Tikki Taylor
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A Funny Thing Happened ...: Australia
In April 1963 the press excitedly announced that Harald Bowden. an executive of J.C. Williamson’s, had returned from a trip to New York with a contact for ‘The Firm’ to present A Funny Thingin Australia. Then this country’s major theatrical producers, Williamson’s traditionally spiced their shows with imported ‘stars’—though most of them were merely tiny twinkles in Broadway and the West End. A Funny Thing was no exception.
The role of Pseudolus went to Jack Collins. Through the program trumpeted his ‘700 network TV shows, 26 Broadway credits and major film work’, Mr Collins was a very minor player in his home country, albeit a competent comedian. Jack Gardner, another American of modest achievement, was chosen to play Hero. Canadian baritone Don McManus, a G&S regular, played Miles Gloriosus. Our Hysterium and Senex were both English—Clifford Mollison and Richard Walker respectively. Mollison had starred in farce here in the 1950s, and Walker was warmly remembered for his G&S roles and as Doolittle in the Australian production of My Fair Lady. The rest of the cast were local favourites: veteran vaudevillian Will Mahoney (Erronius), Bob Hornery (Lycus), Geraldene Morrow (Philia) and Pauline Garrick (Domina). Also joining in the mayhem were Max Phipps, Judith Roberts, Buster Skeggs and Rae Rondell. Berry Pounder choreographed and Brian Buggy conducted. The director was an Australian, Freddie Carpenter who boasted a long list of West End credits.
When Carpenter had trouble finding six local girls with the sex appeal expected of courtesans, Williamson’s advertised for hopefuls to attend a much publicised cattle call. This led one sceptical commentator to suggest that Carpenter would find what he wanted if he ventured into Sydney’s three thriving drag shows. There was also a wistful comment that the show would have provided a perfect showcase for the legendary ribaldry of Stiffy and Mo, who had dominated Australian vaudeville stages in the twenties.
After rehearsals in Melbourne, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum had its Australian premiere at the Theatre Royal in Sydney on 18 July 1964. Audiences loved it, and most of the critics agreed. The Sun’s Norman Kessell praised its 'unabashed exuberance’ and its ‘constant simmer of merriment’, while the Telegraph’s Denis O’Brien called it 'bawdily, glamorously, boisterously good’ and made special mention of Bob Hornery: ‘His absorption in his role is an object lesson for young actors.’ But The Australian’s Francis Evers grumbled that the show ‘scraped the bottom of the barrel of vaudeville and music hall’ while, perhaps predictably, The Catholic Weekly decreed: ‘Too great an emphasis on sex rules it out of the General Exhibition class. It’s strictly Adults Only’. A Funny Thing clocked up 16 weeks in Sydney and 17 in Melbourne, where the reviews were a little more guarded. ‘This is not a show for dad, mum and the kids,’ warned Isabel Carter in The Herald. ‘If it were taken to the dry cleaners, I doubt whether much would come back.’ ‘No wonder the Roman Empire fell,’ said Leonard Radic in The Age. The tour ended with a four-week run at Her Majesty’s in Adelaide. Both Jack Collins and Jack Gardner returned to relative obscurity in the United States, though Collins did achieve a A Funny Thing credit on Broadway: a single performance as Senex, when he stepped in for an unwell Lew Parker on the opening night of the 1972 revival.
Since A Funny Thing’s first Australian outing, it’s become a staple of amateur companies, but we’ve also enjoyed a few notable professional productions. The first of these was in 1966 in Perth, where Edgar Metcalfe starred as Pseudolus in a jaunty National Theatre presentation, which he also directed. Perth scored again in 1981 when His Majesty’s Theatre hosted the ebullient Noel Ferrier as Pseudolus in a production directed by Jenny McNae. In 1977 Alastair Duncan staged the show at Sydney’s Marian Street Theatre. His notable cast included Johnny Lockwood (Pseudolus), Peter Whitford (Hysterium), Reg Gillam (Senex), Tony Sheldon (Hero) and Jennifer McGregor (Philia). Phillip Scott was musical director.
Jon English was Pseudolus in Simon Gallaher's splendidly irreverent Essgee version of A Funny Thing. After opening in Melbourne on New Year’s Eve 1998, the show enjoyed an extensive romp around Australia and New Zealand through most of 1999. English’s accomplices included Drew Forsythe (Senex), John Bowles (Hero), Helen Donaldson (Philia), Joan Brockenshire (Domina), Tommy Dysart (Lycus), Jonathan Biggins (Hysterium) and Basil Clarke (Erronius). Clarke was then a sprightly 86; it was his last stage role. Craig Schaefer directed.
