ALPHABET SOUP (16): FEATURING A RANDOM LETTER OF THE ALPHABET AND SOME SHOWS THAT BEGIN WITH THAT LETTER: "L"

ALPHABET SOUP (16):

FEATURING A RANDOM LETTER OF THE ALPHABET AND SOME SHOWS THAT BEGIN WITH THAT LETTER

L

A.R. Guerney's uber-popular play that has been done by, I suspect, practically every theatre company in the world; Eugene O'Neill's epic masterpiece performed by a cast the likes of which dreams are made of; a blissfully mindless, thoroughly entertaining musical that probably should have stayed off-Broadway where it started; an acclaimed musical that I couldn't warm up no matter how hard I tried; and finally one of the funniest musicals in existence, full stop. Let the "Ls" begin!

LOVE LETTERS – Chicago Theatre, Chicago

February, 1992. Not that it matters, but neither of the two Broadway productions of A.R. Gurney's Love Letters were smoking box office smashes. What it lacked in Broadway durability, however, it more than made up for in popularity and has resulted in the gift that keeps on giving…and giving…and giving to Mr. Gurney's estate. It literally is a money machine. And with good reason. There are only two actors. The set can be whatever you want. Limited rehearsal is required since the actors use scripts. The play itself is gentle and eager to please. No heavy-heavy-hangs-over-thy-head themes. World peace will not come out of a performance. And depending on your socioeconomic status, you may or may not relate to the antics of the two characters. In its favor, it's often funny, sometimes moving, and solidly authored, but there's just not much meat on Love Letters' bones. For this tour, which stopped off in Chicago for a brief seven-performance run, the producers hired everyone's favorite TV couple, Jennifer and Jonathan Hart. Oops. I meant Stefanie Powers and Robert Wagner. It didn't matter that the play seemed lost in the huge Chicago Theatre (3600 seats). The packed house came to see Jennifer and Jonathan in person, and that's exactly what they got. Sitting on two tall stools with backs and with music stands in front of them, Wagner and Powers, with the help of some great lighting, managed to make the theatre seem almost intimate. Surprisingly at ease on the stage, they delivered genuine star charisma. Powers was the better actor, able to handle both the comedy and drama with ease. Wagner was competent, handled the lighter stuff better than the heavier sections, and looked damn fine even from the reaches of the middle balcony, a million miles away from the stage. It was professional and polished, and we all had a great time. – at the Chicago Theatre, Chicago

Jon and Jen: Hart to Hart ran for five seasons, from 1979 to 1984. It was a favorite of Steve's and myself, and we would religiously tape and save the episodes. (Remember, these were the days before DVRs and streaming video.) Curiously, considering how much we loved the show, we never rewatched any of the episodes and the many VCR tapes languished on the shelves until I finally got rid of them prior to a move after Steve died. Jump ahead ten years or so. I'm a cabin hag for Comair. Hart to Hart had been released on DVD, available on Netflix. While on a layover, I eagerly popped in the Season 1, Disc 1 DVD and began the episode. Not even halfway through the episode, I stopped watching. What I thought was so clever, stylish, and glamorous in the early 80s, now seemed, well, none of the above. I guess I'd moved on from Jon and Jen. Ah, well.

LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT – Plymouth Theatre, New York

August, 2003. On a layover in New York on a steamy Sunday in July, I stood in the cancellations line at the Plymouth Theatre in my synthetics-are-us-so-we-don't-breathe flight attendant uniform, and was the very last person called to purchase a ticket to the multi-Tony winning revival of Eugene O'Neill's masterpiece. To say I was in theatrical bliss for four hours would be a gross understatement. To say the cast of Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Dennehy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Robert Sean Leonard was perfection would be grossly inaccurate. They were so much more than that. It wasn't what they did that was so impressive; it was what they didn't do that was extraordinary. And what they didn't do was act. Oh, trust me, they were all acting up a storm, but damned if I could spot a single false move, a single dishonest emotion, a single dip into tricks, artifice, and "acting." They were the Tyrone family and we, the audience, were the proverbial flies on the wall witnessing as they railed at each other only to beseech forgiveness in the next moment, as they shrieked in anger, fueled by alcohol and drugs, to be followed soon after by a scene of unexpected warmth. In a cast of such accomplished actors, Vanessa Redgrave's Mary Tyrone was a revelation. The subtleties she brought to her role; the frailty, the strength, the despair, the dignity she gave that troubled, tragic character. Brilliant doesn't do her justice. She truly is in a class by herself. Robert Falls directed this with sensitivity and grace. I am still in awe of this production. – at the Plymouth Theatre, New York

