From Jerry's Girls to Richard's Girls!

Carol Channing, Beatrice Arthur, Ethel Merman, Jerry's Girls
Sung to the tune of "It's Today" from Mame


Happy Tuesday!
I love Facebook! I love the fact that I have made connections in a way that probably never would have been possible before. Or at the very least, with the expediency  with which it happens. Last night, I received a friend request from Helena Joyce-Wright. She had seen info on my Jerry Herman Tribute and reached out to me. She appeared in the tour of Jerry's Girls and was a standby for Leslie Uggams. By the time, Jerry's Girls made it to Broadway, it was a different show and except for Leslie Uggams, a different cast. I have often wondered about that. I have the cast recording of the tour. Alas, there was never a Broadway cast recording. I saw that production 6 times. Being the huge Jerry Herman fan, I enjoyed it immensly. I loved Dorothy Louden, Chita Rivera, and Leslie Uggams. But I've always regretted never seeing the tour which also starred my beloved Carol Channing but also Andrea McArdle.
Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman A celebratory two-hour musical entertainment of glamour, optimism, love, melody, and women.
 Jerry's Girls celebrates the music and lyrics of Jerry Herman. Carol Channing always said that when God handed out talent, Jerry stood in line twice.

More than most songwriters, Jerry has put the "larger-than'life" women of his shows center stage. From Dody Goodman in Parade to Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Santa Clause, it has been quite a journey and we are the better for it. Jerry's Girls was and is women affectionately celebrating Jerry's special gift for writing songs that capture the true spirit of the American musical theatre.

Created by Herman and Larry Alford in 1981, the show originated as a modest presentation at Onstage, a nightclub located in the theatre district in midtown-Manhattan (New York City). Writing in The New York Times (see below), John S. Wilson called it "a brilliantly lively and scintillating evening of cabaret."On the heels of Jerry's smashing success with La Cage Aux Folles, two year's later in 1985, Zef Buffman suggested that Larry Alford and Jerry Herman move Jerry's Girls, which was a cabaret revue at Ted Hook's Onstage night club in NYC, to a much higher level with stars and a little more glitz and spectacle.
 On February 28, 1984, the expanded Jerry's Girls premiered at the Royal Poinciana Playhouse in Palm Beach, Florida, with Carol Channing, Andrea McArdle, and Leslie Uggams, backed by an all-female chorus, recreating scenes and songs from Herman's hits, including Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and Mack and Mabel.
Jerry's Girls, the show's opening number set to the music of "It's Today" from Mame, enumerated the many actresses who had appeared in Herman productions over the years.
An original cast record was released by Polydor Records.

After fourteen previews, the Broadway production, directed by Alford and choreographed by Wayne Cilento, opened on December 18, 1985 at the St. Jame's Theatre, where it ran for 141 performances. Uggams was joined by new cast members Dorothy Loudon and Chita Rivera.
 Chita Rivera was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.


I have a lot of friends who get up most mornings and go to jobs they absolutely hate. I don't think that's what life is about and I'm so fortunate that I actually love what I do.
Jerry Herman

  I'm trying to bring a new generation into the musical theater and to create a new audience.
Jerry Herman

CABARET: 'JERRY'S GIRLS'

By JOHN S. WILSON

Published: August 20, 1981

IT just happens that some of the best songs Jerry Herman has written for his musicals - ''Milk and Honey,'' ''Hello, Dolly!,'' ''Mame,'' ''Dear World,'' ''Mack and Mabel'' and ''The Grand Tour'' are his major shows - were written for women or about women. So it is no coincidence that the cast for a cabaret revue made up of Mr. Herman's songs at Onstage, 349 West 46th Street, consists of four women. Even the instrumental group that accompanied them is a female trio, underscoring the fact that the production is called ''Jerry's Girls.'' But it is more than that. These are really ''Jerry's Pearls.''

 Mr. Herman's fame is so closely allied with the better-known songs from ''Hello, Dolly!'' and ''Mame'' that most of his other work is virtually unknown. And, as ''Jerry's Girls'' reveals, there is a marvelous catalogue of songs waiting for the kind of exposure they get here. Because Mr. Herman's favorite score is ''Mack and Mabel,'' it is not surprising that there are more songs in ''Jerry's Girls'' from that short-lived production than any of his other shows. They justify Mr. Herman's affection for them and, along with the other songs, they are given the velvet setting that pearls deserve in Larry Alford's imaginative staging.

