Hello from backstage! And by 鈥渂ackstage,鈥� I mean the wing of a stunning mansion where I鈥檓 getting ready to do a fundraiser for the Hudson Stage Company. Liz Callaway鈥檚 wonderful husband, Dan Foster, is the co-producer and director there and they鈥檝e assembled a great group of ladies (myself included?) to perform: Capathia Jenkins, Christine Pedi, Lindsay Mendez, and Julie Halston as host. The bathroom is so enormous, we all had to take a 鈥渘ude鈥� shot in the tub!!! (See above.)
Naturally, we鈥檙e now all telling theatre stories. First, Julie told us about a tour of Mame where the leading lady forgot the lyrics to her opening number 鈥淚t鈥檚 Today.鈥� Instead of:
Light the candles!
Get the ice out!
Roll the rug up!
It鈥檚 Today!
It sounded like this:
Light the candles!
Light the candles!
Light the candles!
And then when it got to the lyric 鈥淚t鈥檚 today鈥濃he title of the song, which you鈥檇 think she鈥檇 remember, she just kept it three syllables, went with the theme and sang;
鈥�Light 鈥榚m up!鈥�
Backstage we also got to see the true Liz Callaway鈥攖he singing voice of Anastasia in the animated movie. Yes, the sweetest voice in the world (and just sang aboard ) yet, in real life, the sassiest lady.
She told us that there was a very long period where she and her husband would always tape the National Anthem at ball games. Because she鈥檚 patriotic, you ask? Actually, it鈥檚 because the song would always be sung live and she was hoping there鈥檇 be a mess up! She told us she鈥檚 always wanted to share them on Facebook, but she was worried it was mean. Well, we all begged her to show us a link to one of them on YouTube and, under duress, she showed us this one. Amazing melody change and adding of extra syllables. It all happens on the final eight measures around 1:21.
We were all talking about how old we were and joking about people who say they鈥檙e younger than they are. Capathia calls that your 鈥減ress release鈥� age, which I think is hilarious. We all went on to perform and Julie Halston regaled the audience with her mother鈥檚 trip to Hamilton. Julie was able to not only get tickets for her mom and family, but the house manager, the caring Timothy Pettolina, opened early to let her mom (who鈥檚 in a wheelchair) in. After the show, he took her mom backstage to meet the cast. Well, that night Julie and her mom went out to dinner after and Julie asked what she thought of the show. Her mom鈥檚 response was 鈥淲ell, it鈥檚 not CATS.鈥� We still don鈥檛 know if that was positive or negative.
Then her mom lauded鈥he stagecraft. Julie was mystified that her mom knew the word 鈥渟tagecraft鈥� and/or what it means. P.S. I barely know. Julie asked her mom who her favorite person was in Hamilton and her Mom replied: Timothy Pettolina. Brava!
But, the most amazing moment was when her mom was getting into the cab. She turned and said, 鈥淛ust when you think there are no more adventures in life鈥his happens.鈥� Cut to Julie weeping.
I had William Daniels, the original John Adams from 1776 on my SiriusXM. He just turned 90 (!) and he told us that back in the day, he was a child performer.
It actually wasn鈥檛 a very fun experience for him and he was basically under his mother鈥檚 control the entire time. He said that he had no say in whether he was going to perform or not. He also remembered one time when he forgot his lyrics on a radio show. Stage mother-style, his mom ran up to the mic and sang it til he got back on track. Cut to the 1950s and his good friend was supposed to assist Jerome Robbins. Well, his friend got another gig for a few days so William assisted in his place. His friend came back and William stayed home only to get a call telling him that Jerome Robbins wanted him to come back and keep assisting. So, William Daniels wound up being at every rehearsal for鈥�Gypsy! Can you imagine how thrilling that was!? He was so curious what his mom would say when she saw it, considering that the line between her and Mama Rose was very thin. After the show, William asked her what she thought of Mama Rose and his mom answered, 鈥淚 think she was a wonderful woman.鈥� Not surprising!
Last week was the Tony Awards, so I asked William what happened with 1776. Turns out, there was an actor that year who was promised he鈥檇 get a Tony nomination for Best Actor if he did a certain show. So when 1776 opened late in the season, all the Best Actor nomination slots were full so they put him in the Featured (or supporting) category. He responded with 鈥淲hom am I supporting?鈥� He famously withdrew his name from the category. In his very direct and, dare I say, cranky way he writes that he stayed home on the night of the Tony Awards and his wife watched them on TV. He then ends with 鈥淚 did not.鈥�
The same thing happened with The Ritz. Although Rita Moreno had the largest female part in the show, she was nominated in the Featured category. She didn鈥檛 withdraw her name鈥nd she won! But she gave some sass during her speech.
He told me that Jack Warner, the producer of the 1776 film, was regretful he hadn鈥檛 used Julie Andrews for the film of My Fair Lady so he used the entire Broadway cast of 1776 for the film! You can rent the whole thing, but here鈥檚 a clip of William Daniels and Virginia Vestoff live on the Tony Awards in the early 鈥�70s.
Ok! I have to work on the two almost back-to-back performances of Concert For America this Saturday, June 24 in San Francisco at the Curran, for which we just added Shoshana Bean. Find tickets and the link to the livestream at and if you wanna see my obsession for her, watch this:
Our next Concert for America is July 6 in Seattle, for which we just added Maureen McGovern. I鈥檓 sure we鈥檙e going to have her haul out the amazing and inspirational 鈥淢orning After鈥� that we all love, but I was recently listening to this and, boy, do I love it. It鈥檚 so joyful, hopeful and her high notes are amazing!
Peace out!
