CONCERTS!
And now for something a little different, the first in an occasional
series.
A stage. A performer or group of performers. An audience. And that, in a
nutshell, is a concert.
Starting things off… a very special evening?
November, 1985. In 1982, Pia Zadora won the Golden Globe award as New
Star of the Year for her critically-reviled role in the equally critically-reviled
film, Butterfly. She won this award over Kathleen Turner for Body Heat and Elizabeth McGovern for Ragtime. Rumors flew fast and furious
that her then-husband-slash-sugar daddy, Israeli billionaire Meshulam Riklis,
in effect "purchased" the award for her with gifts and Vegas junkets
for the Golden Globe voters. Très scandal! She also won that year's Golden
Raspberry Award for "Worst Actress" and "Worst New Star." Truly,
Zadora was having an award-packed year. Not mentioned in any of this, however,
was the fact that Zadora had a decent theatre resume going back twenty years,
including a few Broadway roles, and a national tour or two, most notably Applause in the Bonnie Franklin role.
Her 1983 film, The Lonely Lady, was
just as painful as Butterfly, and
Zadora became a joke, a punch line. But then, in 1985, Zadora released an album
of standards accompanied by the London Philharmonic called Pia and Phil, and, guess what? It wasn't bad. Not bad at all, with
Zadora displaying an unexpected set of pipes that reminded one a bit of Liza
Minnelli. In conjunction with the album's release, she embarked on a tour, called
"Standards of Excellence," with one of the stops being suburban Oakbrook
Terrace's gaudy, over-the-top Drury Lane Theatre. How could anyone resist?
Well, Steve and I couldn't. We were living in the western burbs then (Yes, I
know, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.), so we hopped in the car and
off we went to Oakbrook Terrace. Zadora's bio,1 ½ pages of very small print, I kid you not, gave
one the impression that she was, well, a really major star. A bit heavy on the
ego perhaps, but the proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes, and, if you
were expecting to gleefully witness a train wreck, I'm afraid theatergoers were
sadly disappointed. Backed by a 40-piece orchestra with a full string section
(!!), Zadora sang a lot, chatted a lot, even poked a bit of fun at herself,
and, not surprisingly given her theatre background, seemed at ease with the
audience. The audience was warm and receptive, unlike the assessment from the Tribune music critic, and if her
vocalizing didn't offer definitive versions of anything, and if it all started
to sound a bit alike and a bit too packaged, it was still a pleasant way to
spend an evening. – at the Drury Lane Theatre, Oakbrook Terrace
Pia
and the Sardine Bar: Chicago's late and lamented Gold Star Sardine
Bar was a jewel of a nightspot located at 680 N. Lake Shore Drive (Née 666 N. LSD,
the address was changed by new owners to, supposedly, disassociate the building
with its previous financial problems. Urban legend, however, says the God
people got involved because of the satanic overtones to the number
"666." I prefer the latter explanation. More fun.). My living room is
larger than the Sardine Bar, yet they always kept the venue booked with folks
from local great Patricia Barber to Tony Bennett to Liza Minnelli to Pia
Zadora, complete with a 35-piece orchestra. Although I didn't see her there, I
understand that the orchestra was crammed into the room leaving space for only
a handful of patrons, who had to stand behind the bar. Pia, honey, ever hear of
a combo??
Pia
and that Golden Globe: In a 2015 interview, Zadora insisted that her
Golden Globe was won fair and square, and that she won because those wacky
members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association really believed in their
heart of hearts that she was a better actress than Kathleen Turner or Elizabeth
McGovern. Oh, Pia…..
And speaking of oversized egos…
THE MITZI GAYNOR
SHOW – Drury Lane Theatre, Oakbrook Terrace, IL
October, 1987. The program billed the evening as such: "MITZI
GAYNOR starring in THE MITZI GAYNOR SHOW.” Well, kinda obvious in my opinion,
but after just rereading all two pages of Gaynor's bio, written in worshipful
prose, I'm convinced that one of Gaynor's life goals is to see her name in
print as often as humanly possible and to convince everyone that she is one of
the greatest stars ever. (She isn't.) The program notes continued the
breathless hyperbolic prose, and I distinctly remember being rather put off by
it. Which was a shame, really, because Gaynor's show was slick, professional,
and hugely entertaining, and I may have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been
assaulted by all the unnecessary verbiage of praise. Yes, Gaynor delivered the
goods, and at fifty-six she was singing and dancing with the best of them, but
if Pia Zadora's concert two years earlier seemed a bit packaged, Gaynor's show
was delivered with a rehearsed precision that forbade any hint of spontaneity.
