The creator of "I Dream of Jeannie" and REDHEAD dies of pneumonia.

This is indeed sad -- and at the same time, incredibly motivating. What a great life he had -- and what a talent to be able to succeed on the big screen, the little screen, the stage and in paperback. I am a huge fan of "I Dream of Jeannie" and was thrilled to be able to watch it again on DVD.

The '60s, space travel, Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman, Bill Daily ... does it get any better than that? Yes, apparently is does -- making a musical out of it.

No writers yet, so hey guys -- I'm available!

According to this article in Playbill:

Sidney Sheldon, a prolific writer in many mediums who is best known for his many novels and for creating the television series "I Dream of Jeannie," but who flourished as a Broadway playwright and librettist in the 1940s and '50s, died Jan. 30, the New York Times reported. He was 89.

He died of complications from pneumonia at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, according to the paper.

Mr. Sheldon won an Emmy Award for creating the genie named Jeannie, with upswept blonde locks, fetching figure and hidden navel. The show ran from 1965 to 1970 and starred Barbara Eden. Before his television career, however, he was chiefly known for a half dozen comedies and musicals he scripted on Broadway, beginning in 1943 with a rewritten revival of Franz Lehar's operetta The Merry Widow.

The production ran for nearly a year. While it was still on the boards, Mr. Sheldon opened the musical comedy Jackpot, which had music by Vernon Duke and lyrics by Howard Dietz. He collaborated on the book with Guy Bolton and Ben Roberts. He collaborated again with Roberts (and future newspaper columnist Dorothy Killgallen!) on Dream With Music in 1944, a fantastical show which had settings in "Dinah's apartment, the Palace of Shariar, Bagdad, Sinbad's Garden and house, a magic carpet in the clouds, China, and Aladdin's Palace." Neither show was a hit.

After a short-lived play called Alice in Arms in early 1945, Mr. Sheldon took a break from Broadway. He wrote dozens of screenplays for Hollywood, including the 1947 Cary Grant-Myrna Loy comedy "The Bachelor and the Bobbysoxer," which won him an Oscar as screenwriter. Other screenplays included those for the movie musicals "Annie Get Your Gun," "The Barkleys of Broadway" and "Easter Parade" -- all done in collaboration.

When he returned to Broadway in 1959, he achieved his biggest stage success. For Redhead, a musical vehicle for Gwen Verdon and directed by Bob Fosse, Mr. Sheldon found himself with three co-librettists: Herbert Fields, Dorothy Fields and David Shaw. Critic Harold Clurman commented, "the complete absurdity of the show's plot has been turned to advantage. The more ridiculous the plot became the better I liked it." The show was a hit, running over a year, and won Tony Awards for Verdon, Fosse and Mr. Sheldon and his several co-writers.

In 1960, while Redhead was still running, he opened Roman Candle, the only Broadway project that he wrote completely by himself. If lasted a mere five performances and would be Mr. Sheldon's final Broadway credit.

His television star first rose with the creation of "The Patty Duke Show," in which the star played "identical cousins." It ran for seven years and Mr. Sheldon wrote every episode himself. "I Dream of Jeannie" followed. Both shows have had long lives in syndication.

Following the conclusion of "Jeannie," Mr. Sheldon tried writing books and again found success. His pulpy novels, such as "Master of the Game" and "If Tomorrow Comes," were huge bestsellers and popular with women readers.

He's wasn't complete through with theatre, however. In the last years of his life he was exploring the possibility of turning "I Dream of Jeannie" into a musical. Producer Scott Steindorff and Stone Village Productions were granted the rights to convert the sitcom. Mr. Sheldon was to be executive producer along with Michael Viner and Deborah Raffin. At last report, no composers, director or actors were attached to the project.

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I went to see the Irish Repertory Theatre's production of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS last week after a long hectic day in the studio, and boy it was just what the doctor ordered. I left smiling and singing "Clang, Clang, Clang went the trolley..."

I can see why it has received such great reviews -- it is an utterly charming show. There is a three-piece orchestra (in period costume) led by John Bell (in a very cute bowler hat!) on piano. I really love it when I get the chance to hear acoustic music. The theatre isn't huge (about 140 seats I believe) but it was packed and the acoustics were great.