FUN FACTS: Tonys were won by the production itself for Best Revival, Vanessa Redgrave for Leading Actress in a Play, and Brian Dennehy for Leading Actor in a Play. Robert Sean Leonard won a Featured Actor in a Play Tony in 2001 for his role in Tom Stoppard's The Invention of Love, which I found to be a fascinating, if extraordinarily dense afternoon of theatre. The late Philip Seymour Hoffman would win a 2005 Oscar for his portrayal of Truman Capote in Capote. Like I said…a class act.

LYSISTRATA JONES – Walter Kerr Theatre, New York

December, 2011. Preview. First off, let me say no one will ever confuse Lysistrata Jones with Follies. Not a bit of angst in sight in this light, breezy frolic of a show. A musical that uses as its basis Aristophanes' anti-war comedy in which the ladies of ancient Greece, in an attempt to end the Peloponnesian War, decide to withhold all sex from the menfolk until peace is declared? Indeed, only this time the locale is a D-List college where the cheerleaders decide to withhold sex from their basketball-playing boyfriends until the BFs lose their ennui and contentment at having never won a game in decades and start upping their game. Not quite as lofty a goal perhaps, but it somehow all worked. A pleasant, energetic score by Lewis Flinn with a sensational ballad to close Act One, sold-to-the-rafters by leading lady Patti Murin, kept everything enjoyably tuneful. Nifty choreography and direction courtesy of Dan Knechtges kept the show moving. Lots of boy eye candy in various states of dress and undress was an unexpected bonus, and the fine performances by the talented cast, led by Patti Murin, Josh Segarra, Jason Tam, Lindsay Nicole Chambers, and Liz Mikel, gave the musical a satisfying professional sheen. Douglas Carter Beane's book got the job done with heart, warmth, humor, and the occasional political jab. Plus he provided me with my 2nd most favorite line: "I'm moist like a snack cake!" A perhaps ill-advised transfer from a successful summer booking off-Broadway, Lysistrata Jones, though entertaining as all get-out, didn't seem comfortably at home in the modestly-sized Walter Kerr. It was, at heart, a little musical trying to make it in the big leagues, and, despite decent-enough reviews, including pretty much a rave from the all-important New York Times, it just couldn't draw an audience willing to pay Broadway prices for this unassuming delight. Perhaps it would have played better at the smaller Helen Hayes, former home of Xanadu; perhaps it should have just transferred to an open-ended engagement off-Broadway. Whatever the case, it didn't make it and closed after 34 previews and only 30 performances. Sad. – at the Walter Kerr Theatre, New York

Cast Tidbits: Liz Mikel's only Broadway appearance to date was in Lysistrata Jones. Jason Tam will be appearing in this season's (2018-2019) Be More Chill and was a recorded voice in Dear Evan Hansen. Lindsay Nicole Chambers won my heart as Gail in the fabulous web series Submissions Only. Josh Segarra, a cool drink of water if ever there was one, played a dumb-as-rocks cop in the sadly short-lived TV series Sirens, and won praise for his long stint as Emilio Estefan in Broadway's On Your Feet! Patti Murin, so, so good in Lysistrata Jones, would effortlessly steal the show as Anna from the showier, but less substantial, part of Elsa when we saw the musical Frozen during its Denver shakedown.

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA – Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York

June, 2005. About ten days before we saw The Light in the Piazza, the musical had racked up six Tony Awards at the 2005 ceremonies, including Best Actress for Victoria Clark, Best Score for Adam Guettel, Richard Rodgers' grandson, Best Orchestrations, and swept the musical design categories. And indeed Piazza was lovely to look at. And Victoria Clark was, in a word, magnificent, and she had a slew of fine actors with her in the cast, including Kelli O'Hara and pre-Glee Matthew Morrison, but, frankly, her performance was just about the only thing that kept the show from becoming a ponderous slog that moved at a snail's pace. I found little joy in the show, and just could not get into Guettel's score. Was that a melody trying to get through? Wait. Nope. To my ears, it was unmelodic noise masquerading as an "important score." And since I couldn't get involved with the music, and since Piazza is, after all, a musical, I just couldn't become invested in the characters. It didn't help that our seats were on the far side of the Beaumont's wide thrust stage, making everything seem somewhat removed. I wasn't bored, and I didn't hate it, but I was disappointed. What didn't disappoint was the radiant Clark. She made the evening worthwhile. – at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York

