Listening Pleasure!

There's good news for listening pleasure today! The song cycle "Alphabet City Cycle" by composer Georgia Stitt and lyricist Marcy Heisler is digitally released today by PS Classics on iTunes. "Alphabet City Cycle", based on a series of related poems by Marcy Heisler, features Kate Baldwin accompanied by Georgia Stitt on piano and Victoria Paterson on violin.


Other good news is that Christine Ebersole is recording the Noël Coward songs heard during the scene changes of Blithe Spirit. "Christine Ebersole Sings Noël Coward" will be fast-tracked so it can be sold in the lobby of the Shubert Theatre, where Blithe Spirit plays until at least July. If you've been to Blithe Spirit, you know these tunes are merely the icing on the cake of this delightful production. The only thing that would make this news better is if Christine would throw in a tune or two from High Spirits, the musical version of Blithe Spirit.

Tonight: Irena's Vow on Broadway

Peter Grimes at the WNO last Saturday

I haven't had a chance to tell you about Peter Grimes at the Washington National Opera last Saturday! Sally and I traveled down via the reliable and oh so cheap MegaBus. We were hosted by the gracious and always energetic Wanda (Pimento cheese sandwiches! Maker's Mark!).

I loved Peter Grimes last year at the Met. I love the haunting music and story. It's very theatrical and would read well as a dramatic play. It's about a fisherman named Peter Grimes who is sort of an outcast. He's under suspicion regarding the death of his apprentice. When a second apprentice dies, the fishing village are quick to judge him, although whether or not he's guilty is ambiguous.

Patricia Racette also played the character Ellen Orford in the Met's production and the draw to see her again was great. Ellen is a widowed school teacher who attempts to help Peter and his second apprentice. Peter would like to marry her, but its unclear if she is attracted to him as the man or just wants to help him because she sees the need and is against the unjustified conclusions of the villagers. It's a tragic and dark story, full of emotion.

This production was set sometime early 20th century, about the time that Benjamin Britten wrote it. The set was interesting and moved to create a very tight space, evoking a feeling of narrow-mindedness of the village. The music is absolutely gorgeous, and at times made me feel like I was listening to the sea.

Christopher Ventris as Peter Grimes was stunning. He played Peter very angrily. His voice is very commanding. I never thought of him as a poor soul, but definitely as a bitter one. Patricia was wonderful, of course. I recently heard her described as the Cherry Jones or Meryl Streep of opera. That description is not far off the mark. Opera is big by nature, but Pat's acting makes it feel like an intimate experience.

The trip down was well worth it, plus we had the opportunity to hook up with other good friends and celebrate dear Cordellia's birthday. We were also there just on the cusp of the cherry blossoms.

Finian's Rainbow at City Center Encores!

We went to the dress rehearsal of Finian's Rainbow last night. It's an old fashioned show with modern sensibilities about love, dreams and racism.

The Burton Lane music and Yip Harburg lyrics range from gorgeous to catchy, including the classic Old Devil Moon, rendered perfectly by Cheyenne Jackson and Kate Baldwin. What a gorgeous duo! Swoon! Kate sparkled as the lovely Irish lass Sharon. Hearing her sing How Are Things in Glocca Mora was heavenly. She looks like a star from the 1940s, when Finian's Rainbow was first produced.

Jeremy Bobb as the Og, the Leprechaun and Jim Norton as Finian were great comedy fodder. Terri White, who unfortunately isn't given top billing, practically stole the show with Necessity. Ruben Santiago-Hudson along with Bernard Dotson, Joe Aaron Reid, and Devin Richards pull off a great black minstral quartet with The Begat.

Overall, thanks to the cast and some of those gorgeous songs, it's a very satisifying Encores production, despite some boring choreography and costumes. It opens tonight and runs through Sunday night.

Quote of the Day

Tom: [Mame] was your first big real, that probably, the first of your several Broadway roles, because I don’t want to say the most, I think because your Mrs. Lovett is certainly up there in the pantheon as well, but your role of Mame one of the most outstanding in Broadway history and for you to live through that, wow.

