Message Board Celebrity Of The Day (Part I) - papalovesmambo- Page 134
Message Board Celebrity Of The Day (Part I) - papalovesmambo
NYadgal
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
#3325MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:15pmTell me about Leonard Bernstein!
"Two drifters off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see. . ."
kissmycookie
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/21/04
Kringas
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/27/05
#3327MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:20pm
Aw, happy MBCotD Day, PJ. I was unable to find Dolores in a tiara, but this ring apparently belonged to her.
Antiques and the Arts
"How do you like THAT 'misanthropic panache,' Mr. Goldstone?" - PalJoey
NYadgal
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
#3328MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:22pmAmazing that she could hold her hand up over her head wearing that thing! That's some bling!
"Two drifters off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see. . ."
brdlwyr
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/14/05
#3329MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:23pm
PJ - can you discuss whether Cuomo should have run for President???
Updated On: 2/7/06 at 01:23 PM
kissmycookie
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/21/04
#3331MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:24pm
Well, I've posted this on the Main Board, in a West Side Story thread about the Debbie Allen clip from the 1980 Tonys, but I had a feeling my Off-Topic buddies never knew this, so apologies to those who read this over there...
I worked on the 1980 Broadway revival of West Side Story. While it wasn't perfect, there were certain moments that were astonishing, like Debbie and the girls in that number, the scherzo in the ballet and Josie De Guzman's acting in the final scene.
There's a lot of talent in that clip of the Shark girls: look for Yamil Borges singing the "lovely island" lyrics; Marlene Danielle, who went on to play in Cats for the entire run; and a very young Harolyn Blackwell, opera-star-to-be, who was also the pit voice singing "Somewhere" during the ballet. Heavenly...
Two of the understudies for Tony have gone on to distinguish themselves brilliantly: Steven Bogardus (before he appeared in Falsettos) and Brent Barrett (before he appeared in Chicago and Kiss Me Kate and before he became such a hunk!). One of the Shark boys was Michael De Lorenzo who went on to be a TV star.
We lost several of the Jet boys during the Awful Years, including the beautiful and talented Mark Fotopolous and the effervescent Reed Jones. Reed, who was my best friend, went on to create the role of Skimbleshanks in the Broadway Cats, and I have posted his picture many times on this board. Reed's memorial service-- onstage at the Winter Garden--served as the inspiration for the memorial service in Paul Rudnick's Jeffrey.
Jerome Robbins had final say over the casting and--genius though he was--some of his ideas were peculiar, to say the least.
He wanted to the Jets to be "all-American," which ended up making them look like a midwestern Boy Scout troupe. (A gay midwestern boy scout troupe.) One of the Jets, the very clever Brian Kaman who played Baby John, made up a parody lyric that went "When you're a Jet, / You're a Jet all the way, / From your first pirouette / To your last grand jete."
Robbins and Bernstein fought over the casting. Laurents and Robbins fought over the acting. Sondheim paced. Peter Gennaro, Gerald Freedman, Lee Theodore and Tommy Abbott carried out Jerome Robbins's directions. Ruth Mitchell carried her stage manager's book from the 1957 production and would say to Debbie, Josie and Ken: "Chita, you move stage left. Carol, stage right. Larry, stay where you are."
One day Peter Gennaro actually brought Chita in to show Debbie how to do some of the flourishes he had forgotten. Chita remembered them ALL. By the end of the day, Chita and Debbie were dancing "America" together.
Me? I was someone in a tree. I saw EVERYTHING. ;-}
Oh dear, I do go on about this, don't I...?
NYadgal
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
#3332MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:24pmPalJoey, what is your next dream vacation?
"Two drifters off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see. . ."
#3334MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:28pmPJ -- do you prefer waking up to a Sunrise or staying up all night to greet it?
Tio, kio okazus Vankuvere, restus Vankuvere. Urbo Vankuvero atendas....
(What happens in Vancouver, stays in Vancouver .. Vancouver awaits....)
#3335MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:29pm
West Side Story, continued...
At the first orchestra rehearsal in Miami Beach--at that awful Jackie Gleason theater!--the distinguished musical director John DeMain, who went on to conduct the Houston Grand Opera's Porgy and Bess, was putting the undistinguished Miami Beach orchestra through the music.
Nevertheless, it was glorious just to hear that music with a big orchestra after weeks of rehearsal with just piano.
Sitting in the back the house, squirming, was Leonard Bernstein and his usual retinue of handsome young assistants. Each time the orchestra hit a wrong note or took a wrong tempo, you could hear him sigh, louder than anyone else could ever sigh.
At one point he walked down the aisle, his jacket over his shoulders like a cape, tapped John De Main on the shoulder, whispered in his ear, and then strode back to the back of the house as John De Main explained the Maestro's instruction to the orchestra.
