Category: Uncategorized

Gwen Verdon & Chita Rivera: "Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag"

From The Howard Cosell Show in 1975, we get Chicago as it should be performed. (Costumes…? For real??) Can you believe it’s almost eight years since we lost Gwen Verdon? Such a natural treasure. And how lucky are we that Chita Rivera is still performing? I’ve come to the conclusion that Ms. Rivera should receive a standing ovation any time she walks into a room. Enjoy this:

Here’s another one, plus interview with Mike Douglas and Hal Linden. The two ladies are nothing short of classy and gracious. I love how proud Gwen is of having a flop play, Children! Children! It ran 65 minutes with no intermission on its one and only performance. And Chita even talks about 1491, “marked down from 1776.” Then Jerry Orbach joins in too and performs “Razzle Dazzle.”

Musical Theatre Zen: The Barbara Cook Edition

One of my most indelible theatre memories is from the day Barbara Cook brought Mostly Sondheim to my town. (Can you imagine my surprise? Barbara Cook in my town?!) Anyway, I made a great to-do about it and had many of my friends come with me to see her in action. Cook is known for the way she inhabits a lyric. Her sound has darkened as she’s gotten older, but the tone is still exorbitantly clear and inviting. The atmosphere at a Barbara Cook concert is akin to visiting your favorite grandmother: intimacy, warmth and graciousness pouring out over the footlights.

There she was, one of the definitive musical theatre actresses of all time, interpreting the songs that Sondheim had written – and those he wished he had, at least in part. We had plenty of Harold Arlen, some a touch of Irving Berlin, and of course, the works of Sondheim himself. The highlight for me came toward the end of the concert when she discussed how three of the songs on the list were those which she originally sang in Candide and She Loves Me. The first, of course, being the death-defying coloratura aria “Glitter and Be Gay.” (“I ain’t gonna be singin’ that one tonight… I ain’t been a-goin’ to sing that for a loooong time.”)

The other two were “Tell Me I Look Nice,” a cute 5/4 number that was originally just before “Will He Like Me,” and of course, the one she recreated for us in concert, “Ice Cream.” This piece is one of the most impressive character songs I’ve ever heard, and is something of a signature for Cook. I can still recall the first time I heard the score to She Loves Me, one of my top three shows, and this was the song I played again and again. That night, four and a half years ago, I was nearer to Heaven than I could even realize at the time. And at the age of 75, her climactic high B natural rang out like freedom. Enjoy…

A Stream of Consciousness on "Inner Voices"

– The Zipper Factory Theatre is one of the more unique performance spaces I’ve seen in my life. Great is the confusion Roxie and I have upon entering the lobby. Or bar. (It’s both. This is a bit unusual and really cool). Looks like we’re waiting for the rave to begin. (Roxie: “Oh didn’t you read about that. I brought glowsticks.”)

– House opens. General admission. You can pick your own seating. In this case the minivan bench of your choice. (Whaaa?) The atmosphere is more that of an acting conservatory than say a theatre. Has that black box meets thrust stage quality about it.

– Victoria Clark is one of the most superlative talents on the NY stage.

– OMG. Victoria Clark is in a nightgown and playing a character at three distinctively different phases of her life. She’s incredibly genuine as an eleven year old pre-pubescent. The work is musically and dramatically fascinating. Probably the first thirty-minute, three-act play I’ve ever seen.

– Roxie and I are six feet away from Victoria Clark. I imagine it’s akin to what it’s like to be looking into the face of God.

– Tres Ninas is offering Victoria Clark a chance to play a fascinatingly self-destructive divorced alcoholic mother of two who has sex with someone half her age.

– OMFG. That was an orgasm. Strange feeling of deja vu hits…

– Catharsis. Supreme acting through song. Clark has a gift when it comes to subtext and giving a layered, complex performance. The woman to my right is an absolute emotional wreck. And rightly so. The audience gives her a Routledge (mid-show standing ovation). She exits. She is missed already. My neck hurts. It’s the damn van seat.

– The woman in front of us looks like Liz Smith. Is that her?

– What the hell is this girl wearing? Okay. This is the girl from Spring Awakening. It’s Alice Unwrapped. There’s a vamp. I’m already bored. Bring back Vicki.

– So the girl is one of those delusionally weird teens who prides herself on being different. Her dad is in Iraq. This cannot be ending well.

– Dad is missing. Mom goes depressive. Daughter goes delusional. Younger sister sounds like an irritating know-it-all who deserves to be slapped.

– The composer really enjoys Bill Finn.

– This is starting to get tedious. Do we really need thirty minutes to cover what probably should be a ten-minute one-act?

