PLAYBILL ON OPENING NIGHT: [title of show] — Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?

By Harry Haun
18 Jul 2008

The show is coming at a good time for Blackwell, who, like the Susan she plays in the show, was preparing to leave showbiz for the real world and star in "Corporate Whore." Bowen and Bell rescued her from that. "They sure did. I was a little baby kitten. They just picked me up by the scruff of the neck and just lifted me out of the corporate experience." Not that she has completely said goodbye to her newly modified nine-to five. "Now, I work 30 hours a week at my day job. It's a little more flexible and a little less frantic. In both places, I work with people I love, so it's great."

Joan Rivers, Jerry Mitchell, Marian Seldes, S. Epatha Merkerson, Ann Harada, Bob Martin and Barrett Foa
photos by Aubrey Reuben
A Broadway virgin until he gave it to The Grinch last Christmas, Bell wants partial credit for a just-slightly-tarnished Main Stem debut. "That was astounding, but this is my first time with something I wrote. To be on Broadway is one thing. To be on Broadway with your best friends, doing something you believe in so much and want to share, is something else. I couldn't be prouder. It's been amazing every night."

Of course, since their two sold-out gigs Off-Broadway at the Vineyard, he and Bowen have worked overtime (temp work permitting) to develop and nurture a following. "We've worked two years cultivating, connecting, answering fan mail, Then, when people whose work we respect come see us — like Penny Fuller," he trumpeted abruptly, fleeing to the arms of the actress, ending the interview in mid-sentence.

The party was packed with celebs: Blaine Trump, recent Tony contender S. Epatha Merkerson, Ragtime composer Stephen Flaherty with Judy Gold, Legally Blonde director-choreographer Jerry Mitchell, the much-Tonyed Terrence McNally (who wrote rhapsodic liner notes for the [title of show] CD), Harry Bouvy (back from the Vegas Spamalot), T. Scott Cunningham, Hairspray composer Marc Shaiman, In the Heights creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brigadoon director-choreographer Rob Ashford ("We have all our ensemble dancers cast, and we start in September"), Brian Stokes Mitchell, Il Divo's David Miller, Les Miz/A Tale of Two Cites' Aaron Lazar (Berresse's bro in Light in the Piazza and bursting with pride for him), Joan Rivers (who was Office-Temping a generation or so before the [title of show] foursome), Jessica Molaskey (done with Sunday in the Park with George and readying for the Cafι Carlyle with hubby, guitarist John Pizzarelli, September through November), They Might Be Giants bandsman John Flansburgh, NY1 critic Roma Torre first-nighting-it for a change, Geoffrey Nauffts, late of Cry-Baby Christopher J. Hanke, Birdland impresario Jim Caruso, High Fidelity composer Tom Kitt and lyricist Amanda Green (whose dad, Adolph, and godmother, Betty Comden, are lauded in the show for their On the Town breakthrough).

A number of Names who are dropped in the show — Betty Buckley and John Cameron Mitchell, among them — showed up to check it out and stayed to love it.

Cheyenne Jackson arrived late (soul intact) from Damn Yankees, having caught [title of show] earlier. His contract with Xanadu is up in January — about the time Kelli O'Hara's expires with South Pacific — and he said there has been serious talk of teaming them in Jan Warner's musical version of an Arnold Weinstein-John Wulp play, The Red Eye of Love, to be directed by Ted Sperling and designed by Willa Kim.

Sportingly, considering that Bowen & Bell did the early and unused first draft of Nine to Five, producers invited a whole contingent from that show, which is now rehearsing for its upcoming Ahmanson opening — Megan Hilty, Stephanie J. Block and Ann Harada. Hilty was with her longtime main-squeeze Steve Kazee; in fact, they caught the show on opening night of the first Vineyard engagement at the start of their relationship.

Kazee will complete the Craig Bierko-Jan Maxwell triangle in To Be Or Not To Be, which director Casey Nicholaw is installing in the Biltmore this fall. Nicholaw was in attendance, as was his scripter for The Drowsy Chaperone and the forthcoming Minsky's, Bob Martin (a.k.a. "Man in Chair").

Harada hails originally from Avenue Q, which was represented by Barrett Foa, Heather Hawkins (wife of [title of show] co-producer Roy Miller), Kate Monster (Carey Anderson) and Princeton (Howie Michael Smith). Avenue Q's Tony-winning scripter Jeff Whitty was taking a break from writing the musical book for Tales of the City to party and was particularly pleased to be in attendance: "Of all shows, being at the opening of this is special." He practically swooned on learning he was in the same room with Marian Seldes. "They should to find a way of preserving Marian Seldes, as she is, for all eternity. She is so divine."

Character actress Mary Stout (Beauty and the Beast, Jane Eyre), who was struck by a runaway Sabrett hot-dog cart a few years ago and is referenced for that fact in the show, discovered on leaving the party a functioning one outside the club. It was marked The Mary Stout Honorary Cart. Forgiving soul that she is, and flattered, she partook.

Heidi Blickenstaff, Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen, Susan Blackwell and Larry Pressgrove take their curtain call.
Heidi Blickenstaff, Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen, Susan Blackwell and Larry Pressgrove take their curtain call.
photo by Aubrey Reuben

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