Chicago & Company

Louise Gold appeared in this double bill gala for World Aids Day, at The Victoria Palace, on Sunday 2 December 1990

 The show was a World Aids Day gala production fundraising event for Crusaid, presenting a double of two classic musicals, Chicago and Company. The production was dedicated (by David Kernan) to the memory of Jill Bennett.

 

Cast

Chicago

Narrator – Jack Tinker

Velma Kelly – Josephine Blake

Roxie Hart – Diane Langton

Amos Hart – Teddy Kempner

Liz – Louise Gold

Annie – Gaye Brown

June – Toni Palmer

Hunyak – Lesley Joseph

Mona – Barbara Young

Matron – Pam St Clement

Billy Fly – Dave Willets

Mary Sunshine – J. Gavin

The Boys – Gary Forecast, Stephen Grant, Neil Reinolds, and, Tim Wilkins

Chorus – The Stephen Hill Singers

 

Company

Narrator – Ned Sherrin

Robert – Nicolas Colicos

Joanne – Angela Richards

Harry – John Barrowman

David – David Malek

Larry – Glyn Kerslake

Marta – Maria Friedman

Amy./Kathy – Susannah Fellows

April – Liz Robertson

The Stephen Hill Singers: Jae Alexander, Michael Cahill, Mary Carewe, Derek Chessor, Adrian Clance, Linda Depauw, Jean Gilbert, Jim Graeme, Stephen Hill, Samantha Shaw, Anne Skates, Taffy Taylor, Jo Thompson, David Urwin, Feliz Watts, and, Philip Wrigley

 

Production Team

Presented by - West End Cares

Producer – David Kernan

Directed by – David Kernan & Max Jacobson-Gonzalez

Music (Chicago) – John Kander

Lyrics (Chicago) – Fred Ebb

Music & Lyrics (Company) – Stephen Sondheim

Staged by – Lindsay Dolan, Jeff Thacker & Maurice Lane

Orchestra Conducted by – Jae Alexander, Jason Carr & Michael Haslam

Keyboard players – Stewart Pedlar and Colin Freeman

Production Supervisor – Bob West

Wardrobe Consultant – Robert Gordon

Hair – Simon Thompson

Make-Up – Nosh

Sound – Alpha Audio

Lighting – David Leach

 

Louise Gold’s character Liz in Chicago was one of “the merry murderesses”. Liz is the one who’s husband, Bernie, was always chewing gum, “no, not chewing, popping”, she got really irritated by this, so, as it says in the song, she “fired two warning shots, into his head”.

Most of the performers taking part in this concert version of Chicago (in fact everyone except Diane Langton and Dave Willets) went on to play the same roles in the Chicago part of the concert Broadway To Brighton which David Kernan also produced and Maxillian Jacobson-Gonzalez also directed. Many of The Stephen Hill Singers (the exceptions being: Adrian Clance, Linda Depauw, Jean Gilbert, Samantha Shaw, Taffy Taylor, Jo Thompson, Feliz Watts and Philip Wrigley) also took part in the later show. Susannah Fellows, Ned Sherrin, Jason Carr, and Stewart Pedlar were also involved in the later concert.

It is established that all the principals credited in the programme, with one exception, definitely appeared. The only one it is not entirely clear about is Teddy Kempner. According to the review in The Stage, Marti Caine also appeared in the show, and seems to have been sharing the role of Mamma Morton with Pam St Clement. This review also says that someone called Jenny Wren took the part of Jenny in Company (though her name does not appear in the programme). It is also established that Jason Carr and Michael Haslem were conducting the orchestra (one for each show) while Jae Alexander conducted the chorus singers.

Diane Langton went on to appear in a West End revival of Chicago, but playing the Matron rather than Roxie.

Liz Robertson went on to sing April’s Barcelona number from Company in a revival of Side By Side By Sondheim, she has also appeared in Happily Ever After.

Maria Friedman, Angela Richards and The Stephen Hill Singers went on to sing Sondheim in Sondheim At The Barbican where Angela Richards sang The Ladies Who Lunch.

Angela Richards also went on to sing The Ladies Who Lunch in the Side By Side By Sondheim 25th Anniversary Gala.

David Kernan, Ned Sherrin, Jack Tinker, Louise Gold, Gaye Brown, Lesley Joseph, Lynda Baron, and Josephine Blake, Maria Friedman, Pam St Clemant, Barbara Young, Craig Horwood, Marti Caine, and The Stephen Hill Singers and Stephen Grant went on to work on Kids At Heart.

Teddy Kempner and, Louise Gold had previously appeared together in Angry Housewives, which Maurice Lane choreographed (and in which Diane Langton had originally been scheduled to appear in)

Teddy Kempner, and, Louise Gold went on to appear in The Lost Musicals productions of One Touch Of Venus (1992) and Something For The Boys.

Glyn Kerslake, Ned Sherrin, Lindsay Dolan, and, Jenny Wren had previously worked on Metropolitan Mikado

Ned Sherrin, Gaye Brown, and, Glyn Kerslake had previously appeared in Ratepayers' Iolanthe & Metropolitan Mikado for which Lindsay Dolan also did choreography.

From the Company cast Maria Friedman and Philip Wrigley went on to appear together in Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along (Stage Production) and on the Merrily We Roll Along (Recording).

Maria Friedman, Louise Gold, Nicolas Colicos, and Samantha Shaw went on to appear on a recording of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s: Cabaret

Diane Langton’s recording credits include: Cole Porter - Night And Day and Defiant Dames

Liz Robertson’s recording credits include: Cole Porter - Night And Day and Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It (Recording) , she went on to appear in Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It, Regents Park 70th Anniversary Gala, and, A Celebration Of The Life And Work Of Dick Vosburgh and to organise Shopping With The Stars 2008.

