Gwen Verdon

Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon (January 13, 1925 – October 18, 2000) was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for 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 1970s. 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.

Gwen Verdon
Verdon in 1954
Born	Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon (1925-01-13)January 13, 1925 Culver City, California, U.S.
Died	October 18, 2000(2000-10-18) (aged 75) Woodstock, Vermont, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, dancer
Years active	1936–2000
Spouse(s)	James Henaghan ​ ( m. 1942; div. 1947) Bob Fosse ​ ( m. 1960; sep.  1971)
Children	2, including Nicole Fosse

Early life

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.[1] Her brother was William Farrell Verdon (August 1, 1923 – June 10, 1991). 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.[2][3]

As a toddler, she suffered from rickets, which left her legs so badly misshapen she was called "Gimpy" by other children and spent her early years in orthopedic boots and rigid leg braces. At age three, her mother enrolled her in dance classes. Further ballet training strengthened her legs and improved her carriage.

By age six, she was already dancing on stage. She went on to study multiple dance forms, ranging from tap, jazz, ballroom and flamenco to Balinese. She also studied juggling. At age 11, she appeared as a solo ballerina in the musical romance film The King Steps Out (1936), directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Grace Moore and Franchot Tone. She attended Hamilton High School in Los Angeles and studied under ballet enthusiast Ernest Belcher. While in high school, she was cast in a revival of Show Boat.

In 1942, Verdon’s parents asked her to marry family friend and tabloid reporter James Henaghan after he got her pregnant at 17 years old, and she quit her dancing career to raise their child.[4] In 1945, she appeared as a dancer in the movie musical The Blonde From Brooklyn. After her divorce, she entrusted her son Jimmy to the care of her parents.

Career

Early on, Verdon found a job as assistant to choreographer Jack Cole, whose work was respected by both Broadway and Hollywood movie studios. During her five-year employment with Cole, she took small roles in movie musicals as a "specialty dancer," She also taught dance to stars such as Jane Russell, Fernando Lamas, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe.

Verdon started out on Broadway going from one chorus line to another. Her breakthrough role finally came when choreographer Michael Kidd cast her as the second female lead in Cole Porter's musical Can-Can (1953), starring French prima donna Lilo. Out-of-town reviewers hailed Verdon's interpretation of Eve in the Garden of Eden ballet as a performance that upstaged the show's star, who reputedly demanded Verdon's role be cut to only two featured dance numbers. With her role reduced to little more than an ensemble part, Verdon formally announced her intention to quit by the time the show premiered on Broadway. But her opening-night Garden of Eden performance was so well received that the audience screamed her name until the startled actress was brought from her dressing room in a towel to take a curtain call.[5] Verdon received a pay increase and her first Tony Award for her performance.

Verdon's biggest critical and commercial success was her following show, George Abbott's Damn Yankees (1955), based on the novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant. The musical ran for 1019 performances. Verdon won another Tony and went to Hollywood to repeat her role in the 1958 movie version Damn Yankees, famously singing "Whatever Lola Wants." (Fosse can be seen partnered with her in the original mambo duet "Who's Got the Pain.")

Verdon won another Tony for her performance in the musical New Girl in Town as a hard-luck girl fleeing from her past as a prostitute. She won her fourth Tony for the murder-mystery musical Redhead, Fosse's Broadway debut as a director/choreographer. In 1960, Fosse and Verdon wed.

In 1966, Verdon returned to the stage in the role of Charity in Sweet Charity, which like many of her earlier Broadway triumphs was choreographed and directed by husband Fosse. The show is loosely based on Federico Fellini's screenplay for Nights of Cabiria. It was followed by a movie version starring Shirley MacLaine as Charity, featuring Ricardo Montalbán, Sammy Davis Jr. and Chita Rivera, with Fosse at the helm of his very first film as director and choreographer. Verdon helped with the choreography. The numbers include the famed "Big Spender," "Rhythm of Life," "If My Friends Could See Me Now," and "I'm a Brass Band." Verdon would also travel to Berlin to help Fosse with Cabaret, the musical film for which he won an Oscar for Best Director.

Although estranged as a couple, Verdon and Fosse continued to collaborate on projects such as the musical Chicago (1975) (in which she originated the role of murderess Roxie Hart) and the musical Dancin' (1978), as well as Fosse's autobiographical movie All That Jazz (1979).[6] The helpmate/peer played by Leland Palmer in that film is based on the role Verdon played in Fosse's real life. She also developed a close working relationship with Fosse's partner, Broadway dancer Ann Reinking, and was an instructor for Reinking's musical theatre classes.

After originating the role of Roxie opposite Chita Rivera's Velma Kelly in Chicago[6], Verdon focused on film acting, playing character roles in movies such as The Cotton Club (1984), Cocoon (1985) and Cocoon: The Return (1988). She continued to teach dance and musical theater and to act. She received three Emmy Award nominations for appearances on Magnum, P.I. (1988), Dream On (1993) and Homicide: Life on the Street (1993). Verdon appeared as the title character's mother in the Woody Allen movie Alice (1990) and as Ruth in Marvin's Room (1996), co-starring Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, and Leonardo DiCaprio. In 1999, Verdon served as artistic consultant on a Broadway musical designed to showcase examples of classic Fosse choreography. Called simply Fosse, the revue was conceived and directed by Richard Maltby Jr. and Ann Reinking and choreographed by Reinking and Chet Walker. Verdon's daughter Nicole received a "special thanks" credit. The show won a Tony Award for best musical.

