Hello from beautiful Lisbon, Portugal!
Side note: one of my favorite authors is Chris Pavone and I just had him on my radio show to talk about his new (fantastic) book which is called, coincidentally, Two Nights in Lisbon! It鈥檚 so good!
I am here on a mini vacay with my husband James before we begin our Broadway cruise. At the beginning of last week, I had a whirlwind few days of cross-country travel and continent hopping!
First, I flew to L.A. to perform two concerts with Stephanie J. Block at the Wallis. We had a 2 PM and a 7 PM show and they were both so fabulous. The 7 PM was a little more special because I invited Megan Hilty to come see the show, and once she said yes, I immediately asked her to also make a guest appearance on stage!
FYI, Megan starred opposite Stephanie on Broadway in 9 to 5 and having her at the Wallis was an even bigger reunion than planned because 9 to 5 producer Bob Greenblatt was also in the audience. Once Megan came onstage, I asked her and Stephanie what it was like working with Dolly Parton and if it was like Charles Busch鈥檚 experience with Carol Channing. Let me first explain my reference.
I just finished Charles鈥� amazing book Leading Lady; The Story of a Most Unusual Boy and it鈥檚 fantastic! One of the stories he mentions is doing a big Broadway benefit and, because he was going to be dressed as a woman, being put in the female dressing room. First, he was like, 鈥�What?鈥� But then, he was thrilled because one of his co-stars in the dressing room was the legendary Carol Channing. Charles writes that Carol entered the room with no make-up but slowly started applying it in her signature style with unique choices like blush on her nose. Then, because she had an eye infection, she told him she couldn鈥檛 wear false eyelashes, so she drew them on her lids!
When she finished applying it all, she turned to him and asked, 鈥淗ow do I look?鈥�
Charles took it all in and replied, 鈥淵ou look like her!鈥�
So, my question was, did Dolly show up to rehearsal unrecognizable with maybe short dark hair and sporting old sweatpants, but then at night appear with the giant blonde hair and country chic outfits we know and love? Stephanie and Megan assured me that she was always in full Dolly glam.
Stephanie actually mentioned that she heard Dolly wakes up early and applies her face so her husband has never seen her without makeup. And, apparently, when she takes off her shoes, her feet are permanently on relev茅 because they鈥檝e molded into the shape of wearing heels. Megan also mentioned that the entire time they worked together, she never saw Dolly in the same outfit twice. Brava!
I asked Stephanie and Megan if they still remembered the title song and, without waiting for an answer, I launched into it at the piano. They lasted around three-quarters of the way into the song, but finally their lyrics ran out and they told me to cut!
Then, even though they starred in Wicked at different times, I had them sing 鈥淔or Good鈥� together. It was fabulous!
After the show at the Wallis (where I am reappearing December 9), I took a redeye flight back to NYC because I was part of the American Songbook Association concert honoring Betty Buckley with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
PHOTOS: See Broadway Turn Out to Celebrate Tony Winner Betty Buckley
The was founded by Carolyn Montgomery, and is dedicated to getting music education to more students, especially those who don鈥檛 have enough access to arts education. I say brava! We need to go back to the time when it was common for schools to have chorus, orchestra, band, and musical theatre.
The whole evening was incredible and, just so you know, Betty personally requested every person who participated. All the singers who appeared performed their own rendition of a song Betty had sung in her career. Here are just some of the highlights!
Sharon Catherine Brown opened the show and mentioned that she played the Narrator (after Laurie Beechman) in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (formerly the Royale Theatre). She was able to do the entire show, sign autographs, and head over to the Winter Garden Theatre where her uncle worked as the stage doorman and Cats was in performance. He would let Sharon backstage and, because Joseph was a short show, she would get there just in time to watch Betty bring down the house with her 11 o鈥檆lock number 鈥淢别尘辞谤测!鈥�
Sharon told everyone that Betty was an inspiration to her and how meaningful it was to be honoring her. Then she launched into a fabulous version of 鈥淎s If We Never Said Goodbye鈥� from Sunset Boulevard. Watch!
And, if you are wondering how fabulous Sharon sounded in Joseph, here she is on 鈥淭he Merv Griffin Show.鈥�
Then Elizabeth Davis, who Betty became a fan of after she saw Elizabeth in Once, was accompanied by Ian Herman, singing a unique rendition of 鈥淥ld Friend鈥� from I鈥檓 Getting My Act Together And Taking It On The Road. It was unique because Elizabeth also played violin during the song, a delicious touch. I told Elizabeth backstage that I also play violin, but added the caveat that I 鈥渟uck.鈥� As Bruno Mars sings, 鈥淒on鈥檛 believe me, just watch.鈥�
P.S. Betty did the West Coast production of I鈥檓 Getting My Act Together鈥�while she was filming Eight is Enough. Here she is singing 鈥淥ld Friend鈥� while the production was running.
Also, during Monday night鈥檚 concert, Orfeh did a rocking version of 鈥淜nowing When To Leave,鈥� by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Betty starred in the London premiere of Promises, Promises, opposite Tony Roberts. Check out a recording of their performance here!
I filmed this wonderful clip of Betty and Orfeh backstage reviewing the very wordy song (with Bonnie Milligan in the middle, loving it!).
Speaking of Bonnie Milligan, I was so impressed that she learned 鈥淪erenity鈥� from Triumph of Love just for the concert. That song has very tricky intervals and so many lyrics. Because Bonnie was sick last week, I suggested to Betty that we give her an easier song, but Betty was insistent that Bonnie perform 鈥淪erenity鈥� because Bonnie鈥檚 such an incredible performer. She was right. Bonnie nailed it!