The Stephen Sondheim frolic also returned to Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre in 2012, where it opened on 27 October. The new John Frost production was possible because of the unexpected availability of Geoffrey Rush who, it seems, had long held a secret desire to play the deliciously devious Pseudolus. Supporting him were some of this country’s most adept thespians: Shane Bourne, Hugh Sheridan, Magda Szubanski, Gerry Connolly, Mitchell Butel, Christie Whelan-Browne, Adam Murphy. Bob Hornery. Susan-ann Walker and Rohan Browne. Gabriella Tylesova designed the set and costumes, and Simon Phillips directed. ‘It’s not just funny’, said Crikey’s Byron Bache, ‘it’s entirely and unreservedly hilarious. Rush's performance is as a close to theatrical wizardry as anyone will ever get.’ And speaking of theatrical wizardry, on 23 November Sondheim himself joined ABC presenter Christopher Lawrence on the Forum set to talk about his life and work, and to introduce some Sondheim standards performed by members of the cast. Proceeds from the unforgettable afternoon went to support the Rob Guest Endowment. Due to Geoffrey Rush being available for just 12 weeks, the production played until 25 November 2012.
Further resources
Interview with Geraldene Morrow
Interviewer: Rob Morrison
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Australia
Finale with everyone in their pyjama costumes. From The Pajama Game souvenir.
The Pajama Game
Musical in two acts by George Abbott and Richard Bissell, based on Bissell’s 1953 novel 7½ Cents. Lyrics and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Opened at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, 2 February 1957. Presented by J.C. Williamson Theatres Ltd., by arrangement with Frederick Brisson, Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince (of USA). Directed by Fred Hebert (of New York). Scenery by J. Alan Kenyon, Cecil Newman and John Kenyon. Dances staged by Betty Pounder. Musical direction by Gabriel Joffe. All the pyjamas seen in the Australian production of “Pajama Game” supplied by “Schrank”, being made from the famous “Schrank” designs for the New York production.
The lead roles of Babe Williams and Sid Sorokin were entrusted to two relative newcomer, Toni Lamond and William Newman. Keith Manzie of The Argus (1 December 1956) provides the background in the following article:
Local Boy and Girl Make Good
Australian artists are to be given their big chance in the main roles of the American musical, "The Pajama Game", which J.C. Williamson Ltd. will produce at Her Majesty's Theatre from February 2.
Blonde, vivacious Melbourne soubrette, Toni Lamond, will play the principal role of the pajama factory girl, Babe Williams.
Geelong baritone William Newman will appear opposite Miss Lamond as Sid Sorokin, the factory superintendent, who comes to discipline Babe, and remains to fall in love with her.
Terry Vaughan, JCW production manager, who made the announcement this week on behalf of the JCW directors, said:
"This clever musical play gives us the opportunity to use Australian talent as a change from importing overseas players for the parts.
"Tests have proved that Miss Lamond and Mr. Newman are ideally suited to the roles... so why look any further and take a certain amount of risk with artists of unknown ability from America or London?"
That's a significant comment which sounds like the start of a new era of opportunity and success for the local artist.
This will be youthful Toni Lamond's first big part (I hear she's still only 19 years old).
Toni, the daughter of Stella Lamond, well-known in local variety shows and on the radio, has recently been on tour with Max Reddy's Olympic Follies (Max is Toni's step-father).
Toni appeared at the Tivoli with the Tommy Trinder show, and played at the Plaza, Northcote, when that theatre ran regular vaudeville performances.
The part of Babe is the "big break" all young actresses dream about.
William Newman started his career in the chorus of "South Pacific" at Her Majesty's Theatre.
After that he played in "Paint Your Wagon", and was then given the male lead in "Can-Can", in which he will again be seen in a brief return season at Her Majesty's commencing on December 26.
Producer of "The Pajama Game" in Melbourne will be American Fred Hebert, who has been the stage director with the show in New York, ever since it opened there about 18 months ago.
Hebert will arrive her on December 11, to help choose the rest of the cast and start rehearsals immediately.
Hebert is anxious that the Australian production should reach a similar high standard to that of the Broadway performance.
I understand that New York hasn't been entirely satisfied with the London version of the show, now running with Australian Joy Nichols in the lead.
Hebert wants to make sure that the show we see here has all the zip and sparkle of the original production.
"The Pajama Game", which is now being made into a screen musical by Warner Bros. with Doris Day, is one of the most unusual musical shows produced in a long time.
The setting is a pajama factory, and the story concerns the threatened strike by the workers for a wage rise of 7 1/2 cents.