In 1997 Verdon appeared in an episode of Walker Texas Ranger as Maisie Whitman. She reprised the role in 1999.

Verdon played Alora in the movie Walking Across Egypt (1999) and appeared in the film Bruno, released in 2000. Verdon received a total of four Tonys, for best featured actress for Can-Can (1953) and best leading actress for Damn Yankees (1955), New Girl in Town (1957) and Redhead (1959). She also won a Grammy Award for the cast recording of Redhead.[7]

Verdon was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1981.[8] In 1998, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts.[9]

Personal life

Verdon was married twice and had two children. She married tabloid reporter James Henaghan in 1942. They had a son, Jim, the following year and divorced in 1947. In 1960, Verdon married choreographer Bob Fosse. They had a daughter, Nicole, in 1963. Fosse's extramarital affairs put a strain on their marriage, and by 1971, Verdon and Fosse were separated, but never divorced. She was involved in relationships with actor Scott Brady and actor Jerry Lanning, son of Roberta Sherwood.[10] Verdon was with Fosse when he suffered a fatal heart attack at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. in September 1987.[11]

Verdon was a cat fancier, having up to six cats at one time, with the pets carrying names such as "Feets Fosse", "Junie Moon", and "Tidbits Tumbler Fosse".[12]

Verdon was a mental health-care advocate; later in life, she openly spoke about the positive effects of mental-health counseling. Along with teaching dance as a form of therapy, she sat on the board of directors for the New York Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, and actively raised funds to support mental health-care research.[13]

Popular culture

Fosse/Verdon is an 8-part American miniseries starring Sam Rockwell as Fosse and Michelle Williams as Verdon. The series, which tells the story of the couple's troubled personal and professional relationship, is based on the biography Fosse by Sam Wasson. It premiered in eight parts on April 9, 2019, on FX. At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, Fosse/Verdon received seventeen nominations, including Outstanding Limited Series and acting nominations for Rockwell, Williams, and Qualley. Williams won the Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series.

Death

On October 18, 2000, Gwen Verdon died in her sleep at age 75 of a heart attack at the home of her daughter, Nicole, in Woodstock, Vermont.[14][15][16] Later that night, at 8 pm, all marquee lights on Broadway were dimmed in a tribute to Verdon.[16]

Work

Stage

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1950	Alive and Kicking	Herself	Musical revue
1953	Can-Can	Claudine/Eve	Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical
1955	Damn Yankees	Lola	Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
1957	New Girl in Town	Anna	Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
1959	Redhead	Essie Whimple	Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
1966	Sweet Charity	Charity Hope Valentine	Nominated – Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
1972	Children! Children!	Helen Giles	Only played one performance (13 previews)
1975	Chicago	Roxie Hart	Nominated – Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1936	The King Steps Out	Specialty Ballerina	Uncredited
1943	Hoosier Holiday	Cheerleader	Uncredited
1945	The Blonde from Brooklyn	Girl in Nightclub	Uncredited
1951	On the Riviera	Specialty Dancer	Uncredited
1951	David and Bathsheba	Specialty Dancer	Uncredited
1951	Meet Me After the Show	Sappho	Uncredited, as a prominent dancer in "No Talent Joe", sung by Betty Grable[17]
1952	Dreamboat	Girl	Uncredited
1952	The Merry Widow	Specialty Can-Can Dancer	Uncredited
1953	The I Don't Care Girl	Specialty Dancer	Uncredited
1953	The Mississippi Gambler	Voodoo Dancer	Uncredited
1953	The Farmer Takes a Wife	Abigail	Uncredited
1955	Gentlemen Marry Brunettes	Specialty Dancer	Uncredited
1958	Damn Yankees	Lola	Nominated—BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Film
1978	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Our Guests at Heartland
1982	Creepshow	Voice of Lenora Castonmeyer	Uncredited
1984	The Cotton Club	Tish Dwyer
1985	Cocoon	Bess McCarthy	Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
1987	Nadine	Vera
1988	Cocoon: The Return	Bess McCarthy Selwyn
1990	Alice	Alice's mother
1994	Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All	Etta Pell, Nursing Home Resident
1996	Marvin's Room	Ruth Wakefield	Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
1999	Walking Across Egypt	Alora
2000	Bruno	Mrs. Drago

