Garrett Lewis: Cornelius Hackl, Mary Martin London Company
Garrett Lewis at the time of Hello, Dolly! 1966 |
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Garrett Lewis was a
featured regular performer on The Red
Skelton Show for three seasons. His career began while still in
college when he was offered the dance lead for a season at the Kansas City
Starlight Theatre.
After that season, he went to New York. His first Broadway
show was My Fair Lady followed by First Impressions in which he
understudied the lead as well as performing the part. David Merrick later
brought him back to New York in the intimate Los Angeles revue, Vintage 60. Aside from his television
work which included many major network shows at the time on both Coasts, he
appeared extensively in clubs across the country, supporting such leading
ladies as Anna Maria Alberghetti, Arlene Dahl, Dorothy Provine and others. He
was a soloist in The Lido Show in Paris, and appeared as the male lead in Little Mary Sunshine in Paris.
HELLO, DOLLY! played for 2844 performances
on Broadway at the St. James Theatre starting with Carol Channing in the title
role. When Carol did her first National
tour, her Cornelius Hackl was Garrett Lewis.
A friend of Garrett’s, who was assisting Gower Champion on
the Broadway Company of Hello, Dolly, told him that a new road company was
going to be starting a West Coast tour and would be coming out to LA three
months later to hold auditions. Garrett knew that Charles Nelson Reilly, an old
friend of his, had played it on Broadway and most likely would continue with
the tour. Garrett had only one experience in summer stock years earlier at the
Kansas City Starlight Theater. Also, in that show was Charles Nelson Reilly! Garrett
also felt that he was the furthest from Reilly in type as one could imagine. His
friend told him to just keep it in mind because they would be casting.
The Company was going to open the new Dorothy Chandler
Pavilion in LA. It was built for opera and classic fare. Hello, Dolly would be the first stage show booked there. This was
Carol Channing’s first National Company. In addition to Garrett’s friend
calling him and asking him to audition, he also got a call from the company
stage manager, Pat Tolson.
Garrett’s name had been given to Pat. Garrett was
doing The Red Skelton Show on CBS at
the time and did not think he could even fit an audition into his schedule. That
was a five day work schedule. He was also preparing an act with Cyd Charise at
the time. It was for a single gig, for him to partner her in Lake Tahoe. They
were going to be recreating the Slaughter
on Tenth Avenue ballet.
At this time, Garrett had an apartment on Newport Beach that
he would retreat to on weekends. The auditions were being held on a Monday and
Garrett said he would try and get there on his break. He was being very caviler
about it. He thought it was a long shot. On his way in to CBS on that Monday
morning, he stopped at a local music store and picked up a couple of the songs
from the show for his audition. He went to the audition and Gower said, “Well!
It is lovely to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.” After the audition
they talked for a bit and Gower gave him the big monologue for Cornelius and
told him to go out and look it over.
He went out, looked it over, came back in
and read it, and Gower said, “Thank you.” He left and thought nothing more
about it.
They hired someone else and they were in rehearsals. On
Friday night, he and a friend of his, Howard Jeffrey, who was Jerome Robbins’ assistant,
were having dinner at his favorite health food restaurant Marge and Gower
Champion along with Blake Edwards is sitting nearby. Howard pointed them out
and Garrett went over to say hello. Garrett wished Gower much success with
Dolly and went back to rejoin Howard. Howard pointed out to Garrett that Gower
kept glancing over at their table.
The next day, Garrett went to rehearsals at CBS. They were
getting ready to tape and he was already in make-up. The stage manager came to
tell Garrett he had a phone call. It was Pat Tolson asking Garrett to go and
see Gower to audition again. They were rehearsing at the Equity Hall downtown. Garrett
told him they were getting ready to tape. He asked how long it would be before
they would tape. He was told he had about ninety minutes. He then told Pat he
would be right down and went downtown.
He met Gower in the back of the theater and Gower told him
he just wanted to see him again.
Gower asked him to do the monologue again. He did, and, once again, he got “Thank you.” Garrett is wondering, “What is this all about?” Garrett felt put out. He had been called out of a taping for what he thought at the time was a waste of his time. By the time he got back to CBS, everyone had been looking for him. He was told he had a phone call from the David Merrick office. He was told he had the part and they asked him if he could start the next day. He worked out his deal and started rehearsals the next day. It was a Friday.
