March 2010 Archives

Tony and Drama Desk multiple award winner Patti LuPone, will host the 55th Annual Drama Desk Awards on Sunday, May 23, at 9 P.M.. Robert R. Blume, exec producer of the Awards, and William Wolf, DD prez, made the announcement. The Awards will take place at the Concert Hall of the LaGuadia High School for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

"It's an incredible honor for our Drama Desk Awards to be hosted by such a well-regarded and acclaimed stage legend," says Wolf.

"We are honored beyond our wildest dreams that Patti has accepted to host," states Blume. "Her indefatigable presence and personality will not only add entertainment value, but also lend added prestige to our event."

LuPone follows in a glittering line-up of DD Awards hosts: Bernadette Peters, Bebe Neuwirth, Lily Tomlin, Rue McClanahan, Chita Rivera, Harvey Fierstein [the host with the most: four times], Kristin Chenoweth, and the cast of [title of show].

LuPone's recent stage credits include her debut with LAOpera in Weill-Brecht's Mahagonny, the world premiere of Jake Heggie's opera To Hell and Back with SF's Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; and, on Bway, her memorable Rose in the critically-acclaimed revival of Styne/Sondheim/Laurents' Gypsy, and as Mrs. Lovett in John Doyle's Tony and DD-winning no-frills Bway revival of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd; Fosca in a concert version of Sondheim's Passion, which was broadcast on PBS' Live From Lincoln Center; and a multi-city tour of her theatrical concert, Matters of the Heart.

LuPone received the Best/Outstanding Actress, Musical, Tony and DD Awards for the Gypsy revival, which she originated at City Center Encores! and Chicago's Ravina Festival.

The much-honored LuPone, whom the NYTimes' Jesse Green referred to as "the "musical star built for another age, an Ethel Merman without portfolio."

Of her performance in Gypsy, this writer wrote: "Once she hops on the bike and revs the engines; once she stokes the furnace and reaches full speed ahead; once she takes off and reaches maximum throttle and roars into orbit, the luminous Patti LuPone is unstoppable as she gives the performance of several lifetimes ... With her astounding performance, she can hang her portfolio with pride right next to Merman's star."

Lupone was also the recipient of the Best/Outstanding Actress, Musical, Tony and DD for her title role Rice/Lloyd Webber's Evita; Tony and DD Actress, Musical, noms for the Sweeney Todd revival; Tony and DD Actress, Musical, noms for LCT and Porter's Anything Goes; Tony and DD Featured Actress, Musical, noms for Uhry/Waldman's Robber Bridegroom, based upon the Eudora Welty novella; and a DD, Featured Actress, Play, nom for Mamet's The Old Neighborhood.

In addition, LuPone was honored with a Drama League Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre; an OCC Award for her one-woman show, Patti LuPone on Broadway; and Olivier Best Actress, Musical, Awards for her West End performances in Les Miz and The Cradle Will Rock.

She also famously created the role of Norma Desmond in the 1993 West End world premiere production of Sunset Boulevard , for which she won an Olivier Best Actress, Musical, nom.

The Mahagonny cast CD won two Grammys, Best Classical Recording and Best Opera Recording. She has toured in the concert An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin. The latter was, of course, her Evita co-star in the role of Che. Her solo concerts include Matters of the Heart, Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda and The Lady with The Torch. The latter is LuPone's latest CD [Ghostlight Records].

LuPone made her auspicious Bway debut in 1973, in repertory revivals of Three Sisters as Irina and The Beggar's Opera as Lucy, cast by John Houseman, then A.D. of the City Center Acting Company, in residence at the Billy Rose Theatre, now the Nederlander.

Incidentally, LuPone is penning her eagerly-anticipated tell-all autobiography, tentatively scheduled for later this year or early next by Harmony Books.

DD noms for the 2009-2010 season will be announced at the NY Friars Club on Monday, May 3, at 9:30 A.M.

The DD Awards will be co-presented by Theatermania.com, with Jeff Kalpak as director.

Drama Desk, organized in 1949, is an organization of theater critics, writers and editors that honors Bway, Off Bway, Off Off Bway and not-for-profit theater excellence. The first awards were presented in 1955.

[In the spirit of full disclosure, I am a member of Drama Desk and presently on the Executive Board; and an exec producer of the Drama Desk Awards.]

There is nothing like a dame, goes that familiar refrain from Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific, and there's nothing like Dame Edna Everage. And there's nothing like an evening of soothing Michael Feinstein. So, put them together and what do you have? All About Me, the new revue which opened last night at the Henry's Miller's.

What's it about? "It's really all about me!" claims Dame Edna emphatically. Says Feinstein, always a gentleman and much less emphatically, "It's really all about me."