Gaynor, pro that she is, however, managed to make her chitchat seem off the
cuff and the audience, Steve and I were among the youngest there by a few
decades, couldn't wait to leap to their feet at the show's end. Don't get me
wrong. I enjoyed the evening. I really did. It's always nice to see a talent at
their best, but I so wish Gaynor and her public relations folks could have let
me decide for myself whether or not she's the best thing since sliced bread.
She's a terrific B tier performer, no more, no less, and there's nothing wrong
with that. Dial down the ego, Mitzi. – at the Drury Lane Theatre, Oakbrook
Terrace, IL
And now for a true star…
JULIE ANDREWS – Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL
January, 1988. So Pia "won" a Golden Globe, starred in a
handful of awful movies, had a limited, but successful theatre career, and went
on a few concert tours. I would dare say in 2018, the reaction to hearing her
name would be "Pia, who?" Mitzi stopped doing movies in 1963, is most
famous for the lackluster South Pacific,
did some very successful TV specials, and was a Vegas regular. Still and all,
in 2018, the reaction to hearing her name would most likely be "Mitzi
Gaynor? Heard of her. Wasn't she in the movies?" And then there's Julie
Andrews. No introduction needed. No "Julie, who?" The Broadway star
of The Boy Friend, My Fair Lady, Camelot,
and the legit adaptation of her film smash, Victor/Victoria. The film star of Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Thoroughly Modern Miller, 10, S.O.B. (note…if
you haven't seen S.O.B., put it on
your Netflix queue now.), Victor/Victoria, The Princess Diaries
(both), and even a character voice in two Despicable Me installments. Scores of television
appearances/specials. She's even the author of children's books. Add to all
this, an Oscar, a recipient of a Kennedy Center honor and a DBE, making her Dame Julia
Elizabeth Andrews. That, ladies and gentlemen, is true star cred. Add class and
an abundance of stage presence, and, well, you have the makings of a remarkable
concert. It probably goes without saying that Andrews did not disappoint her
adoring audience. You got all the de rigueur Andrews songs from her Broadway
and film hits in addition to some popular classics. Backed by a skilled
orchestra and looking at ease, Andrews wove a spell. I had a grand time! – at
the Chicago Theatre, Chicago
Opening
Acts: Although Pia Zadora had an opening act, I can't remember who it was. I
don't believe Gaynor had one, since her show had two acts and an interval.
Ventriloquist Jay Johnson opened for Andrews, and he was superb.
Victor/Victoria…Film vs. Stage: I'm simply mad about the film Victor/Victoria. Full stop. The story, the
score, the acting, all of it. When it was announced that Chicago would be one
of the stops for the stage adaptation of V/V
on its way to Broadway, I was absolutely thrilled. Sadly, what was presented on
the Shubert stage was a mess. Numbers from the film were cut in favor of
substandard replacements; the stage actors, while all pros, didn't quite land
as well as their film counterparts; even Andrews, in what would be her first
Broadway appearance in over thirty years, seemed uncomfortable and, oddly, tentative.
I pretty much hated everything about it, and the show is one of my all-time
theatrical train wrecks.
FERRANTE &
TEICHER – Norris Cultural Arts Center, St. Charles, IL
October, 1985. The legendary duo of the grand pianos didn't disappoint
in an evening of their greatest hits. The Norris, a pleasant 1000 seat house in
St. Charles, was packed with fans, Steve and I again being among the youngest
by a generation or so. In fact, we went with Steve's parents. Come to think of
it, Ferrante and Teicher was a perfect show to see with one's parents. Void
of the celestial choir and orchestral backup found on their albums, the concert
was elegant in its simplicity of two grand pianos and two men who knew how to
make beautiful music on them. They would retire from performing four years
later. – at the Norris Cultural Arts Center, St. Charles, IL
MARIA FRIEDMAN SINGS SONDHEIM – Café Carlyle, New York
May, 2006. The elegant, pricy Café Carlyle is the perfect venue for an
intimate evening of song stylings by a talented singer. An evening of all
Sondheim tunes delivered with elan makes it even more perfect. And if that
talented singer is Maria Friedman, it makes the evening even more perfect than
more perfect. A few years earlier, we'd seen Friedman in the sadly
under-produced and underrated The Witches of Eastwick in London's West
End and immediately fell in love with her. At the Café Carlyle, we fell in love
with her all over again. Warm and personable, Friedman, backed by piano and
cello, made the 70 minutes or so fly by, left us wanting more, and made one
truly appreciate the genius of Sondheim's music. We had the opportunity to chat
a bit with her after the show, and she made us feel that our presence at the
performance that night absolutely made her day. This was a first-class evening
from start to finish. – at the Café Carlyle, New York
About
Ms. Clayburgh… In New York, you'll never know who's going to be at the next table.
