THEATRE UNDER THE STARS
Frank M. Young, President / CEO
John C. Breckenridge, Producer
presents
GIGI
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Based on a novel by Colette
January 14 - February 1, 1998
The Music Hall
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Cast of Characters
Gigi...............................................................Linnea Dakin
Honore Lachailles......................................Gavin MacLeod
Gaston Lachailles........................................Alberto Stevans
Liane D'Exelmans.....................................Krissy Richmond
Sandomir, a skating instructor.................Marty McDonough
Inez Alvarez ("Mamita")...................................Anne Rogers
Lucille, Gigi's Mother...................................Denise Thorson
Aunt Alicia.............................................Liliane Montevecchi
Charles, Alicia's butler..........................Roger Preston Smith
Manuel, Honore's valet......................................Bill Bateman
Dance Instructor..........................................Gregory Daniels
Hotel Receptionist.......................................Richard Carlson
Young Honore........................................Marty McDonough
Young Mamita...........................................Krissy Richmond
Telephone Installer......................................Richard Carlson
Maitre DuFresne, a lawyer...................................Paul Hope
Maitre Duclos, a lawyer..............................Richard Carlson
Waiter...............................................................Josh Prince
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Gavin MacLeod, Liliane Montevecchi, Anne Rogers Headline Cast of GIGI
Houston, TX
Television's "Love Boat" captain, Gavin MacLeod, Tony winner Liliane Montevecchi and
International star Anne Rogers will headline Theatre Under The Stars' cast of Lerner & Loewe's
romantic musical Gigi, playing January 15 - February 1 at the Music Hall. The frothy tale of a
precocious French teenager and the adults she both intrigues and mystifies, Gigi is directed for
TUTS by Bruce Lumpkin with choreography by Sharon Halley, musical direction by Wayne Green
and maestro Richard Short conducting the TUTS orchestra. French film star Leslie Caron, who
won America's hearts as Gigi in the 1958 MGM movie version, will be among those in TUTS'
Opening night audience.
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Liliane Montevecchi as Aunt Alicia
Liliane is a Tony and Drama Desk award winner for Tommy Tune's Nine. She also received a
Tony nomination for Grand Hotel and an Emmy nomination for the Playhouse 90 episode "Child of
Our Time". She started ballet at the age of nine and became a prima ballerina in Roland Petit's
ballet company at 18. Catching Hollywood's eyes, she was one of the last to have a seven-year
contract with MGM. Her co-stars in moves were Elvis Presley, Fred Astaire, Jerry Lewis, Danny
Kaye, among others, and Marlon Brando in Young Lions.
She was a Star of the Follies Bergere for nine years in Paris, Las Vegas and New York. Her
one-woman show "On The Boulevard," took her all over the world. Knighted by the Knights of
Malta for her humanitarian work, Miss Montevecchi is now a Dame.
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Anne Rogers as Inez "Mamita" Alvarez
Ms. Rogers reprises her highly acclaimed performance from the 1996 Paper Mill Playhouse
production of Gigi. She first came to fame while still a teenager in her native London as the leading
lady of the original production of The Boy Friend. She first came to America to play Liza Doolittle
in My Fair Lady in Los Angeles and Chicago, where she won the coveted Sarah Siddons Award.
She has starred in Broadway, and Television.
Ann made her TV debut opposite Charlton Heston in Elizabeth and Essex, and her recording of
The Sound of Music has sold more than one million copies. In February you will hear her as the
voice of Mrs. Potts in the new Disney video Beauty and the Beast. Anne's favorite roles are as Liza
Doolittle and Blanche Du Bois in A Streetcar Named Desire.
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Linnea Dakin as Gigi
Linnea is pleased to be making her debut at Houston's Theatre Under the Stars. She recently
appeared on Broadway in the musical State Fair, where she understudied the roles of Eleanor and
Violet. Her favorite roles include Loise Marie in the play Cedar Creek which premiered at The
Abingdon Theatre Company and Fiona in Brigadoon.
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Alberto Stevans as Gaston Lachailles
Alberto was the first man ever to be appointed to introduce the theme song at the Lido de Paris on
the famous Champs Elysees in Paris. He starred in C'est Si Bon at the Cafe Versailles in NYC.
Theatre audiences have applauded him as The Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, Che in Evita,
and Nick Arnstein in Funny Girl. He originated the role of Bobby in A Chorus Line in Spain. He
has guest starred on TV with Grace Jones and the late Sammy Davis, Jr. Mr. Stevans has toured
over 80 countries with his solo act aboard the original Love Boat.