Anyone with any inside sources in this business - and isn't everyone an inside source? - knows that staging a show with two pretty powerful egos isn't easy. One is an artist with global theatrical background; the other, a composer/artist who's weathered musical trends to remain a force.

How does one placate what Dame Edna called "strange bedfellows" with equal billing and time onstage? That task went to Tony and Drama Desk nom'd director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw [who took over from Jerry Zaks on his departure to The Addams Family] and, seemingly to a lesser degree if the material in the 90-minute revue is fairly judged, Tony nom'd playwright Christopher Durang.

Playbill even joined in the faux feud, complementing both stars with their individual program, which eliminates any mention of the other [even sans bio].

All About Me opens smoothly with an extended overture, with snippets from Cabaret, Cats, ACL, Chicago, Gypsy, POTO, Sunday in the Park..., Sweeney Todd, Sweet Charity, WSS, and a sample of "New York, New York."

Feinstein appears on a Art Deco-style set with a 12-piece orchestra under Rob Bowman's direction. In very fine voice, he sails through classics from the Great American Songbook fronting the band and at his very own concert grand. The tunes include Bricusse/Newley's "What Kind of Fool Am I?", the Gershwins' "Strike Up the Band," Lerner/Lane's "What Did I Have That I Don't Have," Rodgers/Hart's epic torch "My Romance," and then he lets loose rockin' Jerry Lee Lewis style with "Great Balls of Fire." Along the way he removes a gigantic vase of gladiolas.

But whose show is this anyway? All havoc breaks loose with the arrival of Dame Edna Everage, who has no idea what Feinstein's doing center stage. Is he her warm-up act?

Decked out in glitzy gowns - one, supposedly hand-sewn by Australian nuns, with enough rhinestones that it must have shut down the mine - and glam footwear, the bejeweled, wisteria-haired Aussie expatriate takes the spotlight and the gladiolas are in bloom again. She does what she does best, what her fans have come to expect: dish out her brand of tough love.

All About Me came about after many years of friendship with Feinstein. "We met on the Tonight Show," recalls Feinstein, "After the program, we struck up a conversation about classic American songs. Dame Edna was especially interested in learning about Oscar Levant. Later, I invited her to join me at one of Roddy McDowell's famous, star-studded dinners. That further cemented our friendship."

"I've always loved the music of the Great American Songbook," explains Dame Edna. "And Michael is one of its greatest interpreters. He's more than a singer and pianist. He's a music scholar and historian. One of his great achievements is showing the American public that this is one of its greatest gifts."

AAM, the Dame adds, "is the kind of entertainment everyone needs." Feinstein says it'll give Dame Edna the opportunity to further "explore her theatrical roots."

They wanted to create the best show in town, says Dame Edna. "It's an all-new theatrical infrastructure. I'll be glowing in never-before-seen frocks designed by my son Kenny. I'll be singing and we'll be doing duets." She describes the show as "a meditation on loss, a sort of story of reconciliation"; and slyly adds, "Since it's all about me, it will be a bit of a love/hate relationship."

Dame Edna continues her tradition of giving "very spot-on psychic readings to astonished audience members." She feels the need to do it because "my audiences are needy. I'm here to help the darlings. I cut through the nonsense and tell it like it is. I pretend they're as intelligent as I am. As a result, afterward they bask in newfound self-confidence. My only consideration is for my less fortunate peers."

It would be hard to imagine her not offering fashion advice to select audience members, who will in turn either laugh it off, hide under their seats,or run for cover. Be warned: It's never a good idea to get out of your seat to run to the "potty"; and, God forbid, don't arrive at 7:45 for a 7 P.M. performance! The Dame's raison is, "I came all the way from Australia and I get here on time."

These little admonitions don't always go over well with those who've paid Broadway prices to see the legendary star. "When audience members feel I'm a little too in-their-face with my gentle probing," says Dame Edna, "I have fits of depression."

She states, "I've been known to say such constructive things as 'That's a nice outfit. I used to make my own clothes, too!' And the poor dear I addressed didn't return for Act Two. Some people just are not ready for the truth! I want my possums to dress as if every day is a special occasion. I hate this American obsession with do-rags and torn dungarees. Why not relax in designer outfits as I do. Of course, I'm not only gorgeous, but also rich."

The Dame says audiences have come to experience her originality and freshness, "so I don't over-rehearse. I want to be spontaneous." Some things, however, are predictable, "such as no sooner than I set foot onstage, audiences - even hard bitten old Broadway theatergoers -- rise to their feet. Except for one man the other night. Sadly, he only had one leg. Still, he rose to his foot."

