in Vandergelder's Store – Arthur Hill
• Barnaby Tucker, Apprentice in Vandergelder's Store – Robert Morse
• Miss Flora Van Husen, a Friend of Vandergelder's Late Wife – Esme Church
• Malachi Stack – Patrick McAlinney
• Ambrose Kemper, Artist – Alexander Davion
• Gertrude, Vandergelder's Housekeeper – Charity Grace
• Miss Van Huysen's Cook – Christine Thomas
• Rudolf, Waiter – William Lanteau
• Joe Scanlon, a Barber – Philip Leeds
• August, Waiter – John Mulligan

External links

• Internet Broadway Database listing
• Internet Movie Database listing