Gypsy: Australia

Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne. Opening night was 3 May 1975. (Author's collection)

It was sixteen years before the full production of the Broadway show GYPSY would make its way to the Australian stage.  J. C. Williamson's choreographer and casting director, the legendary Betty Pounder had seen the show on Broadway and fell in love with it and could very much visualise it with an all Australian cast. She approached the head of The Firm, Sir Frank Tait, a couple of years after the original Broadway opening and initially he was very enthusiastic. To the point where the deal was done by The Firm with the American producers and production was given the OK to go ahead. But with his reservations about children in shows and the seedier side of the show, Act Two being largely set in a burlesque house, he thought about it and felt it wasn't quite right for the "family entertainment" reputation that Williamsons had. He was also very concerned about the fact that it was considered very bad luck to do a show which featured backstage scenes. The show was withdrawn from JCW's interests.

There had been a smaller version of the show presented at the famed Menzies Theatre Restaurant in Sydney in 1968, directed by Jon Ewing, with Leslie Baker in the starring role of Rose. This is widely known as the first production of the show, even though it was staged in quite a reduced version. Two much later versions of the show were presented by The Production Company, first in 2000 with Judi Connelli as Rose, directed by Nancye Hayes and choreographed by Jack Webster, and then in 2013 with Caroline O'Connor, as Rose this time, directed by Gale Edwards and choreographed by Andrew Hallsworth.

1973 saw the show premiere on London's West End starring Angela Lansbury as Rose, Barrie Ingham as Herbie and Hollywood actress/dancer Cyd Charisse's niece, Zan Charisse as Louise/Gypsy. The show moved to Broadway the following year, again starring Angela Lansbury and Zan Charisse and was a massive blockbuster at the Box Office. Betty Pounder saw this production as well and was very enthusiastic and once again pushed the Williamson management to consider it, recommending that it would also be a relatively inexpensive production to stage seeing there were really no lavish costumes or elaborate staging. This proved not to be quite that true as, mechanically, it was the biggest show Williamson's had staged, second only to My Fair Lady with its twin revolves. In fact a Melbourne newspaper centre-spread boasted, "GYPSY" It's a $250,000 Musical. It was like watching the final pieces being fitted into a mammoth and expensive jigsaw." Betty Pounder managed to convince company management that the show would be a success and plans went ahead to secure the rights for the show and the production designs.

Robert Randolph's set design for Scene 1, Act 1. Uncle Jocko's Kiddie Show.

Robert Randolph's set design for the "Let Me Entertain You" strip sequence

Sydney great Gloria Dawn won the coveted role of Madam Rose. "She certainly has the pipes for the role", wrote Betty Pounder to JCW management. Gloria was a third generation theatre performer. Her parents being vaudeville and circus performers, William and Zilla Evans, Gloria was a child performer herself and was a natural choice to play Rose. Graham Rouse was cast to play Herbie. Stage and television actor, Graham was often cast as the crook, or dinky-die Aussie bloke. Sue Walker would play Louise who would blossom to become the legendary stripper Gypsy Rose Lee. Pamela Stephenson was Dainty June and the plum role of Tulsa was given to Jack Webster, who had appeared in the chorus of a couple of Williamson musicals. Gypsy would rocket Jack into a number of leading and feature roles in many stage shows to come. Worried that at twenty-eight he was too old for the role, the role having been originated on Broadway by eighteen year old Paul Wallace, Jack was a natural for the part though, with just the right look and dancing style. Jack's Act One solo, "All I Need Is The Girl" would often stop the show. Support roles went to Lynne Porteous as Miss Cratchit in Act One and the wise-cracking stripper Miss Mazeppa in Act Two. Statuesque Narelle Johnson was cast as Tessie Turra the Texas Twirler. Interestingly when Betty Pounder first expressed interest in the show in the early ‘60s, she had pencilled Narelle in for the role of Tessie but she would have to wait about twelve years to finally don her butterfly stripper costume though. Sheryl Sciro played the droll Miss Electra and night after night never failed to get the biggest laughs in the show during her short solo section of the three stripper's song, “You Gotta Get A Gimmick”. Four strategically placed lights on her costume brought the house down at each performance.

Gloria Dawn and choreographer, Betty Pounder pose in the Dress Circle Foyer of Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne on the day of the cast first read-through.

Author's collection

Jack Webster as Tulsa, "All I Need Is The Girl"

Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre, Melbourne.

Lynne Porteous as Mazeppa, Narelle Johnson as Tessie Turra and Sheryl Sciro as Miss Electra, "You Gotta Get A Gimmick"

Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre, Melbourne.

