Toni Lamond
Toni Lamond AM (born as Patricia Lamond Lawman; 29 March 1932), is an Australian vaudevillian, cabaret performer, singer, actress, dancer, comedian, writer and television and radio personality/presenter. She has had a successful career spanning some 80 years, both locally and internationally, including in the United Kingdom and United States[2]
Toni Lamond | |
|---|---|
Lamond in The Pajama Game (1957) | |
| Born | Patricia Lamond Lawman 29 March 1932 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Other names | Lolly Legs (nickname) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1942–present |
| Spouse(s) | Frank Sheldon (m, 1954-1966, his death) |
| Parent(s) | Stella Lamond (mother), Joe Lawman (father)[1] |
| Family | Helen Reddy (half-sister), Tony Sheldon (son) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres |
|
| Website | http://www.tonilamond.com |
Lamond, whose comes from a family involved in the performing arts, started her career as a child actor vaudeville/variety entertainment at only ten and was the first woman in the world to host a midday show. The second was her younger half-sister Helen Reddy[3]
Alongside her showbiz contemporaries Jill Perryman and Nancye Hayes, Lamond has been called one of the three grand dames of Australian musical theatre, and in her prime a talent that could rival Doris Day.[4]
Biography edit
Early life edit
Lamond was born in Sydney, Australia in 1932, as Patricia Lamond Lawman. She learned to tap dance at 8 and began her professional career at the age of 10 when she sang on the radio while touring with her vaudevillian parents in variety shows, which included her actress and comedian mother Stella Lamond (1909-1973), a popular actress who worked at the Tivoli Theatre and the Brennan-Fuller Vaudeville Circuit and J.C. Williamson's[5] and her actor father Joe Lawman.[1]
Theatre and variety edit
Lamond was given the nickname "Lolly-Legs" by entertainer, Noel Ferrier , who stated she had the second best legs in the industry when she featured on In Melbourne Tonight[3]
Her first stage performances were at the Tivoli Theatre in Sydney.[1] Her first performances as a leading lady were with English comedian Tommy Trinder in The Tommy Trinder Show in 1952.[6]
She has starred in Australian productions of Oliver!, Annie Get Your Gun, The Pajama Game, and Gypsy: A Musical Fable.
Screen edit
Lamond was a regular in a number of 1970s television shows, such as Number 96 in a controversial black mass storyline and Graham Kennedy's In Melbourne Tonight.[3] She later compèred her own IMT, becoming the first woman in the world to compère a variety television show.[7]
In 1986, she appeared on the US television fiction crime series Murder, She Wrote starring Angela Lansbury in the episode "Murder in the Electric Cathedral".[8] She also appeared in films including telemovies and features such as the 2007 Razzle Dazzle: A Journey Into Dance.[9]
International career, recordings and stage edit
Lamond travelled to the United Kingdom, where in a similar vein to entertainer Lorrae Desmond, she appeared in the British night club and cabaret, circuit and on BBC-TV and BBC Radio. She also recorded two singles for record label; Philips in London.[7]
In the mid-1970s, Lamond moved to Los Angeles, where she appeared in musicals and television shows. She debuted on the New York stage with a production Cabaret at the age of 67. On her return to Australia in the mid-1990s, she performed in shows including 42nd Street, The Pirates of Penzance, and My Fair Lady.
In April–May 2008, she appeared in an autobiographical one-woman show, Times of My Life (co-written with her son Tony Sheldon), at the Seymour Centre in Sydney.[10]
Publications edit
Lamond has written several autobiographical books, including First Half (1990), Along the Way (2002), and Still a Gypsy (2007). The first book went to the top of the bestseller list in eight days.[11]
In July 2010, Lamond was a headline act in the inaugural Melbourne Cabaret Festival.
Notable work edit
She joined the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra with Trisha Crowe, Michael Falzon, Amanda Harrison, Lucy Maunder, Andy Conaghan, and others to record I Dreamed A Dream: The Hit Songs of Broadway for ABC Classics, released on 21 June 2013.[12] Lamond sang "Send in the Clowns" from Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music.
