FINALE

Our thoughts are with Bernadette Peters and the Wittenberg family.

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TRAGIC END TO A PERFECT LOVE TALE
By Michael Riedel

The husbands of major Broadway stars often fall into two categories.

One type is a Svengali-like manipulator who drives hard bargains with producers and stage-manages every aspect of his famous spouse's public image.

The other is quiet and supportive, bemused by the zaniness of life in the theater, content to stand just outside the spotlight in which his wife basks.

Michael Wittenberg, the husband of Bernadette Peters, belonged firmly in the second camp.

"He was a delightful and lovely man who thought we were all a little weird in show business," said Barry Weissler, who, with his wife, Fran, produced the 1999 revival of "Annie Get Your Gun." The show won Peters a second Tony Award.

Wittenberg, a 43-year-old investment adviser, was killed with three others in a helicopter crash Monday in the Balkan nation of Montenegro, where he was inspecting properties.

The theater world was stunned and grieved over the tragedy, which hit one of its most beloved performers. "They were such a terrific couple, and I'm heartsick that this has happened," Barry Weissler said.

Fran Weissler added, "We had many lunches and dinners with Michael and Bernadette during 'Annie Get Your Gun,' and they were always a pleasure. Michael was smart, opinionated and completely supportive of Bernadette and her career."

Peters, 57, rushed to Long Island yesterday to be with Wittenberg's family, friends told The Post.

The actress was distraught but "holding it together," one person said.

Peters and Wittenberg, who were married in 1996, were not one of Broadway's high-profile, glamorous couples.

They were guarded about their personal lives, and were seldom seen on the New York theater circuit, preferring to spend as much time as they could alone together in their penthouse apartment on the Upper West Side.

They did not have children, but lavished much love and care on their two dogs, a pit bull named Stella and a mixed terrier named Kramer (after the Seinfeld character), which they had adopted.

Their marriage, friends say, was strong and happy.

Peters herself called the marriage "a secure, rooted place" that "allows me to branch out."

In a scene that could have been drawn from a Neil Simon romantic comedy, Peters and Wittenberg met one night outside her apartment.

She was waiting for a date; he was dressed in tuxedo on his way to a charity event.

"So he walked up to me, a stranger, and said, 'Are we ready to go?' How's that for confidence and a sense of humor?" she recalled.

At the time, Wittenberg, nearly 14 years her junior, was a respected portfolio manager for Salomon Smith Barney.

Peters, a gentle, red-headed beauty who has always looked at least 10 years younger than her age, was single.

She had not been publicly linked to anyone since a four-year relationship with Steve Martin ended in the early 1980s.

A person who worked with her on the Broadway show "Song and Dance" in 1985 said she kept her romantic life to herself.

"You never heard anything about who she was dating," he said.

Friends of Peters say that, like many performers who achieve Broadway superstardom, the actress was married to her career, perhaps, some worried, at the cost of a family.

And so they were delighted when the handsome, dark-haired, athletic Wittenberg walked into her life.

Not long after their romantic sidewalk meeting, they were married at the Dutchess County farm of Peters' best friend, Mary Tyler Moore.

The couple had fun together.

Miami was a favorite vacation spot, and during a two-week break from the run of "Annie Get Your Gun," they took up salsa dancing.

"We took lessons in the daytime and danced almost every night," Peters said. "At the end [of the vacation], we were exhausted."

When they got back, Wittenberg went straight to the phone book "to look for dance places in New York," Peters added.

When she was out of town with a show, Wittenberg was often at her side.

Unlike some spouses, he never kept clear of the off-stage drama.

During the rocky tryout of "Annie Get Your Gun," when nearly everybody in and around the show had an opinion about what was wrong and how to fix it, Wittenberg was a steady, calming presence.

In New York, during the run of "Gypsy," in which Peters played Mama Rose, Wittenberg often hung out backstage, buying sushi dinners with his wife for the cast and crew.

Theater people hoped that the tragic and sudden death of her husband would not put an end to Peters' great Broadway career.

"It is my hope," Weissler said, "that we'll be able to do another show with her one day. She is a great star and a wonderful person."