LITTLE ME – Criterion Center Stage Right (Roundabout Theatre Company), New York

December, 1998. One of the funniest musicals ever written, Little Me is blessed with a hysterical, joke-laden book by Neil Simon, a sensational, tune-filled score by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh, and based on the ridiculously funny book of the same title by Auntie Mame's Patrick Dennis. Ostensibly about the life and trials of poor-trailer-trash-turned-rich-celebrity Belle Poitrine, it's really about the opportunity to get a cast of inspired comic actors together and collectively make their audiences weak with laughter. Heading Roundabout's cast of zanies were Martin Short and Faith Prince, two actors whose comic skills are honed to a laser-like precision. Playing the men in Belle's life, Short spun the lightweight material to comic gold at every turn, almost turning the invaluable Prince into an afterthought. The operative word there was "almost." If the material didn't allow Prince the number of opportunities to shine, she made sure she made the most out of every appearance and was Short's equal in the scenery-chewing department. And look at this supporting cast: Brooks Ashmanskas, Peter Benson, Michael McGrath, Michael Park, Christine Pedi, and an especially droll and divine Ruth Williamson. The score, one snappy song after another, has one major pop hit, "I've Got Your Number," and a secondary one in "Real Live Girl." But there's also the poignant "Poor Hollywood Star," the effervescent title tune that gets things off to a grand start, the celebratory "Here's To Us," and, well, there's not a bad song in the lot. The show, newly revised, featured satiric nods to the film Titanic and the musical Chicago, and had a crisp, delightful staging by Rob Marshall. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. It's a shame Little Me isn't more well-known. – at the Criterion Center Stage Right, New York

Background Stuff: Little Me made its Broadway debut during the 1962-63 season and starred Sid Caesar (roles later played by Martin Short), Virginia Martin and Nancy Anderson (roles combined in 1998 and played by Faith Prince), and Sven Swenson, who made "I've Got Your Number" the show's true showstopper. It received mostly favorable reviews, with only one unfavorable review among four raves and two favorable ones according to Steven Suskin's Opening Night on Broadway. Yet despite the star power and the good notices, Little Me never caught on and closed after a mere 275 performances. A major revival twenty years later starring James Coco and Victor Garber, splitting the seven roles originally played by Caesar, was a critical miss and closed a few weeks after it opened. The Roundabout revival didn't exactly win over the critics, but it's reviews were good enough to ensure a healthy limited run at the 499-seat Criterion. Little Me would be the Criterion's penultimate show. It would close in 1999 to make room for the gigantic Times Square Toy R Us.

    

And on that note… Until later….

© 2019 Jeffrey Geddes

ALPHABET SOUP (10) - FEATURING A RANDOM LETTER OF THE ALPHABET AND SOME SHOWS THAT BEGIN WITH THAT LETTER (C)

ALPHABET SOUP (10)

FEATURING A RANDOM LETTER OF THE ALPHABET AND SOME SHOWS THAT BEGIN WITH THAT LETTER

C

The blue London coffee mug gave up the letter "C," and the first few programs in the "C" stack represent a wide variety of shows: including an underappreciated and totally charming musical; a slight, but wildly entertaining piece of fluff from Kander and Ebb; a classic, not-often-revived Inge play, and it's all but unheard of musical version; a beloved, but bloated musical favorite; an inventive all-singing, all-dancing delight of Gershwin tunes; and, finally, a thoroughly mediocre musical made magical by its legendary leading lady.

This is going to be one of the longer posts, so let's begin….