Things went better for a while, until they hit another snag. Again, the Maestro strode down the aisle and whispered in De Main's ear. This time, De Main made a formal bow and handed the baton over to Bernstein, who didn't even demur but stepped onto the conductor's platform.
The orchestra sat up in their seats, doing that instrument-tapping thing they do for applause, realizing they were now about to be conducted by one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century.
Bernstein then proceeded to inspire them, instruct them, kid them, praise them--CONDUCT them! Especially with the ballads, the Latin rhythms and the dance in Cool.
NYadgal
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
#3336MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:29pm
PalJoey - keep telling us stories!
And, did I ever tell you I grew up with Steven Bogardus? His mother used to teach dance, and she would choreograph all of our school productions.
"Two drifters off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see. . ."
kissmycookie
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/21/04
#3338MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:37pm
He's a classy, classy guy and a wonderful actor/singer.
Okay, one last Lennie story:
One night after a performance of West Side Story in Miami, he took the music staff out to dinner at Joe's Stone Crab to thank them and invited me along. In the limo on the way to dinner he asked the musicians, "What was the name of the band singer who sang with Duke Ellington in 1929 and then again in the early 40s?" He said he could hear her voice but couldn't remember her name.
"Lena Horne?" one of them offered. Bernstein just scowled and said, "Lena Horne was a BABY in 1929. She couldn't have sung with Duke Ellington."
"Helen Forrest?" another suggested, which made him even madder. "Helen Forrest was a WHITE girl. She may have sung like a black girl, but she was WHITE. The one I'm thinking of sang 'Love Is Like a Cigarette.'"
I happened to know a little about jazz vocalists, mostly because I loved Ella Fitzgerald. "You don't mean Ivie Anderson, do you?" I meekly offered.
Well, he DID mean Ivie Anderson. He proceeded to quiz me about Ivie Anderson and Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan and Helen Humes, quickly acertaining just how much I knew and how much I didn't. Then he challenged me.
"Do you know Ella Fitzgerald's scat to 'Lady Be Good'?"
"Of course I do," I said. "That's famous."
"All right, then. Sing it!"
I cannot sing--and I only knew the first chorus or so, but I sang it as well as I could. Bernstein, of course, knew the entire song, with all Ella's embellishments and interpolations. He picked up where I stopped and scatted the rest-- a capella in the back of the limousine. I joined in here and there when he hit some phrase I remembered, which delighted him each time I did.
I realized it was all a game to him--a puzzle, to be figured out and relished. Not just the song, but music, theater, art, life.
By the time the limo pulled up at Joe's Stone Crab, the music staff hated me, but I had had the experience of a lifetime.
#3339MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:43pmPal Joey, a hearty congratulations!! I have way too many questions, so I'll be back when I whittle down the list.
Hey Dottie!
Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany
kissmycookie
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/21/04
brdlwyr
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/14/05
NYadgal
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
#3342MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:45pm
What great stories, PalJoey!
The thrill of a lifetime, it sounds like!
I met his daughter when we were performing his Mass in Carnegie a few years ago. She gave us some of the backstory to his composition, and told us the most wonderful anecdotes to add color to our rehearsals. Such a treat.
"Two drifters off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see. . ."
#3343MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:51pm
YAY JOEY, the guy that keeps us politically in the know.
Excellent choice!!!!
It is ridiculous to set a detective story in New York City. New York City is itself a detective story...
AGATHA CHRISTIE, Life magazine, May 14, 1956
#3344MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:53pm
What a beautiful picture of Ella and Sassy! I've never seen that one. Thank you, Cookie.
kissmycookie
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/21/04
#3345MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 1:55pm
You are most welcome, PJ! 
Oh to have been able to hear them both sing together....
#3346MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 2:02pm
Cookie--I wasn't aware they ever HAD sung together!
Addy--which daughter did you meet? Nina or Jamie?
NYadgal
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
#3347MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 2:09pm
Jamie.
She also gave a pre-concert lecture in the Hall, which was just marvelous.
"Two drifters off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see. . ."
#3348MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 2:29pm
Apparently everyone knows that it is PJ day today. As I was in my car during my lunch break I was listening to XM on Broadway and they played a whole string of Sondheim songs, including Two for Tea from No No Nanette. I immediatly thought of this thread.
"All the while making faces like a baby platypus who forget to take some Beano before eating a chimichanga." FindingNamo in reference to Jessica Simpson's singing.
MasterLcZ
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/12/03
#3349MBCotD - PalJoey
Posted: 2/7/06 at 2:32pm
Oh my goodness! Here it is mid-afternoon and I JUST noticed who is being honored today - our resident Judy-lover and fascist-smasher! PJ never fails to "start my day in a happy way" with his delicious posts gutting the present adminiSStration as well as tasty tidbits regarding the greatest entertainer of the twentieth century!
And you ARE writing down all your Broadway experiences, aren't you?
"Christ, Bette Davis?!?!"
Updated On: 2/7/06 at 02:32 PM
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