Todd Cardin To Headline 2007 Minnesota Fringe
July 1, 2006
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Todd Cardin To Headline 2007 Minnesota Fringe
Philadelphia playwright Cardin to perform as Gilbert O’Sullivan.
July 1, 2006 — Todd Cardin will star as Gilbert O’Sullivan in a what he calls his strangest play to date. Cardin will write produce and star in this unique play that focuses around the life of the seventies bubble gum star. Cardin has not announced the premise of the play but will say that it is a musical comedy that also serves as a loving tribute to O’Sullivan.
The life of O’Sullivan is a story in and of itself. Early in his life, his family moved to England attending St. Joseph’s Comprehensive school in Swindon, England, where he began to develop an interest in music and art. At Swindon Art College in 1963, he met Rick Davies who would soon become a member of the progressive rock band, Supertramp. During these years, O’Sullivan experimented with songwriting, writing his first song, “Ready Miss Steady.”
O’Sullivan signed a five-year contract with CBS in 1967. However, after several poor singles with CBS, he sent some demo tapes to Gordon Mills, whereupon he signed with his label, MAM Records. At that time, O’Sullivan created the self-image of a “Bisto Kid”, which he later replaced in favour of an endless series of collegiate-styled sweaters, embossed with the letter ‘G’. Soon thereafter, O’Sullivan achieved his first top 10 hit with “Nothing Rhymed”, and enjoyed four years of major success. This run incorporated a dozen more hit singles, ten of which reached the UK Top 10, plus four Top 5 albums, including Himself (1971), Back To Front (1972), I’m A Writer Not A Fighter (1973) and A Stranger In My Own Back Yard (1974). In 1972 he became internationally known, after his self penned ballad, “Alone Again (Naturally)” from the 1971 album Himself, became a chart-topper, spending six weeks at #1 on the Billboard.
He also landed two UK chart toppers, with the songs “Clair” (1972); and “Get Down” (1973), which also went into the U.S. Top 10. However, things later turned sour, as O’Sullivan discovered his recording contract with MAM Records, greatly favoured the label’s owner. Litigation followed, as his recording career was put on hold. O’Sullivan returned, after a five year chart absence in 1980, with a new contract with CBS. His comeback single — “What’s In A Kiss” — secured a top twenty spot in the UK. But, apart from a further minor success in 1990 and 1991, the hits completely dried up. For years O’Sullivan spoke in a bad light about his fall from fame, once saying that “no-one cares” what he has to say anymore, until the internet came along and he got in contact with some fans on his website. However, O’Sullivan continues to record to the present day, and enjoys some success in Japan.
The Minnesota Fringe is an annual celebration of theater, dance, improv, puppetry, kids’ shows, visual art, musicals and much more. Over 11 days, 172 companies from throughout North America put on over 900 performances at 23 Minneapolis venues in the largest non-juried performing arts festival in the United States. Nothing you’ll see has been selected, reviewed or censored — it’s the biggest chance anywhere for adventurous audiences to connect with adventurous artists.