Gordon Ritchie conducting a performance of Rose Marie 'On Ice'
Caricature
16 June 1953 (dated)
16 June 1953 (dated)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This caricature shows Gordon Ritchie on ice skates, holding his baton for conducting a performance of Rose Marie 'On Ice' at the Oxford New Theatre on 16 June 1953. It was drawn by Gilbert Sommerlad (1904-1976), a rehearsal pianist and orchestral violinist at the Brighton Theatre Royal from 1932 until 1936, and at the Oxford New Theatre from 1936 for over forty years. Sommerlad sketched the stars on stage when he wasn't needed in the orchestra pit, compiling the sketches in a series of albums.
The musical Rose Marie by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, was a great success when it originally opened at London's Drury Lane Theatre in London in 1925. It was still sufficiently popular for Tom Arnold to bring a version of it on ice to the New Theatre Oxford for two weeks, opening on 15 June 1953. With a company of 70, a corps de ballet of 50 and an augmented orchestra, it was described as 'the world's first and most glamorous musical on ice'.
The musical Rose Marie by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, was a great success when it originally opened at London's Drury Lane Theatre in London in 1925. It was still sufficiently popular for Tom Arnold to bring a version of it on ice to the New Theatre Oxford for two weeks, opening on 15 June 1953. With a company of 70, a corps de ballet of 50 and an augmented orchestra, it was described as 'the world's first and most glamorous musical on ice'.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Gordon Ritchie conducting a performance of <font -i>Rose Marie 'On Ice'</font -i> (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Pencil on cream cartridge paper |
| Brief description | Pencil caricature by Gilbert Sommerlad (1904-1976) of Gordon Ritchie conducting a performance of Rose Marie on Ice, Oxford New Theatre. Dated 16 June 1953. |
| Physical description | Pencil caricature of Gordon Ritchie conducting a performance of Rose Marie on Ice, dated 16 June 1953, part of an artist's hard-backed sketch book manufactured by George Rowney & Co., called 'The Euston Sketch Book'. The pencilled sketch is drawn directly onto the page (cream cartridge paper). Titled and dated by the artist and signed by the subject. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Michael Sommerlad |
| Object history | The artist of these caricatures, Gilbert Sommerlad, was by profession a musician who was born into a family that had a long tradition of professional musicians. In 1936 he moved to the recently built New Theatre, Oxford, to join his brother Roy (violin and clarinet) as resident pianist. Gilbert was an exceptionally good and popular rehearsal pianist, and visiting companies and individual performers used to make sure that he would be available. He became well-known in the profession and his ability as a caricaturist became common knowledge. The volume that includes this drawing contains sketches mostly of musical directors and conductors working at the Oxford New Theatre with Gilbert Sommerlad. Rose Marie on Ice produced by Tom Armold opened at the New Theatre Oxford for a two-week run commencing Monday 15th June 1953. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This caricature shows Gordon Ritchie on ice skates, holding his baton for conducting a performance of Rose Marie 'On Ice' at the Oxford New Theatre on 16 June 1953. It was drawn by Gilbert Sommerlad (1904-1976), a rehearsal pianist and orchestral violinist at the Brighton Theatre Royal from 1932 until 1936, and at the Oxford New Theatre from 1936 for over forty years. Sommerlad sketched the stars on stage when he wasn't needed in the orchestra pit, compiling the sketches in a series of albums. The musical Rose Marie by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, was a great success when it originally opened at London's Drury Lane Theatre in London in 1925. It was still sufficiently popular for Tom Arnold to bring a version of it on ice to the New Theatre Oxford for two weeks, opening on 15 June 1953. With a company of 70, a corps de ballet of 50 and an augmented orchestra, it was described as 'the world's first and most glamorous musical on ice'. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.130:16-2002 |
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| Record created | December 12, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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