Charles Wood (singer and actor)
Encyclopedia
Charles Wood was an American singer and actor
. After moving to New York City
from Redwood City, California
, where he grew up, he appeared in five Broadway
musicals in the 1940s and 1950s.
to Cyril Percival (Percy) Wood (b. 8/18/1883 in Gonzales
, California
; d. 12/5/1963 in San Jose
, California) and his wife, Edith Florence Chamberlain (b. 11/6/1880 in Oakland, California; d. 6/18/1960 in Belmont
, California). They were wed at Trinity Episcopal Parish Church
in Seattle on November 6, 1909. Edith Florence Chamberlain Wood is a descendant of John Howland
who was among the 102 passengers arriving at Plymouth
aboard the Mayflower
in 1620. Cyril Percy and his bride resided for one year in Susitna
, Alaska
where Cyril was an early day official for the Northern Commercial Company
. He served as secretary to William Fairbanks, vice president of the Northern Commercial Company, shortly after the turn of the century, and accompanied him on his annual inspection tours of company posts. Later, he was Northern Commercial Company Agent at Iditarod
, Alaska and Kodiak
, Alaska where the family resided for eight years and one year respectively. Charles was born while the family was on one of many visits to Seattle during this period. The family finally left Alaska in 1919 and resided in Seattle for a year before settling in Redwood City in 1920. Wood grew up there with his older brother, Cyril Chamberlain ("Cy") Wood (b. 3/11/1911 in Susitna, Alaska; d. 6/23/2001 in Topanga, California); his older sister, Mary Wood (b. 2/1/1915 in Iditarod, Alaska; d. 7/21/2009 in Sacramento
, California); his younger brother, Alfred Russell Wood (b. 10/6/1917 in Iditarod, Alaska; d. 1/1/2000 in San Luis Obispo, California); his younger sister, Patricia Wood (b. 11/19/1919 in Seattle, Washington; d. 12/29/1998 in San Jose, California); and his younger brother, Richard Calvin Wood (b. 12/24/1924 in Oakland, California; d. 1/2/2008 in Phoenix
, Arizona
). Virginia Louise Chamberlain Denny (a cousin of the six Wood siblings and a niece of their mother, Edith Chamberlain), was the wife of Victor Winfield Scott Denny Jr., a grandson of David
and Louisa Boren Denny of the famed Denny Party
who are credited with founding the city of Seattle in the mid-Nineteenth Century, having named the new city after Chief Seattle
(a.k.a. Si'ahl; Sealth) who they negotiated with after having claimed land in the area. Wood attended Lincoln Grammar School in Redwood City and went on to graduate from Redwood City's Sequoia Union High School. Upon moving to New York
to pursue a career as a professional performer, Wood met and, in 1942, married Adelaide Marchena (b. 10/15/1915 in New York City; d. 1/11/1982 in New York City), a native of Manhattan
and a first generation American, the daughter of Carlin and Adelaida Marchena, both of Barcelona
, Spain
.
in five musicals
between 1945 and 1953. These included three original productions: Up in Central Park
(1945) starring Wilbur Evans
and Noah Beery Sr.
; originating the role of Hortensio in the hit musical Kiss Me, Kate
(1948) starring Alfred Drake
, Patricia Morison
, Lisa Kirk
and Harold Lang
; and as Morrie in Wish You Were Here
(1952) starring Jack Cassidy
, Patricia Marand
, Sheila Bond
and introducing newcomer Florence Henderson
. Kiss Me, Kate was the only Cole Porter
musical to reach 1,000 performances during an original run and garnered five 1949 Tony Award
s, including the first in the Best Musical
category. In 1998, the Kiss Me, Kate Original Broadway Cast Recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame
. In addition to original productions, Wood appeared on Broadway in two revivals: Sweethearts (1947) starring Bobby Clark
, June Knight
and Marjorie Gateson
; and Sally
.
Wood also appeared in the NBC-TV
Hallmark Hall of Fame
live color telecast
of Kiss Me, Kate on November 20, 1958. The telecast starred all four of the show's original leads (Drake, Morison, Kirk and Lang) and also featured Jack Klugman
. Although Wood appeared in the same costume he wore while in the Broadway original a decade earlier, the role he created was played in the broadcast by Jerry Duane. However, Wood sings Hortensio in the 1949 cast recording
.
within walking distance of the Theatre District
. They continued to reside there until 1972 when the 7-story building was demolished to make way for a residential high-rise tower. During that time, they raised their five children: Charles Jr. (1/30/1943–8/28/2008), Dianne (2/3/1944-), Barbara (5/6/1947-), Ronald (10/19/1951-) and Debra (12/19/1952-).
in Lower Manhattan
, of complications resulting from a stroke
he had suffered two years earlier.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. After moving to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
from Redwood City, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he grew up, he appeared in five Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musicals in the 1940s and 1950s.