Gower asked him to do the monologue again. He did, and, once again, he got “Thank you.” Garrett is wondering, “What is this all about?” Garrett felt put out. He had been called out of a taping for what he thought at the time was a waste of his time. By the time he got back to CBS, everyone had been looking for him. He was told he had a phone call from the David Merrick office. He was told he had the part and they asked him if he could start the next day. He worked out his deal and started rehearsals the next day. It was a Friday.
Dorothy Chandler Pavillion, Circa 1966 |
Garrett had one run through on Saturday before opening that Sunday night!
Gower had replaced the actor who had originally been cast in the role.
They played a week of “previews” in San Diego. Then they went to the Dorothy Candler Pavilion in Los Angeles for their official opening.
Garrett felt the role of Dolly Levi seemed as if it was
written for Carol Channing. He had a great rapport with her and her husband,
Charles Lowe. He found that with Carol, actors were pretty much on their own.
They didn’t get much help or support from her. If something went wrong, she
would deal with it. She seemed very happy with Garrett. They got along famously
and he loved her. She was the ultimate professional and it was a wonderful time
for him.
Charles Pierce as Carol Channing |
Carol Channing in 1979 |
He did the show the next night and the morning after that,
he received a passport from the David Merrick office. He did the show that
night and caught the red eye to London. He was picked up at the airport and
taken to The Savoy Hotel where Gower was staying. He practiced with Gower and
then he went to the theater for an orchestra rehearsal. Gower brought the
entire company together and introduced Gower and told everyone that he was not
changing a thing. Garrett was stepping into everything that Carleton had done.
Carleton was there that day and justifiably was not happy about the circumstances.
Garrett was then taken over and introduced to David Merrick who was sitting on
a folding chair on the side of the stage. Monday night was the first preview
with the Mother in attendance.
Garrett went on not knowing the blocking except what he
rehearsed with Mary Martin in the Dancing number.
Mary Martin was different from Carol Channing but was
equally wonderful.
Hello,
Dolly! premiered in the West End at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on
December 2, 1965 and ran for 794 performances. Champion directed and
choreographed, and the cast starred Mary Martin as Dolly and Loring Smith as
Horace Vandergelder, with Johnny Beecher as Barnaby, Garrett Lewis as
Cornelius, Mark Alden as Ambrose Kemper and Marilynn Lovell as Irene Molloy.
Dora Bryan replaced Martin during the run.
Garrett stayed with the show as long as an American could
stay with a British Company at that time, one year. It depended upon the demand
of one’s role in the show. If they could be replaced by British actors, they
would be. The first people to go were Judith Drake as Ernestine and other
players on that tier. Marilynn Lovell left shortly after that and Mary Martin
left in May of 1966. Dora Bryan then took over the role of Dolly Levi.
Garrett Lewis, Dora Bryan and Company |
When Garrett left the show, he went to Spain and did a
movie.
Garrett revisited Dolly several years later in Anaheim with
players from various Dolly productions. He played opposite Joanne Horne as
Irene Molloy. Patricia Munsel played Dolly. He then got a call to do it in
Hawaii with Carole Cook. He thought Patricia Munsel was fine. He LOVED Carole!
They shared a house in Hawaii. The director of the Hawaiian Company was trying
to change everything from Gower’s original concept. Carole and Garrett went ballistic.
They desired to do the tried and true. Their thought was don’t mess with
success. They knew the show. Carole had starred in the Australian and New
Zealand Companies. They were very copacetic as to what Hello, Dolly was and should be. They had two weeks of rehearsals.
Garrett Lewis, Carole Cook, Georgia Engel, Gary Alexander, Peggy Ann Siegmund (Courtesy: Georgia Engel) |
Garrett, Jill Martin, Billy Boyle, Coco Ramirez (Dora Bryan Company |
They also became good friends. Georgia actually developed a crush on Garrett. Her father was in the Coast Guard and there were several catered dinners with the Company and the Coast Guard on the base at Waikiki. It was incredible and Garrett also loved her…as a friend. Georgia had this innate gift to play that quality that the world has come to love. She was funny without being physical. It was that voice. Interesting side note, Georgia’s sister was Miss Hawaii. The last time Garrett saw Georgia, he was designing something at Universal Studios and she was on the lot.
