Webster Booth - Revision history

Darryl: /* As singer */

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As singer

Darryl: /* Sources */

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Sources

Darryl: /* As actor */

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As actor

Darryl at 16:03, 23 February 2025

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Darryl: /* As actor */

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As actor

Darryl: /* Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance */

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Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Darryl: /* Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance */

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Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Darryl: /* Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance */

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Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Darryl at 12:15, 23 February 2025

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Darryl at 07:55, 23 February 2025

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 ===As singer===
-Booth was tenor soloist at the [[Port Elizabeth Oratorio Festival]] under the direction of Robert Selley from 1958 to 1962, and under the direction of organist, Keith Jewell he sang in the first performance in South Africa of Elgar's ''Dream of Gerontius'' in Cape Town, a work in which he had often sung in the United Kingdom. He had always wanted to sing the bass solos in oratorio and when they moved to the coastal town of Knysna, he became conductor of the Knysna and District Choral Society and sang the bass arias in excerpts from Mendelssohn's ''Elijah''.
+Booth was tenor soloist at the [[Port Elizabeth Oratorio Festival]] under the direction of Robert Selley from 1958 to 1962, and under the direction of organist, [[Keith Jewell]] he sang in the first performance in South Africa of Elgar's ''Dream of Gerontius'' in Cape Town, a work in which he had often sung in the United Kingdom. He had always wanted to sing the bass solos in oratorio and when they moved to the coastal town of Knysna, he became conductor of the Knysna and District Choral Society and sang the bass arias in excerpts from Mendelssohn's ''Elijah''.
 Ziegler and Booth gave their farewell concert in Somerset West in 1975, believing that their singing days were at an end.

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:04, 23 February 2025
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	Tucker, 1997		Tucker, 1997
		+
		+	https://websterboothanneziegler.wordpress.com/2019/12/16/webster-booth-and-anne-ziegler-theatre-in-south-africa-1956-1973/

	Go to [[South African Theatre/Bibliography]]		Go to [[South African Theatre/Bibliography]]

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 Anne and Webster began with  ''[[Spring Quartet]]'' for [[Leonard Schach]] in Cape Town in September 1956. In 1956, they both also appeared in ''[[A Night in Venice]]'' at the [[Reps Theatre]] for the [[Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society]].
-In 1958, Webster and Anne appeared in ''[[Waltz Time]]'' for the [[Springs Operatic Society]] , in ''[[Merrie England]]'' at the [[East London City Hall]] for the [[Dramatic Society of East London]] and at the [[Reps Theatre]] in Johannesburg for [[JODS]], and in a production of ''[[The Vagabond King]]'' in Durban. They both appeared again in ''[[Waltz Time]]'' in 1959, this time in the [[East London City Hall]] for [[The Dramatic Society of East London]].
+In 1958, Webster and Anne appeared in ''[[Waltz Time]]'' for the [[Springs Operatic Society]] , in ''[[Merrie England]]'' at the [[East London City Hall]] for the [[Dramatic Society of East London]] and at the [[Reps Theatre]] in Johannesburg for [[JODS]], and in a production of ''[[The Vagabond King]]'' in Durban. They both appeared again in ''[[Waltz Time]]'' in 1959, this time in the [[East London City Hall]] for the [[Dramatic Society of East London]].
 Booth was the Prawn in ''[[The Amorous Prawn]]'' in 1961, and in ''[[The Andersonville Trial]]'' at the [[Alexander Theatre]] in 1962. He and Ziegler played Mr and Mrs Fordyce in ''[[Good Night Mrs. Puffin]]'' in 1963. Booth turned the clock back in 1963 when he played Colonel Fairfax in ''[[The Yeomen of the Guard]]'' for the [[Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society]] at very short notice.  Booth and Ziegler played together in ''[[Family Album]]'' in ''[[Tonight at 8.30]]'' for [[CAPAB]] in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth (1964).