Narelle Johnson as Tessie Turra

Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre, Melbourne.

Gloria Dawn's daughter, Donna Lee, played Agnes, JCW veteran actors, Clive Hearn and Ted Ashton were there in support roles, with Clive understudying Herbie, and Wayne Harrison, Colin Drake, Tom De Ville and Edwin Duryea completed the principal players. Lesley Baker was brought in as Stand-By for Gloria Dawn, having already played the part of Rose at Menzies in Sydney, but being unable to travel with the show, Shirley Broadway came in as the cover for the Adelaide season and the early part of the Sydney leg. It's interesting to note that Shirley was also Gloria Dawn's understudy in the musical, The Sentimental Bloke in the early ‘60s, also with the name of Rose!

The children, three Baby Junes, three Baby Louises, three Balloon Girls and nine Newsboys, were selected from the May Downs School of Dancing and the Thelma Williams School of Dancing in Melbourne. Lisa Bowie, one of the Baby Junes recalls:

I wasn't originally to go on for opening night but, for whatever reason, I did the Thursday night preview and was told I would also be doing opening night on the Saturday evening. During that preview my tap shoe flew off and landed in the orchestra pit. I remember my mother saying she nearly died right there in the audience and she thought, "What IS she going to do?" Me, being me, I just stopped and asked "Mister Conductor! Could I please have my shoe?" He kindly returned it and I continued with the show. Opening night and we were allowed to stay for the whole show that night and were included in the curtain calls at the end which, to the junior cast, was so amazing. I remember coming out of the theatre to meet my family who were so proud and the amount of autographs I was asked to sign, and all the flowers I was given. It was so exciting and something every little dancing girl dreams of. I was fortunate to live this dream.

Lisa Bowie as Baby June, Dana Jolley as Baby Louise, Tom de Ville as Uncle Jocko and Edwin Duryea as Georgie. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre, Melbourne.

Barrie Ingham, who had played Herbie opposite Angela Lansbury in the London production, was brought in as the show's Director. A natural choice, or so JCW management thought, but the problem was Barrie was really only familiar with the scenes he was directly involved with in the London production and the cast grew frustrated with "Angela moved down here on this line and did this." When the cast asked for motivation or help with their character, there was little backup as to what the motivation of the movements and emotions were, or the character's journeys, and things got a little agitated. When he left to go back to England, Betty Pounder stepped in and did some reblocking and the cast was happy.

Betty was in charge of the choreography, reproducing the original Jerome Robbins’ Broadway choreography and making some slight changes along the way as well. As usual, Betty not only handled the choreography, but was there for absolutely every aspect of the production, checking costume details and making some changes, and checking the scenery and lighting. Nothing escaped her eye.

Dale Ringland was Musical Director and John Robertson was Executive Production Director. I'd like to mention how very lucky I was one day having arrived at The Maj quite early, and how I was able to listen to the JCW Melbourne orchestra going through the Overture for the first time under Dale's direction in the Dress Circle Foyer. It was quite an experience.

Lynne Porteous recalled how very patient and kind Dale Ringland was during early rehearsals when, as Mazeppa, it was hoped Lynne would play the bugle herself, rather than have the pit trumpeter play it. Try as she would, Lynne just couldn't get the bugle call out. Dale suggested she try it on an actual trumpet and that seemed to do the trick. The trumpetting came quite easily and when she switched back to the bugle, all was right with the world and she never cracked during a performance.

In the Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide children's cast lists, a number of them went on to have very successful careers. Dana Jolly went on to have a career as a choreographer, Marianne Howard would go on to have a successful career as an actress, Wayne Scott Kermond would go on to a lifetime of major stage roles in musicals, showcasing his dancing skills.

The first cast meeting and read through of the script was held in the Dress Circle Foyer at Her Majesty's on Monday the 7th of April. At the front of the circle sat Betty Pounder, next our Director, Barrie Ingham, Musical Director Dale Ringland, Gail Esler, who was Stage Manager, Simon Whyte, our Assistant Stage Manager, Laurel Veitch, who acted as Assistant to Miss Pounder, then John Robertson, the company Executive Production Director, and Sue Nattrass, his assistant, completed the circle. To one side of the circle sat JCW accompanist and pit pianist, Kath McGrath at a small upright piano. As we read through the script for the first time, Kath would sing sixteen or so bars of each song as they came along.

