Today, January 13, is the birthday of Gwen Verdon, an actress and dancer, one of the greats of Broadway.
I never actually saw her perform but I bought every vinyl LP of the shows she was in; her most famous, of course, was as Lola in Damn Yankees. But of all of them, my favorite was her show New Girl in Town.
New Girl in Town is a musical that opened on May 14, 1957. It is based upon the Eugene O'Neill play, Anna Christie, the story of Anna (Gwen Verdon), an ex-street walker who has returned home to her Swedish father, Chris Christopherson (Cameron Prud'homme), a retired sailor who knows nothing of her past with she, determined to forget it.
In addition to Gwen Verdon, veteran Broadway and film actress, Thelma Ritter was her co-star. Ritter was the recipient of a Tony Award and six nominations for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, more than any other actress in the category.
detail photo by Styrous®
photographer unknown
The
basic story line is Anna (Gwen Verdon) is trying to live down her past and find love
with a young sailor, Mat Burke (George Wallace), but Marthy (Thelma Ritter), the jealous common law wife of Christopherson, tries to prevent her
from accomplishing that (plot link below).
Gwen Verdon as Anna - 1957
photographer unknown
There
are some great songs in the production; as with most musicals of that
period the songs range from the raucous to the romantic. The music and
lyrics are by Bob Merrill who went on to work on many other shows: Take Me Along with Jackie Gleason in 1959, Carnival! which is is based on the 1953 film Lili and starred Anna Maria Alberghetti, Funny Girl with Barbra Streisand and many other shows.
detail photo by Styrous®
The show takes place on the docks of the New York City waterfront at the beginning of the twentieth century and the music brilliantly reflects the time and local. The song, The Sunshine Girl (not to be confused by the 1968 song of the same name by Herman's Hermits), is a ragtime cakewalk complete with banjo and some great harmonizing by a quartet of men.
Gwen Verdon center
photographer unknown
detail photo by Styrous®
In the lovely vein there is a beautiful paean of the love only a father can have for his daughter; Anna Lilla, is sung by Anna's father, Cameron Prud'homme, when she first returns home..
photographer unknown
photo by Styrous®
In the romantic vein are plenty of tunes; there is the beautiful, Did You Close Your Eyes?, sung by Gwen Verdon and George Wallace; It's Good To Be Alive sung by Verdon and Look At 'Er sung by Wallace.
detail photo by Styrous®
Of course there has to be the broken heart song or two; it has that If That Was Love, sung by Verdon, is a reflection on the disappointment of a love gone sour.
-detail photo by Styrous®
There has to be a fun song; there are several. The song, Flings, sung by Lulu Bates, Mara Landi and Thelma Ritter is one. "Flings is wonderful things but they've gotta be flung while young." Carol Burnett and Martha Raye did a cover of the song.
detail photo by Styrous®
Gwen Verdon was born in Culver City, California,
in 1925. As a toddler, she had 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. Her mother put the
three-year-old in dance classes. Further ballet training strengthened
her legs and improved her carriage.
detail photo by Styrous®
Gwen Verdon was married to Broadway theater choreographer Bob Fosse, whom she met in 1963 while he was choreographing Damn Yankees, in which she starred.
Bob Fosse & Gwen Verdon - 1963
photographer unknown
Tracklist:
Side 1:
Side 1:
A1 – Orchestra* - Overture
A2 – H. F. Green And Chorus* - Roll Yer Socks Up
A3 – Cameron Prud'homme - Anna Lilla
A4 – Del Anderson, Eddie Phillips (2), Mark Dawson (6) - Sunshine Girl
A5 – Gwen Verdon - On The Farm
A6 – Thelma Ritter, Lulu Bates, Mara Landi - Flings
A7 – Gwen Verdon - It's Good To Be Alive
A8 – George Wallace* - Look At 'Er
A9 – George Wallace* - It's Good To Be Alive (Reprise)
A2 – H. F. Green And Chorus* - Roll Yer Socks Up
A3 – Cameron Prud'homme - Anna Lilla
A4 – Del Anderson, Eddie Phillips (2), Mark Dawson (6) - Sunshine Girl
A5 – Gwen Verdon - On The Farm
A6 – Thelma Ritter, Lulu Bates, Mara Landi - Flings
A7 – Gwen Verdon - It's Good To Be Alive
A8 – George Wallace* - Look At 'Er
A9 – George Wallace* - It's Good To Be Alive (Reprise)
Side 2:
B1 – Thelma Ritter, Cameron Prud'homme - Yer My Friend Ain'tcha?
B2 – Gwen Verdon, George Wallace* - Did You Close Your Eyes?
B3 – Chorus* - At The Check Apron Ball
B4 – Chorus* - There Ain't No Flies On Me
B5 – Gwen Verdon, Cameron Prud'homme And Chorus* - Ven I Valse
B6 – Chorus* - Sunshine Girl (Reprise)
B7 – Gwen Verdon - If That Was Love
B8 – Thelma Ritter And Chorus* - Chess And Checkers
B9 – George Wallace* - Look At 'Er (Reprise)
Companies, etc.
Copyright (c) – RCA
Copyright (c) – Radio Corporation Of America
Pressed By – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Indianapolis
Credits:
Adapted By (Text) [Book By] – George Abbott
Arranged By [Dance Music Devised By] – Roger Adams
Choreography [Dances & Musical Numbers Staged By] – Bob Fosse
Cover – Oscar Liebman
Directed By [Production] – George Abbott
Liner Notes – Douglas Watt
Music By, Lyrics By – Bob Merrill
Music Consultant [Dance Music Devised By] – Roger Adams
Music Director [Musical Direction] – Hal Hastings*
Orchestrated By [Orchestrations By] – Philip J. Lang, Robert Russell Bennett
Presenter – Frederick Brisson, Harold S. Prince*, Robert E. Griffith
Set Designer [Production Designed By] – Rouben Ter-Arutunian
Text By [Based On The Play "Anna Christie" By] – Eugene O'Neill
Notes:
Stereo-Orthophonic High Fidelity Recording
Living Stereo
Made in U.S.A.
Front cover: © RCA Printed in U.S.A.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Label side A): J2PY-2227
Matrix / Runout (Label side B): J2PY-2228
Matrix / Runout (Runout stamped side A): J2 PY-2227-5S I A 1
Matrix / Runout (Runout stamped side B): J2 PY-2228-5S I
Gwen Verdon, Thelma Ritter – New Girl In Town (Original Cast Recording)
Label: RCA Victor – LSO-1027
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Indianapolis Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1958
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Musical
Label: RCA Victor – LSO-1027
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Indianapolis Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1958
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Musical
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
Alchetron ~ Gwen Verdon
Cast Albums ~ New Girl in Town > Original Broadway Cast
Mark Robinson Writes ~ Broadway Blip: New Girl in Town
Masterworks Broadway ~ Synopsis
YouTube links:
New Girl In Town ~
Gwen Verdon ~ On the Farm
Gwen Verdon ~ It's Good To Be Alive
George Wallace ~ Look at 'Er
Thelma Ritter & Cameron Prud'homme ~ Yer My Friend Ain'tcha?
Ensemble ~ There Ain't No Flies on Me
Thelma Ritter ~ Chess and Checker s
Carol Burnett & Martha Raye ~ Flings
Eddie Fisher ~ Sunshine Girl
Herman's Hermits ~ Sunshine Girl
Bob Merrill ~ New Girl in Town documentary
42nd Street Moon ~ New Girl In Town