Angela: Well, it was the introduction, shall we say, of me to the Broadway musical theatre BIG TIME. You know, I’d done Anyone Can Whistle with Stephen Sondheim and that was just scratching the surface of what I was going to hopefully do in future years and then I got to do it in Mame. So that was the culmination of a big dream really on my part to, you know, make it big in musical theatre. I wanted to sing. I wanted to move. I wanted to dance. And I got that opportunity and then I took it away and did it in various other ways with Dear World and of course, Gypsy. Gypsy was a breakthrough moment for me. Oh my God, yes. And to be able to bring that about. And I look back on it and at the time I didn’t even realize half the time what I was doing. Now I look back and think, ‘Gee, you did that, wow! Did you really do that?' You know? I don’t know how I did it truthfully.

Tom: You mean dramatically?

Angela: Dramatically, choices, choices I made as Mama Rose. I just saw some little clips the other day, they were kind of taken by some people, I think in the audience, some people in the wings, but I saw some tiny little bits of me playing Mama Rose, and I was so interested to see myself. It was so physical. I hadn’t realized how physical I was in the role. And that’s something you don’t until you just happen upon it, you have no way of knowing until you see yourself on film and nobody shot it, you know, legally. Illegally yes, but not legally.

Tom: Do you agree with the choices you made then dramatically?

Angela: Well, the little pieces I saw, yes, I did. I thought, yes, that was good. I now know what the core is to good musical theatre: it’s all about energy. And that’s something I’m finding out. But that’s true in any form of theatre, whether it’s drama, whether it’s comedy, whether it’s music, it’s energy.

Angela Lansbury to Tom O’Neal, for the Gold Derby, February 17, 2009

It's a done deal: Chapter 7 Liquidation for Baltimore Opera

Last week we learned that the Board of Trustees of the Baltimore Opera Company voted to convert their reorganization to a chapter 7 liquidation.

Indeed, on March 18th, United States Bankrutpcy Judge Nancy Alquist entered an order converting the case to a liquidation. Brian A. Goldman was appointed as the Chapter 7 Trustee. A Meeting of the Creditors will be held on April 27, 2009 at 12:00 PM at 341 meeting room #2650 at 101 W. Lombard St. in Baltimore.

On March 23rd, the Chapter 7 Trustee filed a notice that there are assets. Proofs of claim are due by June 22, 2009. The case number remains 08−26265. A free proof of claim form can be downloaded from www.uscourts.gov.

I'm not offering legal advice, but if I were sending my own claim in for filing, I'd send it to the United States Bankruptcy Clerk, Baltimore Division, Garmatz Federal Courthouse, 101 West Lombard Street, Suite 8530, Baltimore, MD 21201. I would include an extra copy and a self-address pre-paid envelope so the clerk could send me back a filed-stamped copy for my records.

DiVaR Alert: Angela Lansbury on The View 3/26

Angie will be on The View this Thursday, March 26th!

Still beckoned to Wall to Wall Sondheim

On March 19, 2005, Noah, our friend Vicki and I got up early for Wall to Wall Sondheim at Symphony Space. The day would celebrate Sondheim's 75th birthday with twelve hours of music and discussion of his career. We had the forethought to become members of Symphony Space, so we were able to get in and stay in, unlike the hundreds of fans who could only listen outside on the sidewalk.

It's the day that my life of loving musical theatre really changed. Before then, I knew who Sondheim was. I knew some of Sondheim's music. But I didn't KNOW Sondheim. It was twelve hours of Broadway entertainers adoringly performing some of the most brilliant music ever composed, interspersed with discussion of the work by critics, scholars, and people who had worked on the productions. The Master himself was there and took part in some of the talks. We were glued to our seats the entire day and every beautiful moment is committed to my memory. Almost every moment was blockbuster and there were times when I thought my heart would stop from excitement. It became a Love-In of fans and performers alike and nobody wanted to leave. It was the first time I saw Angela Lansbury, Patti LuPone, Elaine Stritch, Barbara Cook and many others perform live. Every time I see a performer now or hear a Sondheim song, I am beckoned back to that glorious day.

Today, Stephen Sondheim is 79. So Happy Birthday, Mr. Sondheim. Thank you for those twelve hours plus all of the countless hours of joy I have spent with your music since that day.