As I looked around I recognised a number of faces I had seen in previous Williamson shows, or in programmes from shows before my theatre going time; Lesley Baker, Wayne Harrison, Jack Webster, Kerryn Henderson, and faces I knew from television dramas, Graham Rouse and Pamela Stephenson. A number of faces and names would be ones I would find over and over again through my work as an historian; Ted Ashton, Clive Hearne, Narelle Johnson, Lynne Porteous, Donna Lee, Sue Walker and my Farmboy partner in the Melbourne season, Frank Howson. From that first read-through, it would be four weeks until the opening night on May 3 with one dress/tech rehearsal on the Tuesday night before and three public previews on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night prior. Three and a half weeks from the first read-through to the dress rehearsal.

Some changes had been made to the musical score for the 1973 London production, notably a small section of dance music, quick-step, tango and waltz, in the “You'll Never Get Away From Me”. A second dance break, drum solo really, was added for Angela Lansbury in the Act Two number, “Together”, and finally the introduction to the “Let Me Entertain You” strip section. What was originally simply three drum-rolls to show Louise standing with her back to the audience, transitioning to facing the audience, was now a fast, loud, brassy burlesque style fanfare. The startling music came in suddenly on a blackout and moments later full stage lights came up on Sue Walker standing on a false stage with light-bulbs around two cut-out sections for the catwalk, backed by gold fringed, red velvet curtains and velvet swags hanging from a massive gold false proscenium. As the burlesque piano played, the entire false stage and proscenium moved downstage, more often than not getting applause from the audience at the spectacular sight. (On the rare occasion this didn't get applause, we always wondered what the audience's problem was!) When the false stage hit the front of the theatre's stage, the whole thing continued to travel forward over the orchestra pit, the orchestra becoming the burlesque house orchestra and Dale Ringland becoming the burlesque house conductor. So startling and jaw-dropping was the sight of this image that Dale was so mesmerised that he forgot to duck during a Dress Rehearsal and the stage hit him on the front of his head; poor Dale having to conduct the rest of the show with blood running down his forehead. This happened twice.

Sue Walker performing the "Let Me Entertain You" strip sequence

From timid Louise to the confident Gypsy Rose Lee.

It was only a couple of months into the Melbourne leg of the show that Gloria Dawn was diagnosed with cancer. Shock waves went through the cast and I remember a company meeting being held on the stage of The Maj where the news was broken to us. Lesley Baker went on for a few weeks while Gloria recovered from an operation. At the same time that Gloria was off and Lesley went on, Sue Walker came down with laryngitis and also had time off, with the role of Gypsy being covered by Kerryn Henderson. Being extremely "old-school" Gloria insisted on going back into the show as quickly as she could, as "The show must go on". Sadly she came back in way too soon after her surgery and the incredibly rigorous role of Rose was too much for her. When she was due to come back into the show, a second cast meeting was held on the stage and we were told to keep an eye on her and that her doctor had told her not to tire herself out or put too much into her numbers. Gloria, again being super old-school, had no concept of that and her songs were taken as the same full force when she came back as they were before she went into hospital. It was incredibly difficult seeing her doubled over in pain in the wings and straightening up and running back onto the stage when her cues came. The strain of eight performances a week became too much for her and Toni Lamond came in, went into quick rehearsals and she and Gloria alternated the part to give Gloria a break from the eight shows a week that she was insisting on doing.

Ultimately the whole show became too much for Gloria and she collapsed in her dressing room after the show one night during the Sydney leg and Toni continued the role of Rose on her own; Toni being full of praise for how incredibly brave Gloria was and how she gave her all on her last performance.

Kevin Coxhead, Jack Webster as Tulsa, Toni Lamond as Rose and Peter Vaughan and Scott Edwards in the "Broadway, Broadway" number. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre, Melbourne.

Our wonderful Gypsy Rose Lee/Louise, Sue Walker, remembers how very tight she and Gloria and Graham Rouse were and how devastating it was when Gloria had to pull out of the show, although she was pleased to be working on stage with Toni Lamond once again. She was so pleased that, after Gypsy closed, she got to work with Gloria again on the play "Mo" at Nimrod. She also remembers coaching Graham with his dance steps in the "Together" number and the fun they had, and the rather humorous situation we all had to put up with with the two Teddys, who played the front and rear end of the cow. Not a marriage made in heaven. Particularly after one night when there was a somewhat unfortunate accident inside the cow suit. I think that was the final straw! Sue also recalls teaching herself to produce tears on demand each night during "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "Little Lamb" and for her entrance following Gloria and Toni's monumental deliveries of "Rose's Turn".