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Michael Wittenberg, Husband of Bernadette Peters, Dies in Helicopter Crash
by Broadway.com Staff

Michael Wittenberg, husband of Bernadette Peters, died on September 27 in a helicopter crash in the small European country of Montenegro. He was approximately 43 years old. According to B92, a Bosnian news service, Wittenberg was one of four people that died in the crash, which was thought to be caused by the helicopter's rotor blade striking a power line.

Broadway star Peters married Wittenberg, an investment advisor, on July 20, 1996 at the home of friend Mary Tyler Moore. She told the Philadelphia City Paper in 2000 that she met her future husband in front of her Manhattan apartment building one night, as she was waiting for a date that was late. "Michael was on his way to a charity event and was in a tuxedo," she remembered. "So he walked up to me, a stranger, and said: 'Are you ready to go?' How's that for a sense of confidence and a sense of humor?"

Both Wittenberg and Peters were involved in the animal rescue charity Broadway Barks. They couple did not have any children.

RENT

I realize I get a little sentimental and sappy when it comes to talking about Jonathan Larson, the heart and soul and composer of Rent. As I've mentioned in other posts, his work is so inspiring because in his music, I not only hear the themes of love, but I feel it -- I hear a love of the art form, a love that never was or almost is...romantic love, fraternal love etc. and that's something I've never felt or heard as an overall theme in any other composer's work. More than that though, Larson's work to me, represents what I've always wanted and seen. To him, it is a passion for the art-form, the desire to make it his own, and the drive to succeed. With previous posts, I've tried to convey what his music and work means to me, but I don't think I ever truly can.

So yesterday, when the soundtrack for Rent came out, I had to rush out and buy it. I traveled over the hill to Tower on Sunset just to get the CD on it's street date. I guess I'm a little obsessive, but as I've said before, I take my musical theatre very seriously. The marketing masterminds at Warner Music thought it would be a great idea to have limited edition cardboard sleeve covers of each of the 8 principal characters -- I picked Taye Diggs' (Benny) cover. Of course I actually thought how cool it would be to have each of them...but I digress (and no, I don't need 8 cardboard sleeves). I've seen Rent only 4 times (I can't compete with the TRUE Rent-heads) but I've listened to the music more than I care to admit. I know each note and word of the musical well enough to be obsessive (almost). I was curious to hear how this soundtrack would differ from the "OCR" (Original Cast Recording) and how would I respond to this show, with 6 of the 8 principals, nearly 10 years later.

Some might say that listening to the soundtrack now might ruin my initial response to the film...but considering how well I know the show, that couldn't happen. On my way home, I settled into my car, turned up the volume, and let the music play. Track 1 was "Seasons of Love" which in the stage version, opened Act II, so hearing this surprised (but didn't bother) me. I will spare you all the painstaking track by track comparison cos even I'M not willing to go through that much detail. I did hear a difference between the 2 versions, the main difference being the "OCR" vs. the soundtrack is the obvious rock & roll vs. Broadway sound quality. It should be noted that Chris Columbus (the film's director) is also the album's executive producer, so thankfully he was able to carry the essence and authenticity of Larson's vision from stage to film in the new recording. Rob Cavallo, the album's producer infused "a new energy and spirit into this music" with "all of the cuts on this album remining faithful to the Broadway origins" and as Chris Columbus said in the album's liner notes, this album is "richer and multi-layered."

It might seem obvious that the album is decent if it is music FROM the film, but so was the film version of The Phantom of the Opera and the composer was involved in THAT recording which was the most henious thing I think I've ever heard. Thankfully though, the music from the Rent Soundtrack is surprisngly good. It is different from the OCR, but the sound (to me) really fits the nature of what this film is all about.

The original cast members sound great, if not better than they did on the OCR...one should hope so. The newest additions to the cast, Rosario Dawson (Mimi) and Tracie Thoms (Joanne) are excellent. I had no idea that Dawson sang, but from the few times I've listened to the album so far, she seems to pull off the complex, tragic and vulnerable Mimi quite well. Vocally, her range seems to be a bit lower than that of her predecessor, Daphne Rubin Vega. Thoms voice is also rich, but higher and more sweet sounding than that of her precessor Fredi Walker. She too does a great job as Joanne, and I actually prefer her interpretation.

