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"Wunderbar"

Many of the great musical theatre hits of the Golden Age of Broadway found their way to the silver screen, big stars, big voices and big everything (especially with the introduction of widescreen in the 1950s). However, it was less likely that you would find the stage stars who helped to make the show a big hit recreating their roles on screen. There were some notable exceptions: Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam, Yul Brynner in The King and I and Robert Preston in The Music Man (to name a few). But for the most part, Hollywood wanted to bank on their bigger, more established stars.

Kiss Me, Kate opened on Broadway at the tail end of 1948, and was smash hit for composer Cole Porter, whose style up to that point had been considered passé. The musical was a farcical romp, using Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew as inspiration. Sam and Bella Spewack wrote the book, framing the Shakespeare play as a show-within-a-show during a Baltimore tryout. The two larger than life stars of the musical have more in common with their characters as they battle it out backstage, onstage and in the dressing room rehearsal during this world premiere performance. The leading lady’s first line: “You bastard!” And they were off!

The show starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Harold Lang and Lisa Kirk. It opened to unanimous raves in late 1948, running for 1077 performances. Kiss Me Kate would win the first-ever Tony award given for Best Musical. Drake found the greatest stage success of the four, winning a 1954 Tony for his star turn in Kismet and numerous operetta, musical and Shakespearean performances (most notably as Claudius in Richard Burton’s Hamlet in 1964). Morison, who will turn 95 this month, made only one more appearance on Broadway as a replacement Anna in The King and I. The cast made an original cast album for Columbia records in 1949, and reunited in 1959 to record a stereo cast album for Capitol.

Though Drake and Morison found indelible success with the project, when MGM got around to making the film version they signed two of their leading musical contract players: Howard Keel (who would also take Drake’s role in the movie version of Kismet) and the recently deceased Kathryn Grayson to play the roles. MGM, as is their wont, played around with the script and score. The stage libretto and Porter’s risque lyrics were toned down considerably. The famed “Another Openin’, Another Show” was reduced to underscoring. A rather bad prologue was invented with Fred and Lilli meeting with a fictional Cole Porter. To top it off, the musical was filmed for 3-D, and as a result the performers constantly throw things at the camera throughout.

I have loved Kiss Me Kate ever since I saw this bowdlerized film version. Then the show opened in an acclaimed Tony-winning revival in 1999 starring Brian Stokes Mitchell and Marin Mazzie. I listened to the revival cast album ad nauseam until I saw that production on January 9, 2001. It was my third Broadway show, but the first that gave me that transportive feeling that can be best described as walking on air. The London production was taped for TV and DVD with Brent Barrett and Rachel York. They’re fun, but it’s got nothing on the superlative original NY cast (though Michael Berresse repeated his showstopping turn as Bill Calhoun).

Getting back to my initial thought, there were many musical theatre performers who didn’t get to recreate their acclaimed turns on film. Since television musicals were quite the ratings boon in the 50s, there were many occasions when a star would make a live appearance in his or her hit show. Ethel Merman performed with Frank Sinatra in Anything Goes, Rosalind Russell recreated Wonderful Town and most famously Mary Martin was Peter Pan. The trend continues well into the 60s and 70s, but most of those productions are mostly notable for their camp value (Lee Remick as Lola in Damn Yankees, Jose Ferrer and an unbelievably awful George Chakiris in Kismet, and a ridiculous It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman).

In 1958, the Hallmark Hall of Fame presented an abridged version of Kiss Me Kate (almost all musicals adapted for TV were cut down significantly) reuniting Drake and Morison. Bill Hayes and Julie Wilson were the younger lovers. Jack Klugman and Harvey Lembeck played the gangsters. The telecast was one of the earliest uses of long-form videotape and was aired in color. I’ve never seen the color video, and wonder if it still exists. But a black and white tape has survived and that has since been shown on PBS in recent years. I nominate that the powers-that-be bring it to DVD. (And for my money, Patricia Morison may be the most beautiful woman who ever appeared anywhere).