That evening, my next door neighbor was Jill Clayburgh. No, I didn't recognize
her immediately. She looked familiar, but… Then she laughed and started talking
to her tablemates and, well, her voice was unmistakable, and I just stared at
her and blurted out, in my charming and elegant way, "Oh my God, you're
Jill Clayburgh!" Nice, Jeff. So cool! Fortunately, she took pity on this
blithering idiot, smiled, and said something sweet and kind, and we all went
back to our drinks. She was appearing in a revival of Barefoot in the Park. Have no idea why we didn't see that. A few
years later, shortly after Clayburgh died in 2010, Bob and I saw her daughter,
Lily Rabe, in Seminar, and, wow,
could you tell she's Jill Clayburgh's daughter. The voice, the mannerisms, the laugh. Jill Clayburgh was a great talent
taken from us too soon.
AN EVENING WITH BETTY BUCKLEY – Symphony Center, Chicago
May, 1999. Prior to this concert, I'd seen Betty Buckley four times.
First in the early 70s in Broadway's Pippin
as Catherine. Then in the late-80s, post-Cats,
post television's Eight Is Enough, in
a very strange performance at the late, lamented George's, a lovely
cabaret/jazz club on Kinzie, behind the Merchandise Mart. That was followed by
performances in Sunset Boulevard, first
in 1994 in London, shortly after taking over the part of Norma from Patti
LuPone, in a performance that was vocally superb, but tentative in the acting
department. Then two years later in 1996 on Broadway, after replacing Glenn
Close, in a performance that was confident, assured, and oozing with star
charisma. No one can deny the woman's talent, and the packed house at Symphony
Center, aka Orchestra Hall, including a huge contingent of gay men, cheered at
almost everything Buckley did in a long evening of songs and reminisces. I was
not among them. Underneath the well-rehearsed chat, there lurked a coolness, an
aloofness that I found off-putting. Oh, she sang all the big hits, including a
couple from Sunset, and, of course,
"Memory," but I just couldn't warm up to her. Claiming
"Meadowlark" from The Baker's
Wife has always been her song, when in truth it's considered one of Patti
LuPone's signature songs, was a jarring bit of ego that didn't sit well with
me. By the end of the evening, I was frankly tired of it all and scooted out
after the last number, skipping the encores, a first for me. – at Symphony
Center (Orchestra Hall), Chicago
Betty
Sighting: In 2010, Bob and I went to a cabaret show at Feinstein's at Loew's
Regency starring Michael Urie and his Ugly
Betty co-star, Becki Newton (more about that performance in another
installment). After being seated for the second show, Bob got up to use the
loo. In the lobby he ran into Betty Buckley, who was leaving the club after
seeing the first show. According to Bob, she was warm, friendly, and just plain
nice. Huh. Wasn't expecting that. Glad to hear it.
While we're on the subject, let's talk about that George's gig…
BETTY BUCKLEY –
George's, Chicago
May, 1989. In May, 1989, Betty Buckley was probably most noted for her
step-mother role in television's hit series, Eight Is Enough, her Tony-winning performance as Grizabella, that
"Memory" feline, in Cats,
and her co-starring turn in the lovely, underrated film, Tender Mercies. By this time, she had also survived the
infamous Carrie on Broadway. Now George's
was just about the perfect place to see a talented performer up-close and
personal. It was intimate, the drinks were good, the atmosphere relaxed.
Buckley received warm entrance applause, but then shortly after beginning her
set, she announced that she hoped we weren't expecting to hear a lot of show
tunes because that wasn't what she wanted to do. Well, okay, then. While a
performer has every right to determine their program, still and all, there was
probably a much more audience-friendly way to state that this wasn't going to
be a Broadway singalong. Oh, she sang the occasional theatre song, but the bulk
of the show was devoted to some classics, some original stuff, some was good,
some was over-interpreted, and the chat was, well, I didn't know what she was
babbling about. In the end, she finally did the song everyone came to hear, but
she prefaced it by saying this would be a "Memory" that we've never
heard before. What? Girl, that song got you a freaking Tony. Quit being weird
and just sing the damn thing! Now, truthfully, it wasn't bad, but it was all subdued and introspective
and, well, kinda dull. The Tribune critic gushed that
the 1989 Buckley was well on her way to becoming her generation's Julie Wilson.
Uh….no. While there was absolutely no mistaking Buckley's magnetism and musical
professionalism, claiming her to be her generation's Julie Wilson was a
stretch. Sorry. There was only one
Julie Wilson and she was magnificent. – at George's, Chicago
Gosh, this was fun. Hope you enjoyed it. That's enough concerting for
today. Ta!
©
2018 Jeffrey Geddes
