I was a lowly 10th Grader who had been talked into trying out for my school play – OEDIPUS REX. Peer pressure coaxed me into submission and I found myself cowering in the back of Mr. Knoblaugh’s French classroom. I did think this culturally “with it” (we used that term a lot in those days) man was cool; however, his ever-present pot belly and preppy blazer with scarf detracted from others reaching the same conclusion. There I sat, with head buried in my arms and lacking the confidence to even raise my noggin from its slouch.

Finally, the dreaded moment arrived: It was my turn to face the glare of those 60 some eyeballs peering into my soul. Stammering away, I “bombed” as the saying goes. Even “sad sack” Leonard gave a passable reading, I concluded.

Tossing and turning in my bed that evening, I replayed the whole sorry debacle. The next morning I slunk my way into view of the OEDIPUS REX cast list posted on the classroom door. Surprise! (no it wasn’t); my name was nowhere on that paper. The loose leaf seemed to be taunting me. Billy Reese’s future in Show Business died right there in the hallway of this Lansdale, PA high school. Needless to say, the broken “Crusader” avoided interactions with friends that day.

Soon I forgot all about my humiliation, and it became – instead – all about complaints as 10th graders are wont to do. Of course, I growled about my Geometry class in the gym, along with 100 of my fellow classmates, ogling for a view of the transparency via the overhead projector (short on Geometry teachers, I guess). Then, I complained about my Latin teacher being too old (Sr. Laetare must have been 100!). And on and on. Meanwhile, rehearsals for the play proceeded (without me) on pace for a cold, February series of performances.

Finally, when the day arrived for the obligatory school assembly, I remember filing into the gym (Geometry classroom gone…poof!). More astonishingly, the chairs for the audience were arranged in a circle with gaps for actor entrances part of the scheme of things.

Then, the play began and it was looong. Actors were heroically exclaiming, clad in flowing costumes with crepe hair and lousy make-up. Everybody was squeaking and “wrutching” (it’s my spelling of a PA Dutch verb) in their seats. In short, Sophocles’ OEDIPUS REX was larger than life. Theatre had reeled me in –  hook, line and sinker.

Next time I could summon the courage – I vowed – I would try again. If at first you don’t succeed, …

Looking Back Is Looking Forward…Snapshots of People, Performances et cetera (etc.) about the Way We Were

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Seeing Tommy Tune on CBS reminded me of one of my Broadway obsessions. I saw GRAND HOTEL 4x in New York and to this day I regard it as the greatest directorial achievement I have witnessed among several hundred Broadway productions.

This Wright & Forrest score, with huge contributions from Maury Yeston, proved to be mesmerizing, but it was the staging by director/choreographer Tommy Tune that was the real star at the MARTIN BECK THEATRE (today it is the  AL HIRSCHFELD).

Impressive performances by David Carroll, Michael Jeter, Brent Barrett, Liliane Montevecchi, Karen Akers and Jane Krakowski glistened on that stage. An unfortunate casualty during the show’s three year run was Mr. Carroll, who died of AIDS, and was succeeded by Mr. Barrett ( later, Rex Smith). The sterling ensemble radiated professionalism.

So many rich memories surround this production. I doubt that another could ever penetrate this bubble for me.

Looking Back Is Looking Forward…Snapshots of People, Performances et cetera (etc.) about the Way We Were

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You know the nursery rhyme…

I made my acting debut as “Little Boy Blue” in my third grade class’s rendition for the school district’s annual variety show. My parents were able to purchase the appropriate costume from the stock available at school. Needless to say, I was a smash!

The real story, though, backs up a year (2nd Grade) to that same school-wide variety show.  That time I was designated a Czechoslovakian dancer. I was so excited to show off my slick moves. There was a particular costume to be purchased from the school for the appropriate cultural look. My parents decided that they could not afford the purchase; therefore, a relative would make her own pattern and fashion a homemade version of the required costume. I could not bear the thought of my supposed humiliation in the near future.  Consequently, on my own I withdrew from the performance.  Later, when I told my parents I would no longer be participating, I witnessed their pain at not being able to provide for me like the other kids. Guilt.