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 ===As actor===
-Anne and Webster began with  ''[[Spring Quartet]]'' for [[Leonard Schach]] in Cape Town in September 1956. In 1956, they both also appeared in ''[[Night in Venice]]'' at the [[Reps Theatre]] for the [[Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society]].
+Anne and Webster began with  ''[[Spring Quartet]]'' for [[Leonard Schach]] in Cape Town in September 1956. In 1956, they both also appeared in ''[[A Night in Venice]]'' at the [[Reps Theatre]] for the [[Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society]].
-In 1958, Webster and Anne approved in ''[[Waltz Time]]'' for the [[Springs Operatic Society]] , in ''[[Merrie England]]'' at the [[East London City Hall]] for the [[Dramatic Society of East London]] and at the [[Reps Theatre]] in Johannesburg for [[JODS]], and in a production of ''[[The Vagabond King]]'' in Durban. They both appeared again in ''[[Waltz Time]]'' in 1959, this time in the [[East London City Hall]] for [[The Dramatic Society of East London]].
+In 1958, Webster and Anne appeared in ''[[Waltz Time]]'' for the [[Springs Operatic Society]] , in ''[[Merrie England]]'' at the [[East London City Hall]] for the [[Dramatic Society of East London]] and at the [[Reps Theatre]] in Johannesburg for [[JODS]], and in a production of ''[[The Vagabond King]]'' in Durban. They both appeared again in ''[[Waltz Time]]'' in 1959, this time in the [[East London City Hall]] for [[The Dramatic Society of East London]].
-In 1960, they produced ''[[A Country Girl]]'' for [[Springs Operatic Society]].
+Booth was the Prawn in ''[[The Amorous Prawn]]'' in 1961, and in ''[[The Andersonville Trial]]'' at the [[Alexander Theatre]] in 1962. He and Ziegler played Mr and Mrs Fordyce in ''[[Good Night Mrs. Puffin]]'' in 1963. Booth turned the clock back in 1963 when he played Colonel Fairfax in ''[[The Yeomen of the Guard]]'' for the [[Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society]] at very short notice.  Booth and Ziegler played together in ''[[Family Album]]'' in ''[[Tonight at 8.30]]'' for [[CAPAB]] in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth (1964).
-Booth was the Prawn in ''[[The Amorous Prawn]]'' in 1961, and in ''[[The Andersonville Trial]]'' at the [[Alexander Theatre]] in 1962. He and Ziegler played Mr and Mrs Fordyce in ''[[Good Night Mrs. Puffin]]'' in 1963. Booth turned the clock back in 1963 when he played Colonel Fairfax in ''[[The Yeomen of the Guard]]'' for the [[Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society]] at very short notice. He also played the non-singing part of the circus barker in Smetana's ''[[The Bartered Bride]]'' for the [[Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal]] in November/December 1966.
+===As director/conductor===
-===As director/conductor===
+Together Booth and Ziegler produced ''[[A Country Girl]]'' (1960) and ''[[The Vagabond King]]'' (1962) for the [[Springs Operatic Society]]. He directed a production of ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]'' in Bloemfontein in October 1962.
 See also '''[[Anne Ziegler]]'''

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 In 1960, they produced ''[[A Country Girl]]'' for [[Springs Operatic Society]].
-Booth was the Prawn in ''[[The Amorous Prawn]]'' in 1961, and he and Ziegler played Mr and Mrs Fordyce in ''[[Good Night Mrs. Puffin]]'' in 1963. Booth turned the clock back in 1963 when he played Colonel Fairfax in ''[[The Yeomen of the Guard]]'' for the [[Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society]] at very short notice. He also played the non-singing part of the circus barker in Smetana's ''[[The Bartered Bride]]'' for the [[Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal]] in November/December 1966.
+Booth was the Prawn in ''[[The Amorous Prawn]]'' in 1961, and in ''[[The Andersonville Trial]]'' at the [[Alexander Theatre]] in 1962. He and Ziegler played Mr and Mrs Fordyce in ''[[Good Night Mrs. Puffin]]'' in 1963. Booth turned the clock back in 1963 when he played Colonel Fairfax in ''[[The Yeomen of the Guard]]'' for the [[Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society]] at very short notice. He also played the non-singing part of the circus barker in Smetana's ''[[The Bartered Bride]]'' for the [[Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal]] in November/December 1966.
 ===As director/conductor===

