Gwen Verdon

Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon (January 13, 1925 – October 18, 2000) was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and she served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for theater and film. Verdon was a critically acclaimed performer on Broadway in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, having originated many roles in musicals, including Lola in Damn Yankees, the title character in Sweet Charity, and Roxie Hart in Chicago.

Her second husband was director-choreographer Bob Fosse, with whom she worked on a number of theater and film projects. After Fosse's death, she worked to preserve his legacy.

Early life Verdon was born in Culver City, California, the second child of Gertrude Lilian ( Standring) and Joseph William Verdon, who were both English immigrants to the United States by way of Canada. Her brother was William Farrell Verdon, her father was an electrician at MGM Studios, and her mother was a former vaudevillian of the Denishawn dance troupe, as well as a dance teacher.

As a toddler, she suffered from rickets, which led to her being called "Gimpy" by other children and spent her early years in orthopedic boots and rigid leg braces. At age three, her mother enrolled her in dance classes. Further ballet training strengthened her legs and improved her carriage.

By age six, she was dancing on stage. She went on to study multiple dance forms, ranging from tap, jazz, ballroom and flamenco to Balinese. She also studied juggling. At age 11, she appeared as a solo ballerina in the musical romance film The King Steps Out (1936), directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Grace Moore and Franchot Tone. She attended Hamilton High School in Los Angeles and studied under ballet enthusiast Ernest Belcher. While in high school, she was cast in a revival of Show Boat.

In 1942, Verdon's parents asked her to marry family friend and tabloid reporter James Henaghan after he got her pregnant at 17 years old, and she quit dancing to raise their child. In 1945, she appeared as a dancer in the movie musical Blonde From Brooklyn. After her divorce, she entrusted her son Jimmy to the care of her parents.

Career Early on, Verdon found a job as assistant to choreographer Jack Cole, whose work was respected by both Broadway and Hollywood movie studios. 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, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Betty Grable, and Marilyn Monroe.

Verdon started out on Broadway going from one chorus line to another. Her breakthrough role finally came when choreographer Michael Kidd cast her as the second female lead in Cole Porter's musical Can-Can (1953), starring French prima donna Lilo. Out-of-town reviewers hailed Verdon's interpretation of Eve in the Garden of Eden ballet as a performance that upstaged the show's star, who reputedly demanded Verdon's role be cut to only two featured dance numbers. With her role reduced to little more than an ensemble part, Verdon formally announced her intention to quit by the time the show premiered on Broadway. But her opening-night Garden of Eden performance was so well-received that the audience screamed her name until the startled actress was brought from her dressing room in a towel to take a curtain call. Verdon received a pay increase and her first Tony Award for her performance.

Verdon's biggest critical and commercial success was her following show, George Abbott's Damn Yankees (1955), based on the novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant. The musical ran for 1,019 performances. Verdon won another Tony and went to Hollywood to repeat her role in the 1958 movie version Damn Yankees, singing "Whatever Lola Wants". Fosse can be seen partnered with her in the original mambo duet "Who's Got the Pain".

Verdon won another Tony for her performance in the musical New Girl in Town as a hard-luck girl fleeing from her past as a prostitute. She won her fourth Tony for the murder-mystery musical Redhead, Fosse's Broadway debut as a director/choreographer.

Although estranged as a couple, Verdon continued to collaborate with Fosse as a performer and a choreographer. In the 1975 Broadway production of the Fosse-directed musical Chicago, Verdon originated the role of murderess Roxie Hart opposite Chita Rivera's Velma Kelly. Although the musical was almost universally panned by critics, who compared it unfavorably to Cabaret, Gwen Verdon was singled out for praise: her performance was "delectable" wrote the NY Times theater critic. Verdon also helped out with Fosse's paean to Broadway dancing in the musical Dancin' (1978), as well as Fosse's autobiographical film All That Jazz (1979). The helpmate/peer played by Leland Palmer in that film is based on the role Verdon played in Fosse's real life. She also developed a close working relationship with Fosse's romantic partner of six years, Broadway dancer Ann Reinking, working as an instructor for Reinking's musical theatre classes.