Overall, the Rent Soundtrack is grittier, more acoustic sounding and raw while maintaining a sense of humor and vulnerability more-so than I even imagined it could be. From the sounds of the soundtrack and what the trailer looks like, the film version could possibly surpass my love of the stage version. To admit that, is huge because everyone knows my loyalties and love, lies with the stage...always.

When it comes to musical theatre, I can be a big theatre snob, and because of that, I can be overly critical. I know though, what I do and do not like. And I like Rent in both "OCR" and soundtrack form. I am grateful and thrilled to hear the voices and interpretations of these characters being brought to the silver screen by the actors who created and nurtured these characters from the beginning under the guidance of Jonathan Larson. Knowing that the Larson family -- Julie, Nan and Al -- support the film and that Chris Columbus not only genuinely believes in maintaining the "integrity and vision" of Larson's work, but somehow shares it, is amazing and comforting because the very essence of Rent is so beautiful.

When I look at Jonathan's journal entry, I believe he succeeded in fulfilling the question of how to write for the stage tenfold. I only wish he were here to see what'd he's done for pop culture...his work has touched and changed the lives of nearly everyone who has ever been exposed to it.

As written above by Jonathan Larson: I am striving to become a writer and composer of musicals -- I am 25 and am faced with a dilemma. Although I am a sentimental romantic who loves old fashioned musicals I am a member of a very unsentimental romantic generation who basically think musicals are too corny. I feel that if I want to establish myself with "the powers that be" in the theatre, I must compose music that appeals to the older cast in the production houses and audience. But if I want to try to cultivate a new audience for musicals I must write shows with a score that MTV ears will accept. If you were me, which audience would you write for?

Also note, included on the album as a bonus track, is one of my favorite songs, Love Heals. The song has provided me with much comfort and encouragement in my darkest as well as brightest of days. Larson wrote Love Heals while working on Rent to help in the efforts of Love Heals - the Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS education. The producers included the bonus track as a tribute to Jonathan and to help futher the cause of AIDS education.

Rent hits screens nationwide on November 23.

IS THERE NO OTHER WAY

I have an issue with the trailer for Memoirs of a Geisha. Keep in mind, this is a film about JAPAN and JAPANESE people yet all of the alleged Japanese people don't even look Japanese! Maybe that's because they aren't! Isn't it obvious that Zhang Ziyi is Chinese or did the casting directors think that all Asians look alike, so who will notice? Being Japanese, I find myself slightly (but only slightly) offended by this casting choice. Keep in mind, typically I don't really care about issues like this, but this time, maybe because of the subject of the film, it just doesn't seem right. Maybe it would be one thing of Zhang Ziyi was the only Chinese person with any prominence in the film, but after watching the trailer, very few of the actors appear to be Japanese. Out of eight of the principal characters, only half are Japanese:

Ziyi Zhang.... Sayuri Nitta (Chinese)
Ken Watanabe.... The Chairman (Japanese)
Kôji Yakusho.... Nobu (Japanese)
Michelle Yeoh.... Mameha (Chinese)
Kaori Momoi.... O-kami (landlady) (Japanese)
Youki Kudoh.... O-Kabo (Pumpkin) (Japanese)
Li Gong.... Hatsumomo (Chinese)
Kenneth Tsang... General (Chinese)

I suppose I expect this fictional-historical film to be more authentic. With the many talented Japanese actors out there, I would have liked to have seen more of them cast in this film. My expectations are unrealistic though, I know. I'm all for the idea of chosing the best actor for the role, but at the same time, actors like Zhang Ziyi look too authentically Chinese to even resemble being Japanese. Did anyone notice that Zhang Ziyi has blue eyes in this poster? Though Japan has many advances before the rest of the world, I don't think they had colored contact lenses in the 1800's. C'mon people. I mean, REALLY!? Of course, this is Hollywood, so...why the heck am I complaining? I should know better!

RAZZLE DAZZLE

Ok, so let me just say...Huey Lewis as Billy Flynn in Chicago...?