Symphony Space has posted highlights from the twelve hours:

Click HERE to enjoy Part 1

Click HERE to enjoy Part 2

A very limited and somewhat disappointing but completely necessary live album from the day is available at the NPR Shop.

Tonight: Peter Grimes at the Washington National Opera

Tonight: Britten's Peter Grimes at the Washington National Opera
Peter Grimes Christopher Ventris
Ellen Orford Patricia Racette
Captain Balstrode Alan Held
Auntie Ann McMahon Quintero
Swallow Daniel Okulitch
1st Niece Micaëla Oeste
2nd Niece Emily Albrink
Bob Boles David Cangelosi
Mrs. Sedley Myrna Paris
Rev. Horace Adams Robert Baker
Ned Keene Keith Phares
Conductor Ilan Volkov
Director Paul Curran

Happy Birthday Ferris!

7 years ago today, I was sitting in my office in San Antonio feeling sorry for myself. I had already been to New York City and knew that I wanted to live there but nothing was happening with the transfer request I made in December. I had NPR's All Things Considered playing as usual when the announcer said, "Ferris Bueller turns 40 today." I was shocked. That meant that I would be 40 soon! Oh my goodness - FORTY! Well, in 7 years I would be and there I was just sitting there when that dream was out there just waiting to come true. That night, I stayed late to borrow the work computer and update my resume. I posted it to Monster.com and within days I had calls from New York City lawfirms. The rest is history. So thank you Ferris (aka Matthew Broderick) for turning 40 in 2002 and I hope you have a wonderful 47th birthday today.

West Side Story revisited in Vanity Fair

At VanityFair.com, photographer Mark Seliger re-creates scenes from the 1961 film version of West Side Story with the help of Jennifer Lopez, Camilla Belle, Rodrigo Santoro, Brandon T. Jackson, Jay Hernandez, Chris Evans, Cam Gigandet, Drake Bell, Robert Pattinson, Ashley Tisdale, Minka Kelly, Natalie Martinez, Melonie Diaz, Sean Faris, Shane Lynch, Trilby Glover, and Brittany Snow. Additionally, James Wolcott gives a short look and review of the current revival playing at the Palace in Broadway Goes West.

Pack your razors: Roadtrip for Sweeney at the Signature 2010

My favorite regional theatre, Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, is celebrating its 20th anniversary season by presenting Sweeney Todd in February 2010!!!!

Rusalka at the Met

Once again I was the beneficiary of line work as Sally and Chelsea rushed Rusalka at the Met yesterday. I'm so glad we went again. It's such a magical experience! It's always a pleasure to hear and see La Diva Renée and I'll take any opportunity I can to hear the great Stephanie Blythe.

Il Trovatore at the Met

Chelsea rushed an orchestra seat for me to see Il Trovatore at the Met again last night. This opera is officially in my Top Three Favorite now. Dolora Zajick already left the cast last week and Luciana D'Intino replaced her. She's as fierce as Dolora. Marcelo Alvarez was sick, so Phillip Webb was in for him. I love his lower range. Dmitri Hvorostovsky was his usual Rock Star hot. It was Sondra Radvanovsky's last night and wow, she was AMAZING. We sat near La Diva Renée and said hello during the intermission. It sounds as if she was loving it as much as me.

An Opening Night

We attended Opening Night of Blithe Spirit last night! I've been to a handful of opening nights by now, and this one was by far the best. With men in black tie, and many of the women in evening gowns, there were celebrities galore to behold. It felt like we were traveling to a time when glamour was an everyday thing.

As we are accustomed, Kevin, Roxie, Sally and I gathered at Angus McIndoe's for pre-show toasts and merriment. This time we welcomed new First Nighters Chelsea and Denise to the club. Angus' was hopping and was full of other First Nighters doing it up right, including Cheyenne Jackson looking better than ever, Rachel Dratch, John Glover and Nathan Lane.

