DIVA TALK: Falsettos and Norma Desmond Revisited
By Andrew Gans
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QUOTABLE QUOTES :
Patti LuPone speaks from the heart on her website (www.pattilupone.net):
"I shot an episode of 'The In-Laws' in California. I fell in love with Dennis Farina and Jean Smart. I also became extremely fond of the kids. But let me tell you what happened during my week at 'The In-Laws.' I had a great director, I was surrounded by a great crew, not to mention a cast that absolutely adored each other. However, there was a slight bit of tension as to whether they would be picked up or canceled. Two hours before we shot in front of a live audience the show was canceled. WHERE ARE THE SHOWMEN? Why are actors treated as if we are so many carrot peelings? You would think they would have kept the tension alive so as to produce a good show. When it came time to shoot, Bonnie [Somerville] & Elon [Gold] (the kids) were exhausted from their emotions. These guys who run our business now are cruel and insensitive. No, they're not insensitive, they're just not showmen. They haven't a clue as to what it takes to be an actor. Temperament. Temperament should be nurtured. Then it can handle any blow. But to disregard an essential ingredient of the actor, well..."
David Hurst's Show Business Weekly review of Shoshana (Hairspray ) Bean 's concert at The Duplex: The Life, Ragtime, Once On This Island, The Wiz, etc.) displayed her jaw-dropping versatility and stunning vocal control. Her effortless, operatic singing of "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" from Porgy & Bess was as unexpected as it was gorgeous." [Bean returns to the Duplex, Sunday, Jan. 19 for an 8 PM sold-out show.]
IN OTHER DIVA NEWS OF THE WEEK : How exciting that Elaine Paige will return to the West End stage this summer! Paige's official website reveals that the award-winning actress will star in a yet-to-be named play on the London stage directed by Sir Peter Hall . Hall directed Paige in one of her greatest stage hits, Piaf ; her performance in that musical drama remains one of my favorite theatregoing experiences. Stay tuned for more details! . . . Longtime friends and performing partners Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett will be honored at The Museum of Television & Radio's annual gala. This year's gala, which will be held at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 5. The Museum will salute Andrews and Burnett for "their outstanding and award-winning careers on television," which include the 1962 "Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall" as well as two follow-up specials. A host of Burnett and Andrews' celebrity friends will be on hand to pay tribute to the legendary performers. The Museum of Television and Radio is located at 25 West 52nd Street in New York and 465 North Beverly Drive in Los Angeles. For more information, call (212) 621-6800 in New York or (310) 786-1000 in Los Angeles. . . . Tony Award winner Jennifer Holliday will offer two concerts at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts this weekend. The former Dreamgirls star will perform in concert at the California performing arts center on Jan. 17 and 18. Show time is 8 PM for both evenings. Part of the Sierra Nights Series, Holliday is expected to sing several of her chart-topping hits, including "I Am Love," "Just Let Me Wait" and "I'm On Your Side" as well as her signature tune, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." Tickets for Holliday's concerts are priced at $45 and are available by calling the Cerritos box office at (800) 300-4345. . . . Another Tony Award-winning belter, Heather Headley , can also be heard this weekend. Headley will sing the National Anthem at the Jan. 19 AFC Championship football game, which airs on CBS-TV at 6:30 PM ET. Check local listings. . . . At his solo New York cabaret debut on Feb. 15 and 16, John McDaniel — of "Rosie O'Donnell Show" fame — will introduce a new, rising talent, singer-actress Eden Espinosa , who recently starred in the workshop of Brooklyn , the Broadway-bound musical produced by McDaniel, director Jeff Calhoun and Mitchell Maxwell. The 7:30 PM concerts will be held at Joe's Pub, located within the Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street, between East 4th Street and Astor Place. Tickets, priced at $25, are available at the Public Theater's box office, on-line at www.telecharge.com or by phone at (212) 239-6200 . . . . And, finally, Titanic 's Victoria Clark will star in the Intiman Theatre's production of Adam Guettel's The Light in the Piazza May 30 through July 19. Clark's official website says that Clark will play the lead role of Margaret, the mother, in the new musical, which is based on the Elizabeth Spencer novella of the same name.
REMINDERS
Betty Buckley in Concert :
May 31, 2003 at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, WA
Liz Callaway in Concert :
Feb. 14-15 Stephen Schwartz and Friends at the Edison Theatre at Washington University in St. Louis, MOBroadway Showstoppers in Philadelphia, PA
Barbara Cook in Concert :
Jan. 31, 2003 at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in Long Island, NY
Linda Eder in Concert:
Jan. 25 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT
Patti LuPone in Concert
March 27 at the East County Performing Arts Center in Cajon, CA ("Matters of the Heart")
Maureen McGovern in Concert
Jan. 30-Feb. 2 at Orchestra Hall with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in Detroit , MI
Well, that’s all for now. Happy diva-watching!
