Scope and arrangement
This collection consists of correspondence, photographs, reviews, and programs chronicling the choreographic, dance, and directorial career of Norman Maen. Materials are grouped together by production title, which includes clippings of reviews, theatre programs, rehearsal and promotional photographs, and choreographic notes.
The majority of Maen's correspondence is comprised of letters from performers and television executives with whom he collaborated over the years. Maen also retained notes from the British Royal family praising his performances, and a 1970 letter from the National Academy of television arts and sciences notifying Maen of his Emmy nomination for This is Tom Jones. There is less formal correspondence included in the form of handwritten cards and notes from the dancers in pieces Maen directed or choreographed.
The photographs depict film, television, and theatre productions of which Maen was director or choreographer, as well as performances where he was a dancer. Most of the uncaptioned photographs portray rehearsals, but there are also individual headshots of both Maen and performers he directed. Some of these photographs also include personal notes addressed to Maen. Some of the performers represented are Rita Moreno, Juliet Prowse, Caterinea Valente, and Ethel Merman.
The majority of the captioned photographs illustrate Maen's work on the screen, which contains images of Maen accepting the 1971 Emmy award for his choreographic work in This is Tom Jones, and a large collection of photographs from rehearsals for both This is Tom Jones and the 1967 film, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort. Maen is pictured alongside such performers as George Charkiris, John Curry, Danielle Darrieux, Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac, Tom Jones, Gene Kelly, Liza Minnelli, and film director, Jacques Demy.
The productions files include choreographic notes, photographs, programs, and reviews from throughout Maen's career as both a choreographer and director in theatre and television. The choreographic notes, which feature Maen's handwritten notes and instructions, are for a 1968 BBC television production of The Merry Widow. Also with Maen's papers is a television camera script for the 1990 production, A Royal Birthday Gala, which was broadcast from the London Palladium.
The collection also contains programs from throughout Maen's career. There are programs for the annual Royal Variety Performances at the Theatre Royal in London, Aladdin, Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Man of Magic, Irene, and Some Like it Hot.
The reviews are of Maen's work as both a choreographer and director in theatre and television. Among the performances reviewed are Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, Donnybrook, The Fantasticks, Hallelujah Hollywood, Man of Magic, Irene, Sir Buccaneer, and, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme from this Moment On.
Arrangement
Materials are arranged alphabetically by production title. Captioned photographs are listed with their corresponding production. Correspondence and uncaptioned photographs are arranged chronologically.