Theatre credits (selection) edit
- Toni Lamond, other than working with the Tivoli Theatre circuit, Brennan-Fuller Vaudeville Circuit and J.C Williamson's and has been a staple of touring mainstream theatre since 1951
Her theatre credits can be found on the link below, which also includes links to the theatre roles of her showbiz parents (Joe Lawson: main page[13] and (Stella Lamond: main [14]
Toni Lamond theatre credits: link [15] Sources: Austage, IBDB
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2021) |
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | The Pajama Game | Babe Williams | Australasian Tour |
| 1959 | For Amusement Only | Herself | Theatre Royal, Sydney |
| 1963 | Wildcat | Wildcat Jackson | Princess Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1966 | Oliver! | Nancy | Australian Tour |
| 1971 | Anything Goes | Reno Sweeney | Richbrooke Theatre, Sydney |
| 1975 | Gypsy | Rose | Australian Tour |
| 1978 | Annie | Various (u/s Miss Hannigan) | USA - Second national tour |
| 1985 | Madonna and Child | Herself | Performed at off-Broadway Theatre, NSW, with Tony Sheldon |
| 1989 | 42nd Street | Maggie Jones | Australian Tour |
| 1994 | The Pirates of Penzance | Ruth | Australian tour and 1994 TV movie |
| 1996 | My Fair Lady | Mrs Pearce | Lyric Theatre, Brisbane |
| 1998 | Dream Kitchen | Betty | One-woman play directed by son, Tony Sheldon |
| 1998 | Follies | Sally Durant Plummer | Sydney Opera House |
| 2004 | High Society | Mother Lord | The Production Company |
| 2010 | Love, Loss, and What I Wore | Various | Sydney Opera House |
Filmography edit
FILM
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Running from the Guns | Davie's Mum | Feature film |
| 1991 | Spotswood aka The Efficiency Expert | Mrs. Lorna Ball | Feature film |
| 2007 | Razzle Dazzle | Sherry Leonard | Feature film |
TELEVISION
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | The Tommy Trinder Show | Herself - Guest | TV series UK, 1 episode |
| 1958 | Personal Album | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1959-1970 | In Melbourne Tonight | Herself | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1959-1960 | BP Super Show | Herself / Comedienne | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1960 | Be My Guest | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1960-1965 | Graham Kennedy's Channel 9 Show | Guest - Herself as Regular performer | TV series |
| 1962 | The 3rd Annual TV Week Logie Awards | Herself - Winner | TV special |
| 1966 | Jimmy | Herself | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1967 | I'm Alright Now | Role unknown | TV series |
| 1969 | Bandstand | Herself - Singer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1969 | Show of the North | Herself - Guest | TV series UK, 1 episode |
| 1969 | The Don Lane Tonight Show | Herself - Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1972 | Kamahl | Herself - Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1972 | Number 96 | Recurring role: Karen Winters | TV series, 10 episodes |
| 1972-1975 | The Graham Kennedy Show | Herself | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 1973 | The True Blue Show | Guest as Herself - Various Characters | TV series, 1 episode 5 |
| 1974 | Division 4 | Guest role: Janie Gibson | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974 | Mac and Merle | Role unknown | TV series |
| 1974 | The Bert Newton Show | Herself - Singer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1975 | The Unisexers | Recurring role: Mrs. Lewis | TV series |
| 1975 | The Don Lane Show | Herself - Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1977 | Starsky & Hutch | Guest role: Ruth Willoughby | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1977 | The Bob Newhart Show | Guest role: Mrs. Doris Peterson | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1978;1979 | The Mike Douglas Show | Herself - Guest / Singer | TV series US, 2 episodes |
| 1978 | This Is Your Life | Herself - Special Guest | TV series, 1 episode "Toni Lamond" |
| 1978; 1982 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1979 | Eight Is Enough | Guest role: Mrs. Dreissen | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1979 | The Mike Douglas Show | Herself - Guest Helen Reddy's sister | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1981 | Channel Nine Celebrates: 25 Years Of Television | Herself - Archive clips 'In Melbourne Tonight' | TV special |
| 1982 | Three's Company | Guest role: Patient | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1982; 1982 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself with son Tony Sheldon | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1982 | Parkinson In Australia | Herself - Guest | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1982, 1983 | The Mike Walsh Show | Herself - Performer sings "It's Nice To Go Travelling" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1983, 1984 | The Mike Walsh Show | Herself - Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1984 | Punky Brewster | Guest role: Stage Manager | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1984 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1985 | The Love Boat | Guest role: Mrs. Burton | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1986 | Star Search | Guest Judge | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1986 | Murder, She Wrote | Guest role: Ad-Lib Woman | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1986 | The Last Frontier | Recurring role: Auntie Dier | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1987 | Starman | Guest role: Edna | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1987 | The Tortellis | Guest role: Mrs. Hamilton | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1987 | Highway to Heaven | Guest role: Maggie (as Tony Lamond) | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1989 | The Bert Newton Show | Herself - Guest / Singer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989; 1990 | In Melbourne Today | Guest - Herself & Tony Sheldon | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | Turn Onto Tap | Herself - Presenter | Video |
| 1990 | In Melbourne Today | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1990 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself (Red Faces) | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1990 | How Wonderful! | Recurring role: Kerry's Mum | ABC TV film |
