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Gower Champion

Born Gower Carlyle Champion
June 22, 1919(1919-06-22)
Geneva, Illinois, USA
Died August 25, 1980 (aged 61)
Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Spouse(s) Marjorie Belcher (1947-1973)

Gower Carlyle Champion (June 22, 1919 – August 25, 1980) was an American Tony Award-winning theatre director, choreographer, and dancer. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Geneva is a suburb of Chicago located in extreme eastern Kane County Illinois. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Marge Champion (born Marjorie Celeste Belcher on September 2, 1919) is an American Dancer and Choreographer. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented A theatre director or stage director is a practitioner in the Theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production (a play, See also, Choreography (literally "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance see chorea) and "γραφή" Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic

Contents

Biography

Champion was born in Geneva, Illinois, the son of John W. Geneva is a suburb of Chicago located in extreme eastern Kane County Illinois. Champion and Beatrice Carlisle. He was raised in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated from Fairfax High School. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Fairfax High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District high school located in Los Angeles California, USA, near the border of West Hollywood [1] He studied dance from an early age and at the age of fifteen toured nightclubs with friend Jeanne Tyler billed as "Gower and Jeanne, America's Youngest Dance Team. A nightclub (or "night club" or "club" is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark "

During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Champion worked on Broadway as a solo dancer and choreographer. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, Champion met Marjorie Belcher, who became his new partner, and the two were married in 1947. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Marge Champion (born Marjorie Celeste Belcher on September 2, 1919) is an American Dancer and Choreographer. 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. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. During this period, they also made several film musicals, including the 1951 remake of Show Boat (with Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson), the autobiographical Everything I Have is Yours (1952), Give a Girl a Break (1953), and Three for the Show (1955). Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book (based on a novel by Edna Ferber) and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein Howard Keel, born Harold Clifford Keel ( April 13, 1919 &ndash November 7, 2004) was an American Actor WikipediaWikiProject_Opera#Infoboxes --> Kathryn Grayson (born February 9, 1922) is an American actress An autobiography, from the Greek αὐτός autos "self" βίος bios "life" and γράφειν graphein "to write"

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 theater audiences. The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented Carol Elaine Channing (b January 31 1921, Seattle Washington) is an American Singer and actress. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous During the 1950s, he only worked on two Broadway musicals--choreographing Make A Wish in 1951 and directing, starring and staging 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.

He had a solid success in 1960 with Bye Bye Birdie, a show about an Elvis-like rock star about to be inducted into the army. Bye Bye Birdie is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse. The show starred relative unknowns Chita Rivera and Dick Van Dyke along with a youthful cast. Chita Rivera (born on January 23, 1933) is an American actress Dancer, and Singer best known for her roles in Musical theater Richard Wayne “Dick” Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American Actor, Presenter and Entertainer, with a It ran 607 performances and won four Tony awards, including Best Musical and two for Champion's direction and choreography. Next came Carnival! in 1961, which ran 719 performances and garnered seven Tony nominations, including one for Champion's direction. Carnival! is a 1961 musical with book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill, starring Anna Maria Alberghetti

In 1964, he directed one of Broadway's biggest blockbusters, Hello, Dolly!. It ran for 2844 performances--almost seven years. Starring Carol Channing, it's best remembered for the title number, where Dolly is greeted by the staff of a restaurant after having been away for years. The show won ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical, as well as two for Champion's direction and choreography.

Champion had his fourth consecutive hit musical with I Do! I Do! in 1966. I Do! I Do! is a musical with a book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt. It featured a cast of two--veterans Mary Martin and Robert Preston--playing a couple seen throughout the years of their marriage. Mary Virginia Martin ( December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American Tony Award -winning star of stage film The show ran for 560 performances and got seven Tony nominations, including one for Champion's direction.

His next show, The Happy Time in 1968, broke his streak. The Happy Time is a 1952 movie directed by the award-winning director Richard Fleischer. It had a relatively disappointing run of only 286 performances. This would be followed by many more disappointments and worse. In the 1970s, Champion directed minor hits (Sugar in 1972 and the revival Irene in 1973), flops (Mack And Mabel in 1974) and complete disasters ( Rockabye Hamlet--seven performances in 1976--and A Broadway Musical running only one night in 1978, not to mention Prettybelle, which closed out of town in 1971). Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. Rockabye Hamlet is a Rock musical with a book lyrics and music by Cliff Jones A Broadway Musical is a musical with a book by William F Brown, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse. Prettybelle is a musical with a book and lyrics by Bob Merrill and music by Jule Styne. On top of all this, he and Marge were divorced in 1973.

After all the failure 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. 42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren It won the Tony for Best Musical, and Champion was nominated for his direction and choreography, winning for the latter. The show ran for 3486 performances, but Champion did not live to see any. During the show's tryout in Washington, D.C., he learned he had a rare form of blood cancer, and after numerous curtain calls on opening night, producer David Merrick stunned the cast and audience by announcing Champion had died earlier that day. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D David Merrick ( November 27 1911 &ndash April 25, 2000) was a prolific Tony Award -winning American Theatrical producer

Broadway credits

Awards and Nominations

Awards
Nominations

References

  1. ^ Senior Year Stories - Fairfax High School. 42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren A Broadway Musical is a musical with a book by William F Brown, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse. Rockabye Hamlet is a Rock musical with a book lyrics and music by Cliff Jones Mack & Mabel is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. Irene is a musical with a book by James Montgomery lyrics by Joseph McCarthy, and music by Harry Tierney. Sugar is a 1972 Broadway musical based on the screenplay for the film Some Like it Hot, which was written by Billy Wilder Prettybelle is a musical with a book and lyrics by Bob Merrill and music by Jule Styne. A Flea in Her Ear (La Puce à l'oreille is a 1907 play by Georges Feydeau written at the height of the Belle Époque. The Happy Time is a musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by N I Do! I Do! is a musical with a book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt. Hello Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder 's 1938 Carnival! is a 1961 musical with book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill, starring Anna Maria Alberghetti Bye Bye Birdie is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse. Lend an Ear is a musical Revue with a book music and lyrics by Charles Gaynor and additional sketches by Joseph Stein and Will Count Me In (full name Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence) is a charitable organization that provides financial assistance and business Consulting The Drama Desk Award, created in 1955, is an award which recognizes shows produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-off-Broadway, and PBS (2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-21. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily.

External links


The Internet Broadway Database ( IBDB) is an online Database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel
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