We arrived at the Shubert to find it buzzing with excitement! Tammy Grimes, Elvira in the musical version of Blithe Spirit, High Spirits, was being interviewed, while others shuffled in on the red carpet. We went in slowly and climbed to the heights of the Shubert to the balcony. I must say, I was very pleased with my right side of the house seat. Curtain rose a little late, as expected because you can hardly get that many many actors and theatre business people to their seats on time - it would be easier herding cats.

Upon entrance, each actor was greeted with great glee and applause, especially Angela Lansbury. I'm sure Kevin timed the ovation. Every laugh was loud and genuine. Angela completely stole the show, which is why Ben Brantley wrote this love letter of a review for her in the New York Times.

The intermission was great fun for Roxie, Kevin and I as we descended into the sea of glitter to count celebrities. Oh we saw so many theatre greats! I took notes: Marian Seldes, Richard Thomas, Mary Ann Mabry, Tovah Feldshuh, Tammy Grimes, Isabel Keating, Judith Light, Bob Cuccioli, Laila Robins, Colleen Zenk Pinter, Roger Rees, Raul Esparza, Harvey Evans, Donna Murphy, Edward Hibberd, Edgar Lansbury, David Hyde Peirce, Rick McKay, Mary Beth Piel, Jamie deRoy and Robert Callely.

After a terrific curtain call, we took our time leaving the Shubert. The opening night party was across the street at Sardi's. We just stood in awe. Eventually, we saw the cast members coming across with their various dates and family members - some came via Shubert Alley, some cut throught the Broadhurst. All looked gorgeous (although I think Christine Ebersole might need a little visit with William Sledd). Angela looked like a Queen on a royal outing.

Sally and Denise had to depart early. It's too bad because we could have used them for our mini-renactment of Blithe Spirit, which we performed to rave reviews. We cheered for those coming and going. I called out to Donna Murphy, who looked ultra regal, "Donna Murphy, when are you returning to Broadway?" I ask her that everytime. She just says, "Oh Eileen." And when we applauded, Elizabeth Ashley, she yelled back at us, "I'm not in the play!"

Oh what a night. I don't think I'll ever forget it and I plan to time travel to it as often as possible!

Curtains down for Baltimore Opera Company

Sadly, "you know who" sang for the Baltimore Opera after 58 years. I've been following the bankruptcy of the Baltimore Opera since they filed on December 9th. Just last week, I checked to see if they had filed a plan of reorganization. When I saw that it was still delayed, I feared the worst. While a chapter 11 is never the best option, it gives a debtor a chance to start over. Yesterday, I learned from my reader Charles Myers it's all over for the Baltimore Opera, as chapter 7 is on the horizon.

While papers haven't been filed yet with the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland, the Board of Trustees of the Baltimore Opera Company has voted to convert their bankruptcy reorganization to a chapter 7 liquidation, as reported on Friday by Tim Smith of the Baltimore Sun. Once the Court approves the conversion, a chapter 7 trustee will be appointed to liquidate the estate. There's always a chance that new parties could move in and purchase the entire company for a new start, but unfortunately this is probably only a dream.

A new bar date will be established by which creditors must prove that they have a claim against the company. Knowing what I know, I wouldn't hold my breath on getting my claim paid anytime soon. Once the appointed chapter 7 trustee determines if there are assets and can liquidate them, the process is long and drawn out. Chapter 7 creditors often receive very little return, usually only a fraction of a pro rata distribution. Depending on the size of the estate, it could take years, i.e. I'm currently working on the final distribution to creditors of a debtor that filed in 1998.

I'll check back in with an update after the chapter 7 trustee has been appointed, in case I can be helpful to any of you dear readers who may have a claim. In the meantime, if you have questions, you can contact the Office of the Baltimore, Maryland office of the U.S. Trustee at (410) 962-4300.

Tonight: Opening Night of Blithe Spirit!

Heroes

On Friday night, I caught the Keen Company's new production of Heroes at the Clurman at Theatre Row. The 90 minute one act play was written by Gerald Sibleyras and translated by Tom Stoppard. It's an intimate comedy about three old veterans of World War I, living out their days at a refuge. Fighting boredom and ailments, they begin to dream of breaking out for one last valiant operation. The operation is impossible and while they each realize it, only one voices apprehension. Eventually he plays along too because he sees the value in the dream. In the end, the plan of the operation is enough. It was light, at times baudy, entertainment and I loved seeing the three old men on stage.