The sets were minimal but with a little old-fashioned air balloon decoration here and there, and wonderful costumes, you really felt like you were back there. It is set from the Fall of 1903 to the Spring of 1904 and the opening of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The story is pretty simple, but it allows the chemistry of the cast, and the gorgeous songs to shine through. Girls get boys, Father threatens to move everyone to New York, and there is a happy ending.

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS has a book by Hugh Wheeler (based on The Kensington Stories by Sally Benson and the MGM motion picture Meet Me In St. Louis) and songs by Hugh martin and Ralph Blane. This production was directed by Charlotte Moore, with Musical Direction by John Bell and Choreography by Barry NcNabb.

Because the cast was so great, and because I was impressed that there were a whopping twelve of them in an off-Broadway show, I'm going to list them all here:

Katie: Becky Barta
Warren Sheffield: Doug Boes
Rose Smith: Merideth Kaye Clark
Lucille Ballard: Kerry Conte
John Truitt: Colin Donnell
Esther Smith: Bonnie Fraser
Mr. Alonzo Smith: John Hickok
Grandpa Prophater: George S. Irving
Mrs. Anna Smith: Sarah Pfisterer
Agnes: Danielle Piacentile
Tootie: Gabrielle Piacentile
Lon Smith: Ashley Robinson

The orchestra:

Piano: John Bell
Violin: Sue Maskaleris
Cello: Melanie Mason

Hey, who can frown when the cast is singing and dancing to "Skip to My Lou"? Not me!

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"Chicks who did kicks, aren't kicking anymore, they're doing CHOREOGRAPHY!"

I got an email for my very talented choreographer friend Stas who wanted to share the amazing news that he has been selected for DanceBreak!

Here's the info Stas sent to me:

The DanceBreak Foundation announced the six choreographers whose work will be showcased in February: Kelly Devine, Linda Goodrich, Stas' Kmiec', CJay Philip, Josh Prince and Paul Stancato.

The 2007 Selection Committee consisted of Broadway’s leading producers, directors, composers and choreographers including Kathleen Marshall, Jack O'Brien, Walter Bobbie, Rob Ashford, Kevin McCollum, Stephen Schwartz, Larry Fuller, , Beth Williams, Scott Schwartz, Stephen Flaherty, Andrew Lippa, Andrew Asnes, Hal Luftig, Adam Zotovich, Elizabeth Williams, Christopher Ashley, Robyn Goodman, Marge Champion, Donald Saddler, among others.

DANCEBREAK 2007 will be held at the New World Stages complex on 50th St, right off 8th Ave on February 12.

Now entering its sixth year, DanceBreak is a signature program of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SSDC). Each year, six “young” choreographers are chosen by a selection committee of Broadway luminaries and given the opportunity to strut their stuff in a series of showcase performances before an invited audience of industry leaders, Broadway producers and directors.

The mission of the DanceBreak Foundation is to identify and nurture talented early and mid-career musical theater choreographers, and offer them an exceptional platform to showcase their work for an audience of industry leaders who can be most beneficial in advancing their careers. DanceBreak provides all the financial, administrative and technical support necessary to develop new choreographic talent for this uniquely American art form.

About DanceBreak: As a direct result of the program’s exposure, several DanceBreak choreographers signed their first Broadway contract and have gone on to garner two Drama Desk nominations, one Outer Critics Circle nomination and a Tony Award nomination for DanceBreak 2003 choreographer Casey Nicholaw for his work on the Broadway smash hit, Spamalot!

For the DanceBreak presentations, each choreographer must create two dance numbers: one of his/her own choosing which may be performed with live musicians or recorded music; the other must be a traditional "musical theatre" piece set in its original theatrical context and performed with live music and singing. The combined length of both numbers must be no longer than eight minutes. Each choreographer may use no more than ten performers and has a maximum of twelve hours of rehearsal time.

The showcases are produced with minimal production elements (no sets or lights and nominal costumes and props) in order to keep the focus on the choreographers' work, not on the showcase's physical presentation.

Each performance runs approximately one hour and is immediately followed by a networking reception with influential artists in attendance. These receptions are an essential component of the program and are an invaluable tool for initiating relationships that lead to high-caliber professional collaborations.

Congratulations Stas!

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I ran across this cool Web site for find theatre space. What a great service -- I haven't used it yet but I'm sure I will!