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1954	Goodyear Playhouse	Shirley Kochendorfer	Episode: "Native Dancer"
1972	Love, American Style	Estelle Mayberry	Segment: "Love and the New Act"
1973	The $10,000 Pyramid	Celebrity Guest	Week of October 22–26, playing against Godfrey Cambridge[18]
1981	M*A*S*H	Brandy Doyle(USO performer)	Episode: "That's Show Biz"
1982	Fame	Melinda MacNeil	Episode: "Come One, Come All"
1982	All My Children	Judith Kingsley Sawyer	Unknown episodes
1983	Legs	Maureen Comly	Television movie
1984	The Jerk, Too	Bag Lady	Television movie; uncredited
1984	Gimme a Break!	Lily	Episode: "The Center"
1985	Trapper John, M.D.	Ms. Taylor	Episode: "All the King's Horses"
1985	Kids Incorporated	Ruth	Episode: "Grandma, Won't You Dance with Me"
1985–1988	Magnum, P.I.	Katherine Peterson	5 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
1986	The Equalizer	Kelly Sterling	Episode: "Unnatural Causes"
1986	All Is Forgiven	Bonita Harrell	Episode: "I Can't Say No"
1986–1988	Webster	Aunt Charlotte	3 episodes
1987	Hotel	Iris Lloyd	Episode: "Second Thoughts"
1989	Dear John	Yvonne	Episode: "The Second Time Around"
1992	Dream On	Kitty Brewer	Episode: "For Peter's Sake" Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
1993	Homicide: Life on the Street	Jessie Doohen	Episode: "Ghost of a Chance" Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
1993	Key West	Sister Grace	Episode: "Gimme Shelter"
1994	The Cosby Mysteries	Yolanda	2 episodes
1996	In Cold Blood	Sadie Truitt	2 episodes
1997	Touched by an Angel	Lorraine McCully	Episode: "Missing in Action"
1997–1999	Walker, Texas Ranger	Maisie Whitman	2 episodes
1998	Promised Land	Karen Hatcher	Episode: "Undercover Granny"

Music

In 1956, Verdon released an album titled The Girl I Left Home For. The album includes her covers of popular jazz standards of the time.[19]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Notes
1953	Theatre World Awards		Can-Can	Won
1954	Tony Award	Best Featured Actress in a Musical		Won
1956		Best Actress in a Musical	Damn Yankees	Won
1958			New Girl in Town	Won	Tied with co-star Thelma Ritter
1959			Redhead	Won
	BAFTA Awards	Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles	Damn Yankees	Nominated	Titled What Lola Wants in UK
	Grammy Awards	Best Broadway Show Album	Redhead	Won
1966	Tony Awards	Best Actress in a Musical	Sweet Charity	Nominated
	Outer Critics Circle	Outstanding Performance		Won
1976	Tony Award	Best Actress in a Musical	Chicago	Nominated
1988	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series	Magnum, P.I.	Nominated
1993		Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series	Dream On	Nominated
		Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series	Homicide: Life on the Street	Nominated
1997	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role	Marvin's Room	Nominated
		Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture		Nominated

References

1. Pacheco, Patrick (November 3, 2000). "Remembering Gwen Verdon". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
2. "Gwen Verdon profile". filmreference.com. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
3. Birthdata, californiabirthindex.org; accessed June 24, 2015.
4. Miller, Julie (April 24, 2019). "'Fosse/Verdon' Reveals the Sad Secret of Gwen Verdon's First Marriage". Vanity Fair. New York City: Condé Nast. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
5. "Gwen Verdon #5" youtube.com, retrieved June 4, 2019
6. Thulin, Lila. "How Broadway Legends Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon Made Headlines Long Before 'Fosse/Verdon'". Smithsonian. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
7. "2ND Annual Grammy Awards (1959) Redhead" grammy.com, retrieved June 4, 2019
8. "26 Elected to the Theater Hall of Fame." The New York Times, March 3, 1981.
9. Lifetime Honors – National Medal of Arts Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, nea.gov; accessed June 24, 2015.
10. "Scott Brady And Gwen Verdon News Photo" gettyimages.com, January 10, 1955
11. Molotsky, Irvin. "Bob Fosse, Director and Choreographer, Dies" The New York Times, September 24, 1987
12. Cat People, Bill Hayward, introduction by Rogers E. M. Whitaker. New York: Dolphin/Doubleday, 1978 (p. 70)
13. Taylor, Clarke. "Separated but Still Mated Professionally" People, Vol.3, No.4, June 23, 1975
14. Kuchwara, Michael (October 19, 2000). "Gwen Verdon, Broadway's Lola, Sweet Charity and Roxie Hart, dies at 75". Associated Press.
15. Simonson, Robert; Jones, Kenneth (October 18, 2000). "Broadway Musical Legend Gwen Verdon Is Dead at 75". Playbill. New York City: Playbill Inc.
16. Berkvist, Robert (October 19, 2000). "Gwen Verdon, Redhead Who High-Kicked Her Way to Stardom, Dies at 75". The New York Times. New York City: New York Times Company.
17. Meet Me After the Show cast and credits at IMDb
18. " 10,000 Pyramid Gwen Verdon & Godfrey Cambridge, Aired Oct 22, 1973" tv.com, retrieved June 4, 2019
19. " The Girl I Left Home For RCA Victor LPM-1152" discogs.com, retrieved June 4, 2019

External links

• Gwen Verdon at the Internet Broadway Database
• Gwen Verdon on IMDb