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Heidi Elizabeth Marcum

The Unsinkable Molly Brown- Thank you very much for your reaction to yet another phenomenal musical that I love so much, Jay! This is another musical I grew up with and came to love thanks to my father. I remember it being one of the first musicals we watched together, along with Singin' in the Rain, which also stars Debbie Reynolds as well. And I've loved this musical, as well as Singin' in the Rain, ever since. :) So, Molly Brown was a very real person who really did survive so much in her incredible life, including the sinking of the Titanic. Shown briefly here in this musical, as well as in the movie, Titanic with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, as Molly Brown is portrayed by famous actress, Kathy Bates. And Molly's husband Johnny Brown was also very real as well. Molly Brown was known for her spunky attitude, and for being the woman she's always portrayed as in her movies. And she was known for hating to be anything but up. Unfortunately, if I remember what I know about Molly's true history, she and Johnny sadly never did come back together again after they split apart upon their lives changing after the money they found in the mine changed them both. However, I believe the director and writers of this musical felt that this movie would be better if it ended happily with Molly and Johnny coming back together, and they were right. But in real life, Molly and Johnny did remain very close friends, and cared very deeply for one another until his passing years later from when they separated in 1909. And they had two children together... A boy and a girl. And believe it or not... The story about Johnny having burned the $300,000.00 in their little stove after Molly stores it there for safekeeping, is actually not a true story. It was a story that was actually made up by a Denver journalist, that Molly never refuted. When asked why she never refuted this false story about her and Johnny, Molly answered, "It's better that they write 'something' about me than nothing." This story that was made up became such a famous story, that this story about them stuck over the years. And Molly continued to retell it in various ways even years later. And it is retold by Kathy Bates in Titanic upon her taking up the role as Molly Brown too. I love this musical for both Debbie Reynolds and Harve Presnell in the two lead roles, I love the overall story based on their characters' incredible true stories, and I absolutely love all of the songs performed all throughout this beloved musical!! :) I've loved Debbie Reynolds ever since I first saw her in Singin' in the Rain, which is the very first musical I remember my father introducing me to. The Unsinkable Molly Brown followed shortly afterwards, and I've continued to love Debbie Reynolds. Who is indeed the mother of actress, Carrie Fisher, who is most famous and beloved for her role as Princess Leia in a number of the Star Wars movies. Debbie and her daughter were very close, and when Carrie Fisher died the day after Christmas in 2016, Debbie sadly died the day after her daughter died, and their surviving family members say that Debbie Reynolds had died of a broken heart. Which is so, so heartbreaking. What a tragedy. Debbie Reynolds is an actress I truly miss. Carrie Fisher too. But on a happier note... In 1965, Debbie Reynolds was nominated for an Oscar for her role here as Molly Brown. Sadly, she lost out to Julie Andrews who won for her role as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins. And well... If you're gonna lose to anyone, thank goodness it's Julie Andrews. Who is absolutely phenomenal too! However, for Debbie Reynolds to be nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role, it really is quite an achievement. And this says so much about her phenomenal acting skills. :) Harve Presnell isn't a too widely known actor as far as I know. Most of the other roles I've seen him in, are from when he was already an old man, playing much smaller roles in a number of movies such as Face/Off with John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, as well as Evan Almighty, Mr. Deeds with Adam Sandler, The Family Man also with Nicolas Cage, The Legend of Bagger Vance with Matt Damon and Will Smith, Walking Across Egypt with Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Patch Adams with Robin Williams, and Saving Private Ryan with Tom Hanks, etc... I think I might have seen an old western with Harve Presnell in his younger years, but I don't remember the name of the movie. So, The Unsinkable Molly Brown is really the only big movie I know him from when he's very young, and I absolutely love him. I love him here as Johnny Brown, Molly's husband. And wow!! His singing voice is absolutely phenomenal!! What a set of lungs, indeed! I've never heard a male voice quite like his before. I absolutely love it!! Which is why the song he sings... Colorado, my Home, when Johnny first comes onscreen, is one of my very favorite songs throughout this musical. It's an incredible song! :) I also really love Molly's father, Seamus Tobin played by Ed Begley, as well as Buttercup Grogan played by the beloved Hermione Baddeley. You actually did recognize her from Mary Poppins, and you would be right, Jay. Hermione is also famous for playing Ellen, the maid and housekeeper in Mary Poppins with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. I love both of these fantastic actors, and their characters within this musical. Along with Colorado, My Home sung by Harve Presnell... My favorite songs throughout this musical are I Ain't Down Yet sung by Debbie Reynolds, Belly Up to the Bar, Boys sung by Debbie Reynolds and this musical's ensemble, I'll Never Say No sung by Harve Presnell and later Debbie Reynolds as well, and He's My Friend sung by Harve Presnell, Debbie Reynolds, and the rest of Molly's and Johnny's friends and family members throughout the movie. It's hard to say which song is my favorite. I love them all! However, if I had to choose two... My absolute favorites are Colorado, My Home sung by Johnny Brown, and Belly Up to the Bar, Boys sung by Molly Brown. These two songs are our two main characters' stand out songs that show us who they truly are to their cores. And I love them!! And all of the dance numbers throughout this musical are incredible and beautiful too! :) Overall... I absolutely love this beloved musical! So, thank you very much once again for reacting to it for me, Jay! I am so, so happy that you really loved this movie, and I am so happy I can continue to introduce you to a number of musicals I love that you've never seen before. I can't wait for your next reactions to come!! :) Thank you, Jay! Sincerely, Heidi