I never forgot that guilt even though I succeeded in “fitting in” for the third grade presentation. These are the lessons of youth.  Maybe this incident served as an ingredient of my sensitivity toward families who need a little economic boost from time to time.

Mish & Mash…A Reflective, “Yours Truly” MUSINGS about Life’s Travails, Juicy Tidbits and Crass Behaviors, Too!

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I began my performing career at university (after a disappointing high school audition for Greek tragedy). My college professor, Dr.Arthur Sinclair, was a disciple of Caffe Cino / La Mama‘s so-called “New Theatre” techniques espoused by the always surprising and renowned Off-Off-Broadway guru Ellen Stewart. The aptly named I’M NOT A MOTORCYCLE ANYMORE was my first claim to fame on the boards. (C’mon, it was the Sixties after all!) I remember a bouncing ball in the audience, frog stands and a writhing conglomeration of bodies accompanied by esoteric dialogue.  I doubt that any photos of the aforementioned play should ever see the light of day.

The East Village, New York City (NYC) was the place to be for experimentation in more ways than one, whether it be theatre, rock & roll, sex or drugs. It was the cutting edge if you will and it still exists today. LA MAMA E.T.C. invariably has the corner on outrageous even now. Harvey Fierstein took his baby steps at this institution.

Looking Back Is Looking Forward…Snapshots of People, Performances et cetera (etc.) about the Way We Were

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I believe David Ogden Stiers passed away at age 75. He will always be remembered for his TV work on “M*A*S*H”, though I have a different recollection.

One of my first Broadway memories was of Bob Randall & Stephen Schwartz‘s THE MAGIC SHOW at the CORT THEATRE in New York City (NYC). The show is largely forgotten these days even though it ran on Broadway for quite a few years.

During the show’s curtain call, a large party front and center left their seats and headed for the exit door. I vividly remember Mr. Stiers yelling at them and wildly gesticulating the whole time. Pissed. No doubt about it.

How rude for an audience member to neglect to thank the actors for their efforts. Yes, there is that rarity when someone desperately needs the restroom in order to rescue the bladder, etc.. In most cases, though, these ill-advised offenders just wish to pull out of the parking lot before everybody else.

It certainly would be nice if the self-centered audience members among us would behave as adults. Give a “thank you” gift to the actors who worked on their behalf. Applaud. Engage with them, eyeball to eyeball. Smile! It’s the right thing to do.

Looking Back Is Looking Forward…Snapshots of People, Performances et cetera (etc.) about the Way We Were

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Not really. Though I occasionally succumb to  some rambunctious stomach flutterings.

There I was awaiting curtain up for THE NEWS, a 1985 new Broadway musical created by Paul Schierhorn and starring Jeff Conaway and Anthony Crivello. This Georgian style, modest-sized (597 seat) HELEN HAYES THEATRE resides on 44th Street in  New York (NYC). To be accurate this is the second HELEN HAYES THEATRE; the first building was one of three theatres razed to make way for the current Marquis Hotel, a matter of quite the controversy at the time. But I digress.

In the row directly in front of me sat Michelle Lee and Loni Anderson. To me the former was a true Broadway star known for SEESAW (and also TV fame with KNOTS LANDING). Loni herself achieved her stardom in the TV hit WKRP IN CINCINNATI and – this is so important – as a buxom pin-up girl ????. My mind began to explore possible reasons they could be attending this show. Was this a lunch date between friends who then take in a show?

Ah-hah! It occurred to me Loni Anderson was dating movie star Burt Reynolds…and this production of THE NEWS transferred from Jacksonville, Florida’s BURT REYNOLDS DINNER THEATRE. Mystery solved.

Regardless of what some of my friends may say, I do have some class. So, I didn’t interrupt their private conversation. Nor did I shove a piece of paper forward, urging them to provide autographs while fawning over them all the while. I just enjoyed the show while suffering in silence.

If nothing else I can tell my friends about it some lazy afternoon!