John Cullum, Jonathan Hogan, and Ron Holgate play the old vets. Virilent Ron Holgate stole the show. It was fun seeing John Cullum knowing that he is concurrently playing in the first scene of August: Osage County on Broadway. The Clurman is on 42nd street, so he has plenty of time to leave The Music Box on 44th and get to his place for the 8:30 curtain of Heroes.

The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd

On Wednesday night, Noah and I saw D.H. Lawrence's first published play, The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd, at the Mint Theatre. Boiled down, it's about a young woman, played by Julia Coffee, unhappily married to a hard drinking coal miner, played by Eric Martin Brown, around the turn of the century. It's a sad, hopeless story, but provocately asks the question, "Do you really mean what you wish for?" It seems that she has married beneath her, but is tied to the responsibility and the children. The first act is filled with terrifying verbal abuse by the drunken husband and a mixture of despair and disgust from the wife. She has a male friend, played by Nick Cordeileone, who spends enough time with her that people are beginning to talk. It's seems obvious that the male friend longs to be with her and when he offers her a way out, she realizes that she wants him too. In her need for freedom from the marriage, she voices her wish that the husband would be dead.

The director Stuart Howard has a very gentle and precise hand with this piece. The sexual tension between the wife and the friend is very subtle and each action and touch is almost erotic in it's lightness and smallness. After the climax of the first act, tragedy strikes with the death of the husband. Although it is an accident, the wife believes her wish to be murder. She accepts the responsiblity of preparing his body for buriel and commences cleaning him. During the process, even though he is dead, she confronts him and comes to term with their relationship. It is at once tender and unbearably painful that her hatred toward him seems to fade away as the lights finally fade. Julia Coffey's powerful performance as the wife, Mrs. Holroyd, is one of the best I've seen.

The Mint Theatre is a beautiful little blackbox on West 43rd, between 8th & 9th Avenues. It's on the 3rd floor of the unassuming office building at 311 West 43rd. I was there a couple of years ago for some other play. Marion Williams' simple set design for this production seemed to transform the entire space. A wonderful extra touch to the spare set was a trough filled with coal surrounding the stage. The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd has been extended through April 5th. Discounts are available at www.broadwaybox.com.

A new place to be wary of concoctions

We've discovered a new place to have marathon opera, etc. talks. It starts at the lobby bar of the Empire Hotel and continues at their roof top bar. But go early before the young and oh so trendy get in a very long line for the techno trash. I've smartly switched my beverage choice from concoctions to very dirty Belvedere martinis. Sally still likes the classic way, dry with a twist. There are lessons applied here from Auntie Mame to Madame Arcati. Auntie Mame says that olives take up too much room in the glass and you should always stir, as shaking bruises the gin. And Madame Arcati says, "If it's dry Martini, yes - if it's a concoction, no. Experience has taught me to be very wary of concoctions."



















And whoops, this picture was taken post-martini.

Madame Arcati

Patrick Huguenin introduces us to Blithe Spirit's psychic consultant, Paula Roberts, in today's New York Daily News:

"She's the official "psychic consultant" to the Broadway revival of Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit," opening Sunday, in which Angela Lansbury plays medium Madame Arcati. To get the late playwright's take on the production, producers asked Roberts to channel Coward's spirit - a task for which a long list of New York area mediums were auditioned. This particular seance is shrouded in mystery, though Coward supposedly approved Lansbury's casting."

Rusalka at the Met

For almost four years, I've been looking at this poster of Renée Fleming on my office wall. My sister sent it to me as a surprise just in time to have Renée autograph after a performance I was attending. Renée told me that the photo was taken just before curtain of Rusalka on the stage of the Met. So, I've been imagining what it must be like for a while now and I finally had the opportunity to see it last night.

Rusalka was exactly the magical experience I hoped it would be! The set and the costumes reminded me very much of the fairy tale book I loved as a child. The set and costumes were sparkling and softly colored, just as the illustrations in that beautiful book. (On my last trip home, I came across that book in my old room and handed it down to my book-loving niece Cara, in hopes that maybe she takes after her Auntie RahRah just a little .)

