- published: 27 Jun 2009
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Gwenyth Evelyn “Gwen” Verdon (January 13, 1925 – October 18, 2000) was an American actress and dancer who won four Tony awards for her musical comedy performances and served as uncredited choreographers assistant and specialty dance coach for both theater and film. With flaming red hair and a quaver in her voice, Verdon was a critically acclaimed performer on Broadway in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970's. Having originated many roles in musicals she is also strongly identified with her second husband, director–choreographer Bob Fosse, remembered as the dancer–collaborator–muse for whom he choreographed much of his work and as the guardian of his legacy after his death.
Verdon was born in Culver City, California, the second child of Gertrude Lilian (née Standring; October 24, 1896 – October 16, 1956) and Joseph William Verdon (December 31, 1896 – June 23, 1978), British immigrants to the United States by way of Canada. Her brother was William Farrell Verdon (August 1, 1923–June 10, 1991). The Verdon family could be described as "showpeople." Her father was an electrician at MGM Studios, and her mother was a former vaudevillian of the Denishawn dance troupe, as well as a dance teacher.
Damn Yankees is a musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League Baseball. It is based on Wallop's novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant.
The show ran for 1,019 performances in its original 1955 Broadway production. Adler and Ross's success with it and The Pajama Game seemed to point to a bright future for them, but Ross suddenly died of chronic bronchiectasis, at the age of twenty-nine, a few months after it opened.
The producers Harold Prince, Robert Griffith, and Frederick Brisson had decided that the lead actress for the part of "Lola" had to be a dancer. They offered the role to both the movie actress Mitzi Gaynor and ballet dancer Zizi Jeanmaire, each of whom turned down the role. Although Gwen Verdon had sung just one song in her previous show (Can-Can), the producers were willing to take a chance on her. She initially refused, preferring to assist another choreographer, but finally agreed. Choreographer Bob Fosse insisted on meeting her before working with her, and after meeting and working for a brief time, they each agreed to the arrangement.
Robert Louis "Bob" Fosse (June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American dancer, musical theatre choreographer, director, screenwriter, film director and actor.
He won 8 Tony Awards for choreography, more than anyone else, as well as one for direction. He was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning for his direction of Cabaret.
Fosse was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 23, 1927, to a Norwegian American father, Cyril K. Fosse, and Irish-born mother, Sara Alice Fosse (née Stanton), the second youngest of six. He teamed up with Charles Grass, another young dancer, and began a collaboration under the name The Riff Brothers. They toured theatres throughout the Chicago area. After being recruited, Fosse was placed in the variety show Tough Situation, which toured military and naval bases in the Pacific. Fosse moved to New York with the ambition of being the new Fred Astaire. His appearance with his first wife and dance partner Mary Ann Niles (1923–1987) in Call Me Mister brought him to the attention of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Fosse and Niles were regular performers on Your Hit Parade during its 1950-51 season, and during this season Martin and Lewis caught their act in New York's Pierre Hotel and scheduled them to appear on the Colgate Comedy Hour. Fosse was signed to a MGM contract in 1953. His early screen appearances included Give A Girl A Break, The Affairs of Dobie Gillis and Kiss Me Kate, all released in 1953. A short sequence that he choreographed in the latter (and danced with Carol Haney) brought him to the attention of Broadway producers.
Sweet Charity is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon alongside John McMartin. It is based on Federico Fellini's screenplay for Nights of Cabiria. However, where Fellini's black-and-white Italian film concerns the romantic ups-and-downs of an ever-hopeful sex worker, in the musical the central character is a dancer-for-hire at a Times Square dance hall. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1966, where it was nominated for 9 Tony Awards, and also ran in the West End as well as having revivals and international productions.
The musical was adapted for the screen in 1969 with Shirley MacLaine as Charity and John McMartin recreating his Broadway role as Oscar Lindquist. Bob Fosse directed and choreographed this film.
Chita Rivera (born January 23, 1933) is an American actress, dancer, and singer best known for her roles in musical theatre. She is the first Hispanic woman and the first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award (December 2002). She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.
Rivera was born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Katherine (Anderson), a government clerk, and Pedro Julio Figueroa del Rivero, a clarinetist and saxophonist for the United States Navy Band. Her father was Puerto Rican, and her mother was of Scottish and Italian descent. Rivera was seven years old when her mother was widowed and went to work at The Pentagon.
