The Richard Skipper Celebrates program with Marge Champion was one of the great events this year.  Richard Skipper was celebrating the 95 year old Marge Champion, honoring her birthday and the anniversary of her marriage to Gower Champion.  Before the interview and questions began we were treated to some rare film of the young Marge as the model image of Snow White dancing with live dancers and lip synching to the previously recorded song tracks merged with the animation; we also saw her in action as a dancing hippo in another Disney film and another image of her as the Silver Fairy in Pinnochio.  Then there were brilliant performances in Show Boat with Gower including "I May Fall Back On You" and "Life Upon the Wicked Stage."  When the films were over, the lady herself took the stage and had amazing recall of her years growing up.  Her father was a well known dance director who never got any credits on his films and placed Marge in a tutu before she could walk.  She became his assistant at a young age and described teaching Shirley Temple to dance on point.  She talked about going to Hollywood High.  Gower was in her class but they never appeared on stage together at school.  He was partnered with someone else and she was doing ballet.  She graduated at the age of 16 and went on the road with the Three Stooges, doing eight shows a day in all the cold cities.  She wanted to be a Rockette so she cashed in her train ticket back to California to go to New York City.  Being 5'2"" she found she was too short but soon was appearing in many Broadway shows.  She returned to California to team up with Gower and they became a popular dance team.  When asked why it was Marge and Gower, rather than the other dance teams who always had the male name first, she stated that Gower knew then he wanted to be a director/choreographer and he wanted his two names together!  There were funny stories about movies they did together but one of the great stories was when they toured in Three For Tonight with Harry Belafonte.  Because they did a lot of the show together, the show was not supposed to play any Southern dates.  But suddenly they found themselves playing in New Orleans and other Southern dates but not at segregated theaters but at college auditoriums and there was never any problem.  One of Gower's first jobs as a choreographer was for the revue "Lend An Ear."  (The original director was Willaim Eythe but Eythe left and Gower became director choreographer.)  She talked about going to casting directors to try and find performers for the review and seeing Carol Channing in the waiting room all dressed in white.  The casting director said that Channing was too tall and strange for her but Marge grabbed her, found out that she did spot on imitations and took her to Gower who cast her as the Gladiola Girl.  That was the beginning of her career and the show eventually moved to New York and was a big hit.  There was the story of Three for the Show when she and Gower were loaned out to Columbia and Harry Cohn insisted they do a Swan Lake ballet.  She said the audience roared when they saw that campy movie ballet.  One of the most amazing confessions was when an audience member asked her about a friend who was suffering severe depression.  She told the story of how depressed she was when her younger son was killed in a drive by shooting.  She had to get a therapist who worked with every day for several months.  I asked her if she knew that the Johnny Mercer lyric she sang in her only solo dance in an MGM musical was full of dirty puns.  She immediately recited the opening lyric and said she didn't know, she only sang what they gave her!  She also had wonderful stories about her scene in "The Swimmer" with Burt Lancaster.  At 95 she has amazing recall and never faltered in any of her answers to the questions.  A member of the original cast of "Hello Dolly" was in the audience and asked her about opening night in Washington DC.  The cast party was greeted for the first time with Louis Armstrong's recording of the title song and they then knew they would have an international hit!  She and Gower danced to the number and the cast threw coins at them which Gower picked up!  She also talked about "Bye Bye Birdie" and how they took the song "Put On A Happy Face" away from Chita Rivera and gave it to Dick Van Dyke which gave his character the charisma that he was lacking in the part.  For everyone at the event there was a gorgeous cake with photos of her mounted on it and champagne!  What a great celebration!
Joe Regan Jr, NYC

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom”  -- Marcel Proust

Within an intimate arena, Richard nurtured a delightful glimpse of an artist, and allowed us a platform on which to show our gratitude to the marvelously talented Marge Champion.

My heart is an oasis of colorful "Champion” blooms as Marge so kindly shared her precious tales. I’ll continue to treasure her, her body of work, and the experience Richard fostered.
Pia,New York, Ny