You can’t do much better for your Broadway debut than starring as Baby June opposite Angela Lansbury as Mama Rose in Gypsy. That’s just what Bonnie Langford did in 1974 at the Winter Garden Theatre in the first-ever NYC revival of the musical.
“I guess you could say that it was probably my greatest inspiration and influence,” says the West End 9 to 5 star of the experience. “I think it’s possibly the best overture for any show and I feel privileged that I heard it played at every performance as I stood behind the curtain waiting for my opening entrance.”
READ: Angela Lansbury Reflects on Her Performance of ‘Rose’s Turn’ in Gypsy
Flash-forward five decades and Langford is still a formidable presence on stage. In the U.K., she has a lengthy resume with credits like Cats, Peter Pan, Sweet Charity, Spamalot, and 42nd Street. She returned to Broadway in 2009 to play Roxie Hart in Chicago, a role she performed across the pond in numerous productions.
Now, she’s taking on the role of Reno Sweeney from Anything Goes in The Theatre Channel’s latest episode, performing “I Get a Kick Out of You.” “I thought it would be fun to celebrate the wonder of live theatre and how we miss it. Also, I’m pretty well known for high kicks so I was gently mocking myself.”
Debuting February 19, Episode 5 of The Theatre Channel will feature tributes to Broadway classics, with Marisha Wallace singing “Somewhere” from West Side Story, Mazz Murray belting “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from Gypsy, Freddie Fox tackling an arrangement of “Willkommen” and ‘Money’ from Cabaret, and Gary Wilmot crooning “Luck Be A Lady” from Guys and Dolls in addition to Langford’s Anything Goes number.
Check out a trailer below. Click here to order the installment.
