Wednesday, January 28, 2009

"The Quadrille"

It's not quite the real thing, but here is a glimpse into some rare Golden Age material. Gail Benedict leads a recreation of Michael Kidd's original choreography for the exuberant "Quadrille" from the 1953 musical Can-Can. Now if someone only had a preservation of the famed "Apache Dance," which prompted a tremendous mid-show ovation on opening night in NY, quelled only when Ms. Verdon appeared for a call in her bathrobe (at the insistence of producer Cy Feuer). In supporting part that egomaniacal star Lilo demand be cut down, Verdon ended up overshadowing the above the title star, walking away with the reviews and her first of four Tony awards.

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