After the 1975 stage version of Chicago Verdon focused on film acting, playing character roles in movies such as The Cotton Club (1984), Cocoon (1985), and Cocoon: The Return (1988). She collected several Emmy nominations in her guest performances on television shows, including nominations for appearances on Magnum, P.I. (1988), Dream On (1993) and Homicide: Life on the Street (1993). Her screen roles continued in prestigious films, such as the mother of Mia Farrow's title character in the Woody Allen movie Alice (1990) and the eccentric Aunt Ruth (a turn which earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination) in Marvin's Room (1996), co-starring Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Other film roles include Alora in Walking Across Egypt (1999) and Bruno (2000).

Verdon served as artistic consultant to the 1999 Broadway musical Fosse, reprising classic Fosse choreography without any formal narrative; the revue was conceived and co-directed by Richard Maltby Jr. and Ann Reinking. (Verdon's daughter with Fosse, performer Nicole Fosse received a "special thanks" credit.) With glowing reviews, Fosse ran for 1000 performances on Broadway and collected four Tonys, including the Tony Award for Best Musical.

Personal life Verdon was married twice and had two children. She married tabloid reporter James Archibald Henaghan in 1942. They had a son, Jim, the following year and divorced in 1947. In 1960, Verdon married choreographer Bob Fosse. They had a daughter, Nicole, in 1963. Fosse's extramarital affairs put a strain on their marriage, and by 1971, Verdon and Fosse were separated, but never divorced. She was involved in relationships with actor Scott Brady and actor Jerry Lanning, son of Roberta Sherwood. Verdon was with Fosse when he suffered a fatal heart attack at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., in September 1987.

Verdon was a cat fancier, having up to six cats at one time, with the pets carrying names such as "Feets Fosse", "Junie Moon", and "Tidbits Tumbler Fosse".

Verdon was a mental health-care advocate; later in life, she openly spoke about the positive effects of mental-health counseling. Along with teaching dance as a form of therapy, she sat on the board of directors for the New York Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, and actively raised funds to support mental health-care research.

She was also stated to be a big fan of baseball, and went to day games with her scout son.

Death and legacy Verdon died from a heart attack on October 18, 2000, aged 75, at her daughter's home in Woodstock, Vermont. Later that night, at 8 pm, all marquee lights on Broadway were dimmed in a tribute to Verdon. The series, which tells the story of the couple's troubled personal and professional relationship, is based on the biography Fosse by Sam Wasson. It premiered in eight parts on April 9, 2019, on FX. At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, Fosse/Verdon received seventeen nominations, including Outstanding Limited Series and acting nominations for Rockwell, Williams, and Margaret Qualley (as Ann Reinking). Williams won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.

Work Stage Year Title Role Notes 1950 Alive and Kicking Herself Musical revue 1953 Can-Can Claudine/Eve Grammy Award for Best Broadway Show AlbumTony Award for Distinguished Supporting or Featured Musical Actress 1955 Damn Yankees Lola Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical 1957 New Girl in Town Anna 1959 Redhead Essie Whimple 1966 Sweet Charity Charity Hope Valentine Nominated–Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical 1972 Children! Children! Helen Giles Only played one performance (13 previews) 1975 Chicago Roxie Hart Nominated–Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical

