Well, I can鈥檛 quite believe it, but the first Concert for America happened January 20. It was the beginning of a monthly series of concerts benefitting five charities that are going to need extra help in the years ahead. We thought of the idea in November, but started really working on it three weeks ago. James thought it was really important to keep the event very positive and joyous to lift people鈥檚 spirits. It definitely did that鈥� but it also wore us the hell out!
Here are the highlights and the stressful parts:
We opened with 鈥淲hat the World Needs Now鈥� with the entire cast. We never quite rehearsed it with everyone, but it wound up working out fine鈥sh. My favorite 鈥渨e didn鈥檛 have enough rehearsal to give notes鈥� moment is when Judy Gold decided to
A. Sing Janet Metz鈥檚 high note
B. Sustain Janet Metz鈥檚 high note 30 seconds longer than necessary/appropriate/anyone wanted to hear. Watch it at around 1:00 minute in below.
The People Magazine and Entertainment Weekly websites are run by the same peeps, and they said that they鈥檇 live stream the whole concert, which was amazing. But it also meant we had to secure the song streaming rights to everything being performed. And by 鈥渨e,鈥� I mean amazing producer and music supervisor Janet Billig Rich, who got us all the song rights for Disaster! Well, this whole thing was put together super last minute, and a few days before the concert, we decided to add Carrie Manolakos singing her amazing version of 鈥淟et It Be.鈥� On Thursday, the day before the concert, we had a sound check of some of the songs, and Carrie was there to do 鈥淟et It Be.鈥� Right before she was about to sing, we found out that we were denied the song rights! Well, James quickly talked to her about her other songs, and he decided 鈥淗allelujah鈥� would be the best one for her to do. We wound up putting it in the concert right after Chita Rivera spoke.
A few days before, me, James, and Chita did a TV interview show, and Chita mentioned that she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. After James heard the NEA might be defunded by the government, he asked Chita if she would make a speech talking about the importance of the arts. She talked about how various art forms can touch us and, at one point, mentioned how an original cast recording made 60 years ago can still make us marvel at the genius of its composer (referencing the great Leonard Bernstein). The audience loved it!
Anyhoo, right after Chita spoke of how none of us should ever have to live without the arts, Carrie sang. OMG. Such a stunning version. Not only so soulful, but belting a G鈥ith vibrato! Please watch here:
PS: Chita also sang and danced 鈥淎merica.鈥� In her speech, she had told the audience she couldn鈥檛 believe it really had been 60 years since West Side Story, considering she鈥檚 been living the life of a 35-year-old woman. She鈥檚 right! Watch:
One of the charities we benefitted was the NAACP. The cool part was that Cornell William Brooks, the president and CEO (who just testified at Jeff Sessions鈥� senate confirmation hearing for Attorney General) introduced Brian Stokes Mitchell. He was amazing! I told James it had the full essence of a sermon, and James said Cornell had gone to divinity school. I knew it! Watch:
And then Brian Stokes Mitchell sang 鈥淎merica The Beautiful鈥� into 鈥淲heels of a Dream.鈥� I got to play in the orchestra during the original run of Ragtime, and I loved being able to play the song again. And speaking of Stokes, I still remember how kind he was back then: I was just a sub and a nervous wreck the first time I played that show because there are so many exposed piano solos. After Act 1, Stokes made his way down to the pit just to come over to me and tell me he thought I was doing a great job. It was so nice of him to come find me just to give me encouragement! Here鈥檚 his wonderful performance:
I was so happy Jessie Mueller sang 鈥淏eautiful鈥� because it鈥檚 a truly joyous song and really kept the positivity going. However, I was nervous about the octaves I had to play at the end of the song. I didn鈥檛 want them to be too exposed because I thought I鈥檇 clank them, but I wasn鈥檛 too nervous because I knew Jessie would be riffing over them. Turns out, during all those measures where I was struggling to play the octaves, Jessie made the bold choice of being completely silent so every one of my clanks were exposed. And, of course, the camera had to show a close up of my fingers desperately trying to play it. Terrifying!