Dvorak's score is sumptuous and floated up to the balcony. When Renée sang O Silver Moon, I felt overjoyed, but it had nothing on the final act. The staging was something I had never seen before and I loved it. It actually looked like she walked across the sparkling waters as the moonlit spirit. I think Sally, Noah and I collectively gasped.

As usual, Renée sang gorgeously. It was great fun to see Stephanie Blithe as the Ježibaba. It was also fabulous to see Christine Goerke as the Foreign Princess, since we loved her so much in the WNO's Elektra last season. She's also 7 months pregnant. Wow! As beautiful as it all was, it was also entertaining and quite fun. We couldn't help but delight in all of it, especially the members of the children's chorus dressed as woodland animals helping Ježibaba with her spell.

Despite the excitement of finally seeing the production, it wasn't during the opera that I became sentimental - it was after. Noah told Renée that it was my sharing of O Silver Moon with him several years ago that made him want to hear more opera. She looked at me and smiled. I was able to tell her that it was her By Request album, and that song in particular, that saved me during a long and lonely first winter in New York. Her voice brought me comfort and warmth and lead me to a love of opera.

I'm planning to see Rusalka again on the 17th and I just can't wait!

I've been too busy to tell you about all these!

On February 19th, I went back to August: Osage County. I hadn't planned to go but I did want to see the brilliant role of Aunt Maddie Fae played by Elizabeth Ashley. Plus my fellows Steve, Mondschein and Kevin were all going. I simply haven't the strength to resist being in that company anytime, anywhere, but especially in the theatre. I loved finally seeing one and only Elizabeth Ashley on stage. The play is still the play, but it didn't have me shaking in my shoes as it once did. Plus there were understudies in for the leads. That doesn't happen to me much and it usually doesn't matter - it is Broadway afterall, where the understudies are practically stars in my opinion - but these ladies just didn't hold a candle to Tony winner Deanna Dunagan and Amy Morton. However, I did enjoy seeing this play again.

On March 3rd, I went back to In the Heights with some friends who had never been. The show is still high energy and I had to dance in my seat. Many of the cast has moved on. Javier Munoz as Usnavi was terrific and held that same joy that creator Lin-Manuel Miranda did. Robin de Jesus as Sonny, Priscilla Lopez as Camilla, Mandy Gonzalez as Nina, and Chris Jackson as Benny are still there from the original cast. Chris was out so Joshua Henry was on for him. Mandy was out too, so Krysta Rodriguez was on for her. Krysta usually understudies Carla, but Marcy Hariel who usually plays Vanessa, was out so Janet Dacal who is usually Carla moved into the Vanessa spot and Krysta moved over to the Vanessa role. Wait a minute. Who played Carla? I still haven't figured it out. Thank goodness, Olga Merediz is still in the show, singing her heart out as Abuela Claudia. It is a truly powerful, moving and honest performance. It gets me every time, whether live or on the original cast recording. I had the opportunity to tell her several days later when I ran into her on the uptown bus. She's still giving it her all and is hoping for a chance to audition for the movie of In the Heights. In the meantime, she took a little break and filmed a judge role on Law & Order and also a sitcom.

On March 4th, I worked late enough that as I was walking through Times Square on my way home I happened to notice that Blithe Spirit was on TKTS and there was no line at the Play Only Window. Damn obsessive compulsive impulsiveness! Oh well, obsessive compulsive impulsiveness be damned. I got a nicely priced orchestra seat and had a wonderful time on my second visit. I loved it even more than I did the first time. Barbara Walters was there. Director Michael Blakemore sat across the aisle and took notes. I heard that William Windom, Dr. Seth from Murder, She Wrote!, may have been in the house. I also sat next to a great lady from DFW. It was absolute fun chatting with a Texan.

On March 6th, I returned to Shrek. These are the tickets I won from the ad campaign contest that Modern Tonic sponsored. I took Noah with me and we sat front row center of the mezzanine. The house was very empty. Sure, the book and look of Shrek is exactly like the movie, but the music is great and so is the cast. We had a super good time. I actually wouldn't mind going again.