I think I've said too much...

Ok, so the Weisslers (as in Fran and Barry) seem to be notorious for trying to cast "names" in the shows they're producing (Rosie O'Donnell in Seussical). One of their productions, Chicago has had every name they could possibly get from Alan Thicke and Jasmine Guy to Kevin Richardson and Deborah Gibson (and everything in between). Don't you think though, that Huey Lewis...is...really digging kind of deep? I understand he can sing (at least he did w/ "the News") and he's a "name" but...hasn't his ship sailed...LONG ago? Ok, so I'm being harsh...I'm all for reinventing yourself/your career, god knows I seem to be trying to do it all the time. But really, Huey Lewis on Broadway...the Great White Way? That's almost as odd as Skid Row Metal band member Sebastian Bach on Broadway in Jeckyll & Hyde back in 2001. That was just scary.

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Huey Lewis to Join Broadway's Chicago in November

By Andrew Gans
25 Jul 2005

Grammy Award winner Huey Lewis will join the Tony-winning revival of Chicago this fall.

Lewis is set to join the Kander and Ebb musical Nov. 1 in the role of slick lawyer Billy Flynn. Chicago will mark the singer's Broadway debut.

Lewis is the founding member and lead vocalist of Huey Lewis and The News, the award-winning group whose top-ten hits include "The Power of Love," "The Heart of Rock and Roll," "Stuck With You," "I Want a New Drug," "Workin’ For a Livin" and "If This Is It." Lewis has appeared in the films "Shortcuts," "Sphere," "Shadow of Doubt" and "Duets." His TV work includes roles in "Just Shoot Me" and "One Tree Hill."

Chicago — featuring a score by John Kander and the late Fred Ebb — currently stars Charlotte d’Amboise as Roxie Hart, Luba Mason as Velma Kelly, Christopher McDonald as Billy Flynn and Carol Woods as Matron Mama Morton.

Chicago won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997 as well as awards for actors Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton, director Walter Bobbie, lighting designer Ken Billington and choreographer Ann Reinking. The original production was directed and choreographed by the late Bob Fosse.

Chicago plays the Ambassador Theatre, located at 215 West 49th Street.

I SHOULD TELL YOU

Tomorrow is the big soundtrack release day for Rent!!!

THE COLOR PURPLE

As if Oprah Winfrey weren't cool enough to begin with, she has joined the producing team of Broadway's upcoming musical adaptation of The Color Purple. More on this topic later...

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Oprah Winfrey Joins Producers of Broadway's The Color Purple Musical Adaptation
By Ernio Hernandez

Oprah Winfrey — the television celebrity-entrepreneur who starred in the film of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel — has joined the producing team of Broadway's upcoming musical adaptation of The Color Purple.

Based on Alice Walker's book and the Steven Spielberg film of the same name, the new musical begins previews at the Broadway Theatre Nov. 1 toward an official opening Dec. 1. The show's title will now reflect the addition of Forbes magazine's most powerful celebrity with the moniker Oprah Winfrey Presents: The Color Purple.

Gary Griffin stages the work featuring a book by Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman ('night, Mother). Music is by pop songwriters Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray.
The Color Purple is "an inspiring family saga that tells the unforgettable story of a woman, who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world," as a release states. The show's score blends "gospel, jazz, ragtime and the blues."

The Broadway show will receive $1 million of its $10 million capitalization from Winfrey, reported the New York Times. The TV talk show's name recognition and support is expected to bolster the show's box office numbers in the same way her book club selections buoy book sales. As a built-in promotion benefit, the collaboration is also expected to produce an appearance of Broadway cast members on her nationally syndicated talk show.

The surnameless star LaChanze (Once on This Island, Ragtime, Company) reprises her turn as the story's central character Celie from the world premiere at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre in fall 2004. Broadway newcomer Elisabeth Withers appears as Shug with Renée Elise Goldsberry (The Lion King) featured as Nettie, joining original Atlanta stars Felicia P. Fields as Sofia and Kingsley Leggs as Mister. (Saycon Sengbloh originally played Nettie with Adriane Lenox as Shug in Atlanta.)

