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Seth Gaaikema (11 July 1939 – 21 October 2014) was a Dutch cabaret artist, writer, and lyricist.
Gaaikema was born in Uithuizen, Netherlands, as the son of a Mennonite minister. After studying Dutch and founding the student cabaret at the University of Groningen, he became a lyricist writing for established artists such as Wim Kan. He had met Kan while he was at university, and Kan soon became his idol and later his competitor. Gaaikema and Kan collaborated for a long time in what Kan later called a love-hate relationship; he criticized Gaaikema as a clone, as did other critics. Gaaikema was a solo artist since 1967, though his cabaret shows were often considered slow or too serious by critics; not until 1994 did he have a show praised by all critics. Gaaikema found it more and more difficult to maintain the audience's interest, especially when the new generation of cabaret artists introduced a harder-edged, more direct type of humor.
He did, however, receive praise for his translations of musicals, including '' My Fair Lady'' (his first, 1959), '' Kiss Me, Kate'', ''
Seth Gaaikema (11 July 1939 – 21 October 2014) was a Dutch cabaret artist, writer, and lyricist.
Gaaikema was born in Uithuizen, Netherlands, as the son of a Mennonite minister. After studying Dutch and founding the student cabaret at the University of Groningen, he became a lyricist writing for established artists such as Wim Kan. He had met Kan while he was at university, and Kan soon became his idol and later his competitor. Gaaikema and Kan collaborated for a long time in what Kan later called a love-hate relationship; he criticized Gaaikema as a clone, as did other critics. Gaaikema was a solo artist since 1967, though his cabaret shows were often considered slow or too serious by critics; not until 1994 did he have a show praised by all critics. Gaaikema found it more and more difficult to maintain the audience's interest, especially when the new generation of cabaret artists introduced a harder-edged, more direct type of humor.
He did, however, receive praise for his translations of musicals, including '' My Fair Lady'' (his first, 1959), '' Kiss Me, Kate'', ''Oliver!
''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens.
It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...
'', '' Les Misérables'', and '' The Phantom of The Opera''. He was praised as, "above all, a playful master of language"; his reputation as lyricist and translator was celebrated more than his showmanship. Freek de Jonge, another Dutch comedian and minister's son, first saw Gaaikema perform in 1963 and though de Jonge's direction in cabaret was decidedly different, he greatly admired and was inspired by him, calling him a virtuoso of language.
Gaaikema came out as a gay man in 1988, in a New Year's Eve show. He married his manager, and the two lived in Schijndel, until Gaaikema died after a brief illness.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaaikema, Seth 1939 births 2014 deaths Dutch male comedians Dutch cabaret performers Dutch translators Dutch male dramatists and playwrights LGBT cabaret performers Dutch gay writers Dutch LGBT dramatists and playwrights Dutch LGBT comedians Gay comedians Gay dramatists and playwrights People from Eemsmond 20th-century Dutch dramatists and playwrights 20th-century translators