Here’s Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison singing “Wunderbar” from that Hallmark telecast:

Walking Among My Yesterdays… "Carousel"

I was first exposed to Carousel through its 1956 film adaptation back in middle school. I was on a major Rodgers and Hammerstein kick from having seen the special Rodgers & Hammerstein: The Sound of Movies, a two hour retrospective on A&E hosted by Shirley Jones. I liked the film well enough, but truth be told I’ve only seen it once in the last ten years since I did the show at my high school. Reading the stage libretto and hearing the entire stage score and orchestrations throughout the rehearsal and performance periods, I realized that the show was darker, more substantial and ultimately more effective in its stage incarnation.
We felt inordinately proud of our production. As a cast we were very much aware of the show’s legacy and the difficulties in performing the material (especially in a high school setting). It marked the second time I ever appeared onstage in a musical. I was a sailor in the first act and Enoch Snow, Jr in the second. Even though I had really wanted to be Enoch Sr. (I sang “Geraniums in the Winder” for my audition… anyone? anyone?), I took a great deal of pride in what I did onstage in this show. It was the one and only time I completely costumed my own character, without any assistance (borrowing heavily from my father’s wardrobe).
Even after performing the show, I had never seen Carousel from an audience perspective.  I pounced on the news that there would be a concert at Carnegie Hall starring Hugh Jackman in his New York musical theater debut. The concert was months and months away, almost a year if I recall it correctly, so I kept on the lookout for ticket information. When it came time for tickets to go on sale, I set my alarm and spent about an hour on the phone getting busy signals from the Carnegie Hall box office. Eventually I got through and got the seats. The concert was June 6, 2002 and it was my first time inside the legendary venue.
The day of the concert, I got up and the skies were cloudy and threatening. As soon as I left the house, a downpour like none other started to fall and didn’t let up until the next day. Two high school friends (also in the show, one was our Nettie, the other our Heavenly Friend) went with me and we enjoyed an adventurous – if wet – day in Manhattan. I stopped at the Virgin Megastore, as per my old custom, and picked up a few cast recordings. We then dined at the TGIFridays in Times Square before we made the trek up to Carnegie Hall.

Now if we had been functioning like real adults instead of fresh-faced college kids, we would have taken the subway and/or been fully prepared for the inclement weather. But no, so we walked and walked in the rain – and in what was a first, I walked directly into the side of a moving cab. Amazingly enough, I wasn’t hurt. But oh, did we laugh.

Settling into our seats, the house was buzz with excitement. Carousel was last seen in NY in the acclaimed Tony-winning 1994 revival at Lincoln Center. The cast they had gathered together with Jackman was nothing short of exceptional. Audra McDonald, who won her first Tony as Carrie in the previous revival, was moving into the role of Julie. Lauren Ward was Carrie, Jason Danieley was Enoch, Norbert Leo Butz was Jigger, Judy Kaye played Nettie. But it didn’t stop there: Blythe Danner was Mrs. Mullin, Philip Bosco was the Starkeeper and original Billy Bigelow John Raitt made a brief appearance to introduce the concert; his entrance brought down the house with a lengthy ovation.

Directed by Walter Bobbie, the conceit of the evening was to really showcase the music and lyrics of Richard Rodgers, as well as the orchestrations of Don Walker and dance arrangements of the brilliant Trude Rittmann. Bobbie and John Weidman adapted the book for concert, similar to Encores!, only it was even more spare than anything you find at City Center. There was absolutely no scenery, and very subtle but effective costume coordination by John Lee Beatty. Leonard Slatkin directed the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the principals were assisted by the Concert Chorale of New York.

I doubt you could ask for more perfect casting, particularly in the two leads. With McDonald and Jackman, the chemistry was palpable and the famed bench scene was not only superbly sung and acted, it was also incredibly sexy. When the two kissed at the end of it, the audience burst into spontaneous applause. McDonald’s crystalline soprano was perfect for Julie, with heavenly renditions of “If I Loved You” and “What’s the Use of Wond’rin’.” The two leads were ably supported by the others, particularly Kaye, who was and is ideal casting as Cousin Nettie, who brought a great sense of fun to “June is Bustin’ Out All Over” and a stirring warmth to “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

The evening, though, belonged to Jackman. He was more than ideal, and was probably as close to perfection as one could get for the part. At the time, he was only starting to make a name for himself in Hollywood but had previously scored raves for his portrayal of Curly in Susan Stroman and Trevor Nunn’s West End reincarnation of Oklahoma!

