DAVID BOWIE | THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980) Theatre photo

New York: Solters, Roskin, Friedman, Inc., [1980]. Vintage original 10 x 8″ (25 x 20 cm) black-and-white photo, printed text affixed to verso. Fine.

Portrait of David Bowie as he was preparing to make his Broadway debut in the lead role of John Merrick in the play The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance. He was one of several actors who took on this role during the play’s theatrical run, and he opened in it on September 23, 1980 and ended his run on January 4, 1981. The brilliance of Bowie’s stage performance electrified audiences. Some theatre snobs expected a pretentious flop, but as Clive Barnes of the New York Post was quick to write: “David Bowie in The Elephant Man is giving one of the greatest acting performances I have seen in years. He has also made the most brilliant Broadway debut in recent memory.”