The opening night of Gypsy in Melbourne at Her Majesty's Theatre is still talked about as one of the crowning achievements in Gloria Dawn's theatrical career and the ovation she received at the end of her performance of "Rose's Turn" is legendary. Both Gloria and Toni Lamond were formidable and sensational Roses. Both very different, but both giving unforgettable performances which are still remembered today. Gloria's life was cut short on April 2, 1978 at the age of just forty-nine.

The Melbourne theatre programme featuring Gloria Dawn may be viewed at http://digital.theatreheritage.org.au/?r=573

and that for Toni Lamond may be viewed at https://digital.theatreheritage.org.au/?r=574

Australian tour venues and opening dates:

Melbourne, Her Majesty's Theatre. May 3, 1975.
Adelaide, Her Majesty's Theatre, September 6, 1975.
Sydney, Her Majesty's Theatre, October, 11, 1975.

Gloria Dawn, Pamela Stephenson, Sue Walker and boys in the Hotel Rooms, Akron scene. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre, Melbourne.

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Gypsy And Me.

A personal recollection by Kevin Coxhead

I only did one show for J.C. Williamson's. But it was my dream show. I came in just one year before JCW in its original form closed its doors in 1976.

My introduction to GYPSY came one night in 1973 when I saw the Rosalind Russell movie version for the first time. Absolutely everything about the movie captivated me from the first blast of the Overture. Imagine being in THAT show! Imagine doing THAT number! Imagine wearing THAT costume! A dream show.

One of my passions was reading the programmes of JCW shows I had seen and also those that I found one day in an old house. I loved my little collection of programmes and knew the names of the casts, Directors, designers, etc. off by heart.

One day I plucked up the courage to write to The Firm's resident Choreographer and Casting Director, Betty Pounder, to ask how one gets an audition for upcoming shows. I received a letter from Miss Pounder, dated July 11, 1974 and in it she described the audition process and said she would add my name to the list for upcoming auditions that she felt I might be suitable for.

I really thought nothing more of it until I was at work one day and my mother called me, telling me a telegram had arrived, asking if she should open it. It read: "Please ring Miss Pounder on 6633211." With trembling hands I called her. Betty Pounder! She told me Williamson's was about to produce Gypsy and she would like me to go in for an audition! THAT show! THAT number and THAT costume. This was Wednesday the 26th of March, 1975 and my audition was to be on the upcoming Saturday the 29th. And so my parents drove me into town and I walked through the hallowed Stage Door at The Maj for the first time. The attendant let Miss Pounder know I had arrived and moments later she came around the corner from her office. I remember telling her how very nervous I was and her response was, "Oh, don't be nervous, darling! We're all friends here." And she was right. We went through the double swinging doors and onto the stage which was still set with the Act Two Astoria Rooftop setting from Irene from the previous night. It was an odd feeling standing on the stage of Her Majesty's from that side. The stage I had looked upon a number of times since the 1970 revival of My Fair Lady. And an odd but exciting sight to see the theatre from THIS side. I had a private audition without an accompanist. I did my dance that I had quickly put together a couple of days earlier and sang through a chorus of "What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For?" from Irene. "Sing it through again but stand still and don't jig about". She then asked me to get my parents and to come to her office.

And so there we sat in Betty's wonderful little office with the John Truscott set design for Jazz Spectrum, the ballet she choreographed for The Australian Ballet in 1964, on the wall and various opening night gifts from the casts of different shows on her desk. She told my parents that she liked my dancing and that I had a good singing voice and she would like me to be part of the cast of Gypsy, and that I would be well looked after and treated as part of the family. Four dreams just came true! I danced on the stage of Her Majesty's Theatre, I was now working for JCW, I was about to be part of the show Gypsy, and I would work under the direction of Betty Pounder! Rehearsals would begin on Monday the seventh of April.

Dance rehearsals were held in a room above the old scenic workshops behind the theatre on Cohan Place, up a very rickety, wooden staircase. The hallowed Sunroom, freezing in Winter and boiling hot in Summer, it had ballet barres around the walls and a series of old mirrors and cracked fireplace over-mantle mirrors in chipped gold frames in front. A small, beaten up upright piano was in one corner. We six Farmboys, including Jack Webster who was to play Tulsa, soon got to know each other and were later joined by Pamela Stephenson, who would play Dainty June, and Ted Ashton and Edwin Dureya, who danced the part of Caroline the cow. I knew Pamela from her television appearances and we soon became friends. She would go on to a very successful television career as a comedienne in the UK with such shows as Not The Nine O'Clock News and movies which included Mel Brooks' The History of the World Part One. She would also play the role of Mabel in the highly successful modern adaptation of the Gilbert and Sullivan production of The Pirates of Penzance. She would marry the comedian and actor Billy Connolly and gave up her performing career to become a psychologist.