Here鈥檚 Betty performing the song on The Rosie O鈥橠onnell Show while Triumph Of Love was on Broadway.
P.S. Betty became a fan of Bonnie after seeing her in Head Over Heels. I had Bonnie add her fabulous riff from Head Over Hills into one of Betty鈥檚 songs from Carrie. Listen!
Also, during the Betty salute, one of my idols, Stephen Schwartz, came out and spoke about his love for Betty, who played Catherine in his brilliant Pippin for two and half years. Betty stayed in the show so long not only because she loved it, but also because, as she says, it helped pay for her acting lessons 鈥渁nd therapy.鈥�
Kurt Peterson and Veanne Cox sang the lovely 鈥淟ove Song鈥� from Act Two. Speaking of Pippin, that show was mentioned by author/composer/singer/lyricist/orchestrator Rupert Holmes. Rupert spoke about the 1970s and how he had produced (and also wrote many of the songs on) Barbra Streisand鈥檚 album Lazy Afternoon. He felt he had worked with the world鈥檚 top singer and did not think he could be impressed with anyone else鈥檚 vocals. Then he saw Pippin and was blown away by Betty鈥檚 singing. He told us how incredible it was that, ten years later, Betty was starring in his show The Mystery Of Edwin Drood. That incredible score was represented that night with the wonderful Carolee Carmello and Jessie Mueller singing the stunning duet 鈥淧erfect Strangers.鈥� Such a beautiful song, but not beautiful when I try to cover Jessie鈥檚 soprano part in rehearsal. Watch!
Speaking of Drood, Howard McGillin recreated his dashingly evil John Jasper in 鈥淭wo Kinsmen鈥� and, before the song, I asked him what it was like singing opposite Betty鈥檚 powerful voice. He said it was like being next to the power of a 747! Joining him on the night of the tribute was my pal, Jennifer Simard.
I told the audience that Betty had seen the show I co-wrote on Broadway (Disaster!) and that Betty had loved Jennifer鈥檚 performance as the Nun and posted about it. Jennifer told everyone what a huge deal it was because Betty was the first celebrity to 鈥渆ndorse鈥� her. Jennifer then told us that she had performed 鈥淭wo Kinsmen鈥� in New Hampshire in a revue when she was 19 and what a huge deal it was to be performing opposite the original star (Howard), with Betty and Rupert in the wings! And, even under all that pressure, Jen nailed it.
There were also wonderful speeches by numerous directors like Marsha Mason (who told us that Betty helped her become a better director), Michael Wilson (who has directed Betty nine times and asked to do more shows with her), Scott Schwartz (who flipped out when Betty first called to meet with him even though she had starred in his Dad鈥檚 show), and fellow actors like Sandra Bernhard (who spoke wistfully about having a crush on Betty and ending up in a hot tub when they first met, but then sadly revealed that 鈥渘othing happened鈥�).
The original Old Deuteronomy, Ken Page, told everyone how the set malfunctioned in Cats when Betty was going up to the Heaviside Layer and how she might have wound up in the actual Heaviside Layer (aka Heaven) if he hadn鈥檛 intervened. He then did an incredible version of 鈥淭he Way We Were,鈥� leading into a stunning 鈥淢emory.鈥� It brought the house down!
Here鈥檚 Ken doing his big song from 鈥淭he Nightmare Before Christmas鈥� live in concert.
Katrin Rose showed her vocal sass with the vengeful Joe Iconis song 鈥淥ld Flame.鈥� Here鈥檚 Betty鈥檚 version!
Bryan Batt spoke about how wonderful it was to star opposite Betty in Sunset Boulevard, and then launched into the title song. The audience soon realized he was actually singing the parody version for Forbidden Broadway. Suddenly, he was joined by Ethel Merman (as played by Christine Pedi) who was yelling at him for wearing a body mic. Here鈥檚 that hilarious segment which was written by Gerard Alessandrini.
Christine Pedi stayed onstage and gave a wonderful speech about the late Bill Sensenbrenner for whom the Dream Maker Award was named. That award is given annually to a leader in the art and business communities who exhibits a passion for investing in the cultural capital of our youth. And I had the honor of receiving it!
Near the end of the show, Mario Cantone came out onstage (without any introduction) and started raging, 鈥淚 thought you did it for me!鈥�
The audience soon realized he was doing the dialogue before 鈥淩ose鈥檚 Turn,鈥� from Gypsy, which he eventually launched into, giving a spectacular performance in (almost) the original key. He was fantastic! And so was Betty when she performed the role at the Papermill Playhouse and the song at her Carnegie Hall Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS fundraiser in the 1990s. Watch!
At the end of the show, Betty finally came onstage to rapturous applause and a standing ovation.
Betty sang a beautiful 鈥淐hanson,鈥� from The Baker鈥檚 Wife, accompanied by her pianist, Christian Jacob. Then, Jason Robert Brown came out, lauded Betty for her incredible skill as a song interpreter, and they ended the show with Betty singing Jason鈥檚 song 鈥淗ope.鈥� Talk about #StillGotIt.
Oh! Most thrilling for me鈥擨 got to deconstruct Betty throughout the evening, showing the audience the brilliance of Betty. Of course, my favorite is her performance of Rupert Holmes鈥� joyous 鈥淭he Writing On The Wall,鈥� so I will end the column with that deconstruction. Enjoy and Brava Betty!
Okay, everyone! I鈥檓 about to set sail around Portugal, Spain, and lots o鈥� other beautiful countries. So bon voyage and peace out! 鉁�🏻