 Even ''Hello Dolly!,'' a triumph of staging in its time, becomes a new triumph when Mr. Alford surrounds his four singers with life-size cutouts of Mr. Herman dressed as a waiter as they recall some of the stars who have sung it, some of the languages it has been sung in, its commercial use as a tribute to hamburgers (''Hello, Hardees!'') and its political incarnation as ''Hello, Lyndon!''

Evalyn Baron, who gives ''Hello Lyndon!'' a preceptive Lady Bird introduction, has several of the choicest moments in an evening that keeps bursting into bright moments. As Jeanette MacDonald, in long, blond ringlets, she unrolls a devastating description of working with Nelson Eddy (''That's not singing, that's snoring''). She is touching in a gentle, image-laden song from ''Dear World,'' ''And I Was Beautiful,'' and becomes a sort of visual exclamation point as she rattles through a patter song from the same show.

 She is the tall, self-possessed Canadian of the troupe and Alexandra Korey is the short, energetic one. Miss Korey, as Mabel Normand in ''Mack and Mabel,'' achieves a remarkable mixture of facial blankness and facial expressiveness as she sings ''Look What Happened to Mabel,'' and she leads the others into a vigorous tapdance routine to ''Tap Your Troubles Away.'' Pauletta Pearson and Leila Martin had their light moments, too, but they are on hand primarily for the more serious songs, most affectingly in a duet, ''Kiss Her Now,'' and in a charming waltz, ''I Don't Want to Know,'' sung by Miss Pearson.

Mr. Herman himself joins the cast for the finale, playing the piano and singing in a light, bright voice, eyes a-sparkle, concluding with ''I'll Be Here Tomorrow'' from ''The Grand Tour,'' in which, as an apparent comment on his recent lack of productivity, he stresses the line, ''My talent is surviving.''The evidence of that talent is bubbling all through ''Jerry's Girls,'' making it a brilliantly lively and scintillating evening of cabaret. 

And Monday night, we will be joined by Helena Joyce Wright who appeared alongside Andrea, Carol, and Leslie in the national tour of Jerry's Girls! I am thrilled that she is joining our cast! 

Here are a few of Richard's Girls! 

JANA ROBBINS was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where she began dancing lessons at the early age of 4 at the Gene Kelly School of Dance, appearing in recitals and singing provocative solos like "Blues in the Night" by the age of 11. She attended Westmont Hilltop High School, where they luckily did a Broadway musical each Spring. Her junior year, she was cast as Nellie Forbush in SOUTH PACIFIC and played Eliza Doolittle her senior year in MY FAIR LADY, helping to further support and solidify her love of theater. Jana's first show on Broadway was GOOD NEWS starring John Payne and Alice Faye, where she played Patricia Bingham, the Sorority Queen. The Broadway shows that followed were I LOVE MY WIFE with Lenny Baker, James Naughton & Joanna Gleason; the Pulitzer Prize-winning CRIMES OF THE HEART, ROMANCE/ROMANCE with Scott Bakula; and her favorite musical of all, GYPSY, where she played Mazeppa - the bump it with a trumpet stripper - while standing by for Tyne Daly as Mama Rose, a role she played for 40 performances to critical acclaim. Jana also covered both Linda Lavin and Michele Lee in Charle's Bush's THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST'S WIFE, playing both roles many times.

ANNA BERGMAN has been hailed by The Washington Post as “a songstress who has triumphed in everything from Broadway-flavored tunes to opera arias and the sultry innuendoes of the cabaret chanteuse” and named “One of the best singers in America” by The International Herald Daily News. Anna enjoys an international career performing in concerts, cabaret, theatre, opera and on television and recordings. Career highlights include: Lincoln Center’s American Songbook (with Barbara Cook); concert version of The Light in the Piazza (as Margaret) with Adam Guettel at Seattle’s Intiman Theatre  and  a return engagement in September ’08 atFeinstein’s at Loews Regency with her new show My Heart Stood Still: The Love Songs of Richard Rodgers. Anna performed in the Kennedy Center’s Sondheim Celebration in A Little Night Music and as soloist in Carnegie Hall’s centennial tribute to Ira Gershwin, at the White House and with the Pasadena Pops Orchestra. Her solo concert You & the Night & the Music: A Salon Performance with Anna Bergman aired on public television in 2007 -08.

