By Seth Rudetsky
21 Sep 2009

I also interviewed Pam Myers and asked her about doing the original Company. Pam had just graduated from The Cincinnati Conservatory of Music when she got her first audition, which happened to be for Company. She didn't know what to sing, so she sang the pop tune "Little Green Apples." Sondheim loved her…especially because he had never heard the song before and thought she wrote it! She got cast as Marta who didn't have a song. One day at rehearsal, Sondheim came and told her that he wrote a song...specifically for her! He sang it for her… but she was devastated. Not because she didn't like it, but because he sang it in his key…four steps up! Pam can hit some high notes, but she's not (fill in the name of an opera diva…I don't have the energy to do research). Thankfully, they brought it down it for her and it worked great…after they cut it from the show. That's right. They couldn't find the right place for the song and kept moving it around. The last straw was when they moved it after "The Ladies Who Lunch." Imagine having to follow "Rise! Rise! Rise RI-I-I-I-ISE!?!?!" It reminds me of this year's Easter Bonnet opening number. At one point, Liza Minnelli was going to enter in the middle of the song, sing up a storm…and then they were going to introduce Norm Lewis. We were all like "And cut! You can't make someone follow Liza!" It's also similar to what Julie James (the fabulous announcer on the Sirius/XM Live On Broadway show) has been doing 'til I busted her this week. She's been announcing our big star guest first and then the "special guest." So it's been, "This week we have multiple Tony nominee, Kelli O'Hara!" Wild applause!!!! "And, currently making his Broadway debut, Jason Michael Snow!" *Silence*. Then smattering of applause…from me. I finally begged her to reverse it to spare the special guest a soul-destroying ego plummet. Back to Company. Pam and Elaine Stritch have remained friends, and Pam was visiting recently and showed Stritch a picture of her son and her mom. Stritch, who wasn't wearing her glasses, looked at the picture and said, "Your son is adorable. But Pam…not your best shot." Pam was like, "Elaine! That's my mother! She's 93!!!!"

This week I'm gearing up for the fabulous Broadway Flea Market on Sunday. Christie Ford, who makes all my DVD copies and sends out the ones ordered from my website for BC/EFA, has compiled an amazing compilation DVD with 40 song performances from the Broadway stars at the Chatterbox. Plus, the Flea Market will be auctioning off a chance to co-host with me on my Sirius/XM show. Brava! Okay, L'Shana Tovah (Feldshuh) everyone!

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