The leading lady is head of the Grievance Committee, and a fiery supporter of the workers' rights. The leading man is the harassed superintendent trying to settle these grievances. An entirely modern theme.
Witty lyrics, tuneful songs and colourful ballets animate these amusing proceedings, spoken in the American vernacular and adapted from an entertaining book by Richard Bissell (who combined with George Abbott in adapting it to the stage).
Music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross.
The show lends itself to all sorts of novelty numbers.
Outstanding among these is the soliloquy song "Hey There!" sung by the superintendent into a dictaphone and transformed into a duet when the superintendent sings with himself in the "play back".
"The Pajama Game" is a musical without glamor - but with the age-old battle between Capital and Labor. It will carry a lot of impact in being "different".
Keith Manzie continues the story in The Argus (22 December 1956):
Fred Hebert, who has been busy all the week completing his all-Australian cast for "The Pajama Game", is enthusiastic about a young Sydney singer he has found for the top comedy role of Hines - the part played by Eddie Foy Jnr., in the original Broadway productions.
This is baritone Keith Peterson ("one of the best voices I've ever heard", said Hebert), who has been doing night club work in Sydney and has an easy style in light comedy work which makes him a "natural" for his role in "P.G.".
Hebert has selected Melbourne baritone Don Richards, who is at present appearing at Chevron, for the part of the brash, happy-go-lucky Pres - a role which is complementary to that of Hines.
Richards is also said to have a flair for comedy.
Another young Australian who scored a plum role in The Pajama Game was Tikki Taylor. Molly Maginnis in her “Women in the Theatre” column in The Age (12 January 1957) takes up the story:
To Tikki Taylor, with her gamin hair-do and piquant charm, goes the coveted role of Gladys, the dancing comedienne.
This is the crowning success of a stage career which began when she was six years of age in Blue Mountain Melody with Cyril Ritchard and the late Madge Elliott.
Panto followed, and at 14, while still at school, Tikki spent her evenings at the theatre as a "call boy". This enabled her to absorb a miscellaneous but useful collection of knowledge of backstage craft.
By the time she left school Tikki had completed her Royal Academy of Dancing examinations and went into the ballet of Desert Song.
Her only break with theatre came about three years ago, shortly after her marriage with John Newman, whom she met while both were playing in South Pacific.
Deciding to see something of the world, they worked up a comedy song-and-dance act and set out with Singapore first stop.
The act must have been good - it took them to Colombo, Bombay, Calcutta, New Delhi, Rome, all through England (including the famous Palladium) and France.
In London they saw The Pajama Game, liked it, heard it would be presented by the Firm in Australia - and came home in the hope of being included in the cast. They are.
On 2 February 1957, Molly Maginnis in her “Women in the Theatre” column in The Age, introduces her readers to Betty Pounder, the show's choreographer:
New Show Highlight in Career of Local Dancer
The success of The Pajama Game will be a personal triumph for Betty Pounder. But the audience will not see Betty; only the result of her work. She is ballet mistress for the show - a crowning point in 17 years' work with the Firm.
The firm sent her to New York to study the Broadway production. Night after night she sat in front, concentrating on every step, every movement. Then she would dash back to her hotel and make notes.
The numbers you will see tonight have been built up from these notes... augmented by Betty's remarkable memory for movement and position.
Betty joined Williamson's in 1940. For two previous years she had studied in England on a scholarship.
She always wanted to be a ballerina. But now she is just as satisfied with her work back-stage.
Like most young dancers she went through the run of the mill in the ballet of musical comedies before being entrusted with solo numbers.
Next step was her appointment as assistant to Hazel Meldrum who was then Williamson's ballet mistress, but has since retired.
Betty's ability was soon recognised. She was sent off to New Zealand with Gladys Moncrieff, who toured in a series of revivals of popular musicals.
As only the principals were sent from Australia, Betty had to train a local ballet and direct the movements of the ensembles in the requirements of six musical comedies.
Later she tackled a similar task when touring New Zealand with the Italian Opera Company. But local additions to the company had to be taught the different dances and moves in 14 operas.
Betty has assisted to arrange and train ballets for all the "new" style musical plays presented by the Firm. These, she considers, began with Annie Get Your Gun.
There is, said Betty, a big difference in dance numbers between the old and new style of musical. In the former, ballets were interpolated into the story, and did not necessary have any bearing on the play. Today they arise naturally from the course of the story and must be strictly in character.
Because of this, she does not think the modern ballet girl in a musical show needs to be as versatile as in the old days. "We had to be everything from classical dancers to tumblers", she said.