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Celebrating his 60th year in Show Businesss
Gavin MacLeod Stars as The Honore Lachailles in GIGI
by Theresa Hyde
TheresaHyd@aol.com
Gavin MacLeod is best known for his ten years as Captain Stubing in ABC's smash hit series, THE
LOVE BOAT. He was nominated three times by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as
Best Actor in a Comedy Series. Gavin spent seven happy years co-starring in the award-winning
television series THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW. As Murray Slaughter, the acid-tongued
news writer, he was nominated twice by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as Best
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Born in Mt. Kisco, New York, he began his career as a scholarship winner, acquiring a Bachelor
of Fine Arts degree in Drama from Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York. He appeared in
off-Broadway productions, then made his Broadway debut in a HATFUL OF RAIN with Shelley
Winters and Ben Gazzara. His musical appearances include GIGI (as Honore), SHOWBOAT (as
Cap'n Andy), ANNIE (as Daddy Warbucks).
His film debut was with Susan Hayward in the Oscar-winning I WANT TO LIVE. Among his 35
credits are COMPULSION with Orson Welles, OPERATION PETTICOAT with Cary Grant,
HIGH TIME with Bing Crosby, PORK CHOP HILL with Gregory Peck, THE PARTY with
Peter Sellers, THE SAND PEBBLES with Steve McQueen, and KELLY'S HEROES with Clint
Eastwood. His hundreds of TV roles include 2 years on MCHALE'S NAVY, the lascivious "Big
Chicken" on HAWAII FIVE-O, THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, HOGAN'S HEROES,
HOTEL, MURDER SHE WROTE, and Robert Anderson's award-winning THE LAST ACT IS
A SOLO with Olympia Dukakis.
He was honored in 1992 as Humanitarian of the Year by the "Gift of Life Foundation" in New
York. He is a spokesman for "Feed the Children" and an honorary citizen of Boy's Town. The
Shriner's selected him as their Man of the Year in 1982. One of his proudest moments was being
honored as commencement speaker and awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from his
alma matter, Ithaca College in 1982. Gavin and his wife, Patti divide their time between Rancho
Mirage, California and New York, New York. They have 7 children and six gifted, brilliant
grandchildren.
THYDE: My most favorite role you've ever done is in the Mary Tyler Moore Show.......
GMACLEOD: Yes, Murray.....
THYDE: Because I'm a writer, primarily, and you were a writer in that show......and I'm really
honored because you're the biggest star I've ever interviewed......
GMACLEOD: Well, thank you!
THYDE: Tell us a little bit about the part you're playing......
GMACLEOD: Well I play this Frenchman, Honore Lachailles who is in Paris in 1901. It was a
different kind of society than we have here today. And he is very very wealthy, he's inherited this
big sugar business from his grandfather. Never had to work in his life.
So he's primarily concerned with Women. Being with women, and food, and all those kinds of
things. The Antithesis of me, but he's a joy to play. And he does sing some good songs, he has
good scenes, and the audience really seem to like the show a lot.
THYDE: And you've performed this role before...........
GMACLEOD: Yes, I did this part in Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey last November and
December. Anne Rogers did her part also, and so did Lilianne Montevecchi. So the three of us,
had done it before.
THYDE: How is it working with them? Anne Rogers, of course, is an International star......and Ms.
Montevecchi is a Tony Award Winner.
GMACLEOD: Oh, they're the best! Are you kidding? They're Pros, and it's a thrill to be on the
stage with them. I don't have anything to do with Lilianne very much, except, I've got a couple of
cues, but of course Anne and I have got this wonderful old romantic scene.....
Scene 9: The Grand Hotel at Trouville
"I Remember It Well".......................Honore and Mamita
GMACLEOD: Oh, they're wonderful. And the young people are terrific too!
THYDE: What did you have to do to prepare for the part? Was it hard trying to get the French
accent?
GMACLEOD: That's always a thing to work on. What I had to do was #1- Grow the mustache,
'cause I just finished doing a date in Hong Kong, and I couldn't wear it for that. So I was hoping it
would be full enough for the show, so it's worked out alright.
The French.....the French is different here than it is in New Jersey. In New Jersey, it was more
authentic, more Z's. But, by being authentic, where Lilianne is authentic (Parisien born
Montevecchi), it sorta gets in the way for people. I mean it's okay for her to have one, really,
because that's what she is. But if I do it.....I mean.....I had a coach, Annie had a coach, we all had
a coach. And you do it with so many Z's, it sounds phony. You know? So we decided here, that
we would just eliminate those Z's. And just have the flavor.....more of the Flavor.
THYDE: How did you become a part of this?
GMACLEOD: Unbeknownst to me, Frank Young (TUTS Founder, President and CEO) saw it in
Paper Mill Playhouse last year. Then, I was doing a new musical try-out in Fort Worth at the Casa
Manana this summer called GROSSINGERS. Frank Young came up to see GROSSINGERS.
That's when he came back to my room and we met. And he said, "If I do GIGI, would you be
interested in doing it again?" I said, "Well, I sure did like it. You know, let's see what happens," and
so Here We Are!
THYDE: You're a great Actor.....you've directed, you've also written. You wrote and directed
ARE YOU ANYBODY? and MADAME PONCELLI AND THE INDIAN HOOP DANCER
FROM OGDEN, UTAH at Theatre West Los Angeles. Which role do you like best, as an Actor,
Director, or a Writer?