His “Soliloquy” was so impassioned, so thrilling, it brought sporadic bursts of applause mid-song. A year and a half later he would carry The Boy From Oz in one of the great male star turns in recent memory. But his Tony-winning performance as Peter Allen pales in comparison. He sang the role with gusto, and delved deeply into Billy’s psychology, giving a performance that was ready for a Broadway opening. There was talk of him starring in a second film version of the property. I don’t know if that is still in the cards, but it would be wondrous to have the star revisit the property, especially for those who weren’t lucky enough to be there that night. It was one of the greatest musical theatre performances I’ve ever seen in my life.

The finale brought the sold out house at Carnegie Hall to its feet almost instantly, in a warm ovation. That ovation increased as Mr. Raitt returned to the stage where he proceeded to embrace Jackman, in a spontaneous display of mutual admiration. Though Mr. Raitt didn’t sing a note that evening, just his mere presence made the evening that more perfect. I don’t know for certain but I believe it was one of his last public appearances in NY.

My friends and I hoped that there would be a recording of the evening, and were so generous in starting applause that we wondered if we’d be able to hear ourselves if there was one. But unfortunately, the powers that be hadn’t the foresight to consider such an enterprise. Three years later when they presented South Pacific in concert, they made it available on CD and DVD and even aired the presentation on PBS. I’d like to think this was in part to missing the boat the first time around. For as much fun as that South Pacific concert was – it wasn’t nearly as special nor as memorable as Carousel.

Numerous albums of Carousel have been made throughout the years, but there is no complete recording of the score, in its original orchestration and with all of Trude Rittman’s brilliant dance arrangements intact. Even when we performed the show, the musical directors made some splices and edits within the dance music of the score: which includes a rarely performed “Hornpipe” for the sailors in the first act, as well as the famed twelve minute ballet in the second. There have been recordings of South Pacific, The King and I and even the recent studio recording of Allegro which give us the score in its entirety. I would like to think that Rodgers and Hammerstein’s greatest score might be given its due sooner rather than later.

The rain was still coming down in torrents when we left Carnegie. We had even considered stagedooring it (with mostly soccer moms in attendance, a precursor to what was to come during his Broadway runs), but we were informed by one of the stage door attendants that the cast was going to be sitting down to dinner before emerging. We decided the show had already been enough and walked through the rain all the way down to Grand Central (why none us thought about taking the subway or a taxi, I’ll never know) but we maintain great memories of that experience, and I for one couldn’t get that score of my head for days, as I nursed my inevitable cold. But dammit, it was worth it!

"Like Shiloh and Valley Forge…"


The sublime revival of South Pacific is poised to end its run at the Vivian Beaumont after a monumental 1,000 performances this August. I’ve seen the show twice; once on its opening night and the other on the night Barack Obama was elected our President. The production is a personal favorite of mine, and I hope to make another trip back before it ends.

The musical is based on the collection of short stories by James A. Michener, and there are two simple references to the original text. They are quotations which bookend the book’s introductory chapter which are projected onto white scrim; one before the overture, the other after the curtain call.

We have had an old mass market paperback edition of Tales of the South Pacific lying around the house for years. I got it in elementary school, but I didn’t read it until 2005, a result of seeing the concert at Carnegie Hall. It’s a collection of tangentially related short stories all revolving around Operation Alligator, a fictive military operation which took the restless Seabees and sailors out of their restless waiting and into the heart of the Pacific theatre of WWII. I couldn’t put the book down, I was fascinated – as I always have been and always be – with the history of the Second World War.

I can’t say that I grew up as a military brat, as my father (a Marine, once and always) left the military more than 20 years before I was born, but there was an immense amount of military influence in my childhood. Many family friends were veterans of WWII, the Korean Conflict and Vietnam. So I have spent much of this time talking with them about their experiences, and have an immense appreciation for the sacrifices they have made and difficulties they have gone through for our benefit.

This past week marked the 65th anniversary of the famous flag-raising on Iwo Jima. Some of my time this past week was spent helping my father get ready to go halfway across the world. He is currently on a military tour with other veterans who are meeting in Guam. They will be visiting Iwo Jima for a ceremony honoring the loss of both US and Japanese life during that bloody battle.