In 1944, Rivera's mother enrolled her in the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet (now the Jones Haywood School of Dance). Later, when she was 15, a teacher from George Balanchine's School of American Ballet visited their studio; and Rivera was one of two students picked to audition in New York City; she was accompanied to the audition by Doris Jones, one of the people who ran the Jones-Haywood School. Rivera's audition was successful, and she was accepted into the school and given a scholarship
Actors: Perc Launders (actor), George Magrill (actor), Fred Clark (actor), Eddie Albert (actor), Fred Kelsey (actor), Kenner G. Kemp (actor), Harry Antrim (actor), Gordon B. Clarke (actor), John Butler (actor), James Conaty (actor), Rory Calhoun (actor), Rodney Bell (actor), Joe Haworth (actor), Macdonald Carey (actor), Thomas Martin (actor),
Plot: Delilah Lee is the sar of husband Jeff Ames' Broadway show when she starts to suspect he has been exchanging more than contracts with the show's vampish backer. Alimony and amnesia become the order of the day.
Keywords: 1950s, airport, alimony, amnesia, bandleader, bartender, bigamy, broadway, broadway-manhattan-new-york-city, broadway-musicalThe insatiable Gwen Verdon as Lola in Damn Yankees. This clip is the yardstick.
Performing Nowadays and Hot Honey Rag
All-Star SWEET CHARITY concert featuring Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera, Debbie Allen, Bebe Neuwirth, Donna McKechnie, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Goulet, John McMartin, Dom DeLuise, Betty Buckley,Cy Coleman, Lillias White and many other Broadway stars.
Dances Fosse
dance class
From their debut "Warm Buds" LP available May 6th, 2016. Music by the Garrys. Video footage taken from the public domain at archive.org (Gwen Verdon performing "Mexican Breakfast" on the Ed Sullivan Show - 1969). Copyright claim released.
The amazing Gwen Verdon performing I'm a Brass Band on the Ed Sullivan show. I'm surprised this hasn't been uploaded before...Gwen at her most magnificent
He won 8 Tony Awards for Choreography, (more than anyone else) and an Academy Award for Cabaret. We talked after the premier of "All That Jazz". Fosse co-wrote and directed this semi-autobiographical film (1979), which portrayed the life of a womanizing, drug-addicted choreographer-director in the midst of triumph and failure. All That Jazz won four Academy Awards, earning Fosse his third Oscar nomination for Best Director. He married Gwen Verdon in 1960 and went on to choreograph her work in Sweet Charity, Chicago, Redhead, Damn Yankee. Bob was also an amazing film director; Cabaret, with Liza Minelli won eight Academy Awards. On September 23, 1987, Gwen Verdon held him in her arms as he suffered a fatal heart attack on the sidewalk outside the Willard Hotel, as the revival of Sweet Ch...
All-Star SWEET CHARITY concert featuring Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera, Debbie Allen, Bebe Neuwirth, Donna McKechnie, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Goulet, John McMartin, Dom DeLuise, Betty Buckley,Cy Coleman, Lillias White and many other Broadway stars.
MYSTERY GUEST: Gwen Verdon PANEL: Arlene Francis, Tony Randall, Pamela Mason, Bennett Cerf Many thanks to Steve M. Russo for providing this episode in much higher quality than the version I had previously. Folks interested in high quality, well packaged, well-edited DVDs of WML (and other game shows) can contact him directly for more information at RetroTVFestival@comcast.net. --------------------------- Join our Facebook group for WML-- great discussions, photos, etc, and great people! https://www.facebook.com/groups/728471287199862/
2001 Broadway tribute to the work of Bob Fosse and dedicated to Gwen Verdon. Including appearances by Ann Reinking and Ben Vereen, et al.
While his children introduce themselves to Allan Jones, Jerry and his wife attend a performance of "Sweet Charity" and meet Gwen Verdon. Jerry also reminisces about his days in the army. Jerry Sanders Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr2kRvW4oKoaIwLZ7Hz79CkFXqfsD9YyH&feature;=mh_lolz Feel free to leave any questions or comments that you may have in the comments section below. We will be sure to respond at Jerry's earliest convenience.
Music composed by Albert Hague. Rex Stewart (t) / Mousey Alexander (d) / Leonard Gaskin (b) / Bucky Pizzarelli (g) / John Bunch (p) / Joe Venuto (marimba) From the back cover (spoiler below for you who haven't seen the play from which this music comes): ["February, 1959 was a good month. Especially for a group of charming and talented people who stayed awake all night to read '... a walloping hit.' (Robert Coleman, Mirror) '... best musical comedy of the season.' (Richard Watts, Post) '... firecracker of a musical...' (Walter Kerr, Herald Tribune) '... an excellent plot... good songs, a smartly handsome production... tip-top musical.' (John Chapman, Daily News). This can go on for pages. The theatre, the 46th Street Theatre, New York City. The show, Redhead, starring the magnificent...