From their Web site:

Welcome to New York City's free database of rehearsal and performance spaces for actors, playwrights, directors, producers and theatre companies. You'll find spaces to rent, from studios to large venues, for plays, performance art, literary readings, sketch comedy... whatever you need to rehearse or perform in NYC.

This NYC Theatre Spaces website is a free information source of available rehearsal and performance spaces in New York City for producers, directors, playwrights, actors and theatrical companies. We do not book the space for you; that's up to you!

We reach out as broadly as we can to find spaces suitable for theatre. Our database covers spaces in the five boroughs. Rehearsal spaces range from small (up to 600 square feet) to large (over 1,200 square feet). Performance spaces have audience capacities up to 2,700.

Our database includes dedicated spaces -- those that are regularly used for theatre rehearsal and/or performance. They are professionally managed and often provide equipment and resources. We also list many spaces that are not traditionally used for theatre -- in religious and educational institutions, community and cultural centers, museums and arts centers. These spaces may surprise you. They often provide a refreshingly creative environment. Some even provide ready-made new audiences.

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Well, I've done it. I've turned my kids into musical theatre geeks! Yep, my oldest is starring as Kelsie, the "Sawed-off Sondheim" in the sold-out production of City Youth Players HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, and she just finished a school project on Kander and Ebb, while my youngest falls asleep listening to [title of show] every night, and makes jokes about "je me souviens...THE HAPPY TIME..."

Case in point: We're watching The Bob Newhart Show on DVD (Season One, Disc 2 -- FYI -- the first episode on this disc has a disturbing change in decor at Bob and Emily's apartment, which then vanishes in the next episode) and they're enjoying it, I guess... (of course I'm laughing my face off).

Then comes the part when Howard is describing that the ditzy women he dates are usually "blond and a little Light in the Piazza". Well my kids thought that was hilarious!

Case in point: We're watching the Sonny and Cher Show Christmas Specials DVD and my husband and I are just loving it, and my kids are, well, wondering what planet we're from, until they announce their guest this show is Bernadette Peters. Let me tell you, their ears perked up and they watched intently from then on. Actually on that particular show they had a really cool theatre piece about a bunch of different lonely people on Christmas Eve at a hotel restaurant who are brought together by some sort of angel (played by none other than Captain Kangaroo...yes, the '70s was a decade unto itself). Bernadette Peters played the young actress trying to make it in New York who misses her family.

My work here is done.

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You can't fake your way to a Golden Globe! (I was going to say "Oh What A Night" but then I remembered my New Year's Resolution!)

Yes, DREAMGIRLS is the real deal (see my previous post)! I’m so glad it won at the Golden Globes for best movie, best supporting actress (Jennifer Hudson) and best supporting actor (Eddie Murphy). Of course I would have liked to have seen Beyonce Knowles and Anika Noni Rose win something too. The more I listen to the sountrack the more I really enjoy Eddie Murphy's numbers! The Oscars should be very exciting!

From this article in People:

DREAMGIRLS WINS BIG AT THE GOLDEN GLOBES
It was a dream-making night for onetime American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson, who kicked off the Golden Globes with a win for her role in Dreamgirls.

"I had always dreamed, but I never ever dreamed this big," Hudson said as she accepted her best supporting actress trophy. "This goes far beyond anything I could have ever imagined."

It turned into a big night for the film, which took the best movie (musical or comedy) category and best supporting actor trophy for Eddie Murphy. "Wow," he said. "I'll be damned."

Can JERSEY BOYS, the movie musical be far behind?

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I am waiting patiently for news on the next steps for [tos] -- when is it going to Broadway? When can I buy the sheet music at Colony? So to keep myself sufficiently "tossed" I read their blog on their website.

There's always something interesting, if not down right hilarious on it (check out the January 19 entry, worth the 9-minute investment!)

Now there is a [title of show] quiz! Yes, you can test your knowledge and overall "title of showness" by taking their quiz. Just go to the blog and scroll down to January 6 entry and then click!

Okay, I admit I figured I was going to sail right through this. After all I saw [tos] at NYMF, ARS NOVA, and twice at the Vineyard Theatre, and have listened to the CD about a million times! But No! I scored 41% I'm so ashamed. I should have studied harder. Then again, how the heck should I know which of the four doesn't have an older brother? Or which state they each grew up in?

I'm so bummed, I'm going to go eat a Rice Krispie Treat.

