By Andrew Gans
22 Aug 2008

	Paice with Curtains co-star David Hyde Pierce
	photo by Joan Marcus

Question: Looking back on your experience in Curtains, is there anything that particularly stands out for you?
Paice: Curtains was a unique experience because we went to L.A. together, and then we came back to Broadway together. Having David Hyde Pierce and Deb Monk at the top of our cast — their beautiful, good energy just trickled down, and I have never known a cast to bond quite the way that we did. It was truly a family. It's a family that has stayed in touch and has looked after each other even once the show has closed. I can't sing the praises enough about that company, which was the nicest company on Broadway, and David Hyde Pierce is the gentleman of Broadway. We were just so blessed. The show itself was such a send-up to Broadway anyway. To then make it to Broadway was so wonderful.

Question: Was it difficult to leave Curtains to go do Gone with the Wind?
Paice: It was. From an emotional point of view, leaving this group that I had spent a year-and-a-half of my life with was difficult, but when you're offered Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, I don't think you can say no. [Laughs.]

Question: Did Gone with the Wind come about because you had worked with Trevor?
Paice: Yeah. Well, actually, when I was doing Woman in White in London, I happened to be at a dinner party one night with Trevor and just asked what he was doing next. He said, "Well I'm going to be workshopping a production of Gone with the Wind," and I just about fell out of my chair! I did fall out of my chair because I'm in love with "Gone with the Wind." I've always been such a fan of it. So, Trevor and I were just talking about ideas. He said, "You know I can't have you do it. You're here doing Woman in White. [The workshop] would be 10-6, and that's a big role to take on." And I said, "No, no, no I completely understand." And then a couple of weeks later, he called and asked if I would do it. I had workshopped it, and then they had flown me over again to do the demo, and Trevor is very faithful. Aldo Scrofani, who was one of our producers, was willing to be very faithful. Here I am, a no-name really. I'm not a Hollywood star. They brought me back over to London to do Gone with the Wind.

Question: What do you think were the problems with the show, and what do you think were its strengths? Do you think it could have another life?
Paice: It's a fantastic piece. It really is, and there are some beautiful, brilliant moments. It's a great story. . . . We were just in previews as they trimmed it down and got it down to three hours and 15 minutes. We were just getting better and better audience reaction, and we were really fueled by that, and we were excited by that. We got to opening night and had standing ovations, which in London you just don't get standing ovations. They are very reserved with their ovations over there. In no way were we shielded or protected from what then happened. We weren't expecting those kinds of reviews. I didn't think we would get amazing reviews because, for heaven's sake, we're trying to put "Gone with the Wind" onstage. But I think the press over there had, weeks before, months before, decided that Trevor Nunn was not going to succeed putting the greatest novel, the greatest film, up on stage. It wouldn't have mattered, I don't think, what we had presented. They weren't going to have liked anything about it, and that's exactly what happened.

	Darius Danesh and Jill Paice in Gone with the Wind
	photo by Catherine Ashmore

Question: That must have been really disheartening after working so hard.
Paice: Absolutely. For any actor, you pour your heart and your soul into these pieces because you cannot dare question them because you're up there doing them eight times a week. And you're not watching it, you're just trying to make it work — constantly trying to make it work. Even if there are moments that you know aren't working, every night you get to them, and you continue to try. You do not question. So, yes, when that happened we were crushed. There was an energy at the theatre. You would walk in, and you could feel this cloud hanging over everybody. But thank God — Aldo Scrofani got out there and raised more money, did a whole new publicity push... I'm sure anybody else would have closed us the next day! They kept us going for nearly another two months, whatever it was, because he believed in the piece. We all did, and that was the problem, because none of us were up for that sort of disappointment. So, as our run continued, that cloud sort of disappeared and we said, "Well, we don't know how long we're here, but let's make the most of it." And we managed to have a great time together. And, again, we bonded because it just felt like we were fighting this uphill battle with the press. The press wouldn't let it go. They kept mentioning it in their papers every once in awhile. A new show would open up, and they'd say, "Well, it's not as long as Gone with the Wind ." They just kept digging at us for no reason. And that's what I mean by . . . we weren't going to make it because they were ready to tear us down, and they were going to continue to tear us down even if we made it through the summer. They kept doing things like that to us, and I think it's unfair and uncalled for. That didn't have anything to do with the piece. That was just a dig.

Question: Did you get to record the score?
Paice: No, and we didn't get to do a souvenir program. We sort of have our memories that live on with the cast and the people who came to see it. The nice thing is Turner Classic Movies did a documentary on the making of it, which played over in London, and they did give us a copy. It's sort of sad to go back and watch now because we were all so excited. [Laughs.] But, at the same time, it's a great memory of the show, and they did tape some footage of the actual show. To have somebody following you around through the rehearsal process is a nice memento to have. It's just not available to everybody right now.