A CATERED AFFAIR

 – Walter Kerr Theatre, New York

March, 2008. Fourth preview. A quiet, emotionally charged musical that was sadly underrated and unappreciated by the critics.  Beautiful performances by all involved, but special kudos to Prince for her raw and shattering performance as a woman whose life wasn't what she had hoped it would be. Based on the The Catered Affair by Gore Vidal, which in turn was based on an original teleplay by Paddy Chayefsky, this small-scale musical, in an intimate production sensitively directed by John Doyle, wasn't afraid to be quiet, wasn't afraid to be totally silent, wasn't afraid to let its very human characters let their emotions and their disappointments rage when called for. Tom Wopat's "I Stayed" neatly summarized his character is a powerful musical soliloquy; Faith Prince's "Vision" was a rare and touching moment of happiness, even if imaginary, in this woman's life; Harvey Fierstein's "Immediate Family" gave reign to all the bitterness and anger stored up in a man whose life, by Eisenhower-era necessity, was lived in the shadows. This wasn't a happy show, but it was truthful, and the bittersweet, yet hopeful ending brought this gem to a satisfying conclusion. The audience was spellbound. So were we. The show deserved a longer run. – at the Walter Kerr Theatre, New York

Sidebar: The critical community in New York pretty much hated A Catered Affair, including the all-important New York Times. I'm not sure what show these folks all saw, but it wasn't the one I saw in previews. And that's the beauty of previews. You, as an audience member, can form your own opinions without any preconceived critical notions or opinions from a critic or blogger. This is why I honestly prefer going to previews and why I rarely read reviews anymore, and when I do, I use them simply as a reference point. Sorry, Ben Brantley, but your approval or disapproval doesn't sway me one way or the other. I just don't care what critics/bloggers think. If I liked the show, I liked the show. If I didn't, I didn't. Full stop. A reviewer is not going to change my opinion. A Catered Affair struggled to find an audience and closed after only 116 performances. Such a shame.

– Stage 773, Chicago

February, 2012. Porchlight Theatre's production of A Catered Affair was one of Porchlight's better productions, largely free from glaring community theatre performances that can haunt their productions, and one that surprisingly made the performance-unfriendly The Thrust space relatively intimate. Nick Bowling's direction was effective, if largely giving short shrift to the audience seated on the sides. (We wisely sat in the center section, so we didn't have any sight problems.) The production's two Equity actors, Rebecca Finnegan and Craig Spidle, played the Faith Prince and Tom Wopat roles with dignity and emotional honesty. The audience liked Jerry O'Boyle's Winston, but he went for the obvious and was often too loud, missing the subtlety that Harvey Fierstein brought to the role. The rest of the cast, while sometimes uneven in acting ability, added appropriate flavor. I liked the performance, but the magic that the New York production had was missing here for whatever reason. Still, overall, it was well-worth seeing. – at Stage 773, Chicago

CURTAINS – Hirschfeld Theatre, New York

 May, 2007. Officially the last musical written by the legendary team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, Curtains was pure entertainment, often wickedly funny, with great tunes, a showstopping first act production number, and a cast of theatre A-listers who, individually and collectively, were a treat. Set in Boston's Colonial Theatre in 1959 during a disastrous out-of-town tryout of the musical, Robbin' Hood!, the plot revolved around backstage murders, backstabbing theatre creatives, and the musical theatre aficionado Boston PD detective assigned to the case. Pure nonsense, of course, but, oh, my God, what fun! David Hyde Pierce won the Tony for his portrayal of the detective, and he was very good in the part...warm, personable, a joy to watch. But it was the awesome Debra Monk who stole the show as the hard-boiled producer with a performance that was a master class in how to effortlessly stop a show, which she did in her big Act Two number, "It's a Business." Another favorite, Karen Ziemba, danced up a storm in the sensational "Thataway!" Rounding out the supporting cast were the velvet-voiced Jason Danieley, the droll Edward Hibbert and the lovely Jill Paice as Hyde Pierce's sort-of love interest, with yeoman support from John Bolton, Michael X. Martin, Michael McCormick, Noah Racey, Ernie Sabella, and Megan Sikora. Beautifully designed, the producers weren't stingy with the checkbook, Scott Ellis and Rob Ashford kept the action moving, and the audience left the theatre smiling. If you take a hard, critical look at it, it's no great shakes as a musical, but so much talent was on display at the Hirschfeld, and the desire to give everyone in the audience a good time was so strong, you couldn't help but love the show. – at the Hirschfeld Theatre, New York.

Sidebar: With decidedly mixed reviews, the show ran just over a year and, although recoupment status wasn't provided by the producers at the time of its closing, that very omission pretty much indicates the show didn't make its money back. A shame, too. Although he is popular and much-loved in the theatre community, David Hyde Pierce's Tony win was somewhat controversial, with many people strongly believing the award should have gone to Raúl Esparza for his role in a revival of Company. Esparza's performance certainly had more nuance and depth, but Hyde Pierce's performance overall was more accessible.

COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA – Biltmore Theatre, New York

February, 2008. Any doubts one may have had about S. Epatha Merkerson's acting abilities, largely confined as they were to the small screen in TV's iconic Law & Order, were smartly and quickly dispelled as her devastating portrayal of Lola Delaney, a woman living a life of quiet desperation and to-the-bone disappointment unfolded in the Manhattan Theatre Club's first-class production of William Inge's rarely-done classic, Come Back, Little Sheba. Kevin Anderson's performance as Doc Delaney echoed the frustration and loss of a once-promising life, and his descent back into alcoholism was terrifying. The design elements by James Noone (scenic), Jennifer von Mayrhauser (costumes), and Jane Cox (lighting) all worked to create a claustrophobic, life-sucking environment. Michael Pressman's direction was neat and tidy. Once often spoken of in the same breath as Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams, Inge's work today hasn't aged particularly well, and Come Back, Little Sheba, even in this terrific production, couldn't completely escape the occasional whiff of watching a museum piece. Mere quibbles, however, when Ms. Merkerson was onstage. Whether chattering non-stop to anyone who stopped by in an attempt to alleviate her crushing loneliness, or being still and quiet, yet somehow conveying the depths of her despair, she was magnificent. The was not an especially happy evening, but so rewarding. – at the Biltmore Theatre, New York

SHEBA – First Chicago Center, Chicago

August, 1974. Final performance. Why anyone would want to make a musical out of Inge's sad, desolate play, Come Back, Little Sheba, is anyone's guess. Perhaps a Stephen Sondheim score could have made a compelling reason, but as written by Lee Goldsmith and Clint Ballard, Jr., it came off as a showcase for the multi-talented Kay(e) Ballard, pleasant and professional to look at and listen to, but, despite all of Ballard's considerable skills, eminently forgettable. Broadway vet George D. Wallace was boxed with an also starring billing as Doc with supporting performances by Kimberly Farr and a pre-WKRP in Cincinnati Gary Sandy. The Chicago Tribune's William Leonard liked it, but Sheba apparently did not get either the press or the buzz it needed to move on and it closed after the Chicago tryout. – at the First Chicago Center, Chicago

Sidebar: Sheba would resurface in Westport, Connecticut, in 2001 in a four-performance, fully-staged Equity production starring Donna McKechnie as Lola. A recording was made of this production by Original Cast Records as Come Back, Little Sheba. (A "private" reel-to-reel recording of the Ballard Sheba  was made at the final performance. It may or may not still exist in his private collection. No, I did not make the recording!) The First Chicago Center, where Sheba played its tryout, was, in reality, the First National Bank of Chicago's auditorium. For a relatively brief period, it was marketed as an intimate alternative to the big Loop houses. It was a nice space, but not really suitable for live theatre. I believe this was its last theatrical booking. Sheba remains all but unknown and forgotten.

CAMELOT – Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago

September, 1980. Fresh from its summer run at Lincoln Center, the National Tour of Lerner and Loewe's beloved Camelot, starring its legendary original star, Richard Burton, began its road travels at the monstrosity known as the Arie Crown Theatre. From the far reaches of the Arie Crown's balcony (Row S!), we could see and hear everything, but everyone was, well, small, and, from that distance, everything looked, well, on the cheap side. Would it be heresy to say that Paxton Whitehead's King Pellinore was the high point of the evening? It might be heresy to say that Mr. Burton's Arthur, despite that singular voice, was subdued to the point of dullness, but that was the case here. He looked tired; he looked, frankly, ill. (In fact, Burton would leave the show six months later due to poor health.) A young Christine Ebersole was a slightly saucy, beautifully sung Guenevere; Richard Muenz was a handsome Lancelot; Robert Fox was an appropriately snarky Mordred. Yes, I know everyone loves Camelot, but here's the thing…the heart of the show is the intimate story of three people, Arthur, Guenevere, and Lancelot, but the creators bloated it out of proportion and added all this really unnecessary pomp and circumstance. The simple story drowns in costumes, sets, and extraneous characters. It may have been visually stunning in the 1960 original, but at Arie Crown it looked, like too much of the show, a bit lifeless and disappointingly cheesy. I really wanted to like it. I didn't. I enjoyed it (the score, after all, is a marvel), but I didn't like it. I was in the minority here, however. The capacity audience ate it up. – at Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago