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My husband bought me Dance With Me: The Best of Orleans for Christmas and I've been happily humming along to it ever since. As I mentioned in a previous post, John Hall of Orleans is now a Democratic Congressman who got great election exposure on The Colbert Report. There are great liner notes on this CD and lots of pictures of the guys in the band then (1975) and now (1997). Even with the beards they kinda always looked like a friendly bunch of guys.

What I didn't know was that many of their hits were co-written by John Hall and his wife Johanna. From the liner notes:

The most significant event in Hall's life during the late '60s was meeting future wife Johanna who was then working as a journalist. Their romantic relationship blossomed into a songwriting partnership. The catalyst was Janis Joplin, who became a friend of the couple's after Johanna wrote a sympathetic article about her in the Village Voice. Janis suggested that Johanna try writing lyrics to John's tunes, then recorded their first effort together, "Half Moon," on her posthumously released album Pearl. Johanna brought a deft, literate touch to her lyric-writing and she and John continued their collaboration."

The John/Johanna co-writes on this CD include " Half Moon", "Fresh Wind", "Dance With Me", "Time Passes On", "Cold Spell", "Give One Heart", "Reach", "What I Need", "If I Don't Have You", "Waking and Dreaming", "Sails", "Still The One", and "Golden State".

I also didn't know that in the '60s John Hall composed for "a well-received Broadway theater trilogy, MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT."

Finally, a politician who has the right to use "Still The One" for his campaign!

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My friend John Bell (he was the fabulous Associate Musical Director of PLANE CRAZY at 2005 NYMF!) is music directing the musical MEET ME IN ST.LOUIS Off-Broadway at the Irish Repertory Theater.

I've never seen the stage production, but I am very familiar with the Judy Garland movie. Growing up, every time I rode a TTC bus, I imagined myself belting out "The Trolley Song" about my latest crush! And there seemed to be a lot of clips from the movie in THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT.

And of course we can't forget the brief clip that is shone in one of my favorite Christmas chick flicks THE FAMILY STONE. I think I'll go and see it when I'm in New York -- I could use a little turn of the (last) century World's Fair right about now.

The New York Times gave it a great review, and made a special mention of John and the band! Congrats John!

Having a Merry Little Christmas and Pining for the Boy Next Door

There are four terrific songs in "Meet Me in St. Louis," and Esther (played by Judy Garland in the 1944 movie) gets three of them: "The Boy Next Door," "The Trolley Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

Even without those numbers, though, Bonnie Fraser, who plays Esther in the Irish Repertory Theater's likable new production, would be a standout. Ms. Fraser's voice isn’t that strong (she seems to save up breath for each song's final notes), but it’s pretty and so is she. Looking like a more delicate Ann Blyth, she would have fit right into 1950s Hollywood.

Ms. Fraser is matched in looks and appeal by the boyishly gorgeous Colin Donnell as the next-door neighbor John Truitt. Their entrancing stage chemistry is the show's greatest asset, although the entire cast is appealing.

Charlotte Moore, who directed, sometimes mounts musicals too big for the Irish Rep's tiny stage, and this is one. The title number (terrific song No. 4) is beautifully performed, but at one point during it there are 11 cast members onstage.

This is a charming portrait of upper-middle-class American family life at the turn of the last century, when the World's Fair was coming to St. Louis, complete with outdoor electric lights. Rose (Merideth Kaye Clark) loves wealthy Warren (Doug Boes). Esther loves John. Little Agnes and Tootie (played by real-life sisters, Danielle and Gabrielle Piacentile), are playing Halloween tricks. Lon (Ashley Robinson), the only brother, is off to Princeton.

It's pleasant to visit an idealized world in which a family's biggest problem might be whether to have dinner at 5:30 or 6:30 and a vicious dirty trick would be to put some unattractive boys' names on another girl's dance card.

The three-person orchestra (including the show's musical director, John Bell) does an exceptional job. Tracy Christensen's period costumes are lovely, especially the women's evening dresses in rich jewel colors. The three-foot-tall Christmas tree on Tony Straiges's set seems out of proportion for such a big family, but maybe the whole show could have been similarly downsized.

"Meet Me in St. Louis" continues through Jan. 28 at the Irish Repertory Theater, 132 West 22nd Street; (212) 727-2737, irishrep.org.