– I would love to hear Victoria Clark’s take on the “Duet for One” from 1600. And see her play Alice Challice in Darling of the Day. She can do anything.

– Jennifer Damiano seems like she needs more time in acting school. Or she should be in the house for Victoria Clark to see how you tell a story, create a complex character and captivate an audience all by your lonesome. Then again, Clark also teaches… hmm…

– Is Bill Finn aware of this?

– Okay, so the little girl is the one who’s mind is still with it. I’m starting to think this story would be more interesting if it came from her perspective. Or the mom’s. Anyone but this girl.

– More vamping.

– I think Bill Finn should sue…

– Okay. She takes off the vest. An interesting concept is marred by poor writing and poor execution. Polite applause. Slight headache. I guess that’s what a thirty minute rip-off of “Passover” from Elegies will do to you.

– Bring back Vicki Clark. Is that Liz Smith? I still can’t tell.

– Ohh. Here’s Barbara Walsh. It’s A Thousand Words Come to Mind. I’m captivated from the way she puts down her handbag.

– Oh my. Mom is dying. This isn’t going to end well either.

– I’ve never seen Barbara Walsh perform before. Now I want to see everything she does from here on out.

– She manages to be quite affecting in disclosing the nature of her relationship with her mother. All the while revealing oh so much about herself in the process. Now that is effective acting.

– Ooh. This has a literary angle. The mom tells her daughter she was the inspiration for a character in Philip Roth’s The Human Stain. Mom starts to learn of her mother for the first time in her life.

– Um.. Mom is dying. Someone in the upper decks shrieks with laughter. Let the awkward times roll… Walsh blazed on unfazed. We turn back to Walsh, fazed.

– Borders? What the hell? Sorry. Bizarre loyalty to B&N.

– Barbara Walsh should be the next Vera in Mame. Her ability to be wry and dry is succinct. But she is also so damn touching. Damiano should stick around for this master class too. I have a sudden desire to see Walsh and Clark work opposite each other. And I want to see Walsh play Charlotte in A Little Night Music.

– The mom has died. Time for the denouement. We discover that she was a frustrated writer who never realized her dreams. Daughter understands her now more than ever. They’ve finally connected.

– The letter from Philip Roth. Exactly the satisfactory touch the audience wanted. Many sighs from all over.

– My neck pain has spread into a tension headache. All from that awkward seating. Time to go.

– No, it isn’t Liz Smith.

Harvey Korman (1927-2008)

For fans of television, he’ll always be fondly remembered for the hilarious contributions he made on The Carol Burnett Show. For film fans, there was his tenure as a Mel Brooks favorite, most notably as Hedley Lamarr in Blazing Saddles.

Korman was a comic legend who left our world today at the age of 81. He had been suffering for several months as a result of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. His wide-ranging comic ability helped get him started on TV in bit parts, eventually landing on The Danny Kaye Show. He also was the voice of the Great Gazoo on The Flintstones (I never knew that!)

It was working with Carol Burnett that he would achieve his most lasting legacy. Her variety show ran from 1967-1978 and was among the most popular TV shows of the decade. Korman’s work as a comic foil was immense, most notably opposite the hilarious Tim Conway, who had the unstoppable ability to crack up the cast (but most especially Korman) in their scene work.

Here’s one of them:

And some bloopers:

Sydney Pollack (1934-2008)

When you consider that the mere fact of his illness was a well-guarded secret, the death of Sydney Pollack is a rather unexpected loss to the film world. I have enjoyed Mr. Pollack’s work both on the screen and behind the camera, as he enjoyed a second career as a character actor long after he had been established as a noted director. I had most recently seen him offering stellar support to George Clooney in the excellent legal thriller Michael Clayton (which Pollack also co-produced).

Pollack began his career as an actor, studying with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in the mid-50s. He made one appearance on Broadway in the short-lived The Dark is Light Enough, a comedy that starred Katharine Cornell, Tyrone Power and Christopher Plummer. The play, written by Christopher Fry, lasted 69 performances at the ANTA Playhouse. Shortly afterward, he would move into television direction from which he would eventually launch his film career.

His most notable films include the searing indictment of ’20s dance marathons, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? with Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin and an Oscar-winning Gig Young, The Way We Were with Robert Redford (who was a life-long friend of the director) and Barbra Streisand, Absence of Malice with Paul Newman, the gender-bending comedy Tootsie with Dustin Hoffman (and Pollack’s uncredited turn as the agent who famously offers the classic line “No one will hire you.”) and would win the Oscars for Best Picture and Director for Out of Africa, a rather overrated period drama with Redford and Meryl Streep. Pollack was also nominated as director for Horses and Tootsie, as well as producing nominations for Tootsie and Michael Clayton.

