Gower Champion
Gower Champion | |
---|---|
Born | Gower Carlyle Champion June 22, 1919 Geneva, Illinois, US |
Died | August 25, 1980 New York City, US | (aged 61)
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1939–80 |
Spouses | |
Children | 2 |
Awards | Hollywood Walk of Fame 6162 Hollywood Boulevard |
Gower Carlyle Champion (June 22, 1919 – August 25, 1980) was an American actor,
Early years
Champion was born on June 22, 1919, in
Career
During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Champion worked on
In the early 1950s, Marge and Gower Champion made seven film musicals:
Throughout the 1950s, they performed on a number of television variety shows, and in 1957 they starred in their own short-lived CBS sitcom, The Marge and Gower Champion Show, which was based on their actual career experiences.
Gower and Marge Champion appeared as the Mystery Guests on the May 15, 1955 airing of
In 1948, Champion had begun to direct as well, and he won the first of eight Tony Awards for his staging of Lend an Ear, the show that introduced Carol Channing to New York City theater audiences. During the 1950s, he worked on only two Broadway musicals — choreographing Make a Wish in 1951 and directing, staging, and starring in 3 for Tonight in 1955 — preferring to spend most of his time in Hollywood. However, in the 1960s, he directed a number of Broadway hits that put him at the top of his profession.[3][4]
1960 to 1964
He had a solid success in 1960 with
1964 to 1980
Champion had his fourth consecutive hit musical with
His next show,
After the failures of the previous decade, Champion was able to make a comeback with his longest-running show. In 1980, he choreographed and directed a stage adaptation of the movie classic, 42nd Street. It won the Tony for Best Musical, and Champion was nominated for his direction and choreography, winning for the latter. The show ran for 3,486 performances, but Champion did not live to see one, having died in the morning on opening day.
Personal life
Champion was married in 1947 to actress Marjorie Celeste Belcher, who became famous as Marge Champion. Together, they had two sons: Blake and director Gregg Champion. They divorced in January 1973.[5] In 1976, he married Karla Russell.
He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Death
Champion was diagnosed in early 1979 with
Champion's death came only ten hours before the opening-night performance of 42nd Street, the Broadway musical he choreographed and directed. It would be his swan song, running nine years. Producer David Merrick asked Champion's family to withhold the news from everyone, including the show's cast, until after the opening performance. During the enthusiastic curtain calls, Merrick came onstage and made the announcement to the stunned cast and audience amidst the wild applause. "This is a very tragic moment," he said. "I'm sorry to have to report that today, Gower Champion died."[8][9][10]
Broadway credits
- Count Me In (musical), performer (1942)
- Lend an Ear, musical staging (1948)
- Small Wonder (musical), choreographer (1948)
- Make a Wish, choreographer (1951)
- 3 for Tonight, director and performer (1955)
- Bye Bye Birdie, director and choreographer (1960)
- Carnival!, director and choreographer (1961)
- Hello, Dolly!, director and choreographer (1964)
- I Do! I Do!, director (1966)
- 3 Bags Full, director (1966)
- The Happy Time, director and choreographer (1968)
- A Flea in Her Ear, director (1969)
- Prettybelle, director and choreographer (1971)
- Sugar, director and choreographer (1972)
- Irene, director (1973)
- Mack & Mabel, director and choreographer (1974)
- Rockabye Hamlet, director and choreographer (1976)
- A Broadway Musical, production supervisor (1978)
- 42nd Street, director and choreographer (1980)
Awards and nominations
- Awards
- 1949 Tony Award for Best Choreography – Lend an Ear
- 1961 Tony Award for Best Choreography – Bye Bye Birdie
- 1961 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – Bye Bye Birdie
- 1964 Tony Award for Best Choreography – Hello, Dolly!
- 1964 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – Hello, Dolly!
- 1968 Tony Award for Best Choreography – The Happy Time
- 1968 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – The Happy Time
- 1981 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography – 42nd Street
- 1981 Tony Award for Best Choreography – 42nd Street (posthumous award)
- Nominations
- 1962 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – Carnival!
- 1967 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – I Do! I Do!
- 1973 Tony Award for Best Choreography – Sugar
- 1973 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – Sugar
- 1975 Tony Award for Best Choreography – Mack & Mabel
- 1975 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – Mack & Mabel
- 1981 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – 42nd Street (posthumous nomination)
References
- ^ "Senior Year Stories - Fairfax High School". Public Broadcasting Service. 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-21.[dead link]
- ^ Chad (2019-10-25). "Gower Champion". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- ^ "Gower Champion". The Official Masterworks Broadway Site. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- ^ "The Stars: Gower Champion". Broadway: The American Musical. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- ^ Hoffman, Jan (July 14, 1999). "Public Lives. A Dancer's 8-Decade Arc to Top Banana". The New York Times.
- ISBN 0-313-30451-3.
- ^ Correy, John (26 August 1980). "Gower Champion Dies Hours Before Show Opens; A Rare Blood Disease Champion Dies Hours Before Opening". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
- ^ Moore, Keith (August 26, 1980). "Broadway's Gower Champion Dies at 61". New York Daily News.
- ^ Taylor, Clarke (August 27, 1980). "Life and Death on 42nd Street". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "42nd STREET opening night announcement (1980, Broadway)". YouTube.
Further reading
- Gilvey, John Anthony. Before the Parade Passes by: Gower Champion and the Glorious American Musical (2005), St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0-312-33776-0
External links
- Gower Champion at the Internet Broadway Database
- Gower Champion at IMDb
- PBS biography