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Meryl Streep as Donna. Wow. I did not see that coming!

Don't get me wrong. I love Meryl Streep! And I'm sure she can carry off the depth of acting required in the role. But can she sing "The Winner Takes it All?" Maybe she can! Tom Hanks is executive producing this movie and I loved everything about THAT THING YOU DO, so I'm going to trust him on this.

Movie musical casting! Here we go again!

According to this article in Playbill:

Academy Award winner Meryl Streep will head the cast of the film of Mamma Mia!, which will be produced by Universal in partnership with Playtone and Littlestar.

Variety reports that Streep will play the role of single mother Donna Sheridan, the part created on Broadway by Louise Pitre. Producers include Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman; executive producers are Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson as well as ABBA songwriters Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus.

Producer Craymer told the industry paper, "[Meryl Streep] was always at the top of our wish list, and she encapsulates the spirit and energy and has the powerhouse qualities that character requires."

Although Streep has previously sung in the films "Postcards From the Edge" and "A Prairie Home Companion," "Mamma Mia!" would be her first movie musical.

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I was sent a copy of Daphne Rubin-Vega's latest CD, "Redemption Songs" by Natalie Duckoff of Music Marketing.

Daphne Rubin-Vega is well known for her Tony-nominated role as Mimi in RENT on Broadway (come on, who hasn't howled, "I Wanna Go Out Tonight" in the shower?) and as Magenta in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW. Currently she is playing Fantine in the current Broadway revival of LES MIZ and will be leaving the show on February 18 to star in JACK GOES BOATING (Lea Salonga will take over Fantine March 6).

According to her Web site, "Redemption Songs" is a collection of "pop, reggae-tinged, rock and Latin folk songs that are soulful, honest and passionate".

Soulful, honest and passionate is also a really a great way to describe Daphne's voice as well. I always found her tracks on the RENT CD the most haunting. "Redemption Songs" is a very listenable CD, and I could totally imagine one of the tracks ending up on an episode of Grey's Anatomy! And there is a cutie pic of Daphne as a baby on the back of the CD insert (I'm assuming it's her!).

Of course, I have to admit my favorite track on this CD is "The Rainbow Connection", the classic penned by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher that Kermit made famous.

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I'm a little bit country, I’m a little bit rock and roll...and I'm a little bit nostalgic!

Where did the 1970s go? Were they ever really here? My wonderful hubbie bought me Volume 1 of The Best of Donny and Marie on DVD. From the DVD copy:

Just imagine...Donny was only 18 years old and Marie was only 16 when their weekly variety show, DONNY & MARIE first went on the air in 1976. Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as being among the youngest prime time television hosts ever, this brother and sister team were an undeniably genuine phenomenon of the '70s. For this DVD collection, Donny has gone back into the vaults to handpick his favorite moments and memories from this five-time EMMY nominated show that ran for four seasons on ABC.

Somehow it made complete sense to me when I saw that the early years of DONNY & MARIE were produced by Sid and Marty Krofft -- yes, the dudes who brought us H.R. PufnStuf!

What I didn't know is that Sid and Marty were from Montreal! Those shows had a larger than real life PufnStufesqueness to them.

I loved the Ice Vanities at the beginning of every show. And come on, Donny and Marie could do just about anything -- skate, sing, dance, do pratfalls, play every instrument on stage.

I loved the top of the show when Marie faces forward and sings and then Donny faces forward and sings. The guest stars, the goofy skits, the wonderfully outrageous costumes and platform shoes.

I was thirteen when the show started, so it made a big impression on me, and I watched it all the time. The perfect escape from reality! My favorite was "I'm a Little Bit Country, I'm a Little Bit Rock n Roll". And the sign-off song still plays in my head:

May tomorrow be a perfect day,
May you find love and laughter along the way,
May God keep you in his tender care,
'til He brings us together again

Oil crisis? What oil crisis? Inflation? What inflation?

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Sardi's -- A Theatre Legend...

Sardi's has always been a must stop for me when I'm in New York. At first I would go for dessert and coffee (cheesecake of course!) after a show. But I would always see people eating dinner at 10:30pm and it looked like fun, so recently I've taken to dining after the show as well. I love their special appetizer plate and their garlic shrimp.

Needless to say, I was saddened by this news. The story of the restaurant is such a great piece of theatre history. I'd absolutely love to see the TV show "Dinner at Sardi's".