We also had Judy Gold, Caroline Rhea, and Michelle Collins, who were all hilarious. I loved Caroline, who said, 鈥淚鈥檓 currently on a gluten-free diet. I didn鈥檛 know 鈥榞luten鈥� meant all food.鈥� She told the audience, 鈥淵es, this has been a tragic time. Well, you鈥檙e referring to one thing; I鈥檓 referring to the fact that someone bought me something from Chico鈥檚.鈥� She said they don鈥檛 have actual sizes; they鈥檙e all divided as 1, 2 or 3, 鈥渨hich should translate to 鈥榤enopause, facial hair, and considering an alternative lifestyle.鈥欌� She kept raging: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not even really clothes. It鈥檚 just blankets that they鈥檝e sewn together in different sizes!鈥�
We stole something Gavin Creel started doing for our concerts, and it was great. At one point, James and I asked the audience to call or FaceTime someone they were close to, so they鈥檇 be with a loved one during the next song. As people held their cell phones up, Stephanie Mills came out and sang 鈥淣ever Knew Love Like This Before.鈥� So good! PS: I never knew that the song, and she won the Grammy Award. Brava! She still sounds exactly the same!
Halfway through, we did a salute to the Women鈥檚 March by bringing out Sharon Gless to talk about how women have been treated in Hollywood. She told a story I : Lynn Redgrave had been starring in the TV series House Calls, and when she renegotiated her contract, she asked for the same salary as her co-star Wayne Rogers and to be allowed to breastfeed on the set. In response, she was fired. Sharon, who was a contract player for Universal, was told she had to replace her, and she did the show for a year. At the end of it, she had a big party and called Lynn Redgrave. She explained who she was鈥nd invited her to the party. I told her I thought that was so cool of her, and she said that Lynn was even cooler鈥he said yes! Lynn then asked Sharon if she wanted to stage something. Sharon agreed, and that night, a few hours into the party, Sharon saw a car pull into the driveway. She muttered out loud, 鈥淲ho could that be?鈥� and went outside. She and Lynn quietly introduced themselves and then started a loud, fake argument so the cast could hear them. Lynn asked, 鈥淲hy the hell didn鈥檛 you invite me?鈥� Sharon yelled, 鈥淲hy should I? You can鈥檛 act for sh*t!鈥� I can't repeat much of what was said, but it ended with Sharon standing at her door yelling, 鈥淔*ck me? F*ck you!鈥� The cast was standing there with their mouths hanging open as Sharon 鈥渁pologized鈥� to everyone鈥nd then, of course, invited Lynn inside. Brava!
Right after, we brought out Julia Murney, Caissie Levy, Anika Larsen, and Shayna Steele to sing 鈥淚鈥檓 a Woman.鈥� Yes, ladies! Watch:
One of the most moving moments in the whole show was Ben Vereen singing 鈥淲hat A Wonderful World.鈥� Please watch it. And look at the very end, where he reaches forward and holds the hand of the woman he was making eye contact with throughout the song鈥y mother!
In conclusion, it was a wonderful afternoon, and I can鈥檛 wait to do more! If you want to donate to these charities, go to , and you can also buy tickets there for the next one, which will be in NYC February 25. Speaking of tickets, I鈥檓 going to be doing one of my favorite comedy shows, 鈥�70s Variety Shows Deconstructed!, in L.A. this Thursday night at Largo. .
And if you don鈥檛 quite know what kind of shows I鈥檒l be deconstructing, here鈥檚 a prime example of what was happening during that decade: this is a medley of 鈥渟tar鈥�-themed songs鈥攕et to a disco beat. Featuring The Brady Bunch. And Tina Turner. And Milton Berle. Anybody? EVERYBODY! I have even more amazing clips to be deconstructed, so come by!