Sid Sorokin (William Newman) meets Babe Williams (Toni Lamond) and the other machine girls, while Hines (Keith Petersen) looks on. From The Pajama Game souvenir.
The Cast
Hines Keith Petersen Prez Don Richard Joe Robert Healey Hasler Jack Little Gladys Tikki Taylor Mabel Jill Perryman Sid Sorokin William Newman 1st Helper John Newman 2nd Helper Alton Harvey Charlie Ron Shand Babe Williams Toni Lamond Mae Dorothy Francis Brenda Fay Agnew Poopsie Raphine Sprague Salesman John Sanger Pop Reginald Newson The Melbourne season ran for five months, closing on the 8 June 1957, when the show toured to the other centres:
Empire Theatre, Sydney, 12 June 1957 - 9 November 1957
Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, 12 November 1957 - December 1957
Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, 26 December 1957 - 27 January 1958
His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, 10 February 1958
Grand Opera House, Wellington, 12 March 1958
His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, 3 May 1958
Theatre Royal, Adelaide, 18 June 1958
During the fourteen-month tour, the four principal performers (Toni Lamond, William Newman, Keith Petersen and Tikki Taylor) remained consistent.
At the staff picnic, Hines (Keith Petersen) practices his knife-throwing skills on Babe (Toni Lamond). From The Pajama Game souvenir.
The Songs
Act 1 The Pajama Game Hines Racing with the Clock Boys and Girls A New Town is a Blue Town Sid Sorokin I’m Not at all in Love Babe Williams and Girls I’ll Never be jealous Again Hines and Mabel Hey There Sid Sorokin Her Is Prez and Gladys Sleep-Tite Babe Williams and Boys and Girls Once a Year Day Sid Sorokin, Babe Williams and Company & Danced by Gladys and two Workers Reprise: Her Is Prez and Mae Small Talk Sid Sorokin and Babe Williams There Once was a Man Sid Sorokin and Babe Williams Reprise: Hey There Sid Sorokin Act 2 Steam Heat Gladys and the two Workers Reprise: Hey There Babe Williams Think of the Time I Save Hines and Girls Hernando’s Hideaway Gladys, Sid Sorokin and Company Jealousy Ballet Hines, Gladys, Mabel and Boys 7½ Cents Babe Williams, Prez and Boys and Girls The Pajama Game Entire Company Babe (Toni Lamond), Prez (Don Richards) and Ensemble in the “7½ Cents” number. From The Pajama Game souvenir.
The Reviews
American Invasion Is In Full Swing
By Geoffrey Hutton
This sort of thing has happened before. James Cassius Williamson founded his Australian empire on an American play about oil-gushers long before any of us were born. But there must be a reason why American musicals have dominated the stage for so long, and American plays are taking so large a share of it.
Can it be that there is more sheer vitality in the New York than the London stage today? I fear so. With reservations, I applaud The Rainmaker because it tried to say something about real people. With fewer reservations I laughed myself hoarse over The Pajama Game because it brought a much-needed touch of realism to a form of theatre which seemed to be on its last legs years ago.
In its way this light-hearted comedy of American big business is the end of the road which was opened by those back-woods musicals like Annie, Oklahoma and Paint Your Wagon. They were a local retort to the thin and overworked musical play which was not a play at all, but a succession of exotic backcloths with carefully arranged moments for the funny men, the romantic leads and the chorus to do their stuff.
Homely Reality
We were bored with the old-style musicals and the journey the Americans made was really necessary. They introduced a touch of homely reality into a form of theatre which had gone too far from its roots. They set a new fashion, for a while, and like all new fashions it is becoming unfashionable.
The Pajama Game completes the journey. We have learned all we want to learn about Oklahoma and New Hampshire. The folk songs and the apple-jack parties have had their day. The journey which began during the war has ended in a textile factory, which comes a lot closer to life as we know it that corn-cobs and barn-dances. From Ruritania we have travelled to the Sleeptite Pajama factory, from the conservatory to the Ladies' Pants Department.
Long before I saw the play I read Richard Bissell's novel, which was a rarity. It dealt with urgent and potentially ugly problems. In a mood of ironic good humor which was difficult to resist. The pyjama workers wanted seven-and-a-half cents an hour more on their piece rates. The boss told them to get back to work, the pyjama game was at the cross roads, and a lot more nonsense.
In the end the union leader looks a bit of a rascal and the boss looks a bit of a scoundrel. Mr. Bissell, delicately avoiding making a serious issue of this dispute; after all he was writing in a period of prosperity when these issues could be adjusted without real hardship to anyone. By making the hero an executive and the heroine a member of the Grievances Committee he was able to fold capital and labor in each other's arms without any hard feelings.