The cast also features Brandon Victor Dixon as Harpo, Krisha Marcano as Squeak and includes Jeannette Bayardelle, James Brown III, Eric L. Christian, Latrisa Coleman, Bobby Daye, Carol Dennis, Anika Ellis, Doug Eskew, Bahiyah Sayyed Gaines, Zipporah Gatling, Charles Gray, Stephanie Guiland-Brown, James Harkness, Francesca Harper, Kimberly Ann Harris, Chantylla Johnson, Grasan Kingsberry, Corinne McFarlane, Kenita R. Miller, JC Montgomery, Lou Myers, Angela Robinson, Nathaniel Stampley, Jamal Story, Leon Thomas III, Maia Nkenge Wilson and Virginia Woodruff.

Donald Byrd choreographs for the musical. Orchestrations are by Jonathan Tunick, Kevin Stites is music supervisor and Linda Twine serves as musical director. The Color Purple design team features John Lee Beatty (scenic), Brian MacDevitt (lighting), Paul Tazewell (costume) and Jon Weston (sound).

Winfrey joins The Color Purple Broadway producers which includes Scott Sanders, Roy Furman, Quincy Jones, Creative Battery, Freddy DeMann & Stephanie McClelland, Anna Fantaci & Cheryl Lachowicz, Independent Presenters Network, Lowy Family Group, Gary Winnick, Andrew Asnes & Adam Zotovich, Jan Kallish and Todd Johnson.
The novel by Walker was adapted for the screen in 1985 under the direction of Steven Spielberg. The movie version starred Whoopi Goldberg as Celie, Oprah Winfrey as Sofia and Danny Glover as Albert.

Tickets for The Color Purple are currently on sale through (212) 239-6200 through (212) 239-6200 or via the link below. The Broadway Theatre Box Office, 1681 Broadway, opens Oct. 3.

For more information and exclusive clips of songs provided by Playbill.com, visit the website at www.colorpurple.com.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Barbara Streisand. The very name elicits pretty strong opinions across the board – ya either love her or hate her. Considering my deep love for musical theatre, most people assume I am a die hard, over the moon fan of Streisand which couldn’t be further from the truth. I started out as a fan of her films…yet I just couldn’t fully get gung-ho into Streisand as an actress/vocalilst.

Once upon a time, when I was 9 years old, I went to a little dinner theatre in Anaheim to see Funny Girl with my parents. Sitting in the 1^st balcony, next to the dry-over-processed-mass-produced-dinner-theatre-chicken, I fell in love with the story of Funny Girl and the character of Fanny Brice. My parents didn’t really understand it as they thought I was too young to understand the meaning of the story. In true Lisa-fashion, this interest of mine turned into an obsession. I couldn’t get enough of the music, the story and the film. At every opportunity, I begged my parents to rent Funny Girl so I could watch it over and over again. Never having been a fan of Streisand before, I watched this film, completely entranced without obsessing over the stars (which is unlike me to do). Thus began my odd relationship of "admiring" Streisand from afar and in semi-denial.

To be completely honest, I was never in awe of Streisand on the whole. Though she has a very distinct, powerful singing voice, it never really struck a chord in me, never made me take notice. It’s hard to describe why I don’t care for her voice, other than I just don’t. Yet, when I think of some of my favorite films, two of them are Streisand's films, Funny Girl and The Way We Were and in both are songs synonymous with Streisand (“People” and “The Way We Were” respectively). Go figure.

When "Babs" made a special appearance at Stephen Sondheim's 75th: The Concert, I was floored and excited beyond belief. I remember turning to Tianyi, commenting that how impressive it was to see her there and how special a moment this was because we would never experience anything like it again. Hell, we could honestly claim we sung (along with the entire audience at the Hollywood Bowl)"Happy Birthday" to Steve WITH "Babs" (and Warren Beatty)!

What prompted me to post about Streisand is the Primetime Live special tonite. I didn’t know it was on and when I found out Streisand was the starring interview, I couldn’t bear to change the station. I watched the interview in its entirety and then thought about posting about her (like a good musical theatre queen). Either I am just fooling myself and really am in denial that I am a Streisand fan, or I liken her to a car crash…you just can’t turn away.

