Broadway’s Amazing Mastersons March 2–July 31, 2019
Playbill for Bajour, 1964.
Al Hirschfeld, Bajour, 1964, pen and ink, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Rienzi Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson III. © Al Hirschfeld Foundation
Playbill for The Lady of the Camellias, 1963.
Harris Masterson III (left), Carroll Sterling Masterson, and Unknown Friend at an Opening Night, NYC, from the scrapbook “Carroll and Harris Masterson III,” 1958.
Harris Masterson III and Claudette Colbert on Opening Night of “God and Kate Murphy,” February 26, 1959.
Carroll Sterling Masterson (left), Walter Slezak, Gloria Swanson, and Harris Masterson III on Opening Night of “God and Kate Murphy,” February 26, 1959.
Gloria Swanson and Harris Masterson III on Opening Night of “God and Kate Murphy,” February 26, 1959.
Rienzi, the MFAH house museum for European decorative arts, presents special exhibitions twice a year. The estate is the former home of philanthropists Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III, who were known for their eclectic tastes and their art collection.
As part of Rienzi’s 20th anniversary celebrations, Broadway’s Amazing Mastersons focuses on an especially fascinating aspect of the Mastersons’ artistic interests: their foray into Broadway productions.
From 1958 to 1966, the couple immersed themselves in Broadway theater. This exhibition explores several of their productions, including The Lady of the Camellias, by famed director Franco Zeffirelli; and the Tony Award–nominated musical Bajour, starring the legendary Chita Rivera.
After several Broadway ventures, the Mastersons turned their attention to cultivating the Houston art scene, but not until they had left a Texas-sized mark on the Big Apple.
► More on the MFAH Blog
• A Spring of Songs! A Salute to Rienzi’s Founders and Their Love of Music
• Rienzi Takes Center Stage: Behind the Scenes of the Mastersons’ Broadway Ventures
This exhibition is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.