One Touch of Venus (1992 Production)

Louise Gold first starred as Venus in a Lost Musicals production of One Touch of Venus at Barbican Cinema 1 on 16, 23, 30 August and 6 September 1992. However, eight years later she was to reprise the role in another Lost Musicals production at The Lindbury Studio Theatre. This page is about her earlier performance of the show.

Peter Gale would go on the reprise his role of Whitlaw Savory in the BBC Radio production of the show starring Paige O'Hara, Myra Sands went on to reprise her character of Mrs Flora Bell Kramer in both the BBC Radio production and the later Lost Musicals production. Delianne Forget also went on to appear in the later Lost Musicals production, where she was promoted to the role of Mrs Moats.

 

Cast

Whitlaw Savory - Peter Gale

Molly Grant - Mandy More

Taxi Black - Barry Martin

Stanley - Christopher Dee

Rodney Hatch - Teddy Kempner

Venus - Louise Gold

Mrs Moats - Heather Davis

Student - Delianne Forget

Student - Joanna Lansbury

Dr Rook - Jonathan Ewart Holmes

Lieutenant - Jeremy Tustin

Policeman - Stuart Liddle

Mrs Kramer - Myra Sands

Gloria Kramer - Ashleigh Sendin

Sam - Kerry-Jane Beddows

Zuveti - James Vaughan

 

Production Team

Music - Kurt Weill

Lyrics - Ogden Nash

Book - Ogden Nash and S J Perelman

Based on "The Tinted Venus" by F J Anstey

Original Production – 7 October 1943, The Imperial Theatre New York, with Mary Martin as Venus

Musical Director - Kevin Amos

Director - Ian Marshall-Fisher

 

 A description of the plot of One Touch Of Venus, can be gleaned from reading a review of the Lost Musicals second production in 2000, to read that review click here.

Peter Gale and Myra Sands went on to reprise their roles as Whitlaw Savoury and Mrs Kramer in the BBC Radio production starring Paige O’Hara, which was first broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on 3 April 1995.

Louise Gold and Myra Sands went on to reprise their roles as Venus and Mrs Kramer in the second Lost Musicals production in 2000.

It is perhaps worth noting that ‘The Tinted Venus’, the title of  F J Anstey’s book upon which this musical was based, was also the name given to a statue of the goddess by Victorian sculptor John Gibson. It was the first flesh-coloured statue of the time.

Puppeteer Louise Gold and Animator Teddy Kempner had previously appeared together in Angry Housewives and the charity concerts Chicago & Company and Broadway To Brighton

Louise Gold, Teddy Kempner, and Asheligh Sendin went on to appear in the Lost Musicals production of Something For The Boys.

Louise Gold and Ashleigh Sendin had previously appeared together in Anything Goes.

Asheligh Sendin, Louise Gold and James Vaughan went on to appear in the Lost Musicals production of Of Thee I Sing.

Louise Gold  and  James Vaughan went on to appear in the Lost Musicals productions of: Du Barry Was A Lady (1993 Production) , Panama Hattie, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Du Barry Was A Lady (2001 Production). They also went on to appear in the film Crush. James Vaughan also helped out on the film Muppet Treasure Island, on which Louise Gold puppeteered.

Myra Sands is another regular of The Lost Musicals, having appeared with Louise Gold in: By Jupiter  they went on to appear together in:  Du Barry Was A Lady (1993 Production)  | New Girl In Town | Red Hot And Blue | Something For The Boys | Panama Hattie | Gentlemen Prefer Blondes | One Touch of Venus (2000 Production) , Darling of The Day, and, Mexican Hayride. They had previously appeared in a concert of highlights from Ratepayers' Iolanthe & Metropolitan Mikado and went on to appear in Camberwell Pocket Opera’s First Fundraising Gala; and have since appeared together on the commercial stage in Follies, and, Oliver!; They can also be heard on the cast album Oliver! (Recording).

The Imperial Theatre in New York was also the original venue for the Gershwin musicals Let ‘Em Eat Cake (which Louise Gold appeared in a staging of on of BBC Radio 3) and Oh Kay (which Louise Gold starred in a concert staging of at Barbican Cinema 1).

Kevin Amos went on to be an MD on Comedy Tonight.

Peter Gale, and, Louise Gold went on to appear in A Celebration Of The Life And Work Of Dick Vosburgh.

Myra Sands may have previously taken part in Thing A Thon.

The Act 1 finale of One Touch Of Venus appears to have been inspired by a real life incident at a fundraising event in aid of The Music Hall Ladies Guild, the event in question being the “party” referred to in the tale Whitelaw Savoury tells at the Art Student’s Ball. The Music Hall Ladies Guild was a sister charity to The Theatrical Ladies Guild. The latter has since been renamed The Theatrical Guild, whose fundraising events have included Shopping With The Stars and Shopping With The Stars 2009 .

 

Critics Comments

  “Ian Marshall Fisher has secured a strong company; with particularly well cast principals in Louise Gold, statuesque in her own right as Venus, Teddy Kempner as Rodney, a simple lad who aspires to nothing higher than his own home in Ozone Heights, at which Venus eventually takes fright, and Peter Gale as the suave Whitelaw Savoury, owner of the art gallery.” Peter Hepple, THE STAGE, 10 September 1992, P12.

 

Links about One Touch Of Venus (1992 Production)

The Lost Musicals Charitable TrustTM: http://www.lostmusicals.org/  -. The site includes photographs from a number of past productions, including one of Michael Cantwell and Louise Gold in One Touch Of Venus (1992 Production).

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

 

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