And the whole piece is done with a naughty jocularity which comes near to the spirit of a sophisticated revue. “This play is symbolic” says the funny man when the curtain rises, gently mocking Tennessee Williams. And before it falls he returns and reminds us that it was. Of course, it wasn't.
It may be that Messrs. George Abbott and Richard Bissell, who concocted the book, and Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, who decorated it with its witty lyrics and sharply discordant music, were only out to amuse. So they were, and they succeeded in doing so, and a little more.
Extract from The Age, 9 February 1957, p.19
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Obituary: John Newman OAM
John Newman OAM, 30 August 1930–28 July 2024
I am delighted to write this article for Theatre Heritage Australia to pay tribute to one of Melbourne’s legends of showbusiness John Robert Newman OAM.
I only met John Newman once. It was at a function at Her Majesty’s Theatre in 2018. I managed to record a radio interview with him which is attached to this article. I have followed John’s successful career over many years. John Newman passed away peacefully on Sunday the 28th of July 2024 in Melbourne at the age of 94. His immediate family were by his side.
John Newman was born in 1930 and grew up in Geelong.
As a teenager he was performing in non professional shows for the Geelong Musical Society along with Barry Crocker and John’s brother Bill. Bill Newman was later well known for his work in Bobby Limb’s Sound of Music on television.
John auditioned for JCW and was in the chorus of shows such as Song of Norway,Annie Get Your Gun and South Pacific. He met Joyce Taylor in South Pacific, John played Radio Operator Bob McCaffrey and Joyce played Ensign Janet MacGregor. They fell in love and married in 1954. Joyce adopted the stage name of Tikki Taylor. They were touring the UK as a comedy duo in a show with The Great Levant and fulfilled their dream of performing at the Palladium Theatre in London. One night they saw a production of a new show called The Pajama Game and Tikki wanted to play the role of “Gladys” who performs in the Steam Heat song. Tikki flew to New Zealand to audition and won the role for the Australian tour.
John also worked in television and was part of Lady for a Day at HSV7 with Larry K. Nixon and John Darcy who was a fellow cast member in South Pacific. During this period in the 1960’s John Newman produced television shows.
John and Tikki established a late night coffee house in Exhibition Street in 1962. It was close to Her Majesty’s Theatre and the Comedy Theatre with the idea that theatregoers could drop in for a coffee and chat after seeing a stage show. As the years went by it developed into a very popular successful Theatre Restaurant with Cabaret and Music Hall. The featured artists included Maurie Fields and Val Jellay, Vikki Hammond, Frank Wilson, Margo Lee, Gus Mercurio, Jackie Clancy and many others. I have a memory of a uniformed doorman greeting customers upon arrival—the fun started before you even got into the Theatre Restaurant.
Robert Morrison from 96.5 Inner FM recalled that the ladies’ rest-room in the Theatre Restaurant had a supposedly nude full-sized portrait of John Newman on the wall with a strategically placed practical 3D fig-leaf on a hinge, and if any curious lady dared to lift it while paying a visit, a bell rang in the show-room alerting all the restaurant patrons to the incident, much to the subsequent embarrassment of the perpetrator. There were lots of laughs at this popular venue.
Newman Entertainment was established in 1964 and many great business ventures began over the years such as Dracula’s Theatre Restaurant in both Melbourne and the Gold Coast, Cafe Crypt and Crazyhouse.
Tikki and John were both recognised with the OAM in the Australia Day awards of 1993 for services to the entertainment industry and to charitable organisations.
Tikki Taylor passed away in 2011 aged 83.
A month before he died John visited Dracula’s on the Gold Coast and he was thrilled to see audiences laughing, clapping and singing in a venue he conceived. The day he died the flags that adorn the building were flown at half-mast in his honour.
John was an amazing man, who with his wife built an amazing theatrical family business. I am told that the thing he most enjoyed was entertaining people.
His Grandson Luke told me there was a small celebration of John’s life held in the building that housed Tikki & John’s in Exhibition Street Melbourne—now a cocktail bar called 1806.
Our sympathy is extended to the children of Tikki and John—Paul, Marc and Haydie who lived above the venue for many years. Our sympathy to all the Newman family.
When I asked John would it be ok to record a chat with him, I never imagined that it would result in me being asked to write this article—thanks to sources, too many to mention.
RIP John Newman OAM and thanks for the laughs.
I hope you enjoy the radio interview with John.
Photos courtesy of Luke Newman.