Saturday, September 11, 2010

St. Bridget, Deliver Us to Beekman Place

Today, I saw a very enjoyable staged reading of the York Theatre's Mufti of the 1969 musical Coco which starred Katharine Hepburn about Coco Chanel with Chris Caggiano and Kevin Daly.   Andrea Marcovicci starred as Coco.  Even if she wasn't the best voice (come on, neither was Hepburn),  she was perfectly costumed, although "Mufti" translates to street clothes and we were told that the actors used their own wardrobe. I loved her clothes and sparkly accessories - very Coco Chanel!  I enjoyed her witty delivery very much.   Andre Previn's score is lovely as well, even just on piano accompaniment.  It was a bonus that the delightful Lewis Cleale and Charles Kimbrough were members of the company.

After dinner, Kevin and I went in search of Beekman Place, which is off 51st and 1st Avenue.   It's a swanky little street tucked just above the FDR and north of the Union.  Best of all, Beekman Place is where Auntie Mame "lived!"   I could fairly here the strains of a bugle. I've been meaning to pilgrimage there for years and today was finally the right day to do it.   Katharine Cornell lived on Beekman Place too.   The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg's travel office is at 17 Beekman Place, and although we didn't see the sign about it, Irving Berlin once lived there!

After, we stepped across the street and up a block to 49th Street, between 2nd & 3rd Avenue, aka Katharine Hepburn Place. Her town home - 244 East 49th Street - is available for rent for only $27,500 per month.    Kevin and I passed on filling out the lease for at least now.












4 comments:

karigee said...

I like it when the two of you make judicious use of your time & materials.

Steve On Broadway (SOB) said...

I know Mame said, "Live, live, live!" but I "love, love, love." Envious I couldn't be there myself.

jiva said...

That was so interesting! Thanks for the great pictures. For those of us who cannot be in NYC.

Kevin Daly said...

One Beekman Place or Katharine Hepburn Place? How can one decide?! Keeping my eye on that townhouse...