42nd Street. We're in the Money De: Harry Warren, Al Dubin Musical: 42nd Street Whatever Lola Wants De: Richard Adler, Jerry Ross Musical: Damn Yankees Intérprete: Gwen Verdon, Ray Waltson Medley De: Stephen Sondheim Musical: Into the Woods Intérprete: Vanessa Williams She Likes Basketball De: Burt Bacharach, Hal David Musical: Promises, Promises Intérprete: Jerry Orbach America De: Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim Musical: West Side Story Intérprete: Debbie Allen Sing, Sing, Sing De: Richard Maltby, Jr. Chet Walker, Ann Reinking Musical: Fosse Ol' Man River De: Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II, P.G. Wodehouse Musical: Show Boat Intérprete: Michel Bell Step to the Rear De: Elmer Bernstein, Carolyn Leigh Musical: How Now, Dow Jones Intérprete: Anthony Roberts Where Is the...
Adalaide's Lament De: Frank Loesser Musical: Guys and Dolls Intérprete: Vivian Blaine A New Argentina De: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice Musical: Evita Intérprete: Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin, Bob Gunton Worst Pies in London De: Stephen Sondheim Musical: Sweeney Todd Intérprete: Angela Lansbury Before the Parade Passes By De: Jerry Herman Musical: Hello, Dolly! Intérprete: Carol Channing Send in the Clowns De: Stephen Sondheim Musical: A Little Night Music Intérprete: Julie Andrews If I Were a Rich Man De: Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick Musical: Fiddler on the Roof Intérprete: Zero Mostel Shall We Dance? De: Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II Musical: The King and I Intérprete: Yul Brynner, Patricia Morison Hey There De: Richard Adler, Jerry Ross Musical: The Pajama Geme Intérprete:...
American Theatre Works produced this tribute to Broadway composers Kander and Ebb on April 27, 1997, featuring appearances by Chita Rivera, Rosie O'Donnell, Donna Murphy, David Sabella, Marcia Lewis, David Sabella, Bebe Neuwirth, Ann Reinking, Joel Grey, James Naughton and more.
The Drama League honors Chita Rivera in this star-studded salute to the Broadway legend, featuring Alan Cumming, Carol Lawrence, Elaine Stritch, Dick Van Dyke, Lisa Mordente, Arthur Laurents, Scott Ellis, Russell Nype, Dorothy Louden, Jason Danieley, Ann Reinking, John Kander, Fred Ebb, Liza Minnelli and more.
AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATRE - 1962 - An incredible extra-length program, one of the series most exciting episodes; a discussion with and performances by Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon interviewed by Earl Wrightson www.robertsvideos.com or call 1-800-440-2960 as mentioned in Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide & Videohound’s Golden Movie Retriever
A video montage of Gwen Verdon. It includes: Meet me After the Show, Farmer Takes a Wife, On the Riviera, LA Awards Show honoring Gwen and Jack Cole
MYSTERY GUEST: Gwen Verdon PANEL: Arlene Francis, Tony Randall, Pamela Mason, Bennett Cerf Many thanks to Steve M. Russo for providing this episode in much higher quality than the version I had previously. Folks interested in high quality, well packaged, well-edited DVDs of WML (and other game shows) can contact him directly for more information at RetroTVFestival@comcast.net. --------------------------- Join our Facebook group for WML-- great discussions, photos, etc, and great people! https://www.facebook.com/groups/728471287199862/
The interview, continued
Bob Fosse being interviewed about his choreographing process
Here is a restored version of one of the commercials made for the Kander and Ebb musical CHICAGO. It starred Chita Rivera, Gwen Verdon and Jerry Orbach.
Gwen, Carol Burnett and Julie Andrews in a cute workout number. Can anyone recognize any of the other dancers?
"Parade of Stars at the Palace Theatre" Broadcast by ABC-TV on May 22, 1983, as a benefit to the Actors Fund. Gwen was 58 years old here. 17 years after Sweet Charity opened on Broadway. Here is a link to Gwen at 16 years old. She appears in the black ballerina costume. http://www.historicfilms.com/search/?q=gwen+verdon&q;=gwen+verdon#p1t7979l223326&video;=online
I can't take it, I'm so lonely girl, I need you so
And I can't take it and I wonder why you had to go
And baby, every night I wake up cryin'
Tears on my pillow, pain in my heart, you on my mind
I remember all the good times we used have before
I remember how my heart, my very soul cries out for more
And baby, every night I wake up cryin'
Tears on my pillow, pain in my heart, you on my mind
I remember all the good times we used have before
I remember how my heart, my very soul cries out for more
And baby, all your love for me is dying
Tears on my pillow, pain in my heart, you on my mind
And baby, all your love for me is dying
Tears on my pillow, pain in my heart, you on my mind
I can't take it, I'm so lonely girl, I need you so
And I can't take it and I wonder why you had to go
And baby, every night I wake up cryin', oh
Tears on my pillow, pain in my heart, you on my mind
Tears on my pillow, pain in my heart, you on my mind
Tears on my pillow, pain in my heart, you on my mind
Tears on my pillow, pain in my heart, you on my mind