On an entirely different note, I am seeing the new musical Yank! at the York Theatre on Saturday, so there’s been a lot of WWII on my mind lately. I have seen practically every film about it, read numerous books – both fiction and non-fiction, and have seen countless documentaries about it. It’s been something I’ve been aware of ever since I can remember and my fascination continues.

It was the Michener quote at the end of South Pacific that I recall today. I didn’t expect it, nor did I expect to be as moved as I was by it:

“They will live a long time, these men of the South Pacific. They had an American quality. They, like their victories, will be remembered as long as our generation lives. After that, like the men of the Confederacy, they will become strangers. Longer and longer shadows will obscure them, until their Guadalcanal sounds distant on the ear like Shiloh and Valley Forge.”

-James A. Michener, Tales of the South Pacific

Vocal Selections from "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue"


While I have the vocal score in my possession, I do not have this gem which must be some sort of collector’s item. I find it amusing that a show that played seven performances and folded without a cast album would publish vocal selections, especially since Mr. Bernstein went on to recycle elements of his score into future works. (Bernstein and Lerner made the arrangement with Music of the Times Publishing in November 1974 to publish their collaborative effort). I’m assuming there aren’t many copies of this available, though I did locate several in the NYPL catalogue. Unfortunately if you’re looking to perform the “Duet for One,” that 26 page behemoth has been left out. But there are other hits from the show you can sing around the piano in your living room: “Bright and Black” – “Pity the Poor” – “The President Jefferson Sunday Luncheon Party March” – “The Red, White, and Blues” – “Take Care of This House” – “Seena” – “We Must Have a Ball.”

Tyne Daly: "The Second Time Around"


Early in her set at Feinstein’s at the Regency, Tyne Daly takes a moment to reflect on the puns that have been made on her name in various songs and quotes, etc. She insists there isn’t one she hasn’t heard – and dared the audience to try and stump her. She uses this moment as a thematic stepping stone for her latest cabaret act, “The Second Time Around” as the actress has been brought back to the venue by popular demand. It exemplifies her wit and somewhat quirky sense of humor and self. Ms. Daly then proceeds to offer a master class in lyric interpretation, imparting sincerity into every single word and phrase she speaks and sings.

I’ve known of Tyne for many years – my first exposure being, of all things, her role as Clint Eastwood’s partner in The Enforcer, the third of the Dirty Harry features. She is probably best known for her TV work, but she is also a Tony-winner for her performance as Rose in the 1989 revival of Gypsy. My first opportunity seeing Ms. Daly onstage was two months ago in the fantastic off-Broadway production of Love, Loss and What I Wore at the West Side Theatre. (It is here that I admit that unfortunately, no we are not related).

Daly, sophisticated and real, charming and genuine, winsome and wizened, starts her evening with “The Hostess with the Mostes'” from Irving Berlin’s Call Me Madam, a song she first sang at Encores! in 1995 with new lyrics specially written for the occasion (even a nod to the Berlin estate for having a sense of humor). She apologizes in advance for a missed lyric, or a note sung off-key. She needn’t have worried – the actress is so at ease in cabaret that if you’d think she’d been doing this sort of gig all her life. And while her voice is not quite her strongest asset as a performer, she sounds better here than I have ever heard her before.

The theme of the evening becomes time, as Ms. Daly uses her song set to explore her (and our) conceptions and obsessions with time – how one moment it can be suspended, then suddenly speed up. She ruminated on how life is in warp speed, and the events and incidents that can impact our lives (which makes for a lovely parallel with the concept behind Love Loss and What I Wore). One moment she’s reliving her high school dream to be a cheerleader, the next she’s wondering when her grandson got to be thirteen years old (and have his heart broken by Hannah in the 7th grade) and ruminating on heartbreak, joy, love, sorrow, etc.

While sitting at my table in Feinstein’s it dawned on me halfway through the performance that I had forgotten that there was anyone else in the room. On more than one occasion I felt as though Tyne was singing to me and me alone, heightening the intimacy of an already intimate venue, whose 10th anniversary she was also celebrating (“Where else in NY can you hear two Rudy Vallee songs in a row?” she deadpans).

