Erik lee preminger biography of williams
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Erik Lee Preminger showing photos of his mother at his home in Northern California.
From “Ya Gotta Get a Gimmick” to “Rose’s Turn,” the musical Gypsy has many unforgettable musical theatre moments. But for Erik Lee Preminger, the son of the musical’s titular legend, the best part of the show is when grown-up Louise steps up and becomes the stripper Gypsy Rose Lee. Finally standing up to her pushy mother, Rose, she declares that she loves herself just as she is.
“Mother loved being Gypsy Rose Lee,” Preminger, now 75, affirmed in an interview at his home last month. “She was a trouper,” he said. “That’s one thing her mother gave her. She used to tell me how, when she was younger, they drove from place to place in the winter and the cars didn’t have heaters. They would use blow torches sitting on the floor of the cars to keep them warm. It was not an easy time, but it made her stronger.”
Just as the musical Gypsy follows the famous striptease artist’s real-li
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Gypsy Rose Lee’s son recalls moment he discovered Hollywood filmmaker Otto Preminger was his real father
Erik Lee Preminger can still vividly remember the moment when he found out, at age 17, that actor Alexander Kirkland, who was married to his mother before his birth, was not his biological father.
“Like almost any 17-year-old I suppose, I wanted a car,” the now-74-year-old recalled to Fox News. “But… my mother wouldn’t get it for me. So inom went to the man whose name was on my birth certificate, who I understood was my father, although I already heard some rumors. inom asked him for money to buy a bil. I was seeing a therapist at the time ... and the next time I saw my therapist he said Mr. Kirkland wanted me to know that he was not my father and he couldn’t give me a car. So that got the ball rolling.”
MICKEY ROONEY'S DAUGHTER TELLS ALL
Preminger’s life from the beginning was far from ordinary. His mother was world-famous striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, whose l
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Gypsy: A Memoir (Paperback)
Description
Gypsy Rose Lee’s memoir became a New York Times bestseller in 1957, inspiring the 1959 hit musical, two movies, and three revivals. Now a fourth, directed by Arthur Laurents and starring Patti LuPone, is lighting up New York, winning top Broadway theatre awards, including three 2008 Tony Awards, as well as raves from critics and audiences:
“No matter how long you live, you’ll never see a more
exciting production.” —Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal
“Watch out, New York! This GYPSY is a wallop-packing show of raw power.” —Ben Brantley, The New York Times
“Not your ordinary theater experience. This is the best production
of the best damn musical ever.” —Liz Smith, Syndicated Columnist
The memoir, which Gypsy began as a series of pieces for The New Yorker, contains photographs and newspaper clippings from her personal scr