Early years
Wood was born in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
to Cyril Percival (Percy) Wood (b. 8/18/1883 in Gonzales
Gonzales, California
Gonzales is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. Gonzales is located southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of 135 feet . The population was 8,187 at the 2010 census, up from 7,525 at the 2000 census. Gonzales is a member of the Association of Monterey Bay Area...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
; d. 12/5/1963 in San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, California) and his wife, Edith Florence Chamberlain (b. 11/6/1880 in Oakland, California; d. 6/18/1960 in Belmont
Belmont, California
Belmont is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, located half-way down the San Francisco Peninsula between San Mateo and San Carlos. It was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas,...
, California). They were wed at Trinity Episcopal Parish Church
Trinity Episcopal Parish Church (Seattle)
Trinity Episcopal Church is an historic church located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington and is an Episcopal congregation in the Diocese of Olympia.-History of Trinity Episcopal Church:...
in Seattle on November 6, 1909. Edith Florence Chamberlain Wood is a descendant of John Howland
John Howland
John Howland was a passenger on the Mayflower. He was an indentured servant who accompanied the separatists, also called the Pilgrims, when they left England to settle in Plymouth, Massachusetts...
who was among the 102 passengers arriving at Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
aboard the Mayflower
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
in 1620. Cyril Percy and his bride resided for one year in Susitna
Susitna, Alaska
Susitna is a census-designated place in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
where Cyril was an early day official for the Northern Commercial Company
Alaska Commercial Company
The Alaska Commercial Company is a company that operated retail stores in Alaska during the early period of Alaska's ownership by the United States. From 1901 to 1992, it was known as the Northern Commercial Company . In 1992, it resumed business as the Alaska Commercial Company under the...
. He served as secretary to William Fairbanks, vice president of the Northern Commercial Company, shortly after the turn of the century, and accompanied him on his annual inspection tours of company posts. Later, he was Northern Commercial Company Agent at Iditarod
Iditarod, Alaska
Iditarod is an abandoned town in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska.- Geography :It is on a horseshoe lake that was once a bend in the Iditarod River, northwest of Flat, ultimately flowing into the Yukon river.- History :...
, Alaska and Kodiak
Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...
, Alaska where the family resided for eight years and one year respectively. Charles was born while the family was on one of many visits to Seattle during this period. The family finally left Alaska in 1919 and resided in Seattle for a year before settling in Redwood City in 1920. Wood grew up there with his older brother, Cyril Chamberlain ("Cy") Wood (b. 3/11/1911 in Susitna, Alaska; d. 6/23/2001 in Topanga, California); his older sister, Mary Wood (b. 2/1/1915 in Iditarod, Alaska; d. 7/21/2009 in Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, California); his younger brother, Alfred Russell Wood (b. 10/6/1917 in Iditarod, Alaska; d. 1/1/2000 in San Luis Obispo, California); his younger sister, Patricia Wood (b. 11/19/1919 in Seattle, Washington; d. 12/29/1998 in San Jose, California); and his younger brother, Richard Calvin Wood (b. 12/24/1924 in Oakland, California; d. 1/2/2008 in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
). Virginia Louise Chamberlain Denny (a cousin of the six Wood siblings and a niece of their mother, Edith Chamberlain), was the wife of Victor Winfield Scott Denny Jr., a grandson of David
David Denny
David Thomas Denny was a member of the Denny Party, who are generally collectively credited as the founders of Seattle, Washington, USA. Though he ultimately underwent bankruptcy, he was a significant contributor to the shape of the city...
and Louisa Boren Denny of the famed Denny Party
Denny Party
The Denny Party is a group of white pioneers credited with founding Seattle, Washington because they settled at Alki Point on November 13, 1851.A wagon party headed by Arthur A. Denny left Cherry Grove, Illinois on April 10, 1851...
who are credited with founding the city of Seattle in the mid-Nineteenth Century, having named the new city after Chief Seattle
Chief Seattle
Chief Seattle , was a Dkhw’Duw’Absh chief, also known as Sealth, Seathle, Seathl, or See-ahth. A prominent figure among his people, he pursued a path of accommodation to white settlers, forming a personal relationship with David Swinson "Doc" Maynard. Seattle, Washington was named after him...
(a.k.a. Si'ahl; Sealth) who they negotiated with after having claimed land in the area. Wood attended Lincoln Grammar School in Redwood City and went on to graduate from Redwood City's Sequoia Union High School. Upon moving to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to pursue a career as a professional performer, Wood met and, in 1942, married Adelaide Marchena (b. 10/15/1915 in New York City; d. 1/11/1982 in New York City), a native of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and a first generation American, the daughter of Carlin and Adelaida Marchena, both of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Career
Wood appeared on BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in five musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
between 1945 and 1953. These included three original productions: Up in Central Park
Up in Central Park
Up in Central Park is a Broadway musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Sigmund Romberg...
(1945) starring Wilbur Evans
Wilbur Evans
Wilbur "Wib" Evans was an American actor and singer who performed on the radio, in opera, on Broadway, in films, and in early live television.-Biography:...
and Noah Beery Sr.
Noah Beery, Sr.
Noah Nicholas Beery was an American actor, who appeared in films from 1913 to 1945.-Early life:His parents originally came from Switzerland. Beery was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He and his brothers William C. Beery and Wallace Beery became Hollywood actors...
; originating the role of Hortensio in the hit musical Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It is structured as a play within a play, where the interior play is a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The original production starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang.Kiss...