The selections are eclectic, ranging from the popular to obscure. She sings popular standards, a cheer-leading rally, a devastatingly simple tribute to her mother with the 13th century folk ballad “O Waly, Waly.” She recalled her dream of being a cheerleader with a real obscurity – “Betty Co-Ed,” which contains “one of the worst puns in history.” She was exceptionally memorable with Bessie Smith’s blues classic “Send Me to the ‘Lectric Chair, a song juxtaposed with “That’s Him Over There” co-written by Marilyn Bergman.

For her grandson, she offers “Sonny Boy” combined with a fabulous rendition of Bill Withers’ classic “Ain’t No Sunshine.” She also paid homage to the “second girls,” those musical theatre sidekicks that get the laughs but not the guy. Her “Adelaide’s Lament” was a comic highlight; it’s the first time I’ve ever seen Adelaide portrayed as a real girl who happens to be ditzy – and not the comic cartoon that we’re used to. She also combined “Ooh, My Feet!” from The Most Happy Fella and “I Can Cook Too” from On the Town in dedication to the wait staff.

An example of her seamless segues, she talked about all the French references to food in the latter song, and it brought about her revelation that she has an imaginary friend (or rather alter ego), who dreams of being a French chanteuse a la Piaf. Tyne delivered – in flawless French – a stunning, understated rendition of the Hoagy Carmichael standard “Stardust’ which culminated in a piano solo with shades of Debussy by pianist John McDaniel (The Rosie O’Donnell Show).

But just when you thought she couldn’t take it further, she espouses her alter-ego’s desire to revive Jerry Herman’s Dear World, a short-lived musical adaptation of The Madwoman of Chaillot. Ms. Daly brings her cabaret to a shattering climax with a medley of “Each Tomorrow Morning/And I Was Beautiful” and “I Don’t Want to Know,” creating a carefully constructed and delineated character to the proceedings. If there are any risk-taking producers with chutzpah or the folks from Encores! out there reading this, you do not want to pass up that opportunity. The evening was capped off with her encore (Tyne saved herself a trip to and from the kitchen) of Sonny West’s “Oh Boy.” Probably best known from Buddy Holly’s upbeat cover, Tyne’s was slower, introspective and devastating.

Kudos to musical director and occasional harmonist John McD, who guided the band and supported the star with considerable poise. The orchestra, as Tyne loving called them, consisted of Tom Hubbard on bass, Ray Marchica on percussion, Rick Heckman on woodwinds and Peter Sachon on cello. I couldn’t imagine a better group or better arrangements to accompany the star. Tyne Daly is every inch a star, and she radiates the confidence and grace that comes from being one. But she is also a reflection of maternal dignity and warmth. The combination is a knockout.

“The Second Time Around” is playing at Feinstein’s until January 30. Her show runs Tuesday through Thursday at 8:30PM and Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00PM with a second how at 11:00PM. There is a $60 cover ($75 premium seating) and a $40 food/drink minimum. Also, Feinstein’s is introducing a new policy with select seats going for a $40 cover no food/drink minimum (subject to availability).

"Duet for One (The First Lady of the Land)" – 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue opened May 4, 1976 on Broadway at the former Mark Hellinger Theatre following a tumultuous out of town period in both Philadelphia and Washington DC. The musical, starring Ken Howard, Patricia Routledge and Gilbert Price, was met with critical derision and subsequently closed four days later, after a total of 13 previews and 7 performances in NY.

The show was the first and only collaboration between Leonard Bernstein and Alan Jay Lerner. In spite of the tepid response by both audiences and critics, this particular song caught the audience’s attention in the middle of the second act. Patricia Routledge starred as First Ladies from 1800-1900; in this particular song she was both outgoing Julia Grant and incoming Lucy Hayes at the 1877 inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes. The comic soprano delineated the two characters with the flip of a trick, double-sided wig and change in voice. The nine minute tour-de-force received thunderous applause, and even some lengthy mid-show standing ovations; an incredible feat considering the show’s reception.