Looking back, Garrett was a very put together guy at the
time that Hello, Dolly came his way.
After Carol Channing was cast in Dolly, the rest of the casting was done to
make larger than life cartoonish characters. Garrett brought a more realistic
approach with a great sense of humor to the role.
Garrett Lewis and Jill Martin |
Garrett has had two careers since Dolly. Right after Dolly,
he did a few movies. He was also cast in Applause
with a run of the show contact but ended up not doing it. He has since stopped performing. He believes
that one gets what they dream of in life.
Garrett desired to be on the stage desperately and he got it, but he didn’t desire it to the point that some people who go into the theater makes it their lives. He just desired to be a working entertainer. He didn’t want to be a STAR. He never waited a table in his life. He never had the will to just work at it. Opportunities came his way and he took them. At the beginning of his career, he went right from summer stock into My Fair Lady. After Hello, Dolly came along; he went right into STAR starring Julie Andrews at Twentieth Century Fox. After leaving performing, he became a designer for film and television which is what he retired at. He did too many things very well and it was never hard. He is not one to say one should concentrate on one thing. He thinks that if one has multiple interests and one can be expressed in those areas, go for it.
He has designed houses for
Barbra Streisand and Herbert Ross. That led him into designing movies. When an
opportunity presents itself and one is not prepared and does not take the
chance, it may not happen again.
Garrett desired to be on the stage desperately and he got it, but he didn’t desire it to the point that some people who go into the theater makes it their lives. He just desired to be a working entertainer. He didn’t want to be a STAR. He never waited a table in his life. He never had the will to just work at it. Opportunities came his way and he took them. At the beginning of his career, he went right from summer stock into My Fair Lady. After Hello, Dolly came along; he went right into STAR starring Julie Andrews at Twentieth Century Fox. After leaving performing, he became a designer for film and television which is what he retired at. He did too many things very well and it was never hard. He is not one to say one should concentrate on one thing. He thinks that if one has multiple interests and one can be expressed in those areas, go for it.
Dora Bryan and Garrett |
There are many fond memories of his Dolly days, but nothing
compares with the night the Queen Mother came to see the show in London. That
night, he also met the Queen and Lord Mountbatten. When the curtain rises and
the audience sings God Save the Queen,
it is magic. The Royal Family is sitting up in a box stage right.
Garrett feels that he is an Anglophile anyway! He loved living there.
Garrett feels that he is an Anglophile anyway! He loved living there.
Hello, Dolly is obviously an experience that he will not
soon forget. It afforded him the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people.
It took him to London. He became great friends with Mary Martin and her
husband, Richard Halliday. It was a wonderful life changing experience. He
loved it. Appearing at The Drury Lane Theater was a big WOW.
Thank you Garrett Lewis for the gifts you have given to the world and will continue to give!
Check out my site celebrating my forthcoming book on Hello, Dolly!
I desire this to be a definitive account of Hello, Dolly!
If any of you reading this have appeared in any production of Dolly, I'm interested in speaking with you!
If you have anything to add or share, please contact me at Richard@RichardSkipper.com.
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!
Please do what YOU can to be more aware that words and actions DO HURT...but they can also heal and help!
My next blog will be... My Exclusive interview with Karen Morrow on Hello, Dolly!
Thank you, to all the mentioned in this blog!
Here's to an INCREDIBLE tomorrow for ALL...with NO challenges!
TILL TOMORROW...HERE'S TO AN ARTS FILLED DAY
Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com
This Blog is dedicated to ALL THE DOLLYS and ANYONE who has EVER had a connection with ANY of them on ANY Level!
What a beautiful blog tribute to Garrett; how wonderful to learn more about his career. He added immeasurable dash and effortless, magnetic flair to "Star!" Oh happy life, multiply-gifted/multiply-blessed Garrett! Thanks for all you do, marvelous Richard!
ReplyDeleteAlan (alankchoy@gmail.com)
Thank you Richard. Wonderful job. I am sure, somehow, Garrett knows it! You have preserved some great theatrical history.
ReplyDelete