ONSTAGE & BACKSTAGE: A Robe, Please, for the Ritz
By Seth Rudetsky
20 Aug 2007
Broadway was a little terrifying to her, though. She was so used to doing Off-Broadway that she called one of her friends freaking out when she heard that she would be wigged. "I don't know how to put on a wig," she cried.
"There are people there who do it for you, Jackie," her friend explained.
"Every time?" she sobbed.
I asked Mary what her time was like being Liza Minnelli's understudy in
The Rink. She said that the first time she went on was on a two-show day, July 4th , because Liza checked herself in to The Betty Ford Clinic. That made Jackie quip "Hey, what are you doing between shows? Ñ Rehab!"
Mary played the show for two weeks while they rehearsed Stockard Channing to take over the role. And then it played an additional two weeks. Ouch. Mary said that Chita Rivera is very in the moment when she performs, but likes to have everything she does pre-planned and almost choreographed. Mary is the opposite. She likes to change things up. Finally, one day, Mary did something different and it caused Chita to change the way she had always done a particular line.
"I got you!" Mary teased to Chita after the show.
"You did," Chita said, admitting to changing a moment in the show. "And it didn't work!" Busted! They had different acting styles, but still, Mary said that Chita was phenomenal to work with.
This week I also had an audition for Spamalot. I had to learn "You Won't Succeed on Broadway," which is fun-nee, and they also told me to bring my own music just in case. I got to the audition five minutes before it began and realized I didn't have my regular audition song. I did what every New York actor does when he needs music ASAP, I placed an emergency call to Michael Lavine. He has everything ever composed and he'll send it anywhere. Within one minute, he was faxing my old chestnut to Chelsea Studios. He's amazing. A little while ago when I was in P-town, I was doing a show for Family Week and realized I didn't have the music that Mariah Grandy (Les Miz) was singing. Michael was driving in from Williamstown, but told me that if he rushed home and went up to his apartment before returning his rental car, he'd be able to fax it to me in 45 minutes, I'd have the stage manager get it and Mariah would be able to sing it as the 11 o'clock number. He got it done and Mariah brought down the house. I don't know if we should focus on the praise he deserves for keeping Broadway music alive, or the derision I deserve for being so mind-bogglingly irresponsible twice in ten days.
And finally, I saw Grease Ð the show that started it all for me, Playbill column-wise. I was asked to blog about the reality show earlier this year and that's what led to this weekly column. So I sat and watched it with a fond heart. It's also the show I played piano for the longest on Broadway, so I watched it with a lot of eye rolling and "if I never hear this song again Ñ " But let me say, it was so fun to see Max and Laura live! Sort of like a musical theatre version of "Broadway Danny Rose." And I was super impressed with the voices of Lindsay Mendez (who played Jan) and Daniel Everidge (who played Roger). They interpolated some sassy high notes in "Mooning" that made me totally look forward to getting the CD in the fall. And brava Jenny Powers as Rizzo. I worked with her last summer at the Perry Mansfield New Works festival in Colorado and I was busting her for always playing nerdy soprano roles. She told me that's not really her, and boy was she right. She looks so gorgeous in the role and her acting and singing is delish. And I know my Rizzo. In my Grease days, I saw Jody Watley, Debby Boone, Rosie O'Donnell, Maureen McCormick, Tracy Nelson, Sheena Easton and Brooke Shields. Oh, yeah, and MacKenzie Phillips, Joely Fisher, and Linda Blair. You know, I do a lot of joking in this column, but I ain't joking now. Those women all played Rizzo. Don't get me started on the Vince Fontaines I've seen. OK, you did. Cousin Brucie, Joe Piscopo, Donny Most, Mickey Dolenz, gymnast Dominique Dawes. Oh, wait. She was Patty Simcox. Ow, my head hurts.
OK, that's it for now, I have to go to bed. Rehearsals for The Ritz begin tomorrow! Note to self: Buy highlighter/look over script/schedule lipo.
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(Seth Rudetsky is the host of "Seth's Big Fat Broadway" on SIRIUS Satellite Radio and the author of "The Q Guide to Broadway." He has played piano in the orchestras of 15 Broadway musicals, and he can be contacted by visiting www.sethsbroadwaychatterbox.com.)
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The company of Grease.
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| photo by Joan Marcus |