This is from the Broadway opening night performance, at which the audience cheered for a full minute and eight seconds (the ovation has been trimmed on this particular recording). It’s remarkable to hear the audience, which up until this point had been mostly polite in its applause, come alive in this one song. There is a slow build to total euphoria which is almost as fascinating to hear as the actual performance.

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Jerry the Nipper


somehow this always happens
Originally uploaded by karigee

One of the simple joys in my life is making today’s birthday girl crack up at inappropriate times during the taking of photographs, whether we’re classing up Feinstein’s (see right) or on a historical day trip (see below). If you’re not blessed to have a witty Harriet Walter-worshiping, Cary Grant loving, bibliophile crowned “Queen Hot Dog” in your life then you don’t know the fun you’re missing. Equal parts no-nonsense librarian and madcap heiress, you never know where the laughs are going to come from, but believe me there is never a shortage when you’re on the town with this krazy kat.

The Year of Living Cinematically

Another year has gone by, and I have kept up my list of films watched in their entirety for the calendar year. Same premise, same Moleskine. No TV movies or miniseries are included. The only difference from last year’s list is that I’ve marked the films which I’ve never seen before with an asterisk.

Love Actually (2003) 1/1
Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) 1/4
*Death at a Funeral (2007) 1/6
*The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1965) 1/7
*Burn After Reading (2008) 1/8
His Girl Friday (1940) 1/9
*Back to Bataan (1945) 1/10
Topkapi (1964) 1/19
The Philadelphia Story (1940) 1/21
*Morning Glory (1934) 1/21
The Little Foxes (1941) 1/24
Network (1976) 1/26
Good News (1947) 1/27
*Doubt (2008) 1/28
Vertigo (1958) 1/30
*The Big Sleep (1946) 1/31
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) 1/31
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) 2/1
101 Dalmatians (1961) 2/2
Once (2007) 2/2
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) 2/2
*The Big Chill (1983) 2/2
Tootsie (1982) 2/2
*Twelve O’Clock High (1949) 2/3
*The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) 2/5
*Be Kind, Rewind (2008) 2/5
*Red River (1948) 2/5
*Radio Days (1987) 2/6
Guarding Tess (1994) 2/7
*Lars and the Real Girl (2007) 2/8
*Only Angels Have Wings (1939) 2/9
*Made for Each Other (1939) 2/10
My Fair Lady (1964) 2/11
*Five Easy Pieces (1970) 2/13
Barefoot in the Park (1967) 2/15
*Darling (1965) 2/16
*Slumdog Millionaire (2008) 2/17
*Ghost Town (2008) 2/23
*Julius Caesar (1953) 2/24
*The Public Enemy (1931) 3/6
*Watchmen (2009) 3/7
Howards End (1992) 3/13
*Milk (2008) 3/21
*Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) 3/22
*Synecdoche, New York (2008) 3/23
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) 3/25
Pinocchio (1940) 3/31
East of Eden (1955) 4/2
Some Like it Hot (1959) 4/5
So Proudly We Hail (1943) 4/5
Paper Moon (1973) 4/6
Never on Sunday (1960) 4/9
Key Largo (1948) 4/10
*The Actress (1953) 4/11
The Rose Tattoo (1955) 4/13
*Zelig (1983) 4/13
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) 4/15
The Trouble with Angels (1955) 4/18