According to this article in Playbill:

Vincent Sardi Jr., whose very surname is as potent a piece of theatre vocabulary as there is -- given that it adorns the most famous Broadway restaurant in history -- died Jan. 4, The New York Times reported. He was 91.

Mr. Sardi died at a hospital in Berlin, Vermont. The cause was complications of a urinary-tract infection. He had retired from running his eponymous eatery in 1997 and lived in Warren, VT.

In its heyday, Sardi's was the watering hole for all of Broadway. Stars grandly entered the dining room after opening-night performances to be greeted by an ovation. (The first such was granted to Shirley Booth after she opened in Come Back, Little Sheba.) Producers wheeled and dealed in corners. Broadway columnists held court. Newspapers with reviews of that night's show were delivered to the door at midnight. For many years, the Tony Award nominations were announced there. And tourists and theatregoers rubbernecked at the stray remaining tables to see what famous faces were to be seen.

Its interior is well known to any theatre professional or theatre lover. The walls are lined with countless framed caricatures of Broadway greats past and present. (The overflow hang on the walls of the second and third floors). Red banquets frame the dining room, surrounding round tables trimmed with bentwood chairs.

Although there are now other theatre meccas -- including Joe Allen's, Orso and Angus McIndoe's -- the Sardi's name still looms larger than any other theatre-district restaurant in the country's theatrical imagination, and it remains a popular destination with tourists from all countries.

Vincent Sardi, Jr., was born July 23, 1915, in Manhattan. In 1921 his father took over the restaurant in the basement of a brownstone at 246 W. 44th Street, the Times reported. He named it the Little Restaurant. The theatre people who patronized it called it Sardi's. The building was knocked down in 1927 and replaced by the St. James Theatre. After that, the family moved the business to 234 W. 44th Street, and there it remained. Mr. Sardi joined the business as dining-room caption in 1939. When his father retired in 1947, he took over the restaurant.

Columnists such as Walter Winchell and Ward Morehouse made the address famous by mentioning it in their columns. Columnist Leonard Lyons actually made it his second home, stationing himself at the same table night after night. His photograph still hangs in the restaurant bar.

Mr. Sardi was always charitable in his treatment of actors. He often ran them lines of credit, and actors working in Broadway shows know to ask for a special menu on which the prices of entrees are reduced.

The restaurant has been featured in numerous films, including "But Not For Me," "Please Don't Eat the Daisies," "No Way to Treat a Lady," "The Fan" and "The Kind of Comedy." And, for many years, Playbill magazine has hosted their Spelvin luncheons there, in which they honor cast members of a current Broadway show.

Not all of Mr. Sardi's ventures over the years succeeded. A branch eatery called Sardi's East on E. 54th Street never caught on and closed in 1968 after a decade. And a television show called "Dinner at Sardi's," in which dining stars were interviewed, was not popular.

In September 1985, after a spell of poor business, Mr. Sardi sold the restaurant to two producers from Detroit, Ivan Bloch and Harvey Klaris, and the restaurateur Stuart Lichtenstein. Mr. Sardi planned to retire. But when the owners declared bankruptcy and closed the place in 1990, he bought the place back and reopened in 1991 after a renovation and with an improved menu. Over time his partner, Max Klimavicius, assumed most operations.

The famous caricatures were the idea of Sardi Sr. He remembered the movie-star caricatures that decorated the walls of Joe Zelli’s, a Parisian restaurant and jazz club. He hired a Russian refugee named Alex Gard, who was brought in by press agent Irving Hoffman, to render the drawings. His pay: one free meal a day. In 1947, Vincent Sardi, Jr., attempted to grant Gard more favorable terms, but the artist refused; Gard continued to be paid in free food until the day he died in 1948.

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During my brief, pre-Christmas trip to New York I was lucky enough to see the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of THE APPLE TREE starring Kristin Chenoweth, Brain D'Arcy James, and Marc Kudisch at Studio 54. I love Studio 54 (the last thing I saw there was CABARET) because I can sit there and imagine all the glitzy debauchery that took place during the disco years. Of course things have been cleaned up quite a bit, and I was sitting in the section of comfy new seats down on the dance floor (where the tables and chairs had been for CABARET).