| 1992 | The Morning Show | Herself - Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Fish Police | Herself - Voice | Animated TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Capitol Critters | Herself - Voice | Animated TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1994 | At Home | Herself - Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | The Pirates of Penzance | Recurring role: Ruth | ABC Teleplay |
| 1996;1998 | Good Morning Australia | Herself - Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1997 | Fallen Angels | Guest role: Irene Lucas | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1998;1999 | Good Morning Australia | Guest - Herself & Tony Sheldon | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1998 | Denise | Herself - Guest & Tony Sheldon | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1999; | Good Morning Australia | Herself - Guest & Helen Reddy sing "Breezin' Along With The Breeze" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1999; 2002 | Good Morning Australia | Guest Performer sings "The Place That I'll Call Home" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2002; 2004 | Good Morning Australia | Guest Performer sings "I'm Still Here" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2003 | This Is Your Life: Helen Reddy | Herself - Guest / Singer sings "Best Friend" sister with Helen Reddy | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2004; 2005 | Good Morning Australia | Guest - Herself & Tony Sheldon / Sings "St Louis Blues" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2005 | Graham Kennedy: Farewell to the King | Herself - Singer sings "I Believe In You" | TV special |
| 2005 | Good Morning Australia | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2005-2009 | Spicks and Specks | Herself | ABC TV series, 5 episodes |
| 2005 | Talking Heads | Herself - Guest | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 2007 | Bert's Family Feud | Herself - Contestant with Noeline Brown, Val Jellay & Val Lehman | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2010 | Lights! Camera! Party! Television City Celebrate | Herself | TV special |
| 2011 | The Helpmann Awards | Herself - JC Williamson Award for Lifetime Achievement with Jill Perryman & Nancye Hayes | TV special |
| 2015 | Stop Laughing...This Is Serious | Herself | ABC TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2018 | The Recording Studio | Herself | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
Awards and honours edit
| Association | Award | Year | Results |
| Logie Awards | Most Popular Victorian Personality | 1962 | Won |
| Variety Club of Australia Award | Entertainment Award | Honoured | |
| Mo Award | Entertainment Award | Honoured | |
| Government honour | Key to the City of Melbourne | 1993 | Honoured |
| List of Woman Shaping the Nation | 2000 | Honoured | |
| Government of Australia | Centenary Medal for Service to the Arts Community | 2001 | Honoured |
| Australian Government | Order of Australia (AM) for Service to the Entertainment Industry and service to the community through fundraising, including the Guide Dog Association of NSW and Canberra[16] | 2003 | Honoured |
| Helpmann Awards | JC Williamson Award Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to the Live Performance sector and Theatre | 2011 | Honoured |
| Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance | Equity Sector Lifetime Achievement Award | 2014 | Honoured |
Actors Equity president Simon Burke says: "Toni is a truly legendary Australian performer whose phenomenal career has spanned vaudeville, musical theatre, television, and cabaret. She is also a wonderful human being who has given back to her community, to her colleagues, and to her industry in every way she can."[21]
Showbusiness family edit
Lamond has a significant pedigree within the Australian performing arts. She is the daughter of Stella Lamond (Homicide and Bellbird) and Joe Lawman, both vaudeville entertainers. Her parents divorced when she was seven and Stella remarried Max Reddy (Homicide), whilst Lawman married soubrette Joy Robbins.[13]
Therefore through her step-father she is a half-sister to the late singer Helen Reddy, whom she raised as a surrogate mother while their parents were performing.[22]
Her son is actor and writer Tony Sheldon
Personal life edit
She married performer Frank Sheldon in 1954, but in 1966 shortly after a separation, he killed himself.
An addiction to prescription drugs followed, and she was a patient at Chelmsford Private Hospital, where she underwent deep sleep therapy.[23] She overcame and publicly discussed the issue in an episode of The Mike Walsh Show, becoming one of the first Australian media personalities to do so.
References edit
- ^ a b c "Toni Lamond AM". Victorian Government. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ Toni Lamond at IMDb
- ^ a b c "Toni Lamond". Talking Heads (transcript of interview with Peter Thompson). 17 October 2005.
- ^ Neutze, Ben (18 May 2016). "Back to the '50's? international actors take prized roles in Australian musical productions".
- ^ "Lamond, Toni". State Library of New South Wales - Dictionary ofSydney.
- ^ a b "Toni Lamond". The Arts Centre, Melbourne. May 2003. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
- ^ a b c "Toni Lamond". tv.com.
- ^ "Ad-Lib Woman – Murder, She Wrote". TVmaze. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ "Toni Lamond on ASO – Australia's audio and visual heritage online". Australian Screen. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ "Hear 'em roar: 'We're sisters, not rivals'". Sydney Morning Herald. 18 April 2008.
- ^ "Toni Lamond – A Great Entertainer". ABC Radio National. 9 July 2002.
- ^ . © 2013 Universal Music Australia Pty Limited. Archived from the original on 8 October 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ a b "Joe Lawman". AusStage database.
- ^ "Stella Lamond theatre credits".
- ^ "Toni Lamond theatre". AusStage.
- ^ "Toni Lamond". It's an Honour. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ "Toni Lamond". School of Arts Cafe.
- ^ "It's an Honour: Centenary Medal".
- ^ It's an Honour: Member of the Order of Australia
- ^ Wright, Maryann (2 August 2011). "Mary's a perfect Poppins - musical scoops annual Helpmann Awards". News.com.au. News Limited (News Corporation). Retrieved 30 April 2012.
- ^ . www.equityfoundation.org.au. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014.
- ^ "Toni Lamond AM".
- ^ "Good times roll for show biz queen". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 June 2003. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
External links edit
- Toni Lamond at IMDb