Anatomy of a Murder (1959) 4/18
The Rainmaker (1956) 4/20
Stalag 17 (1953) 4/26
North to Alaska (1960) 4/27
The Goonies (1985) 5/3
*Last Chance Harvey (2008) 5/8
Inherit the Wind (1960) 5/11
*Star Trek (2009) 5/11
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) 6/1
State Fair (1945) 6/1
The Quiet Man (1952) 6/2
*The Hangover (2009) 6/5
The Godfather (1972) 6/13
Splendor in the Grass (1961) 6/22
*Hairspray (2007) 6/23
Last Chance Harvey (2008) 6/23
*You Can Count on Me (2000) 6/25
Amadeus (1984) 6/26
It Happened One Night (1934) 6/27
Stagecoach (1939) 6/28
Saboteur (1942) 6/30
*Rooster Cogburn (1975) 7/1
*The Lost Patrol (1934) 7/2
The Wild Bunch (1969) 7/3
Roman Holiday (1953) 7/4
*Mary, Queen of Scots (1971) 7/5
Clue (1985) 7/6
Animal House (1978) 7/10
*Untamed Heart (1993) 7/11
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) 7/12
*Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) 7/13
*Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) 7/15
A Night at the Opera (1935) 7/16
I Confess (1953) 7/17
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) 7/17
*The Iron Giant (1999) 7/19
Notorious (1946) 7/20
The Court Jester (1956) 7/24
*The Baxter (2005) 7/29
*Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960) 7/30
Doctor Zhivago (1965) 7/30
The Parent Trap (1961) 7/30
*The Paper Chase (1973) 7/31
*Monster House (2006) 7/31
Imitation of Life (1959) 7/31
Oklahoma! (1955) 7/31
*Walk Hard (2007) 8/2
*Little Nellie Kelly (1940) 8/6
*For Me and My Gal (1942) 8/6
*In the Good Old Summertime (1949) 8/6
*The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963) 8/7
The Awful Truth (1937) 8/10
*Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) 8/16
*Chocolat (2000) 8/28
*Troll 2 (1990) 8/30
*The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) 8/30
*Gran Torino (2008) 8/30
*Babette’s Feast (1987) 9/5
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) 9/7
Sweeney Todd (2007) 9/11
Where Eagles Dare (1968) 9/12
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967) 9/13
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) 9/18
*Bad Little Angel (1939) 9/21
*A Perfect Couple (1979) 9/25
The Grass is Greener (1960) 9/26
*Lovers and Other Strangers (1970) 10/8
Halloween (1978) 10/31
Big Trouble in Little China (1986) 11/5
*Sunrise at Campobello (1960) 11/8
*Tell It to the Judge (1949) 11/15
Reds (1981) 11/17
*Li’l Abner (1959) 11/26
Elf (2003) 11/30
*Susan Slept Here (1954) 12/11
*Invictus (2009) 12/14
*Bolt (2008) 12/14
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) 12/15
Gone with the Wind (1939) 12/15
*George Washington Slept Here (1942) 12/19
*The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941) 12/20
White Christmas (1954) 12/21
Going My Way (1944) 12/21
Holiday Inn (1942) 12/22
Bad Santa (2003) 12/23
*Christmas in Connecticut (1945) 12/25
Scrooged (1988) 12/25
The Lion in Winter (1968) 12/25
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) 12/25
*Brideshead Revisited (2008) 12/26
Orange County (2002) 12/26
*The Fisher King (1991) 12/26
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) 12/27
Fiddler on the Roof (1971) 12/27
Star Trek (2009) 12/29
Adventures in Babysitting (1987) 12/29
The Simpsons Movie (2007) 12/30
Edward Scissorhands (1990) 12/30
The Dirty Dozen (1967) 12/30
The Thin Man (1934) 12/31

