Description
Vivian Ellis was one of Britain's most prolific twentieth century composers, with many hit West End musicals to his name. The Water Gipsies was originally a film in 1931 in which Ellis contributed music to a song 'Little Boat' with lyrics by A.P.Herbert. It was to this the pair returned in 1955 for an updated musical version for which the 'Little Boat' song was retained.
The Water Gipsies is set on a barge moored on the Thames at Hammersmith in London. Albert, the owner, has two daughters - good-time girl Lily and light headed Jane. Both girls have issues with their men, but all ends well. The show was staged at London's Winter Garden theatre and ran for 239 performances, a run much shorter than anticipated since Dora Bryan, who stole all the notices playing Lily, fell pregnant and had to leave.
In addition to the original cast recording, bonus tracks feature some very rare Ellis compositions recorded in the 1920s and 1930s. Also included are tracks performed on the piano by Vivian Ellis.
The 16-page CD booklet contains production shots and photos of some cast members.
Additional Details
Label: Sepia Records
Genre: Musical/Broadway
Release Date: 01/10/06
UPC: 5055122110606
Payment & Security
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.