Gordon Connell (actor)
Encyclopedia
Gordon Connell is an American
musical theatre and television actor.
Born as William Gordon Connell in Berkeley, California
, Gordon married Jane Sperry Bennett (aka Jane Connell), also a native of Berkeley
. He and his wife began their career by performing at such San Francisco night clubs as The Purple Onion and The Hungry I.
They eventually moved to New York City
. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he performed in revues at the Tamiment Playhouse in the Poconos and in several of the Julius Monk
nightclub revues at Upstairs at the Downstairs, including Monk's "Pieces of Eight" and "Dressed to the Nines". He made his Broadway
debut in Subways Are For Sleeping
in 1961.
Additional stage credits include Hello, Dolly!
, Big River
and The Human Comedy
. Gordon and Jane Connell appeared together on Broadway twice: in a musical version of Lysistrata
(1972) and The Good Doctor (1998).
His television credits include Green Acres
, The Love Boat
, The Jeffersons
, The Incredible Hulk, and Sex and the City
. His sole feature film appearance was a small role in Roman Polanski
's Rosemary's Baby
.
Connell is also a composer for musical theater, writing many (often humorous) cabaret songs as well as the score for the award-winning musical Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl, on which he worked for many years with collaborator Robert Emmett.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musical theatre and television actor.
Born as William Gordon Connell in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, Gordon married Jane Sperry Bennett (aka Jane Connell), also a native of Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. He and his wife began their career by performing at such San Francisco night clubs as The Purple Onion and The Hungry I.
They eventually moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he performed in revues at the Tamiment Playhouse in the Poconos and in several of the Julius Monk
Julius Monk
- Career :His club Julius Monk's Downstairs opened March 4, 1956 with Four Below, labeled as "the first legitimate cafe revue in New York City" by James Gavin, author of Intimate Nights, The Golden Age of New York Cabaret....
nightclub revues at Upstairs at the Downstairs, including Monk's "Pieces of Eight" and "Dressed to the Nines". He made his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut in Subways Are For Sleeping
Subways Are For Sleeping
Subways Are for Sleeping is a musical with a book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Jule Styne. The original Broadway production played in 1961-62....
in 1961.
Additional stage credits include Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly! (musical)
Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955....
, Big River
Big River (musical)
Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a musical with a book by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by Roger Miller.Based on Mark Twain's classic 1884 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it features music in the bluegrass and country styles in keeping with the setting of the novel...
and The Human Comedy
The Human Comedy (musical)
The Human Comedy is a musical with a book and lyrics by William Dumaresq and music by Galt MacDermot.William Saroyan's tale originated as a screenplay he had been hired to write and direct for MGM...
. Gordon and Jane Connell appeared together on Broadway twice: in a musical version of Lysistrata
Lysistrata
Lysistrata is one of eleven surviving plays written by Aristophanes. Originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC, it is a comic account of one woman's extraordinary mission to end The Peloponnesian War...
(1972) and The Good Doctor (1998).
His television credits include Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
, The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
, The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
, The Incredible Hulk, and Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
. His sole feature film appearance was a small role in Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
's Rosemary's Baby
Rosemary's Baby (film)
Rosemary's Baby is a 1968 American horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on the bestselling 1967 novel Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin...
.
Connell is also a composer for musical theater, writing many (often humorous) cabaret songs as well as the score for the award-winning musical Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl, on which he worked for many years with collaborator Robert Emmett.