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Merrick Returns: David Merrick, the combative, flamboyant Broadway producer who suffered a disabling stroke 13 years ago, is staging a comeback with a $1-million investment in “State Fair.†Merrick, 84, who uses a wheelchair and is virtually speechless, bought himself the largest individual stake in the $4.5-million production, the musical’s other producers said Wednesday. The words “David Merrick Inc. Presents†will appear over the play’s title. “State Fair,†an adaptation of the 1945 movie with songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein, is scheduled to open March 27 in the 1,000-seat Music Box theater. Merrick’s companion and interpreter, Natalie Lloyd, said one of the things he will try to do is get the musical into a bigger theater. Merrick produced more than 80 plays or musicals on Broadway including “Hello, Dolly!,†“Gypsy,†“Irma La Douce,†“Play It Again, Sam,†“42nd Street,†“Becket,†“Stop the World--I Want to Get Off†and “Promises, Promises.†During his heydey in the 1950s and ‘60s, the producer reportedly grossed $20 million annually. His productions have won countless Tony Awards--â€Hello, Dolly!†alone picked up 10 in 1964.
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