Pamela Stephenson as Dainty June and Teddy Ashton and Edwin Duryea in the cow suit! Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre, Melbourne.

Me being me, I also enjoyed snooping around backstage and through rubbish bins, salvaging original screen printed show advertisements for a number of JCW shows going back to the original production of Annie Get Your Gun and My Fair Lady, which were being thrown out. This new world also knocked the shyness out of me with multiple wardrobe fittings as well as trips to Martin's Ballet Boutique for dance shoes

A wonderful, wonderful time doing the show and completing seasons in Melbourne and Adelaide and Sydney with never a performance off. The closing night in Sydney was devastating for me and everything I did backstage and onstage, I realised I would never do again. "This is the last time I'll ever put this on" or "I'll never do this step again". By the time I had walked around all of the dressing-rooms for the last time, I was a mess. Particularly with friend Pamela Stephenson and the three strippers, Narelle Johnson who played Tessie Turra, Lynne Porteous who played Mazeppa and Miss Cratchitt in the Granzinger audition scene with me, and Sheryl Sciro who was Miss Electra. I remember Lynne saying, "It's never really good-bye in this business!" And she was right. She and Narelle, and a few others in the cast have certainly kept in touch these fifty years.

Sue Walker, Pamela Stephenson, Graham Rouse, Gloria Dawn and Lynne Porteous. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre, Melbourne.

I was unemployed for one year when the show closed and really had to make the decision whether to keep going with my performing dreams or not. I got work playing the piano for various dancing and ballet schools in Melbourne and found the steady work and steady money to be the more sensible reaction. Williamson's closed in 1976 with The Wiz being their final show after Gypsy, and I felt content in the knowledge that I was part of The Firm, even in that one show. I later went on to become Lead Set Dresser on the television series Neighbours, and then started my own interior design business which I ran for almost thirty years. Retirement sees me working as a theatre archivist, which I love!

Let's do a big jump forward by thirty-eight years now. That's a big jump. I was chatting with fellow former JCW dancer Joanne Adderley about the old days and we said what a great pity it was that there was really nothing to honour Betty Pounder or those wonderful, irreplaceable days of J. C. Williamson. I decided to try and start up a little Facebook group to honour her and the old days and within days the membership was growing. From that moment on Betty Pounder has handed me gifts. One year later I produced and hosted a big tribute to her in the Dress Circle Foyer of Her Majesty's Theatre with over 140 guests. The creme de la creme of the old JCW days. Performers going back to the 1940s until the final year, 1976, were there. Chorus dancers, singers, leading ladies and gentlemen all gathered to pay tribute to Betty Pounder. Our leader, mentor, inspiration and, to many, friend. Guest performers sang songs from the old shows, speeches and reminiscences were given and I organised a fashion parade of costumes from a number of productions as well as the screening of Betty's episode of This Is Your Life in 1980. It was a huge honour for me to produce and host the event and, to be honest with you, for that one night I felt like the King of Her Majesty's. Unforgettable as I remember eighteen year old Kevin nervously walking through the Stage Door for that first time in March of 1975.

Gloria Dawn performing "Some People"

Gloria's costume which is now part of the author's restored collection.

So many truly incredible experiences have been given to me since starting the group, all of which I feel are gifts from Betty. The wonderful, wonderful friendships I've made, the chance to collect and restore vintage JCW costumes, the 4 month exhibition of twenty-four of them at JCW Managing Director Sir George Tallis' wonderful home, Beleura in Mornington, which is now open to the public, and the many events I've hosted there and friends I've made there; loaning my original and restored 1959 My Fair Lady costumes to Opera Australia and John Frost for the 2016-2017 anniversary recreation revival, which were displayed at the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne's Regent Theatre and QPAC and being able to attend the opening nights; being asked to be on the Committee of Theatre Heritage Australia and the wonderful opportunities they continue to give me. At the time of writing this article I'm working on an exhibition of original 1895 costume designs from the JCW mega-pantomime, Djin Djin, which includes replicating three of the costumes. This will be held at Beleura early next year. I could go on and on, but each and every event, encounter and opportunity that is given to me, always feels like J. C. Williamson's is alive again and always feels like a gift directly from Betty Pounder herself.

Yes, I was only in one show for Williamson's but WOW… what a journey that one show has taken me on. I do hope it will go on forever!

"Some People" sung by Gloria Dawn

 "Small World" sung by Gloria Dawn & Graham Rouse

"You'll Never Get Away From Me" sung by Gloria Dawn & Graham Rouse

"Everything's Coming Up Roses" sung by Gloria Dawn