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I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

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#1

I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/20/05 at 11:40pm

Has anyone EVER done it better? I just watched Gwen perform "I'm a Brass Band" from an "Ed Sullivan Show" DVD. She IS/was amazing.
"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." -- Author Unknown

Updated On: 6/20/05 at 11:40 PM

#2

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/20/05 at 11:49pm

In the number from CHICAGO on Broadway's Lost Treasures, she makes Chita look positively sloppy!
Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson
#3

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/20/05 at 11:52pm

She was just...amazing. The original triple threat.
"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." -- Author Unknown
#4

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/21/05 at 12:32am

Her "I'm a Brass Band" on Sullivan makes me almost tired just watching her. How does ANYBODY do that many steps and high kicks in one number? Still smiling and not apparently breathing hard, either? And that's like her TENTH nmber in the show .......

"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie [http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/] "The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
#5

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/21/05 at 12:40am

There's also thrilling Sullivan footage of her "If They Could See Me Now" and a few special-material numbers that are fun to watch, if slightly beneath her. There also early Sullivan footage of Fosse and Carol Haney doing "I Love a Piano" from their nightclub act. It's great to see where Fosse came up with this stuff.
#6

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/21/05 at 1:08am

Her routines in the film of DAMN YANKEES are pure artistry. She can do no wrong in my eyes.
#7

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/21/05 at 4:47am

The Chicago bit in Broadway's Lost Treasures didn't show off her talent at all, not too sure what your refering too. But I could understand if you were if awe just to see Gwen and Chita......I was!!!!!!
#8

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/21/05 at 10:08pm

Watched 'Brass Band' and 'If My Friends' last weekend at AndyHardy's.
We were in Nirvana watching miraculous Gwen, the most charismatic, balletic, enjoyable, economical dancer to ever grace the broadway stage.

Broadway lovers should be required to watch these Ed Sullivan clips to see a real star. Brilliant!

" ...the happiness in the tune convinces me that I'm not afraid."
#9

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/21/05 at 10:25pm

Broadway royalty. She is and was one-of-a-kind. Her turn on Sullivan in "Brass Band" will always give me chills.
"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." -- Author Unknown
#10

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/21/05 at 10:26pm

Yes, defines defines "charisma" and effortless "professionalism." Her duo with Fosse in "Who's Got the Pain?" is an absolute marvel of technique and synchronicity.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie [http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/] "The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
#11

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/21/05 at 10:35pm

My personal favorite Gwen Verdon vocal performance is New Girl in Town. "On the Farm" is one of my favorite showtunes of all-time.

As far as dancing goes, she is Mount f*cking Rushmore.
#14

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/22/05 at 2:39am

I just did a search on IBDB.com, I had no idea that she had died re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

What all movies was she in, from what I understand after Chicago she did movies,

I've seen Cocoon and I have Marvin's Room, I LOVE it!!!!!!
#15

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/22/05 at 3:39am

BwayLeadman,

Yes, but don't forget that she was already a Tony-winning star before she even met Fosse.

She had legendarily stopped the show "Can-Can" cold on opening night with the number, "Apache Dance" -- so much so that the audience wouldn't allow the show to continue afterwards. The scene changed and the other actors were in place to continue with the show, but couldn't because the audience was calling for Verdon and wouldn't stop applauding until she appeared. She'd already changed out of her costume backstage, when Cy Feuer, the producer, ran back and grabbed her out of her dressing room and pushed her out on the stage wearing only a bathrobe. Embarassed, she took a bow, the audience went wild and the standing ovation continued for minutes.

Now, THAT'S a showstopper -- LITERALLY -- and Verdon went on to get her first of four Tonys for that performance.