(1948) starring Alfred Drake
Alfred Drake
Alfred Drake was an American actor and singer.-Biography:Born as Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from Recco, Genoa, Drake began his Broadway career while still a student at Brooklyn College...
, Patricia Morison
Patricia Morison
Patricia Morison is an American stage and motion picture actress and mezzo-soprano singer . She made her feature film debut in 1939 after several years on the stage. During her time as a screen actress she was lauded for her patrician beauty, with her blue eyes and extremely long, dark hair among...
, Lisa Kirk
Lisa Kirk
Lisa Kirk was an American actress and singer noted for her comic talents and rich contralto .-Career:...
and Harold Lang
Harold Lang
Harold Lang was an American dancer and actor.-Biography:Lang began his professional career as a ballet dancer, making his professional debut with the San Francisco Ballet in 1938 and then going on to perform with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo two years later and American Ballet Theatre in 1943...
; and as Morrie in Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here (musical)
Wish You Were Here is a musical with a book by Arthur Kober and Joshua Logan and music and lyrics by Harold Rome. The musical was adapted from Kober's 1937 play, Having Wonderful Time, and revolves around a summer camp for adults.-Synopsis:...
(1952) starring Jack Cassidy
Jack Cassidy
John Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy was an American actor of stage, film and screen.His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay...
, Patricia Marand
Patricia Marand
Patricia Marand was an American actress. She was nominated for a 1966 Tony Award for her part as Lois Lane in the musical "It's a Bird ... It's a Plane ... It's Superman". She also appeared in the 1952 musical Wish You Were Here. She was a regular on The Merv Griffin Show.Marand died at the age of...
, Sheila Bond
Sheila Bond
Sheila Bond is an American actress, best known for her 1953 Tony Award-winning performance as "Fay Fromkin" in the Broadway musical Wish You Were Here.-Selected appearances:* 1947: Street Scene...
and introducing newcomer Florence Henderson
Florence Henderson
Florence Agnes Henderson is an American actress and singer. She is perhaps best known for her role of Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974...
. Kiss Me, Kate was the only Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
musical to reach 1,000 performances during an original run and garnered five 1949 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
s, including the first in the Best Musical
Tony Award for Best Musical
This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack...
category. In 1998, the Kiss Me, Kate Original Broadway Cast Recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame
Grammy Hall of Fame Award
The Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance"...
. In addition to original productions, Wood appeared on Broadway in two revivals: Sweethearts (1947) starring Bobby Clark
Bobby Clark (comedian)
Robert Edwin Clark , known as Bobby Clark, was a minstrel, vaudevillian, performer on stage, film, television and the circus....
, June Knight
June Knight
June Knight was an American Broadway and film actress.Aged 19, she appeared in the last Ziegfeld Follies show, Hot-Cha!...
and Marjorie Gateson
Marjorie Gateson
Marjorie Augusta Gateson , was a character actress in Hollywood films of the 1930s and 1940s....
; and Sally
Sally (musical)
Sally is a musical comedy with music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Clifford Grey and book by Guy Bolton , with additional lyrics by Buddy De Sylva, Anne Caldwell and P. G. Wodehouse. It was originally produced by Florenz Ziegfeld, opening on December 21, 1920 at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway...
.
Wood also appeared in the NBC-TV
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
live color telecast
Color television
Color television is part of the history of television, the technology of television and practices associated with television's transmission of moving images in color video....
of Kiss Me, Kate on November 20, 1958. The telecast starred all four of the show's original leads (Drake, Morison, Kirk and Lang) and also featured Jack Klugman
Jack Klugman
Jacob Joachim "Jack" Klugman is an American stage, film and television actor known for his roles in sitcoms, movies, and television and on Broadway...
. Although Wood appeared in the same costume he wore while in the Broadway original a decade earlier, the role he created was played in the broadcast by Jerry Duane. However, Wood sings Hortensio in the 1949 cast recording
Cast recording
A cast recording is a recording of a musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording, as the name implies, features the voices of the show's original cast...
.
Personal life
In 1945, shortly after he was cast in Up in Central Park, Wood and his wife moved into an apartment in Midtown ManhattanMidtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
within walking distance of the Theatre District
Theatre District, New York
The Theater District is an area in Midtown Manhattan where most Broadway theaters are located, as well as many other theaters, movie theaters, restaurants, hotels and other places of entertainment. It extends from 40th Street to 54th Street, and from west of Sixth Avenue to east of Eighth Avenue,...
. They continued to reside there until 1972 when the 7-story building was demolished to make way for a residential high-rise tower. During that time, they raised their five children: Charles Jr. (1/30/1943–8/28/2008), Dianne (2/3/1944-), Barbara (5/6/1947-), Ronald (10/19/1951-) and Debra (12/19/1952-).
Death
Wood died in 1978, at age 62, in New York City at the former Beekman Downtown HospitalNew York Downtown Hospital
New York Downtown Hospital is a not-for-profit, acute care, teaching hospital in New York City and is the only hospital in Lower Manhattan...
in Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
, of complications resulting from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
he had suffered two years earlier.