sui ge·ner·is
Pronunciation: "sü-E-'je-, -'ge- ner- is
Etymology: Latin
-- of its own kind: constituting a class alone.
Simply put, an illustration of sui generis could easily be a photo of Alexander "Sandy" Marshall, son of legendary magician, Jay Marshall. In this article, I'll be sharing information about Sandy, his upcoming Broadway-bound productions, and his take on his father's legacy.
We Chicagoans are lucky in that Sandy and his lovely wife, singer Susan Palmer Marshall (New Christy Minstrels), have been recently living in Chicago, due to Sandy's revamp of Magic, Inc., the nation's premiere magic store, previously owned by his father, Jay. Over the last few months, Sandy and Susan have been based here, strengthening the position of this piece of show business history.
It's only in covering Magic, Inc., for BC, that I've been fortunate enough to spend time with Sandy and get a deeper understanding of the breadth and depth of his talent. He's been a writer, director, producer, and actor for over forty years. He won his first Emmy as Best Writer of an Entertainment Series for his nationally syndicated show, The Madhouse Brigade, and his second Emmy for writing, producing and directing The Revenge of the Sons of the Desert.
His Off Broadway credits include writing and directing the romantic comedy, Crazy Arnold, as well as directing Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and Edward Albee's A Zoo Story. Marshall was recently commissioned to write the book for the Broadway-bound musical version of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.
Someone else might choose to rest on their laurels, but not Sandy. He has two productions upcoming that will grace the Broadway firmament of stars, And In the End, and George & Ira. And In the End is a drama that captures the last moments of John Lennon, which played to rave reviews throughout the UK and Australia.
George & Ira provides a window into the lives of those icons of American cultural life, the Gershwin brothers. It portrays their relationship and what it meant to make glorious music that became part of the fabric of the 20th century. I'll share some information about the production later in this piece, but first, take a look at some of the love letters And in the End and Marshall's work have received from the UK and Australian press.
"5 stars. Hilarious and touching. The genuine article and a must for even the most casual Beatles observer." - Richard Purden, Irish Post
"4 stars. Alexander Marshall's breakneck script bristles with wit and humanity...Valentine Pelka is suberb." - Three Weeks
"4 stars. Not some groovy magical mystery fluff, but rather a real attempt to get closer to Lennon's demons and motivations." - Edinburgh Evening News
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