PHOTO FLASH!: Original 1959 Broadway GYPSY (with Merman)- Page 2

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/17/08 at 1:25pm

The "farmboy" to the right of Merman in that photo is David Winters as the original Yonkers. His hair was bleached blond for West Side Story, where he played Baby John in the OBC and A-Rab in the film.

He went on to be an established choreographer. He did the series "Hullabaloo," and is responsible for giving Michael Bennett and Donna McKechnie their big breaks on TV. He also choreographed "Movin' With Nancy" a terrifically groovy '60s special available on DVD, where he also does a featured dance himself.

[NGeorgiaBwayFan]

Posted: 11/17/08 at 1:39pm

givemevoice... you're right about that coat! i didn't even notice. Although, the other coat kind of looks like the blanket coat, too.

One thing I also notice, and it is just part of the era I guess, but everyone looked so much older. The heavy makeup and hairstyles. (I can't tell if that's baby June or Dainty June in the Uncle Sam picture) i know Patti has even remarked in interviews that it's hard to believe that Ms. Merman was no older than she was when she played the part.

Also, everyone was working some pretty serious eyebrows (1950s style, of course)

What a great glimpse into Broadway's past.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 11/17/08 at 2:09pm

I couldn't tell if that was Baby June or Dainty June in the Uncle Sam pic, either. my guess was Baby June, because Louise doesn't look old enough to be Sandra Church.

and I find it very hard to believe that Ethel is younger than Patti in those pictures.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/17/08 at 2:12pm

David Winters and the girls can't get no Satisfaction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i2whJ4_zaY

[philcrosby]

Posted: 11/17/08 at 2:34pm

They can't dance unison, either.

That was wonderful though ... Joey, where do you get this stuff???

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/17/08 at 2:56pm

Touching back on the groovy David Winters. Aside from his original cast member credits in GYPSY and WEST SIDE STORY... he found larger fame as a choreographer in Hollywood. He's responsible for teaching non-dancer Ann-Margret ALL those moves, from VIVA LAS VEGAS to MADE IN PARIS as well as her famous Las Vegas/Lake Tahoe acts. As best12bars mentioned above, he was ALSO the house choreographer for the mid-60's delicious HULLABALOO on NBC and in the mid-70's for THE DONNY & MARIE SHOW on ABC. He was romantically linked to 70's porn legend Linda Lovelace.

A little bit of trivia: future Academy Award nominated film actress Teri Garr began her professional career in his dance troupe and can be seen in numerous films dancing in the ensemble. She is heavily featured in the 1964 'beach' gem PAJAMA PARTY (hogging camera space with Annette Funicello in the poolside title number).

Here he is in the "Cool" number from WEST SIDE STORY(far right; that's Chita's first husband Tony Mordente on the far left):


He is also in the film-version of WEST SIDE STORY:




Here are Donna McKechnie and Michael Bennett on HULLABALOO:


Teri Garr (in pigtails behind Ann-Margret) in VIVA LAS VEGAS:


And the scrumtious 1967 NBC TV Special -- MOVIN' WITH NANCY (sponsored by RC Cola). The DVD is now out-of-print:

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/17/08 at 3:09pm

Full and complete episodes from NBC's HULLABALOO were released on DVD several years ago. 3 Volumes were released but the first and third volumes are now out-of-print. I'm lucky (and blessed) to have them all.

Yup... that's Broadway legend Donna McKechnie on the lower left and is showcased endlessly on the show, including the groovy opening credit dance routine:

[caitlinette]

Posted: 11/17/08 at 8:10pm

Louise, June, and the boys look incredibly young compared to the current cast.

Posted: 11/17/08 at 9:11pm

Yeah, the boys look a lot younger to me as well.

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/17/08 at 9:17pm

I love those Joan Crawford eyebrows on Sandra Church. Even when she's the "younger Louise" she looks like she's ready to go on as Mildred Pierce.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/17/08 at 10:26pm

That was Donna McKechnie in that clip I posted.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 11/17/08 at 11:58pm

Thanks for posting the pics. Some of them I'd never seen before.

Speaking of pics, does anyone recall the TIME/LIFE boxed album sets about Broadway composers? (As they were boxed RECORD sets, I'm basically asking best12bars, BrodyFosse123, and PalJoey.) The booklets in them had some utterly rare and fantastic photos in them! The Jule Styne booklet had this one color picture from "Gypsy" that I have never seen anywhere else.

It's of Gypsy's first strip, as viewed from behind the curtain and you see Mama Rose watching it.

On another note, I remember watching that Nancy Sinatra special very late one night on VH1. I don't know which was weirder: that Nancy Sinatra's face never changed expression or that Royal Crown Cola supposedly "Tastes like WOW!"

Though I did get a kick out of the little recent interview with her at the end of the show. She said that she wondered if she still had anything from back when she did the special. She held up a mini-skirt that she wore from it and said that she wished that she still had the convertible sportscar that she drove in the opening credits.

[James885]

Posted: 11/18/08 at 12:15am

Great pics! I think my favorite picture is the one of her with Uncle Jocko. I love that forbidding expression on Merman's face!

And I had no idea that they used a Christmas Tree tableau in the original production, although it does look a bit excessive. I can kind of see why Laurents axed the tree in favor of the Garden of Eden.

[alterego]

Posted: 11/18/08 at 6:58am

Back to the Farmboys. Paul Wallace was the original Tulsa (he also appeared in the movie in that role). In the early 1970's he played a pretty terrific Billy Early in NO, NO, NANETTE in Melbourne, Australia opposite Cyd Charisse. After six months he returned to the U.S. and I've never heard of him since. Does anyone have any information on his whereabouts?