GMACLEOD: I think Acting on the Stage. Performing, doing what I'm doing now. As a
performer, you're just basically responsible for your own performance. As a Director, you're
responsible for everything. And the same with a Writer, you know. But, it's very rewarding to write
something, and see it come alive, and have people be affected by it.
THYDE: Having worked in the Mary Tyler Moore Show, can you tell us stories about working
with that amazing cast, Mary, of course, Lou Grant or Ed Asner, Ted Knight or Ted Baxter.......
GMACLEOD: Oh, Ed is just a fabulous human being. He went on to become the president of The
Screen Actors Guild. We started that show in 1970......I was barely 40. Actually 40 on that show.
Ed was a little older, Ted was the oldest, and Mary.......she was the greatest. She's a fabulous
leader. And a fabulous actress.
THYDE: She did produce that show, didn't she?
GMACLEOD: Oh yeah, she and her husband. That was MTM productions. And also Ted Knight,
he was my oldest friend in California. We met.......Ted and I met in 1957, we both arrived in
California, in Los Angeles at the same time. And we had the same ages, we had the same business
manager, we got our first little houses at the same time.
THYDE: Oh wow, just the best of friends......
GMACLEOD: Oh yeah, oh yeah.....For me to put him down on the show, week after week, was
quite an experience, because I have nothing but respect for Ted. Fabulous Actor.
THYDE: and Betty White......
GMACLEOD: Betty has done terrific, she's a great humanitarian. Her husband, Alan, when he
died, that was very sad for all of us.
THYDE: Do you still see them, once in awhile?
GMACLEOD: Well, whenever we work together. Or if there's a function where they're honoring
Mary, or somebody, we'll all go to. I'll tell you who I see more of, and that's Valerie Harper, who's
Rhoda. We see each other a lot in New York. And she almost was able to come here for the
Opening.
THYDE: You've also worked with Debbie Reynolds.......
GMACLEOD: Oh yeah, I worked with her in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN. And then she starred in
THE LOVE BOAT, too. When we went to the Panama Canal together.
THYDE: What qualities do you look for in an Actor?
GMACLEOD: Honesty. Also, I would say, Courage to Dare. Enthusiasm.
THYDE: Your career span is amazing. You were also honored and awarded an Honorary
Doctorate of Fine Arts from your alma matter, Ithaca College in New York. What would you
attribute to your success?
GMACLEOD: For me personally, just letting the Lord control my life. Making those opportunities,
maintaining a relationship with him so that he will guide me. And so, you have those Low points, as
well as High points and you know you're never alone. You're being guided by the Ultimate. You
also put God in your marriage, I've been married since 1972.
THYDE: You probably get a lot of compliments from a lot of people. What is the hardest part
about being you?
GMACLEOD: The hardest part? Keeping my weight down. (Laughs). No doubt about it.
THYDE: Oh but you were amazing, you did a great job......
GMACLEOD: Thank you. You know, I've been fighting this........as you get older, it's more
difficult. It's just one of those situations......I'm gonna be doing Gigi again in Pittsburgh, Civic Light
Opera, the end of June. So I promised my manager that I would lose 20 lbs. (laughs).
THYDE: I meet a lot of struggling actors here. What advice would you give to actors for them to
achieve success? Here in the Houston Theatre Community, I see a lot of actors that don't get paid
for their work......
GMACLEOD: I did that too. For about a year. When I was doing summerstock in College, I
started getting paid. I think the most important thing is Experience. Just keep at it. Keeping at it. I
always tell the young students that Perseverance is the Name of the Game.
They say an average person would make maybe, 8 interviews for jobs in their lifetime. And an
Actor can do that in 2 days! I always tell them that, "Think of yourself as one of those big rubber
figures with sand in the bottom, that when you hit it, it goes down and it comes back up. Because
you're gonna be hit a lot! But you gotta keep coming back up if you want to do it enough." You
have to Persevere, and I think that's the name of the game.
THYDE: You've had so many high points in your career. Would you say you have more High
points than Low?
GMACLEOD: Oh, No doubt about it. Those High points sustain for a long period of time. I mean,
you know, I had Night Club Acts, too. We travelled all over in those. We do a lot of things that
haven't been talked about in the biography there.
But I think, what you must always do is to Love what you're doing. That Gift from God. And you
just have to hang in, and your turn will come. And when that Turn comes, you have to be prepared.
That's why I encourage them all to go to classes, keep it up. Don't let things fall by the side.
I don't know how you can become a star. But to be an Actor, a Working
Actor, it's Perseverance.
THYDE: Who influenced you as an Artist?
GMACLEOD: When I was a boy, I go to the movies. And all these wonderful character actors,
Charles Lawton, Thomas Mitchell, John Quayle......people you're probably not familiar with. I
always wanted to be like them and play those kinds of parts. It was never the leading man. It was
always the Character Thing. They were the ones that influenced me the most. And then of course,
seeing fabulous actors up there on the stage was always the highlight for me.