On another note, is an album with Barry Gibb really necessary?!

HAVE A NICE DAY

I think Jon Bon Jovi is one of the most humble people in the music business. Today, while watching Oprah at work (as I often do because I can), I was struck by how generous a man he is. Jon Bon Jovi the man doesn't define his rock star status as the measure of his life because it is only part of his life. Instead, his life is measured by the quality of his life -- being a father and making a difference by giving back because of the opportunities he's been afforded. As co-owner of the Philadelphia Soul he is finding ways to give back to the community by volunteering his time with Northern Home Children and Family Serivces.

Bon Jovi (the man, not the group) worked with the Gap to give the children of Northern Home $300 worth of school uniform clothes (these kids are so poor they couldn't afford clothes to go to school) as well as with other organizations for school supplies and 50 computers for the Northern Home organization. As one person, Bon Jovi is affording these young people an opportunity to make something of their lives when their environment dictates otherwise. As if that weren't enough, Bon Jovi (the band) pleged their dedication to social consiousness taking the proceeds from their upcoming album and building four houses for Habitat for Humanity. During the show, Jon said, "What motivates me at this point in my career, is the idea of continuing to give back. Without giving back, how can you go on?" Just when you are impressed with everything this man and his band have done thus far, he presents yet another gift, this time to Oprah to continue her "good deeds" with a check for $1 million to Oprah's Angel Network.

I am guilty of having preconceived notions of celebrities (particularly "rock stars"), especially living in this town. Not to say that most "celebrities" don't care about helping others, but sometimes I see their willingness to help as being conditional -- if they do good deed then somehow it will help their reputation and give them positive publicity which in turn helps their career. Yet, after seeing Jon Bon Jovi, I didn't see that, I saw goodness and generous heart in his actions to make a difference. Richie Sambora told Oprah, that they as a band, "give to live" and I must say, that philosiphy was very apparent. Today, I was feeling really stressed and tired aboutvarious things, but after watching Jon Bon Jovi's interview on Oprah, I suddenly feel invigorated...if only more people could have hearts as big as theirs...

Oprah summed it up at the end of the show when she said to the band, "I love your music, but I love your hearts more."

SAVE MARSHALL FIELDS

Sign the petition to save Marshall Fields!

Marshall Field's Name Change Upsets Some
By DON BABWIN, Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO - It has always been much more than a department store. It's the magical place where parents brought their children to see the windows at Christmastime, where those children grew and did the same with their kids — stopping, of course, to visit the one true Santa Claus.

It is Marshall Field's. Or simply "Field's" to everybody in Chicago.
For longer than anyone can remember, Marshall Field's has been one of the few constants in an ever-changing city. With its famous clock, the store that was built in stages between 1892 and 1914 is as much a part of the city's landscape as Wrigley Field and Sears Tower.

On Tuesday, Federated Department Stores Inc., said it is planning to change to Macy's the name of all 62 Marshall Field's, including the one on State Street that dates back to 1892. And if it seems like just another merger or name change that happens all the time with very little fuss — even in Chicago, there wasn't much noise when the White Sox's Comiskey Park became U.S. Cellular Field — to those who grew up with Marshall Field's this is different.

"It's so awful I can't even believe it," said Tracy Kepler, a 37-year-old attorney who can recall in vivid detail time spent at the store as a child, including the trip to see the windows every Christmas Eve day, followed by a meal in the Walnut Room.

Kepler said she e-mailed the news to all sorts of people, including ex-Chicagoans who live all over the country.

"Everybody is outraged," she said. "I e-mailed my girlfriend who lives in Colorado and she had a conference call with her parents who now live in Omaha and her sister who's in Shreveport (Louisiana), and they're all commiserating about it."

Carol Kuhn of nearby Lake Zurich agreed. "Marshall Field's is Chicago," she said.

Jeanne Bedon of Park Ridge has her own memories of the store, starting with the Christmas parties that were closed to the public that she got to attend because her mom worked there every year. "It was so glamorous," she said.