Question: Do you think that the show will get done elsewhere?
Paice: I think they are talking about it, but I don't what their plans are. I think there is still hope for it yet, but I'm not sure where or when.

Question: Other than Ace, do you have any other projects in the works?
Paice: I'm just focused on Ace right now. I just got back to the States, so there's always sort of this reintroduction period where you have to start getting your face out there and reminding people that you're here again. I've just got Ace on my plate right now.

[Ace will play Signature's MAX Theatre Aug. 26-Sept. 28. Tickets, ranging in price from $49 to $86 each, are available by calling (703) 573-7328 or by visiting www.signature-theatre.org.]

	Alice Ripley

DIVA TIDBITS
Alice Ripley, who scored some of the best reviews of her career as well as a Drama Desk nomination for her work in the recent Off-Broadway production of Next to Normal, will reprise her role as a bipolar mom in Arena Stage's upcoming production of that acclaimed Tom Kitt-Brian Yorkey musical. Ripley will join the previously announced J. Robert Spencer in Arena's Michael Greif-directed production of Next to Normal, about a family affected by a mother's mental illness and grief. Spencer will play the dad, Dan, the role created Off-Broadway by Shrek's Brian d'Arcy James. Next to Normal will play Nov. 21, 2008-Jan. 18, 2009 at Arena's temporary home in Crystal City, VA. For more information about the Arena season, visit arenastage.org.

The Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight concert series at Joe's Pub, which will present a mix of Broadway performers and composers Mondays at 11:30 PM, will kick off Sept. 8 with RIPLEY, the rock band comprising songwriter/guitarist/lead singer Alice Ripley, drummer Shannon Ford and keyboard player Christopher Schelling. The series will continue Sept. 15 at 11:30 PM with recent Spring Awakening star Lauren Pritchard. The young singing actress will perform tunes from her forthcoming debut album, which is due at the end of the year. And, TASTiSKANK — which features Sarah Litzsinger and Kate Reinders — will perform Sept. 22 at 11:30 PM. The group is billed as "the rockin' love child of Tenacious D and the Indigo Girls." Joe's Pub is located within the Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street. Tickets are available by calling (212) 967-7555 or by visiting www.joespub.com.

	Merle Dandridge

Merle Dandridge, whose Broadway credits include Rent, Tarzan and Aida, will join the cast of the Tony-winning Monty Python's Spamalot at the Shubert Theatre in September. Dandridge will succeed Marin Mazzie in the role of The Lady of The Lake beginning Sept. 2. For more information visit www.montypythonsspamalot.com.

Laura Osnes, who recently completed a year-long stint as Sandy in the Tony-nominated revival of Grease, has been cast in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' Broadway: Three Generations, a three-act evening featuring condensed versions of Girl Crazy, Bye Bye Birdie and Side Show, which will be presented at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater Oct. 2-5. Lonny Price directs. Osnes, who joins the previously announced Randy Graff, Brooks Ashmanskas, Lisa Brescia, Jenn Colella, Michael McElroy and Max von Essen, will play Kim MacAfee in Birdie. Tickets, priced $25-$90, are available by visiting www.kennedy-center.org.

The fall season at Feinstein's at Loews Regency has been announced. The new season at the intimate nightspot will kick off with Michael Feinstein's The Sinatra Project (Sept. 2-6), followed by Ashford & Simpson (Sept. 9-20), "Hairspray" film star Nikki Blonsky (Sept. 23-Oct. 4), Lynda Carter (Oct. 21-25), Kentucky Girlfriends (featuring Crystal Gayle and Laura Bell Bundy, Oct. 28-Nov. 1), Tony winner Brian Stokes Mitchell (Nov. 11-15) and Garrison Keillor (in Man in Tux with Red Shoes and Piano, Sunday nights Dec. 7-28). The Sunday-Monday series will include Anna Bergman with special guest Brent Barrett in My Heart Stood Still: The Love Songs of Richard Rodgers (Sept. 14, 15 and 21), Alexis Houston (Sept. 28), La Tanya Hall (in What Love Is, Sept. 29), Sal Manzo (in A Recipe for Beautiful Music, Oct. 5-6), Magical Nights at Feinstein's (Oct. 12, 19 and Nov. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30), Gianni Russo (in An Evening You Can't Refuse, Oct. 20), Adam Pascal (in Broadway State of Mind, Oct. 26-27), George S. Irving (Nov. 3), Giada Valenti (Nov. 10), Miles Phillips (Nov. 17), Brandon Cutrell (in Feelin' Frosty, Dec. 1) and Kathryn Crosby (in Christmas with Bing and Kathryn Crosby, Dec. 15). Feinstein's at Loews Regency is located in Manhattan at 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street. For reservations call (212) 339-4095 or visit feinsteinsatloewsregency.com or TicketWeb.com.

Well, that's all for now. Happy diva-watching! E-mail questions or comments to agans@playbill.com.

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