CRAZY FOR YOU – Shubert Theatre, New York

August, 1994. Crazy for You, a revamp of the 1930 chestnut, Girl Crazy, was a leave-your-brains-at-the-door evening of pure entertainment which starred a cornucopia of delicious songs by George and Ira Gershwin, with all of it wrapped up with a big, cheerful bow courtesy of director Mike Ockrent and his wife, choreographer, and now director, Susan Stroman. The plot had something to do with a foreclosure on a theatre in someplace called Deadrock, Nevada, but if you were trying to actually follow the plot, you were thinking far too hard. Starring Harry Groener and Karen Ziemba, both charm-to-the-hilt, this piece of fluff purred like a contented cat. Carleton Carpenter, Jane Connell, and Bruce Adler were on hand to provide some textbook scenery chewing. This was my introduction to Karen Ziemba and I've been a fan ever since. I'll pretty much see her in anything. Also in the cast was Beth Leavel, the original Drowsy Chaperone. Lend Me a Tenor's Ken Ludwig provided the book, such as it was. Beautifully designed and lovingly played by the pit orchestra, this was escapism of the highest quality. Stroman would win her first of five Tony Awards with this production. Crazy for You would, surprisingly, win the Tony for Best Musical over the arguably better Falsettos, which took the prizes for Book and Score. I had a grand time, but felt at the time, and still do for that matter, that My One and Only is the better "new" Gershwin show. – at the Shubert Theatre, New York

COCO – Civic Opera House, Chicago

No, it's not a good show, but it starred Hepburn!

January, 1971. To probably no one's surprise, Coco, the Alan Jay Lerner and André Previn musical nominally about designer Coco Chanel, but really all about its star, Katharine Hepburn, closed quickly after Hepburn left the show and was replaced by an authentic Frenchwoman, Danielle Darrieux. No reflection on Ms. Darrieux's talents. After all, she'd been a star for four decades by 1971. It was just that Coco was, and is, a truly mediocre show and it needs a force of nature, like Hepburn, to make it work as well as it does. Coco closed at a loss on Broadway, so Hepburn, old-school trouper that she was, agreed to tour with the show until it made back its costs. (By the end of the tour, the show not only broke even, but also showed a modest profit.) The Civic Opera House is not an ideal place to see a musical, but the sumptuous sets and costumes by Cecil Beaton looked splendid in the Art Deco auditorium. Hepburn was no more Coco Chanel than I am, but she owned that stage and her audience. She made Lerner's rather lame book crackle with humor and she managed to give Previn's mundane score some talk-singing flair. She even danced a bit. As far as the audience was concerned, she could do no wrong. George Rose and Jeanne Arnold were on hand to recreate their Broadway roles and provide some first-rate support. Don Chastain and Lana Shaw played the rather boring love interests. Pre-The Nanny Daniel Davis stereotypically minced his way through the insufferable and, frankly, offensive role of the jealous gay assistant. It was a rare lapse of taste in a tasteful show. Chicago embraced Ms. Hepburn. Her show? Not so much. – at the Civic Opera House, Chicago.

Sidebar: Coco was the first show I saw on Broadway. I saw Hepburn's penultimate performance at the Mark Hellinger in August, 1970. Thrilling. Coco opened on Broadway in 1969. Stonewall had occurred only months before. Later in the 1969-1970 season, Applause would open. It would also feature a gay character. In Applause's case, the character was still a stereotype (a hairdresser), but was presented with humor and affection and, as a young gay man, I found it exciting to see "us" in a major role. Co-star George Rose would go on to win two Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical. He was murdered in 1988 in the Dominican Republic by his adopted son, his son's biological father and uncle, and a friend of the father. All four spent time in prison, but no trial was held and they've all been since released. Post-The Nanny Daniel Davis would essay another gay role, Georges, in a 2004 revival of La Cage aux Folles. He would be fired abruptly from the role following a Sunday matinee on account of obnoxious and abusive behavior backstage towards cast and crew. The producers paid Davis to the end of his contract and he was replaced by Robert Goulet. And if anyone doubts that Coco is less than brilliant, there's a short audio YouTube clip of Ginger Rogers in a production at the old Valley Forge Music Fair. It's all rather grim.

And on that note… Until next time…

© 2016 Jeffrey Geddes