Comedian and entertainer, born in London, UK. From 1877 to 1889 he took leading parts in Gilbert and Sullivans's operas, and with his brother, Weedon Grossmith (18531919), wrote Diary of a Nobody in Punch (1892). His son, George Grossmith (18741935) was a well-known musical-comedy actor, songwriter, and manager of the Gaiety Theatre, London.
George Grossmith (December 9, 1847 – March 1, 1912) was an English comedian, writer, actor, and singer, best remembered for his work with Gilbert and Sullivan and for writing the comic novel (with his brother Weedon) Diary of a Nobody.
Life and career
George Grossmith was born in London, the son of a lecturer, entertainer and court reporter also named George Grossmith. Nonetheless, Grossmith was generally not credited as "Junior", whereas his actor-theatrical manager son, the third George Grossmith (often called GeeGee) was credited as George Grossmith "Jnr" rather than "III". His other son, Lawrence Grossmith, was also a successful actor, mostly in America.
Grossmith was educated at North London Collegiate School. Grossmith worked for some time with his father as a court reporter, and as a journalist (he had earlier hoped to become a barrister).
Early career
After receiving some recognition for amateur "penny readings," Grossmith took to the stage in 1870 with a sketch called Human Oddities, written by his father. John Parry trained Grossmith to develop his own entertainments (combinations of sketches and comic songs centered on the piano), and the young entertainer became known as a comedian throughout London.
In 1876, he collaborated with Florence Marryat on Entre Nous, a series of piano sketches, alternating with scenes and costumed recitations, including a two-person "satirical musical sketch" called Cups and Saucers, which they then toured. Grossmith then took a number of engagements, including recitals at private homes.
D'Oyly Carte years
Grossmith had appeared in charity performances of Trial by Jury, where both Sullivan and Gilbert had seen him. On meeting Gilbert, Grossmith wondered aloud if the role shouldn't be played "by a fine man with a fine voice." 137)
Grossmith became a regular member of Richard D'Oyly Carte's company. In his diary, Arthur Sullivan wrote afterwards, "All went very well except Grossmith, whose nervousness nearly upset the piece" (Allen 1975, p.
During his time with Gilbert and Sullivan, Grossmith wrote the music for Arthur Law's Uncle Samuel, the one-act curtain raiser that preceded Patience on the Opera Comique program. In addition, Grossmith's song written during the 1880s, "See me dance the polka", has been used in a number of films.
Later years
Grossmith left the D'Oyly Carte company and resumed his career entertaining at the piano both in Britain and America, performing drawing-room sketches, peppered with his own popular songs, such as "See me Dance the Polka." Grossmith also composed the music for a three-act comic opera with Gilbert, Haste to the Wedding (1891), which was unsuccessful.
It was also in 1892 that he collaborated with his brother Weedon Grossmith to expand a series of amusing columns they had written in 1888–89 for Punch. In 1894–95, Grossmith took the role of George Griffenfeld in His Excellency, with music by Osmond Carr. Grossmith would continue to tour and entertain off and on until 1897, and made two more short stage appearances thereafter, before his final retirement in 1900.
George Grossmith died in Folkestone, Kent in 1912.
Writings and compositions
Grossmith wrote numerous humorous pieces for the magazine Punch, as well as two other books, The Reminiscences of a Society Clown (1888) and Piano & In his career, Grossmith wrote 18 operettas, nearly 100 musical sketches, some 600 songs and piano pieces, and three books.
Recordings
Over forty of the songs George Grossmith wrote or performed in his one-man shows have been recorded by baritone Leon Berger (well-known Gilbert & Sullivan singer and Grossmith scholar), accompanied by Selwyn Tillett (G&S scholar) on two CDs: A Society Clown: The Songs of George Grossmith and The Grossmith Legacy. The latter also contains the recorded voice of Grossmith's son, George Grossmith Jr. No known recordings of Grossmith's voice exist, although wax cylinder recording technology was available during his lifetime.
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