Looking Back Is Looking Forward…Snapshots of People, Performances et cetera (etc.) about the Way We Were

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You might want to give a listen to a 1983 score of the Broadway musical DANCE A LITTLE CLOSER, the last project on the Great White Way by one of the giants of musical theatre – Alan Jay Lerner. His wife at the time, Liz Robertson, starred and he was the director and lyricist. The composer was Charles Strouse.

Insiders dubbed it “Close a Little Faster” because the critics hated it aside from heaping praise on the score itself. I remember vividly the David Mitchell massive, antiseptic set, the Henry Kissinger character (played by George Rose), the respectful treatment of a gay couple, the ice dance of that same couple and the famously shredded voice of Len Cariou. It was based on the Robert E. Sherwood play IDIOT’S DELIGHT. Some of the melodies and poignant lyrics in that show are truly memorable.

Navigating the Ear Canal…Thoughts About Recordings Destined for Obsession (or Not)

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I am not quite sure why I love JANE EYRE, THE MUSICAL so much. Maybe it’s because I spent so many years as an English teacher. It inhabits my soul with its themes of forgiveness, redemption and love.

The Paul Gordon score is haunting. It began its journey at the La Jolla Playhouse, made a stop in Toronto (where it received its initial recording) and continued to Broadway where it became a Tony-nominated Best Musical (with an original cast recording). The lead performance by Marla Schafel was astonishing.

I saw the show twice in New York (NY) and listen to the recording often.

Navigating the Ear Canal…Thoughts About Recordings Destined for Obsession (or Not)

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EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD

Saw the original Broadway production of THE WIZ at the Majestic Theatre in the mid-Seventies. Yes, there have been other shows that played this theatre besides THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Cost of the tickets was in the teens rather than today’s hundreds.

This served as one of my first experiences with an inebriated audience member (it was not common at that time for theatres to even serve alcohol), but that emerged as only a minor hiccup. The truth is that I almost missed the show as I was lounging in the lobby of the Edison Hotel. It was a weekend when the clocks were changed and neither my wife nor I had remembered about it until the last minute.

Nevertheless, the show managed to be quite an exhilarating experience. Stephanie Mills as “Dorothy” registered impressive. Hinton Battle amazed as “Scarecrow”. The tornado in dance proved to be a whirlwind of movement.

I am reminded that Phylicia Ayers-Allen (later Phylicia Rashad) played a munchkin in that show. I later saw her perform as “Deena” in DREAMGIRLS. Debbie Allen, her sister, also starred on Broadway, headlining a major revival of SWEET CHARITY.

Many years later I had the privilege of meeting William F. Brown, the playwright, when La Jolla Playhouse presented a high profile revival of THE WIZ. For that production I served on the House Management team, a challenging effort because of the environmental nature of the new production.

I once directed an educational theatre version as well. Emerald City had never been that rambunctious! So,as the saying goes, this show is “near and dear to my heart”. (Yes, I’m not made of tin and I do have one!)

Looking Back Is Looking Forward…Snapshots of People, Performances et cetera (etc.) about the Way We Were

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If one is a theatre aficionado, he has certain moments on the stage that are indelibly imprinted in his mind.

One of mine relates to LAUREN BACALL. She was the Hollywood legend known for her film noir movies, her sultry demeanor, her famed romance with Humphrey Bogart and, of course, “the look”. If you are not familiar with the latter reference, call up some of her photos from her storied past.

There I was in the front row of the mezzanine in the Palace Theatre on Broadway as she appeared in front of the stage curtain in a shimmering gold gown, ready to begin her Tony-winning performance in the Kander & Ebb musical WOMAN OF THE YEAR. It literally took my breath away.

Many years later, as I tended to our satellite, retail mall store in Harrisburg, PA, “Betty Joan Perske” (her real name) walked into our store, shopping our merchandise. Displaying her customary reserve while in public, she quickly exited when she realized that she had been recognized. Enough for me to savor that breathless feeling again!

This actress, who amassed considerable acclaim both in Hollywood and New York, has a niche in my carefully nurtured stage memory vault.

Looking Back Is Looking Forward…Snapshots of People, Performances et cetera (etc.) about the Way We Were

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