The original 1966 production was directed by Mike Nichols and starred Barbara Harris. I've seen her version of "Oh, to Be a Movie Star" on those old Tony award collections and I have the original Broadway cast recording, so I was excited to see the whole show. I had a great seat (thanks Susan!) and the place was packed.

What a delightful, wonderful evening of musical theatre. The performances were extraordinary, but so was the writing. The show is comprised of three separate parts; three separate self-contained stories. Part I is called "The Diary of Adam and Eve", based on "The Diary of Adam and Eve" by Mark Twain. I loved this one. I've seen a lot of Adam and Eve pieces and they are usually weighted down by cliche. The writing was so tight and funny that the usual "Eve is smarter than Adam" stuff seemed really fresh. The story is touching as well, and it's the move out of the Garden of Eden that gives their relationship substance and worth. Of course Kristin Chenoweth is brilliant -- funny, eminently watchable and those pipes are amazing. Brain d'Arcy James as Adam (I saw him perform at NAMT, and my hubbie said he was outstanding when he played Freddy in DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS) was fantastic too. There was great chemistry between the two. And Marc Kudisch was uncannily snakish in his movements as, you guessed it, the snake! Oh, and although not credited in the Playbill, I could have sworn the voice of God was Alan Alda, who also appeared in the original 1966 production.

Part 2, "The Lady or The Tiger?", is based on "The Lady or the Tiger?" by Frank R. Stockton. This part posed the question -- would a woman let the man she loved be mauled to death by a tiger, or would she see him wed another woman (if those were the only two choices of course!). The sets and colors of this part were beautiful and the small, but powerful, ensemble showed up to dance and sing. Again, the writing was just great. I know it was over 40 years old but it felt really fresh. Kristin Chenoweth played Princess Barbara and Brian d'Arcy James played Captain Sanjar, with Marc Kudisch as the Balladeer. Loved it!

Part 3 was "Passionella, A Romance of the '60s", based on "Passionella" by Jules Feiffer. Kristin Chenoweth played Ella a sooty, plain chimney sweep who gets her wish to become a movie star, Passionella. Brian d'Arcy James plaed Flip, The Prince Charming with a very funny hair flip and British accent. Marc Kudisch played the Narrator. Loved it!

I would love to see this show again!

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Uncork the Champagne, it's time to celebrate!

Yes, folks, Blogway Baby is two-years old! And yes, out of diapers as well!

It's hard to believe, but I've been doing this for two years (actually I couldn't have done it at all without the help of John Henson and Grad Conn). Sometimes it has been hard keeping it going, but it is so wonderful to look back at everything I've done and written about, and to have it as a permanent record!

Special thanks to Hugh Jackman, THE JERSEY BOYS, the casts of PLANE CRAZY and THE TALE OF PIGLING BLAND and NAKED IN AMERICA -- THE MUSICAL, without whom I would have had nothing to write about!

And most of all, thanks to all you Blogway Baby readers out there!

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NYMF product placement!

My hubbie and I finally rented the movie, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, a couple of nights ago. The movie, which we happily enjoyed very much, takes place in New York City.

During one of the panning shots of Times Square my eagle eyes spotted a NYMF 2005 poster! That was the September PLANE CRAZY was playing at The Beckett Theatre on 42nd Street! Maybe we were there doing the show while Uma Thurman was flying above us!

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Oh What a Night! (damn, there goes my New Years Resolution...oh well -- there's always next year).

When I found out that the JERSEY BOYS (John Lloyd Young, J. Robert Spencer, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard) were going to appear on Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve I was very excited. And then bummed. That's because for the last 19 long years Buffalo's First Night Celebration has been cutting in the ABC national feed to Toronto, and replacing it with downtown Buffalo's New Year's coverage (which always contains a healthy reporting of holiday stabbings and shootings interspersed with the festivities) so I haven't been able to watch the show since Dick Clark had sideburns!

Luckily my fabulous husband called our cable supplier and got us hooked up to channel 155 KOMO, the ABC feed in Seattle! So we programmed the old PVR for 1:00 AM and hoped for the best!

It worked like a charm! This morning I was able to watch the complete ABC telecast and saw the JERSEY BOYS totally rock Times Square with "Beggin'", "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and of course, "December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)". They were totally awesome, with John Lloyd Young was in especially fine voice for "Can't Take My Eyes Off You".

Hey JERSEY BOYS, Toronto loves you!

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