It also was something that was uniquely Chicago. Despite being the template for stores such as Filene's in Boston and Gimbel's in New York, Marshall Field's belonged to just one place.
Chicago's biggest cheerleader, Mayor Richard Daley, took a different view.

"Things change. If you aren't willing to accept change, then you stay in the past and we're never going to stay in the past in this city," he said. "The thing that I like is that they're going to reinforce that store as a destination, just like Macy's in New York."

THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG

It's about time to give credit where credit is due! At the 57th Annual Emmy Awards, not only did Hugh Jackman win "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program" as host of the 2004 Tony Awards but the show itself won for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special. What a coup! In recent years, the Tony Awards have been struggling in the ratings war usually up against the NBA Finals. In 2003, The American Theater Wing -- owner of the Tony Awards copywright -- appointed a "Tony Overhaul Committee" to help address the problems of the Tony telecast and seek solutions. Apparently their hard work paid off with the show's Emmy recognition (but particularly for Outstanding Variety, Music of Comedy Special).

I always support anyone or anything that sheds a positive light on the Great White Way...and the more attention people pay and support the stage, the happier I am. Seeing the Tony Awards can help shed light on a new generation of potential theatre goers. There are young people out there who won't get the opportunity to see a Broadway show, but will find the genre enchanting and find new ways to dream because of it. Congrats to the Tony Awards and if you can, go support a Broadway show...or at least an Equity approved touring show. :)

WORDFALL

Because I suppose it's "cool" to take these personality tests, I guess I'll post my results here. Ok, I admit, I actually love these things and do take them when sent to me (though for a long time I resisted). Here at long last, are my seven things:

Seven things I...

Plan to do in this lifetime:
1. Rediscover true happiness.
2. Live in NYC
3. Get married/have a family.
4. Sing publicly (and I don’t mean karaoke)
5. Work (not volunteer) in the theatre in some capacity.
6. Write a musical.
7. Write my grandparent's story.

Things I can do:
1. Sing
2. Have more patience.
3. Stop allowing my fear of the unknown to get the best of me.
4. Cook
5. Stop being so hard on myself.
6. Per Tianyi, I apparently have an uncanny skill to know exactly what and when a friend needs during distress.
7. Get my way when I really want it.

Things I can't do:
1. Change people.
2. Anything remotely artistic.
3. Dance well.
4. Let people tell me “no” when I really want something.
5. Forget my ancestors.
6. Stop daydreaming
7. Tolerate ignorance/stupidity/indecisiveness.

Things that attract me to the opposite sex:
1. Intelligence
2. Compassion
3. Sense of Humor
4. Passion for something/anything.
5. Motivation
6. Sense of self
7. Respect for me/others

Things I say most:
1. S***
2. F***
3. I understand
4. Whatever
5. I know
6. Thanks
7. Can I just say…

Celebrity crushes (currently or in the past or when? Hahaha, there have been many):
1. Patrick Wilson
2. Matthew Morrison
3. Hugh Jackman
4. Taye Diggs
5. Rob Fukuzaki (don’t ask, I was told I had to include him)
6. Steve Martin
7. Jimmy Stewart

People I want to take this quiz:
1. Knock your socks off kids...

WORDFALL, Part 2

Ok, so Maureen informed my list was incomplete...there were actually more questions...and since I'm so hard at work right now, I thought I'd break up the day and finish those off too. So...

Seven things that scare you:
1.) The unknown
2.) Bees
3.) Being alone
4.) Earthquakes
5.) Rats
6.) Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musicals
7.) Death

Seven things you love:
1.) My family
2.) My dog...RIP
3.) My friends
4.) My life
5.) Musical Theatre
6.) NYC
7.) The ocean

Seven things you hate:
1.) Bad drivers...SLOW drivers
2.) Ignorance
3.) Stupidity
4.) Constant indecisiveness
5.) Large crowds (typically, but not always)
6.) Bad smells
7.) Disregard for the elderly and or handicapped.