"Love, Loss and What I Wore"

Truth be told, had I not been invited to see it I probably wouldn’t have seen Love Loss and What I Wore. I’m not really the target demographic for this production, currently playing off-Broadway at the West Side Theatre/Downstairs. From what I’ve read, it didn’t seem to be the sort of show that would appeal to me. However, I am very glad that I found myself seated in the theatre for last Sunday evening’s performance. The play, written by Nora and Delia Ephron based on the book by Ilene Beckerman, features a rotating cast of five actresses recalling the various memories triggered by various articles of clothing and accessories, under the direction of Karen Carpenter.

I know very little about maternity clothes, shopping for bras and prom dresses or the frustrations stemming from a purse or shoes, so I wondered if would fully appreciate the situations and stories being relayed. Leaving the play, I was stunned at my own preconceived notions. The play was both hilarious and touching, but I also found great appreciation at the daily rituals and indignities women have to endure in Western society when it comes to their appearance. I’m usually done clothes shopping within a half hour; the only thing I ever bother trying on is pants. So I am stunned to hear that women find themselves facing hours upon hours of shopping in order to find clothes and accessories that are just right.

The play is performed as a staged reading, so there is a certain casualness to the proceedings that only heightens the intimacy between the actors and the audience, with many audience members expressing themselves vocally from their seats (the mere mention of Eileen Fisher got one of the biggest reactions of the night). The stories and monologues feel more like you are attended a party, picking up fragments and anecdotes as you work your way through the room. This is further intimated by the simplistic staging: the ladies remain seated on stools, with scripts on stands for the duration, smartly decked out in all black attire (a color choice given its due praise in the play).

Kudos to the Ephrons and Carpenter for shaping an evening that is often funny and often moving, but without becoming unnecessarily maudlin or overly sentimental. So many of the subjects touched on in Love, Loss are not unfamiliar and have often been beaten to death by the Lifetime and Hallmark networks. However, the proceedings are kept smart, savvy and the familiarity of the stories breeds universality rather than cliche.

Mary Louise Wilson serves as a sort of narrative base for the evening. She relays the life of a singular woman through cardboard drawings of the individuals wardrobe, essaying memories of childhood, love, lust, family, failed marriages, motherhood, and getting older with a certain casualness. She also got one of the biggest laughs instructing the audience on how to draw oneself (they include an insert in the Playbill so you can do it yourself, and they post them on a bulletin board in the lobby). Wilson

The other four actresses portray a wide variety of characters. Mary Birdsong brought her unique comic sensibility to her different women, but shone especially as a woman languishing in a loveless relationship for eight years. She and Lisa Joyce have one of the more affecting bits of stage business as they tell two seemingly separate stories simultaneously, only to gobsmack the audience with a twist that ties the two together seamlessly. Jane Lynch, who is well known for her comedic skills from her various film and TV appearances has the opportunity here to display her depth and range as she recounts one woman’s battle with breast cancer in the most moving segment of the evening.

And on top of all this, there’s Tyne Daly. The Tony-winning actress is simply sublime delivering a comic monologue about purses, and how they become a reflection of the individual but she’s also endearingly saucy as a southern woman recounting her romance with man in prison. Daly (sadly, no relation) is as warm and effusive onstage as you would hope her to be. On top of it, she makes it all look so innately easy. As much as I loved all the ladies, I found myself looking forward to all the moments directly involving her. However, there was a sense of camaraderie between the actresses. When one was working, the others were watching her; listening and genuinely appreciating what the other was saying.

A new cast is taking over this coming week, but pay that no mind. Part of the novelty behind this simple staging is that so many acclaimed actresses will have the opportunity to step in over the next few months. The show has been such a success that is has already extended itself into March. Kristin Chenoweth, Rhea Perlman, Debra Monk, Michele Lee and Capathia Jenkins are just a handful of the actresses who will be rotating in and out of the show over the next couple of months. (You can check out the cast rotation on the show’s website).

Since I didn’t know what to expect, I wanted to make sure that I brought someone with me who I feel would feel a connection to the material. When Roxie proved unavailable, I turned my good friend Dana, a savvy thirty-something with whom I used to work. I didn’t expect or know that the Jane Lynch monologue about breast cancer would hit as home as it did. But it matched detail for detail, save for the type of cancer. She had what she later referred to as a “moment” there, and it proved a very personal moment for the both of us as I considered how I fortunate I was to have this particular person in my life. She already has plans on bringing her mother and sister back to see the show.

After the show, I was talking to the show’s exceptional associate general manager, fellow blogger Jodi Schoenbrun-Carter. She, my friend and I were espousing the virtues of Love, Loss and What I Wore and she casually mentioned her husband retaining a particular item of clothing. For the example, she said “an old flannel shirt.” Suddenly, as though a light switch was turned on, I remembered that I actually keep a worn, XL flannel shirt in my old bedroom closet at my parents’ house. I acquired this shirt in ninth grade, and often wore it as a jacket, and used it for a production of The Wizard of Oz I appeared in my senior year. I’ve never worn it since that show, but because of its personal importance I’ve held onto it. Hanging alongside that shirt, are my Boy Scout uniform, college graduation gown, and a vintage 1970s Nino Cerruti sports jacket (total non-sequitur – my oldest brother bought the exact same jacket – same size, color, etc. around the same time unbeknownst to either of us until a year later). So gents, if you find yourselves wary of seeing the show, just remember – you can substitute purses, heeled shoes and maternity clothes with briefcases, fishing boots and tuxedos and you’ll find that you can start culling up memories of your own.