Film Year Title Role Notes 1936 The King Steps Out Specialty Ballerina Uncredited 1941 The Girl After My Heart Specialty Ballerina Credited as "Gwen Verdun" [sic] a Soundie by Roy Mack 1943 Hoosier Holiday Cheerleader Uncredited 1945 Blonde from Brooklyn Girl in Nightclub Uncredited 1951 On the Riviera Specialty Dancer Uncredited David and Bathsheba Specialty Dancer Uncredited Meet Me After the Show Sappho and Co-lead dancer in the show finale, a street kid Uncredited prominent dancer in "No Talent Joe" Credited in a program title card in "I Feel Like Dancing" 1952 Dreamboat Girl in perfume commercial Uncredited The Merry Widow Specialty Can-Can Dancer Uncredited 1953 The I Don't Care Girl Specialty Dancer Uncredited The Mississippi Gambler Voodoo Dancer Uncredited The Farmer Takes a Wife Abigail Uncredited 1955 Gentlemen Marry Brunettes Specialty Dancer Uncredited 1958 Damn Yankees Lola Nominated—BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Film 1978 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Our Guests at Heartland 1982 Creepshow Voice of Lenora Castonmeyer Uncredited 1984 The Cotton Club Tish Dwyer 1985 Cocoon Bess McCarthy Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress 1987 Nadine Vera 1988 Cocoon: The Return Bess McCarthy Selwyn 1990 Alice Alice's mother 1994 Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All Etta Pell, Nursing Home Resident 1996 Marvin's Room Ruth Wakefield Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting RoleNominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 1999 Walking Across Egypt Alora 2000 Bruno Mrs. Drago

Television Year Title Role Notes 1954 Goodyear Playhouse Shirley Kochendorfer Episode: "Native Dancer" 1972 Love, American Style Estelle Mayberry Segment: "Love and the New Act" 1973 The $10,000 Pyramid Celebrity Guest Week of October 22–26, playing against Godfrey Cambridge 1981 M*A*S*H Brandy Doyle (USO performer) Episodes: "That's Show Biz" (two episodes, Parts 1 and 2) 1982 Fame Melinda MacNeil Episode: "Come One, Come All" All My Children Judith Kingsley Sawyer Unknown episodes 1983 Legs Maureen Comly Television movie 1984 The Jerk, Too Bag Lady Television movie; uncredited Gimme a Break! Lily Episode: "The Center" 1985 Trapper John, M.D. Ms. Taylor Episode: "All the King's Horses" Kids Incorporated Ruth Episode: "Grandma, Won't You Dance with Me" 1985–1988 Magnum, P.I. Katherine Peterson 5 episodesNominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series 1986 The Equalizer Kelly Sterling Episode: "Unnatural Causes" All Is Forgiven Bonita Harrell Episode: "I Can't Say No" 1986–1988 Webster Aunt Charlotte 3 episodes 1987 Hotel Iris Lloyd Episode: "Second Thoughts" 1989 Dear John Yvonne Episode: "The Second Time Around" 1990 Paris is Burning Herself Uncredited 1992 Dream On Kitty Brewer Episode: "For Peter's Sake"Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series 1993 Homicide: Life on the Street Jessie Doohen Episode: "Ghost of a Chance"Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Key West Sister Grace Episode: "Gimme Shelter" 1994 The Cosby Mysteries Yolanda 2 episodes 1996 In Cold Blood Sadie Truitt 2 episodes 1997 Touched by an Angel Lorraine McCully Episode: "Missing in Action" 1997–1999 Walker, Texas Ranger Maisie Whitman 2 episodes 1998 Promised Land Karen Hatcher Episode: "Undercover Granny"

Music In 1956, Verdon released an album titled The Girl I Left Home For. The album includes her covers of popular jazz standards of the time.

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref. 1981 American Theater Hall of Fame 1958 British Academy Film Awards Most Promising Newcomer to Film Damn Yankees 1959 Grammy Awards Best Broadway Show Album Redhead 1958 Laurel Awards Top Female Musical Performance Damn Yankees Top Female New Personality 1979 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards Choreography Dancin' 1998 National Medal of Arts Actress & Dancer 1966 Outer Critics Circle Awards Best Performance Sweet Charity 1988 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series Magnum, P.I. 1993 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Dream On Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Homicide: Life on the Street 1985 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actress Cocoon 1996 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Marvin's Room Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 1953 Theatre World Awards Can-Can 1954 Tony Awards Distinguished Supporting or Featured Musical Actress 1956 Best Leading Actress in a Musical Damn Yankees 1958 New Girl in Town 1959 Redhead 1966 Sweet Charity 1976 Chicago