Seven things in your room:
1.) My bed
2.) Photos of my dog
3.) Bedside table
4.) Guitar
5.) Desk
6.) Laptop
7.) Chair

Seven random facts about you:
1.) I drink my coffee and tea straight up
2.) When I was a kid, I wanted to be a singer...and a journalist
3.) I stopped drinking soda (for the most part) last year.
4.) I am an alcoholic light-weight...1 drink and I'm drunk, 2 drinks...I have no control of my behavior after that!
5.) I'm still friends w/ people I've known since I was 7.
6.) Bees freak me out (and I've never been stung) yet when I was a kid, my friend and I used to hunt down and store bees in jars.
7.) I loved Barbara Streisand as a kid, but now I can't stand her.

Seven songs people should listen to (there are so many I could list though!):
1.) If I Told You Now (or anything by Jason Robert Brown)
2.) We Can Be Kind (by David Friedman)
3.) The Miller's Son (from "A Little Night Music" or anything by Sondheim)
4.) Summertime (from "Porgy & Bess")
5.) I Can't Believe My Heart (by Alan Menken/David Zippel)
6.) Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 for a "New World"
7.) Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

Seven favorite movies:
1.) Brief Encounter
2.) Breakfast at Tiffany's
3.) Sunset Blvd.
4.) It's a Wonderful Life
5.) Beaches
6.) All About Eve
7.) Lost in Translation

I REMEMBER

In recent headlines: An Evening with Hal Prince set for September 15. Seeing this reminded me of the dream I once had as a kid to work with Hal Prince. It all started with my obsession with the musical, Annie.

Growing up, I was the biggest fan of Annie -- in my usual way, I became obsessed with everything that the show was. I wore a red dress with black patent leather shoes, had the orange wig and belted out every Annie song to anyone who would listen (and even to those who wouldn't). In addition, I also had 2-3 Annie dolls, a plush Sandy (the dog), sheet music, an official program and went through a good 4 or so cassette tapes (until the show came out on CD). Yes, as you would expect, I thoroughly ran that one into the ground. As a matter of fact, it took years before I could even think about listening to the show again.

I went through a hiatus of sorts during the jr. high years when it came to musical theatre. Annie had run it's course in my life and I wasn't so keen on anything else...until high school when my mom got a hold of The Premiere Collection: The Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber and she became obsessed with The Phantom of the Opera. Naturally, when the show came to LA, guess who went...a LOT? I think my family saw the show a good 6-7 times during it's 6 year (?) run in LA (obviously, the pure fact that I seem to have any kind of "obsession" is hereditary). After around my 2nd or 3rd time, I began to really notice the cast and production credits. Naturally, I became the biggest Davis Gaines fan (he has performed the title role in POTO a good 2,000+ times in his career) but that story is too long and rather embarrassing. In addition to Davis Gaines, I also became aquainted with Hal Prince's body of work during my The Phantom of the Opera phase. Naturally, I became as crazy about The Phantom of the Opera as I was with Annie back in the heyday. In my quest to truly find out everything I could, I realized that Hal Prince was the director/producer behind some of my favorite shows like Cabaret, A Little Night Music and Evita. I was only beginning to understand the scope of this man's work. The more I read, the more I saw, the more I realized that Hal Prince was it. He was involved in some way with almost every major musical in the last 50 years.

Hal Prince began his career working with the legendary George Abbott as an assistant stage manager. Since then, he has won 20 Tony Awards and was a 1994 Kennedy Center Honors Inductee. He has worked with (amongst others) both Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim -- two of the most revered composers of musical theatre in the last 30 or so years. In high school, it was because of these three men that I rediscovered my love of musical theatre. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the simple, melodic, typical Broadway shows whereas Stephen Sondheim wrote for the more intellectually minded theatre crowd whose songs were complex and poetic in their own way. It was Hal Prince though who really understood how to direct those shows.

Sadly, the reality is, I probably won't ever get to work with Hal Prince (which is fine). He's getting older and hasn't been working nearly as much (most recently worked with Sondheim in his newest production: Bounce which sadly...didn't...it flopped). In high school, my parents urged me to get cracking if I really wanted to fulfill my dream of someday working with Hal Prince. I should have listened...hahaha, look at where I am now -- no where near Hal Prince!

HELP

Please help the victims of Hurricane Katrina via The Red Cross. Every bit counts!