#76
Posted: 2/21/13 at 5:33am
This was posted way back and I found it in my hotmail folders:
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre.musicals
From: ship...@aol.com (Shipshe)
Date: 1996/08/15
Subject: Answering PIPPIN questions
To set the record straight on several of the questions in a recent string:
The PIPPIN video was made in Canada expressly as a video, although it was
performed in front of an audience because there was so much "relating" to
the audience in that show. The video cast never toured or did the show
anywhere else. There was no album ever released as far as I know.
Someone put a "?" after Eric Berry's name, who played my pop Charlemagne
in the original company. He ws a very distinguished British actor who died
just about two years ago out here in California. He played his role for
the full five-year run on Broadway, and then did the entire National Tour.
PIPPIN bought him his country house and his beloved dog. One of the scary
joys of doing the show was the suspense about what he would actually say
during his number "War Is A Science"!!
Dear Irene Ryan did NOT die during a performance. Nor did she finish her
contract. Here's the true story:
Irene was lonely in New York City. She missed her life and her friends in
LA where she had lived for many years, and the cold winter and the
eight-show schedule undermined her spirit somewhat. But, trouper that she
was, she never missed a performance. However, I started to notice that she
was beginning to look weak, or listless. I sat and watched her big number
on stage every night, and I saw that she began to cut down on her moves,
and to generally diminish the amazing energy that she would normally put
out every time (on opening night, she stopped the show cold, and I had to
stand there for about eight minutes waiting for the applause to die down
before I could go on!). One Saturday matinee, she looked particularly
drained, and I got worried that she might be sick. I was having dinner
with Fosse at my house between shows; so I went to Ben Vereen and asked
him to contact Stuart Ostrow (the producer) and have him come to the
evening show, and I would ask Bob to do the same. I told Bob that I
thought perhaps Irene needed a vacation, even though contractually she
didn't have one coming for some months; it might do her good to go to
California for a while, and then finish up her contract when the weather
was warmer. Bob said he'd take a look at her in the next day or two.
When I returned to the Imperial for the evening show, the call had just
come through from Kennedy airport: Irene was on a plane to Los Angeles.
She had had her bags packed before the matinee, and right after the show,
with the help of Walter Willison, my friend and standby, she had left for
the airport right after the afternoon performance. Her standby, Lucie
Lancaster, went on that night, and then continued to play the part until
Dorothy Stickney took over some weeks later.
Irene, upon landing in LA, was taken right to the hospital, diagnosed with
malnutrition!! We all called and sent her cards and love and wishes to get
better fast, but she basically wasted away over the next few days. I
belive she actually died about three days later of some kind of heart
failure.
I have always thought that her behavior was like that of an old cat, who
curls up under the bed and goes to sleep and just doesn't wake up. Irene
knew (either consciously or not) that it was her "time". She stuck with
her job as long as she could, and then, without fanfare, went home to die.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre.musicals
From: ship...@aol.com (Shipshe)
Date: 1996/08/15
Subject: Answering PIPPIN questions
To set the record straight on several of the questions in a recent string:
The PIPPIN video was made in Canada expressly as a video, although it was
performed in front of an audience because there was so much "relating" to
the audience in that show. The video cast never toured or did the show
anywhere else. There was no album ever released as far as I know.
Someone put a "?" after Eric Berry's name, who played my pop Charlemagne
in the original company. He ws a very distinguished British actor who died
just about two years ago out here in California. He played his role for
the full five-year run on Broadway, and then did the entire National Tour.
PIPPIN bought him his country house and his beloved dog. One of the scary
joys of doing the show was the suspense about what he would actually say
during his number "War Is A Science"!!
Dear Irene Ryan did NOT die during a performance. Nor did she finish her
contract. Here's the true story:
Irene was lonely in New York City. She missed her life and her friends in
LA where she had lived for many years, and the cold winter and the
eight-show schedule undermined her spirit somewhat. But, trouper that she
was, she never missed a performance. However, I started to notice that she
was beginning to look weak, or listless. I sat and watched her big number
on stage every night, and I saw that she began to cut down on her moves,
and to generally diminish the amazing energy that she would normally put
out every time (on opening night, she stopped the show cold, and I had to
stand there for about eight minutes waiting for the applause to die down
before I could go on!). One Saturday matinee, she looked particularly
drained, and I got worried that she might be sick. I was having dinner
with Fosse at my house between shows; so I went to Ben Vereen and asked
him to contact Stuart Ostrow (the producer) and have him come to the
evening show, and I would ask Bob to do the same. I told Bob that I
thought perhaps Irene needed a vacation, even though contractually she
didn't have one coming for some months; it might do her good to go to
California for a while, and then finish up her contract when the weather
was warmer. Bob said he'd take a look at her in the next day or two.
When I returned to the Imperial for the evening show, the call had just
come through from Kennedy airport: Irene was on a plane to Los Angeles.
She had had her bags packed before the matinee, and right after the show,
with the help of Walter Willison, my friend and standby, she had left for
the airport right after the afternoon performance. Her standby, Lucie
Lancaster, went on that night, and then continued to play the part until
Dorothy Stickney took over some weeks later.
Irene, upon landing in LA, was taken right to the hospital, diagnosed with
malnutrition!! We all called and sent her cards and love and wishes to get
better fast, but she basically wasted away over the next few days. I
belive she actually died about three days later of some kind of heart
failure.
I have always thought that her behavior was like that of an old cat, who
curls up under the bed and goes to sleep and just doesn't wake up. Irene
knew (either consciously or not) that it was her "time". She stuck with
her job as long as she could, and then, without fanfare, went home to die.
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