Oh Kay!

Louise Gold starred as Kay, at Barbican Cinema 1, on 17, 24, 31 August and 7 September 1997.

Cast

Molly Morse - Lara Serebrier

Don - Nicola Edwards

The Duke - Stewart Permutt

Larry Potter - Michael Gyngell

Phil Ruxton - Liza Pulman

Dolly Ruxton - Julia Farino

Shorty McGee - David de Keyser

Constance Appleton - Lorelei King

Jimmy Winter - Michael Fitzpatrick

Kay - Louise Gold

Reveune Officer Jansen - Johnny Meyers

Wally - Louise Anne Halliday

Daisy - Sophia Wylie

Judge Appleton - Reg Eppey

Assistant Revenue Officer, Chauffeur - Darren Hudson.

Production Team

Music - George Gershwin

Lyrics - Ira Gershwin

Book - Guy Bolton and PG Wodehouse

Original Production – 8 November 1926, The Imperial Theatre, New York, with Gertrude Lawrence as Kay

Musical Director - Jason Carr

Director and Producer - Ian Marshall-Fisher

Words and Music Issue 29, January 1998 carried a fairly comprehensive review of Oh Kay. Please click here to read it. Sufficient to add, that where the reviewer said "a manner reminiscent of The Muppets", they were probably referring to the Muppet monster Big Mamma.

This concert staging of Oh Kay is important because it used the original script exactly as written. The show has had at least two revivals (sometimes with rather noticeable alterations to the script).

A revival at The Westminster Theatre in March 1974 starred Amanda Barrie as Kay, and had Thick Wilson as Shorty. Interestingly Thick Wilson went on to voice The Gourmand Skeksis in the film The Dark Crystal (it may be worth noting, not least because The Gourmand Skeksis’s Principal Puppeteer does just happen to have gone on to play the title role in this Lost Musicals production of Oh Kay).

A revival at The Chichester Festival Theatre in May 1984. clearly had some major rewrites, since they gave Shorty a wife and daughter, the latter being played by Myra Sands, who of course went on to become a stalwart member of the Lost Musicals gang.

Guy Bolten and P.G. Wodehouse, attempted to write the book for Anything Goes, unfortunately events proved their efforts to be decidedly unfunny. However, P G Wodehouse did write some lyrics for that show, and Louise Gold sings them on the JAY/TER studio cast recording of it.

The Imperial Theatre in New York was also the venue for the original production of the Gershwin musical Let ‘Em Eat Cake (which Louise Gold appeared in a staging of on BBC Radio 3) and the Kurt Weill musical One Touch Of Venus, which Louise Gold starred in concert stagings at Barbican Cinema 1 (see One Touch Of Venus (1992 Production)) and The Linbury Studio Theatre (see One Touch Of Venus (2000 Production))

Stewart Permutt and Louise Gold had previously appeared in the Lost Musicals production of Something For The Boys and went on to appear in Du Barry Was A Lady (2001 Production), and, Mexican Hayride.

Louise Gold, Stewart Permutt, and, Reg Eppey had previously appeared in the Lost Musicals production of Panama Hattie.

Lorelei King had previously been a contestant on Let’s Do The Show Right Here, for which Louise Gold was a Team Captain.

Louise Gold and Liza Pulman have gone on to appear together in The Gondoliers

Michael Gyngell has gone on to appear in A Love Letter To Dan.

Louise Gold, and, Johnny Meyers subsequently took part in A Celebration Of The Life And Work Of Dick Vosburgh.

Jason Carr had previously worked on Chicago & Company, and, A Time To Start Living, and may have contributed to Thing A Thon. He and Louise Gold had previously worked together on: Broadway To Brighton, Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It and Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It (Recording); they have gone on to work on: 110 In The Shade , One Touch Of Venus (2000 Production), A Lost Musicals Occasion, Defiant Dames, Final Chic Cabaret 2003, Dead By 12, Somethin’ Good, Louise Gold’s cabaret act Louise Gold ... By Appointment and Jason Carr’s musical The Water Babies

Links about Oh Kay

Muppet Central/Tibby's Bowl Interview with Louise Gold http://www.muppetcentral.com/articles/interviews/gold.shtml

Return To Site Guide | Return To Lost Musicals | Oh Kay Review