110 In The Shade
Louise Gold starred as
Lizzie Curry at The Fortune Theatre on 4, 11, 18 and 25 July 1999
110 In The Shade is a
musical version of The Rainmaker. The leading lady herself decribed it thus
“It’s
more of a play with songs, which work wonderfully in the context of the show”
Louise Gold to Robin Stringer, EVENING
STANDARD (
Cast
Fyle - Mark McKerracher
Toby - John Langley
H. C. Curry - Christopher Benjamin
Noah Curry - Neil McCaul
Jim Curry - Michael Matus
Lizzie Curry - Louise Gold
Bill Starbuck -
Snookie Updegraff - Suzy Bloom
Mrs Jessen - Jennifer Meldrum
Gil Demby - Paul Morrisey
Georgie - Neil Dutton
Olive - Arlene Coyle
Hannah - Hazel Ross
Belinda - Ann Adlem
Production Team
Music - Harvey Schmidt
Lyrics - Tom Jones (not The Tom Jones)
Book - N. Richard Nash
Based on a play "The Rainmaker" by N. Richard Nash
Original Production – The Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway, 1963,
with Inge Swenson as Lizzie Curry
Musical Director - Gareth Valentine
Assistant Musical Director -
Director - Ian Marshall-Fisher
For a full
Review/Account of the show, please
click here.
110 In The Shade marked Louise Gold's
return to The Lost Musicals, after a year's absence in 1998, due to
filming Topsy Turvy.
It also saw her returning to The Fortune Theatre,
where she had appeared in Nunsense, some 12 years
previously. She returned to The Fortune
again some seven years later (with her hair nicely tousled) in a gala Happily Ever After.
It is perhaps worth noting that 110 In The Shade’s
original Broadway production took place at The Broadhurst theatre, the
same theatre that Godspell had it’s Broadway
premier, after an Off-Broadway premier at The Cherry Lane Theatre, where
Nunsense had one of it’s first major
productions.
It is perhaps worth noting that The Fortune Theatre
had (or possibly has) public right of way running through the auditorium and
across the stage.
Michael Matus 's previous credits
include acting in The Muppet
Christmas Carol, thereby making him one of those actors who have
found themselves working with Louise Gold in both her guises.
Louise Gold and Neil McCaul
had previously appeared together in: The
Pirates Of Penzance film, Billy The Kid
And The Green Baize Vampire , Angry Housewives,
and The Lost Musicals productions of Red Hot
& Blue and Panama Hattie.
Neil McCaul had previously appeared
on The Royal Variety
Performance (1982), he went on to appear on television on A Week In The West End.
Louise Gold and Christopher
Benjamin had previously appeared together in a BBC Radio 3 production of Let ‘Em Eat Cake
Mark McKerracher who made his Lost
Musicals debut went on to appear in Du Barry Was A Lady (2001 Production)
where he also had Louise Gold as his leading lady.
Note, although The Musical Director for this
production was Gareth Valentine, who played the piano on stage for the show.
During some of the rehearsals he was unavailable, so
Critics Comments
“Louise Gold stood out as Lizzie, as did
“Louise Gold also shines in the role of
Lizzie, revealing her emotional torment in Old Maid, and an overwhelming joy in
Is It Really Me?” Lisa Martland, THE STAGE, 22 July 1999
“All the parts were well cast, especially
that of Louise Gold doing some of her best work in the lead” Ken
Sephton, WORDS AND MUSIC, Issue 34 September 1999
Links about 110 In
The Shade
The Lost Musicals Charitable TrustTM: http://www.lostmusicals.org/ -. The site includes photographs from
a number of past productions, including one of Suzy Bloom and Michael Matus in
110 In The Shade.
Reed Tickets’s page about the history of various
productions of this musical: http://www.reedstickets.net/110-degrees-in-the-shade.html
Return to Site Guide | Return
to Lost Musicals | 110 In The Shade Review