Rusalka at the Metropolitan Opera: Working Rehearsal

Yesterday, we attended a working rehearsal of Rusalka. It was a rehearsal of Act II only. It was fun to see the set in progress. Maestro Jirí Belohlávek stopped and re-started as needed. The Met Chorus rehearsed briefly, off stage. Chorus Master Palumbo seemed to be testing their volume and giving direction from various points in the house. The first part of the principals' rehearsal was only Kate Lindsey as "Kitchen Boy" and James Courtney as "Gamekeeper". Kristinn Sigmundsson as the "Water Gnome" then joined. Finally Renée Fleming as "Rusalka", Aleksandrs Antonenko as the "Prince" and Christine Georke as the "Foreign Princess" joined the rehearsal. While, the orchestra was in casual clothes, the singers were in costume, but not wigs or makeup. Since it was Act II, we didn't hear Renée sing until near the end of the scene. All sounded great, although I don't think they were singing in full voice. In between starts and stops by the Maestro, the singers appeared to be chatting it up and having a good time. All during the process, stagehands continued to tinker with the set, which I found amusing since the singers were in costume and just ignored them. We also saw Lauren Flannigan taking notes in the orchestra section. We were seated in the front row of the Dress Circle. The Dress Circle seamed to be about 1/2 full, while the Parterre level, where Encore Society members were seated, was mostly full. It was a fun and interesting experience to witness the process.

Chita visits the revival of West Side Story, but is still thinking about The Visit

Sandra Guzman talked to Chita Rivera, the original Anita of West Side Story in yesterday's New York Post. The take-away from the online version: "There's an amazing musical, "The Visit," we did last summer and I'm working on getting it up in New York."

Overheard in the Theatre

20-something woman to her friend: Christine Ebersole? Oh, she was on Dancing with the Stars last year.

In the lobby before Blithe Spirit, the Shubert Theatre, 3/4/09

Tonight: In the Heights

Quote of the Day

"I sang around the house like a blooming lark. I had a very high voice—I could have been coloratura. I just opened my mouth and sang, and that’s the way I’ve always performed. A song has to be incorporated into a character. It would be much too simple to stand up and sing. And I took some lessons from a woman down in the Village—where I lived in the early days—learning to project, which we don’t need to do anymore in the theater, unfortunately. Actually, I think we’re going to work without microphones in Blithe Spirit. At least I hope so."

Influences: Angela Lansbury, By Katie Charles, New York Magazine, Published Mar 1, 2009

Racette is in!

Christina Gallardo-Domas is sick. That's a too bad because she'll miss the HD broadcast of the Met's gorgeous production of Madama Butterfly this Saturday. Lucky for us, Patricia Racette, the definitive Butterfly, is in. She will sing the two remaining performances which includes this Saturday's HD Broadcast and will ultimately get the DVD imortalizing her brilliant performance. Get well soon Christina, but brava Patricia!!

Attend the 30th Anniversary of Sweeney Todd

30 years ago today, Sweeney Todd opened at the Uris Theatre. It ran for 557 performances and earned the 1979 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book by Hugh Wheeler, Best Original Score by Stephen Sondheim, Best Actor in a Musical by Len Cariou, Best Actress in a Musical by Angela Lansbury, Best Scenic Design by Eugene Lee, Best Costume Design by Franne Lee, Best Direction of a Musical by Harold Prince. Ken Jennings and Sarah Rice also won Theatre World Awards. During its successful tour starring Angela Lansbury and George Hearn, it was filmed for tv in 1982. Angela and George and the show won Cable Ace Awards. George and the show won Emmy Awards. It has been revived on Broadway twice and reincarnated as a full feature movie in 2007 starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.

I heard Betty Buckley sing "Over You" live tonight at Feinstein's

Betty threw in Over You from the movie Tender Mercies in her Broadway By Request show at Feinstein's tonight. She also sang On a Sunday. And when she sang Serenity, she apologized for singing it so loudly in a such small room. No microphone. Are you kidding me? It was amazing. I love you, Betty. I don't care that we've spent $1000s of dollars because of you.