Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon 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 from the 1950s-70s. 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.
Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon 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 from the 1950s-70s. 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.
By the time she was six, she was already dancing on stage. She went on to study multiple dance forms, ranging from tap, jazz, ballroom and flamenco to Balinese. In 1942, Verdon’s parents asked her to marry family friend and tabloid reporter James Henaghan after he got her pregnant at 17, and she quit her dancing career to raise their child. After her divorce, she entrusted her son Jimmy to the care of her parents. Early on, Verdon found a job as assistant to choreographer Jack Cole. 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, and Lana Turner. Verdon started out on Broadway as a "gypsy," going from one chorus line to another. Her breakthrough role finally came as second female lead in Cole Porter's musical Can-Can. Verdon's biggest success was George Abbott's Damn Yankees. Verdon won another Tony and went to Hollywood to repeat her role in the 1958 movie version Damn Yankees. Verdon won another Tony for her performance in the musical, New Girl in Town, and won her fourth Tony for Redhead. Verdon and Fosse continued to collaborate on projects such as musicals Chicago and Dancin', as well as All That Jazz. After originating the role of Roxie opposite Chita Rivera's Velma Kelly in Chicago, Verdon focused on film acting, playing character roles in movies such as The Cotton Club, Cocoon and its sequel. She continued to teach dance and musical theater and to act. She received three Emmy Award nominations for appearances on Magnum, P.I., Dream On, and Homicide: Life on the Street. Verdon appeared in Alice and Marvin's Room). In 1999, Verdon served as artistic consultant on a Broadway musical designed to showcase examples of classic Fosse choreography, called Fosse. which won a Tony Award for best musical.
Verdon appeared in the movie Walking Across Egypt, as well as Bruno. Verdon received a total of four Tonys, for best featured actress for Can-Can and best leading actress for Damn Yankees, New Girl in Town, and Redhead. She also won a Grammy Award for the cast recording of Redhead.
Verdon was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1981, and in 1998, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0893862
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q508843
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Filmography (Movies)
Merely Marvelous: The Dancing Genius of Gwen Verdon
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:03/08/2019
Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:06/11/2015
Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards
Character:Lola (segment "Damn Yankees") (archive footage)
Release Date:07/08/2005
Broadway's Lost Treasures
Character:Roxie Hart (segment "Chicago")
Release Date:10/08/2003
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
Character:Self
Release Date:03/04/2003
Bruno
Character:Mrs. Drago
Release Date:16/04/2000
Walking Across Egypt
Character:Alora
Release Date:01/01/1999
Best Friends for Life
Character:Edith Cooper
Release Date:18/01/1998
The Music of Kander & Ebb: Razzle Dazzle
Character:Self
Release Date:03/12/1997
Marvin's Room
Character:Ruth Wakefield
Release Date:18/12/1996
Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All
Character:Etta Pell
Release Date:01/05/1994
Alice
Character:Alice's Mother
Release Date:25/12/1990
Sanford Meisner: The American Theatre's Best Kept Secret
Character:Self
Release Date:27/08/1990
Bob Fosse: Steam Heat
Character:Herself - Narrator
Release Date:23/02/1990
Cocoon: The Return
Character:Bess McCarthy
Release Date:13/09/1988
Nadine
Character:Vera
Release Date:07/08/1987
Cocoon
Character:Bess McCarthy
Release Date:21/06/1985
Night of 100 Stars II
Character:Self
Release Date:10/03/1985
That's Dancing!
Character:Lola (archive footage)
Release Date:18/01/1985
The Cotton Club
Character:Tish Dwyer
Release Date:14/12/1984
The Jerk, Too
Character:Bag Lady (uncredited)
Release Date:06/01/1984
American Dance Machine Presents a Celebration of Broadway Dance
Character:Herself - Host
Release Date:23/06/1983
Legs
Character:Maureen Comly
Release Date:02/05/1983
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Character:Our Guests at Heartland
Release Date:21/07/1978
That's Entertainment, Part II
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:16/05/1976
The Deadly Visitor
Character:Mrs. Moffat
Release Date:03/07/1973
Liza with a Z
Character:Self - Audience Member (uncredited)
Release Date:10/09/1972
Damn Yankees
Character:Lola
Release Date:26/09/1958
Gentlemen Marry Brunettes
Character:Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Release Date:29/10/1955
The Farmer Takes a Wife
Character:Abigail (uncredited)
Release Date:12/06/1953
The Mississippi Gambler
Character:Voodoo Chicken Dancer (uncredited)
Release Date:29/01/1953
The I Don't Care Girl
Character:Specialty Dancer
Release Date:14/01/1953
The Merry Widow
Character:Specialty Can-Can Dancer (uncredited)
Release Date:05/09/1952
Dreamboat
Character:Girl in Commercial (uncredited)
Release Date:26/07/1952
Meet Me After the Show
Character:Gwen Verdon / Sappho, Dancer in No Talent Joe (uncredited)
Release Date:15/08/1951
David and Bathsheba
Character:Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Release Date:10/08/1951
On the Riviera
Character:Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Release Date:20/04/1951
Blonde from Brooklyn
Character:Girl in Nightclub (uncredited)
Release Date:21/06/1945
Hoosier Holiday
Character:Cheerleader
Release Date:13/09/1943
The King Steps Out
Character:Specialty Ballerina (uncredited)
Release Date:27/05/1936
Television Appearances
In Cold Blood
Character:Sadie Truitt
Touched by an Angel
Character:Lorraine McCully
Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All
Character:Etta Pell
Walker, Texas Ranger
Character:Maisie Whitman
Homicide: Life on the Street
Character:Jessie Doohen
Dream On
Character:Kitty Brewer
Dear John
Character:Yvonne
All is Forgiven
Character:Bonita Harrell
The Equalizer
Character:Kelly Sterling
Hotel
Character:
Fame
Character:
Magnum, P.I.
Character:Katherine Peterson
M*A*S*H
Character:Brandy Doyle
The Don Knotts Show
Character:Self
The Dick Cavett Show
Character:Self - Guest
The Carol Burnett Show
Character:Self - Guest
The Danny Kaye Show
Character:Self
The Merv Griffin Show
Character:Self
The Mike Douglas Show
Character:Self - Co-Host
The Mike Douglas Show
Character:Self
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Character:Self
Tony Awards
Character:Self - Presenter
Tony Awards
Character:Self - Performer
Tony Awards
Character:Self - Winner
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Character:Self
What's My Line?
Character:Self - Mystery Guest
The Ed Sullivan Show
Character:Self
Images
