William B. Gill

<p>A colorful, historically accurate biography of William B. Gill, a famous musical-comedy playwright and comedy performer of the late-19th-century who is now mostly forgotten, but who changed the course of American musical theater. Gill began his career as a comedic actor in the coalfields of Australia, then performed in India and England, before finally coming to the U.S. Achieving fame as one of the most popular playwrights of his days, Gill's works appeared for years on Broadway and in the repertories of touring troupes. For years, theater historians have wondered about the facts behind his life; now master theater maven Kurt Gänzl has uncovered a wealth of new information about this influential and colorful character. A must-read for all fans of the musical theater.</p> Introduction; 1: Who Was Willie Gill?; 2: From the Goldfields to Melbourne (and Back Again); 3: A Comic Star at Home; 4: On the Road to Calcutta; 5: Great Varieties and Greater Expectations; 6: A Sojourn in the American Goldfields; 7: A Broadway Début and Colville's Folly Company; 8: Lots of Goblins and an International Hit; 9: Plays Made to Order; 10: Adonis; 11: One Failure after Another; 12: From Pantomime to Sentimental Comedy; 13: Star Vehicles; 14: Last Hits; 15: Final Curtain