Peggy Herman!
Peggy Herman was born in Philadelphia and was raised in Miami Beach, Florida.  A classically trained musician, she was the recipient of two scholarships in vocal study at Temple University in Philadelphia, where she performed with their opera company.  During her four-season affiliation with the Greater Miami Opera Guild, she performed with Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavoratti.  She volunteered her services to Mr. Pavoratti as his personal driver in order to get a more in-depth look at his operatic world.
Longing for closer contact with the audience, Peggy Herman joined the Middle of the Road Singers as the lead vocalist and traveled around the world, then found a home performing on five-star cruise ships on the Cunard and Royal Viking lines.  Her cruise ship performances led to her own cabaret act, opening for Phyllis Diller at Miami Beach's famous Fountainbleu Hotel.  After meeting her husband, Dr. Alan Klat, in New York, she decided to make her home in the area.  She has performed at various Catskill resorts, including The Concord, Kutscher's and Raleigh, and has opened for many headline performers, including Bob Hope, Alan King and Milton Berle.

A Little bit about Sue Matsuki...I have known Sue so long, I can barely think of my life without her! Sue and I met at this wonderful brunch MANY YEARS ago and we immediately hit it off. Sue, I think we should resurrect those brunches in the New Year. Sue has been a constant help to me over the years and I LOVE her! Visit Sue's website at http://www.suematsuki.com

Sue Matsuki. is not Japanese. She comes to her name through her Japanese husband. She took his name when they married because it was a "trade up" name. You see, her maiden name was Trosell, which made her "Suetrosell" which, to her, always sounded like an antacid. At least "Susiematsuki" makes her sound like an Asian Porno Star. She is actually of Swedish and French descent which means nothing really except that she's a big chested, great kisser! Her website tells me so!

One of my favorite actresses, people, entertainers. I am thrilled beyond words to share a stage with Diane!

FIRST THEATER EXPERIENCE Hello, Dolly! on Broadway.

 FAVORITE THEATER EXPERIENCE That’s a hard one. There’s been soooooo many. You see, I love what I do and each project brings along something exciting and interesting and new; something to take home with me and remember, hopefully with laughter.

 FAVORITE MUSICAL A Little Night Music, Mame, The Spitfire Grill, Dear World. I could go on and on and on.

and Sarah Rice!

arrived in NYC with $100, two cats and a piano. Shortly after, sshe originated the role of Marianne in a musical adaptation of THE MISER called HANG ON TO YOUR RIBBONS, off-off Broadway. This led to being cast as The Girl in the long-running original off-Broadway production of THE FANTASTICKS. She continued in the role off and on for over two years. During that time she also played Anne in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, Cunegonde in CANDIDE, at the Guthrie, Miranda in THE TEMPEST, Zan in REGINA, Gretel in HANSEL AND GRETEL and Liesl in THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

Then Stephen Sondheim and Harold Prince chose her to become part of musical theatre history. She was cast as the original Johanna in SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET on Broadway for which she won a Theatre World Award and recorded on RCA. This recording won a Grammy for best show album and SWEENEY swept the Tony awards, including best show.

And together along with some very special men, we are benefiting another favorite girl of mine and Jerry's!  

Carol Channing's Foundation For The Arts! 

It all started when... 

Broadway legend Carol Channing received her honorary doctorate from California State University Stanislaus in 2004. Since then she and her husband Harry Kullijian have been promoting arts in education through this non-profit foundation. ChanningARTS (Arts Returned To Schools) encourages you to become involved in your community and local PTA to return arts education to all public schools.

They're a 501(c)3 organization and are able to receive your tax deductible contributions by check or PayPal. Please donate today! OR Celebrate Jerry Herman with us Monday Night!

Nov 28
8pm

THE TRIAD, 158 West 72nd Street

RICHARD SKIPPER CELEBRATES...JERRY HERMAN

This is the launch of a new series. Once a month, Richard will be celebrating a different theme. A Benefit for Carol Channing's Foundation for the Arts. (www.ChanningArts.org) Anna Bergman,Diane J. Findlay, Peggy Herman, Sue Matsuki, Miles Phillips, Jana Robbins, Richard Skipper, Lee Roy Reams, Walter Willison, Bob Mattern, John Patrick Schutz, Sarah Rice, and Helena Joyce-Wright. RESERVATIONS A MUST! $25 show plus two drink minimum, $50 PREMIUM SEATS plus two drink minimum (includes complementary glass of champagne).


Thank you for joining me on these nostalgic journeys! I've added a new aspect to my blog.. I am now answering a question on video that YOU send to me. You can ask me ANYTHING and I will answer your question on video within my blog. Send your questions to
Richard@RichardSkipper.com




"Richard, for supporting the ARTS and calling attention to the STARS of yesterday. You are a STAR in your own right!! 
With admiration and friendship"
Arlene Dahl

Thank you to all who have encouraged me! Thanks to all who have tried to stifle my art. I have learned from ALL of you!
Here's to an INCREDIBLE day for ALL!


RESERVE TODAY FOR MONDAY NIGHT!


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Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com