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 ==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
 Ziegler and Booth began their stay in South Africa with a ‘B’ tour to rural areas and smaller towns in 1956.  They later established a school of singing and stagecraft in Johannesburg, made an LP recording of their popular duets translated into Afrikaans and trained many promising singers.
 They established a school of singing and stagecraft in Johannesburg, made an LP recording of their popular duets translated into Afrikaans and trained many promising singers.
@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 ===As actor===
 Booth was the Prawn in ''[[The Amorous Prawn]]'' in 1961, and he and Ziegler played Mr and Mrs Fordyce in ''[[Good Night Mrs. Puffin]]'' in 1963. Booth turned the clock back in 1963 when he played Colonel Fairfax in ''[[The Yeomen of the Guard]]'' for the [[Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society]] at very short notice. He also played the non-singing part of the circus barker in Smetana's ''[[The Bartered Bride]]'' for the [[Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal]] in November/December 1966.

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 They made numerous appearances in the country over the next 22 years, beginning with a ‘B’ tour to rural areas and smaller towns in 1956 and roles in ''[[Spring Quartet]]'' for [[Leonard Schach]] in Cape Town in September 1956. In 1955 Booth and Ziegler did a concert tour of the Cape Province, South Africa. They were invited back for a more extensive tour of southern Africa the following year and, after some heart searching, decided to leave the UK and settle in South Africa in July 1956. They did many shows, concerts and broadcasts and ventured into producing musicals for amateur operatic societies.
-They established a school of singing and stagecraft in Johannesburg, made an LP recording of their popular duets translated into Afrikaans and trained many promising singers. For the first time in their careers they appeared in non-singing roles in various plays. Booth was the Prawn in ''[[The Amorous Prawn]]'' in 1961, and he and Ziegler played Mr and Mrs Fordyce in ''[[Good Night Mrs. Puffin]]'' in 1963. Booth turned the clock back in 1963 when he played Colonel Fairfax in ''[[The Yeomen of the Guard]]'' for the [[Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society]] at very short notice. He also played the non-singing part of the circus barker in Smetana's ''[[The Bartered Bride]]'' for the [[Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal]] in November/December 1966 shortly before he and Anne left Johannesburg to live in Knysna in the Cape Province. Booth was tenor soloist at the [[Port Elizabeth Oratorio Festival]] under the direction of Robert Selley from 1958 to 1962, and under the direction of organist, Keith Jewell he sang in the first performance in South Africa of Elgar's ''Dream of Gerontius'' in Cape Town, a work in which he had often sung in the United Kingdom. He had always wanted to sing the bass solos in oratorio and when he and Anne moved to the coastal town of Knysna in 1967 and he became conductor of the Knysna and District Choral Society, he sang the bass arias in excerpts from Mendelssohn's E''lijah''. Ziegler and Booth gave their farewell concert in Somerset West in 1975, believing that their singing days were at an end.
+They established a school of singing and stagecraft in Johannesburg, made an LP recording of their popular duets translated into Afrikaans and trained many promising singers.
 See also '''[[Anne Ziegler]]'''