Pollack would direct twelve actors to Oscar nominations: Jane Fonda, Gig Young (won), Susannah York, Barbra Streisand, Paul Newman, Melinda Dillon, Jessica Lange (won), Dustin Hoffmann, Teri Garr, Meryl Streep, Klaus Maria Brandauer and Holly Hunter. He also produced, executive produced or co-produced many films, including most of his later work. His post-Africa work never really maintained the stature of his early pieces. Aside from the blockbuster The Firm, he directed the unnecessary remake of Sabrina, Random Hearts, The Interpreter and Sketches of Frank Gehry. He also had served as host of “The Essentials” on Turner Classic Movies.

Cancer was the cause; he was diagnosed nine months ago. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Claire, and two of their three children. He leaves behind a relatively small but important body of work in various areas of the film world.

"Enchanted"

I finally caught up with Disney’s Enchanted this afternoon. I had wanted to see it back in November, but considering I’ve been to the movies four times in 9 months, you can see that my priorities seem to have strayed from the silver screen. Anyway, thank goodness for these uber-quick DVD releases they do now. (Does anyone remember when they use to release VHS for rentals only for about six months before they sold them to the general public?)

The film was quite charming and highly amusing, stealthily irreverent with tongue in cheek. So much so, the old school ending seemed overly treacly as a result (the point at which the film loses steam is during the ballroom sequence, just prior to Susan Sarandon‘s homage to Maleficent). I enjoyed all the celebrations/send-ups of the Disney feature: Julie Andrews serving as the narrator, the old school animation (with includes the original Buena Vista logo used on the older Disney releases) to the more obscure, such as cameos from Paige O’Hara, Jodi Benson and Judy Kuhn (who’s quip was one of the funniest lines in the film), also having fun with fairy tale conventions (“Happy Working Song” anyone?) The score was cute and served the project well – I only hope no one gets the brilliant idea of putting this onstage in two years, we’ve had enough of that. (The songs, with the exception of that awful warbled mess that they tried to pass off as a waltz in the ballroom scene, were pleasant. I’m still glad the kids from Once won the Academy award).

However, the main reason I wanted to see the film was Amy Adams. I’ve been a huge fan of hers since I happened upon the film Junebug back in 2005. Hers was the most memorable by a supporting actress that year; and was pleasantly surprised when she was nominated for her breakthrough turn as the naive but warm-hearted expecting sister-in-law. If you haven’t seen the film, see it just for her – she is that remarkable. She also had a brief stint on The Office as an early love interest for Jim Halpert and was also Will Ferrell’s amour in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. I would venture a guess she has gained considerable clout with her star-turn as Giselle here, with an amiable singing voice and that wholehearted likability working in her favor. (She’s soon to be Sister James opposite Meryl Streep’s Aloysius in the upcoming film version of Doubt).

Certain things were pleasantly surprising: James Marsden as a musical theatre singer. I’ve only seen him in action movies (and I haven’t seen Hairspray), so to hear him bust out in song was impressive. Not to mention how hilarious he was as the brazenly fantastical Prince Charming, particularly in his encounters with New Yorkers (and technology, his scene with the “magic mirror” aka TV is priceless). Patrick Dempsey was affable as the love interest. Idina Menzel was a wet mop as his irritating girlfriend (thankfully not singing).

On top of that, it was a virtual who’s who of Broadway talent: Tonya Pinkins as the pending divorcee, the aforementioned Kuhn, O’Hara & Benson, Edmund Lyndeck (the original Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd) as the decrepit homeless man, Joseph Siravo (yay Piazza!) as the bartender, Helen Stenborg, and Harvey Evans were the people I recognized. I’m sure there were more.

Like I said, the only problem I really had was the final 20 minutes or so. They’d had fun with the cleverness up to that point, but as they reverted to the formulaic, the sense of fun in the film waned an so did my interest. But overall, a pleasant little picture from Disney.

"Some Enchanted Evening – reprise"

From General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Tribute to Rodgers & Hammerstein. The special featured lots of performers from the R&H hits, including Yul Brynner, Jan Clayton, John Raitt, Patricia Morison, Florence Henderson and Gordon MacRae. Hosted by Groucho Marx. This was at the height of their popularity – a sign of just how popular: this special aired on all four networks, CBS, NBC, ABC and the long forgotten DuMont network. And you didn’t have PBS in the ’50s to turn to, so your viewing options were limited. They’ve included excerpts on the recent 2-disc editions of Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The King and I and Carousel. Though it would be fascinating if VAI or Kultur could release the entire evening on DVD. Or perhaps PBS could jump on the wagon and show it.