While she and Fosse later formed a famous partnership (and Broadway is the better for the fact that they did), she'd have been a legend whether or not she'd ever met him.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie [http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/] "The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
#16

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/22/05 at 7:39am

You are absolutely right, Margo. With or without Fosse, Gwen would have been just as big a star. She achieved what she did through sheer talent and an unbelievable stage presence. The moment Gwen stepped onto a stage, the audience was enthralled. Her partnership with Fosse was icing on the cake for both of them. She understood his vision and was able to bring his genius to light. He was able to guide her so that his choreography came to life exactly as he wanted it. They were an unbelievable match. I have always been in awe of this woman and am happy that over the years, new egnerations have discovered her amazing talents.
#18

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/22/05 at 8:59am

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Before meeting Fosse, Gwen was Jack Cole's number one female dancer, and worked with Cole in Hollywood when he was choreographing two Betty Grable musicals at Fox. Betty adored Gwen and insisted that she got screen credit (which was extremely rare for featured dancers at the time - not even Hermes Pan got credit for his on-screen partnering)

Cole's erotic choreography was a major influence on Fosse and Verdon was the conduit.

Her's a neat pic of Betty and Gwen in MEET ME AFTER THE SHOW (1951). Who's the third dancer?

"Christ, Bette Davis?!?!"
#19

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/22/05 at 9:56am

oh my god, this thread is thrilling! Jack Cole! Anyone here remember another big star he worked with? He helped make her more feminine...unsurprising from a choroegrapher, I guess.

Verdon is an absolute treasure to the musical theatre. The only partnership to ever even come close to rivaling Fosee/Verdon is perhaps Donna McKechnie and Michael Bennett but their collaboration didn't result in the sheer number of amazing successes.
#20

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/22/05 at 10:27am

In addition to Betty, Cole worked with Ann Miller, Rita Hayworth, Mailyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich. He's also know for a very gay sensibility as nearly all of his musical films feature at least one number with hot muscle boys. re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Here are some great links about Jack:

http://www.danceart.com/gotjazz/cole.htm

http://www.theatredance.com/choreographers/cole.html

The legendary Gwen Verdon during Lincoln Center's "Tribute to Jack Cole," said that "Jack once said to me 'I'm going to tell you what to do with the second joint of your little finger - so don't think that it's going to be any other way!'"

Ms. Verdon lived in my neighborhood on the Upper West Side, and during the 1980s I'd often see her at the Columbus Ave Schoolyard flea market every Sunday. As you could imagine, she was a total doll.
"Christ, Bette Davis?!?!"

Updated On: 6/22/05 at 10:27 AM

#21

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 6/22/05 at 5:15pm

I have nothing significant to add, but she was truly an amazing talent and presence. Wow.
Rosencrantz: "Be happy - if you're not even HAPPY what's so good about surviving? We'll be all right. I suppose we just go on." - from Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
#22

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 7/23/05 at 9:44pm

She just finished her "Little Brains, Little Talent" song and she was heaven.
Anyone know why they changed the George Washington lyric?
Did they feel the Hollywood sensors would not be happy with it?
" ...the happiness in the tune convinces me that I'm not afraid."
#23

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 7/23/05 at 9:53pm

I love Gwen. She was letter perfect in everything she did. And she never made anyone look sloppy, much less Ms. Chita Rivera who is a thrilling dancer in her own right.
#24

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 7/23/05 at 10:19pm

I don't know much about her. A little too young I guess. Pretty much anything I know is from this sight or Broadway: The American Musical. But she sounds like an amazing woman. I would have loved to have seen her in something. Someone that can make Chita look bad. Wow.
"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife
#25

re: I'm in awe...........Gwen Verdon

Posted: 7/24/05 at 2:58am

Talking of Gwen Verdon, I have on tape from an Ed Sullivan Show (the show was repackaged as a half hour variety show, and surfaced on cable where I taped it). Gwen does a number called Mexican Breakfast (or something similar) with two girls. The choreography is remarkably similar to the 'sex ballet' from Pippin. The other notable from the routine is that one of the girls dancing with her is Leland Palmer who played the 'Gwen' role in the movie All That Jazz.

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