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 ==Biography==
-Born [[Leslie Webster Booth]] (21 January 1902 – 21 June 1984), he was better known by his stage name, [[Webster Booth]]. He is largely remembered today as the duettist partner of [[Anne Ziegler]], but he was also one of the finest British tenors of his generation and was a distinguished oratorio soloist.
+Born [[Leslie Webster Booth]] (21 January 1902 – 21 June 1984), he was better known by his stage name, [[Webster Booth]]. He is largely remembered today as the duettist partner (and husband) of [[Anne Ziegler]], but he was also one of the finest British tenors of his generation and was a distinguished oratorio soloist.
-His first appearance was in ''[[Yeoman of the Guard]]'' for the [[D'Oyly-Carte Opera Company]] in Brighton in 1924. His first appearance in London was in ''[[The Three Musketeers]]'' in 1930. He married [[Anne Ziegler]] on 5 November 1938 and they embarked on their famous duettist variety act in 1940. They made over 800 recordings over the years; starred in three musical plays, ''The Vagabond King'' (1943), ''Sweet Yesterday'' (1945) and toured in ''And so to Bed''" (1953–1954); and appeared in several musical films in the 1940s. They made frequent broadcasts together. In 1948 they went on a successful concert tour of New Zealand and Australia; and managed to do several broadcasts in South Africa while their ship was sailing around South African ports. During these years, they also toured in their own production of ''A Night in Venice''. When musical tastes changed in the 1950s they therefore decided to emigrate to [[South Africa]] in 1956 where they continued their stage work as well as teaching singing in their Johannesburg studio. They made numerous appearances in the country over the next 22 years, beginning with a ‘B’ tour to rural areas and smaller towns in 1956 and roles in ''[[Spring Quartet]]'' for [[Leonard Schach]] in Cape Town in September 1956. In 1955 Booth and Ziegler did a concert tour of the Cape Province, South Africa. They were invited back for a more extensive tour of southern Africa the following year and, after some heart searching, decided to leave the UK and settle in South Africa in July 1956. They did many shows, concerts and broadcasts and ventured into producing musicals for amateur operatic societies.
+==Career==
-They established a school of singing and stagecraft in Johannesburg, made an LP recording of their popular duets translated into Afrikaans and trained many promising singers. For the first time in their careers they appeared in non-singing roles in various plays. Booth was the Prawn in ''[[The Amorous Prawn]]'' in 1961, and he and Ziegler played Mr and Mrs Fordyce in ''[[Good Night Mrs. Puffin]]'' in 1963. Booth turned the clock back in 1963 when he played Colonel Fairfax in ''[[The Yeomen of the Guard]]'' for the [[Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society]] at very short notice. He also played the non-singing part of the circus barker in Smetana's ''[[The Bartered Bride]]'' for the [[Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal]] in November/December 1966 shortly before he and Anne left Johannesburg to live in Knysna in the Cape Province. Booth was tenor soloist at the [[Port Elizabeth Oratorio Festival]] under the direction of Robert Selley from 1958 to 1962, and under the direction of organist, Keith Jewell he sang in the first performance in South Africa of Elgar's ''Dream of Gerontius'' in Cape Town, a work in which he had often sung in the United Kingdom. He had always wanted to sing the bass solos in oratorio and when he and Anne moved to the coastal town of Knysna in 1967 and he became conductor of the Knysna and District Choral Society, he sang the bass arias in excerpts from Mendelssohn's E''lijah''. Ziegler and Booth gave their farewell concert in Somerset West in 1975, believing that their singing days were at an end. They returned to the United Kingdom in 1978 where they broadcast on BBC radio, appeared on television in the Russell Harty Show and made personal appearances throughout the United Kingdom in ''An Evening with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth''.
+His first appearance was in ''[[Yeoman of the Guard]]'' for the [[D'Oyly-Carte Opera Company]] in Brighton in 1924. His first appearance in London was in ''[[The Three Musketeers]]'' in 1930. He married [[Anne Ziegler]] on 5 November 1938 and they embarked on their famous duettist variety act in 1940. They made over 800 recordings over the years; starred in three musical plays, ''The Vagabond King'' (1943), ''Sweet Yesterday'' (1945) and toured in ''And so to Bed''" (1953–1954); and appeared in several musical films in the 1940s. They made frequent broadcasts together. In 1948 they went on a successful concert tour of New Zealand and Australia; and managed to do several broadcasts in South Africa while their ship was sailing around South African ports. During these years, they also toured in their own production of ''A Night in Venice''. When musical tastes changed in the 1950s they therefore decided to emigrate to [[South Africa]] in 1956 where they continued their stage work as well as teaching singing in their Johannesburg studio.
 See also '''[[Anne Ziegler]]'''