John Barrowman, Josephine Blake and Maria Friedman’s recording credits include The History Of The Musical

Maria Friedman also appeared in A Time To Start Living

Ned Sherrin had previously written material for the stage show Ziegfeld and it’s album Ziegfeld (recording). He also featured on Ned Sherrin’s Review Of Revue.

David Kernan’s recording credits include: Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It (Recording)

Keyboard player Stuart Pedlar was also a pianist on Side By Side By Sondehim 25th Anniversary gala.

Director and Producer David Kernan went on to direct Louise Gold and Liz Robertson in: Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It , a revival of Side By Side By Sondheim and the Side By Side's 25th Anniversary gala

David Kernan also went on to appear in Sondheim At The Barbican.

The Stephen Hill Singers had previously appeared in Kids At Heart, and went on to appear in Sondheim At The Barbican.

Louise Gold, Diane Langton, Marti Caine, and, Ned Sherrin may have gone on to appear in Comedy Tonight which David Kernan also directed.

Jill Bennet may have appeared in Will-Aid, also directed by David Kernan, along with Ned Sherrin, other artistes who may have appeared in that show included: Maria Friedman, Angela Richards, Liz Robertson, and, Michael Haslem.

Director Maximillian Jacobson-Gonzalez went on to become the resident director of the first UK tour of Les Miserables in 1993.

Nicolas Colicos’s recording credits include: Anything Goes (recording) - Website Recommended Album, and On The Town.

Nicolas Colicos went on to appear in Mamma Mia

Susannah Fellows went on to take over the role of Tanya in Mamma Mia (Cast 4), from Louise Gold (Cast 2 & Cast 3)

Louise Gold and Diane Langton went on to appear together in Follies

John Barrowman and Jim Graeme (as James Graeme)’s recording credits include Simply Musicals, and, The Best Of The Musicals.

Jim Graeme (as James Graeme)’s recording credits include Encore The Very Best From The Musicals.

Mary Carewe, and, Dave Willets’s recording credits include The Greatest Musicals of the 20th Century, and, The Great Musicals – Dashing Heroes, Blushing Maidens.

Liz Robertson, Ned Sherrin, and, Michael Haslem went on to appear in Side By Side By Sondheim 30th Anniversary Gala, which was directed by David Kernan.

Lesley Joseph, and, Angela Richards went on to appear in A Love Letter To Dan.

James Graeme, and, Diane Langton’s recording credits include The Great Musicals - Wonderful Tales.

Dave Williets’s recording credits include The Great Musicals – Glamour And Majesty, which Susannah Fellows may have sung on.

John Barrowman, and, Maria Friedman’s recording credits include Centre Stage Showtime!.

Mary Carewe, James Graeme, David Kernan, Diane Langton, and, Liz Robertson’s recording credits include The Great Musicals – Laughter And Tears.

John Barrowman, and, James Graeme’s recording credits include Magic Of The Musicals, on which Stuart Pedlar also worked.

Renamed Theatrecares, West End Cares went on to present The Company Of Mary Poppins, in a FUNdraising special which they dedicated to Ned Sherrin.

Renamed TheatreMAD the West End Cares crowed then went on to present Flaunt It 2008.

Jason Carr went on to work on: Broadway To Brighton, A Time To Start Living, Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It, Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It (Recording) , Oh Kay, 110 In The Shade , One Touch Of Venus (2000 Production), A Lost Musicals Occasion, Defiant Dames, Final Chic Cabaret 2003, Dead By 12 (guest pianist), and Louise Gold’s cabaret act Louise Gold ... By Appointment. And Louise Gold went on to star in the inaugural production of Jason Carr’s musical The Water Babies. Jason Carr has alos appeared I his own cabaret Somethin’ Good

Diane Langton and Louise Gold have gone on to appear together in Mary Poppins.

Angela Richards, Pam St Clement, Gaye Brown, David Kernan, Lesley Joseph, Ned Sherrin, and, Jason Carr may have taken part in Thing A Thon, which Maria Friedman was involved with.

Liz Robertson, and, Dave Willets went on to take part in Shopping With The Stars 2009.

John Barrowman, Maria Friedman, James Graeme, and, Diane Langton’s recording credits include 100 Hits Musicals.

Mary Carewe, Maria Friedman, David Kernan, and, Diane Langton’s recording credits include The Great Musicals - From Broadway to Hollywood, which Stuart Pedlar was a conductor on.

David Kernan, and, Liz Robertson’s radio credits include The Radio 2 Arts Programme Chichester Festival 1994.

Liz Robertson, and, Ned Sherrin went on to take part in CLIC’s 18th Birthday Celebration

Michael Haslam has gone on to play for Mexican Hayride.

Stephen Sondheim’s lyric writing credits of course include Gypsy, and, Candide In Concert.

It is not known whether Wardrobe Consultant Robert Gorden, is the same person as the Costume Maker Robbie Gordon on Gypsy.

 

Critics Comments

 “Cell Block Tango with Langton and fellow jail birds (Josephine Blake, Toni Palmer, Gaye Brown, Louise Gold, Lesley Joseph and Barbara Young) was the hilarious highspot, a fetter-swinging justification for their husband’s deaths. The Deserved What They Got.”...” flanked by murderous-molls and treating the courtroom like a day out on the river Dave Willets simply sparkles.”... “The finale Side By Side in stereo with Chicago’s cast waving from upstage, is reminiscent of Seaside Special, but won the vote of the audience who, clearly equally familiar with the score, couldn’t resist a singalong.” Helen Gould, ‘THE GANG’S ALL HERE’ from THE STAGE, 20 December 1990, p5.

 

Links about Chicago & Company

About Maria page for Chicago & Company: http://www.aboutmaria.com/chicagocompany.html

 

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