She reluctantly admits to having a joyous heart. "My motto is 'I'm sorry, but I care.' Do you know doctors prescribe tickets to my show as therapy? At every performance, there are busloads of poor, depressed darlings in need. And I zero in on them. If I can't coax a little twinkle out of them, I actually contemplate suicide."

Her Broadway outings Dame Edna: Back with a Vengeance and Dame Edna: The Royal Tour* were long enough ago [2004 and 1999, respectively], both devised and written by Barry Humphries, that you might expect some surprises, but - the Dame's claims notwithstanding - there's not much of an extreme makeover.

[* Following The Royal Tour, which ran close to 400 performances, Dame Edna was buried beneath an avalanche of awards, including a 2000 DD for Outstanding Solo Performance. In 2004, Back with a Vengeance was DD-nom'd for Outstanding Solo Performance. The Dame captured her first DD nom [Unique Theatrical Experience] for 1978's Housewife! Superstar!.]

"I have a simple message," she claims, "laughter. It's a magic tonic and the best weapon against world tension ever invented. I'm fortunate to do a job that makes me happy and gives people pleasure, because, when you laugh, you use muscles that you don't use in any other way."

Not to be outshone by Feinstein, the Dame also sings select tunes from The Great Australian Songbook, such ditties as "The Dingo Ate My Baby" and "The Koala Song." She and her boys surprise by channeling the Beyoncé hit "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)." In a truly introspective moment, Dame Edna brings down the house with her unique rendition of Sondheim's "Ladies Who Lunch."

According to her, when she leaves town, a deep depression settles over the theater community. "Psychiatrists call it EDS or the Edna Deprivation Syndrome. It happened after my last forays on the Great White Way; so, to show how caring and compassionate I am, I'm back."

Not if Feinstein can help it. He's persistent, even returning to the stage torn and battered after being exiled by two chorus boy toughs. The production stage manager comes to the rescue, recommending they do the show together.

It all ends in perfect harmony, with what is the best part of the show: an extended, often hilarious medley by the duo. Songs include Berlin's "A Couple of Swells," Porter's "Friendship" and "I Get a Kick Out of You," Arlen/Mercer's "One More for the Road," Kahn/Woods' "Side by Side," Youmans/Caesar's "Tea for Two," "Wind Beneath My Wings," "You Go To My Head" - even Amy Winehouse's "Rehab," Pete Townshend's "See Me, Feel Me," and "YMCA."

The finale is a rousing sing-along to "The Gladdy Song." "My possums may arrive agitated," states Dame Edna, "but they leave happy -- more often than not, with a gladiola in hand."

The tradition of the gladiolas began by accident. "At one performance, I noticed a woman in the front row staring at my vase of gladdies. I became quite cross and began flinging them at her. I said, 'You might as well have them. You prefer looking at them instead of me.' She proceeded to share them with the entire row. When I did my last song, several people raised their gladies and began waving them in time with the music. It was poetic, funny and weirdly symbolic -- like an ancient rite."

Though Dame Edna makes no guarantees, she says her gladiolas have healing properties. "The ushers have found neck braces, canes, walkers, and prosthetics. If an audience member has a body part that's giving them trouble, all they need do is strap the gladdie to the affected area. Overnight, enzymes will leech into their organs and amazing things will happen. All for a one-price-includes-all ticket!"

Pre-show preparations begin early "because, when it comes to make-up, I entrust my transformations to no one but moi! I am so gorgeous that I actually have to tone myself down instead of make myself up. I don't believe in surgery. Do you know what I call crow's feet? The dried-up beds of old smiles. I won't have them injected with poison! I pamper my skin with my own line of beauty products created from flowers and animal by-products."

An intimate confession slips into the conversation, the sort you would never expect to hear from Dame Edna Everage: she suffers pre-performance jitters. "Even a tough old trouper like me gets butterflies in the tummy. When audiences see me, I seem to be full of energy and confidence, but before I go out I'm shaking and sick with nerves; then I put on my glasses and I'm ready to expose myself."

Her success in America led to many media opportunities, including a short-lived TV show with such guests as Mel Gibson, Burt Reynolds, Robin Williams, Bea Arthur and Cher; an appearance on the 2001 Oscar telecast; and a recurring role on TV's Ally McBeal.Certainly one of TV's most memorable broadcasts was Dame Edna's 2008 appearance on the Tonight Show, where another of Jay Leno's guests was Nicole Kidman. She explained how, when Kidman was growing up in Australia, she was the actress' mentor.

"When little Nicole was an acting student," said the Dame, wrapping Kidman in warm embraces, "I coached her. I taught her everything she knows. I would have taught her singing to, but somehow she managed on her own."

As Dame Edna went on and on, Kidman stared in disbelief. The Dame ignored Leno and began another show with Kidman. As she went on and on in intimate detail, Kidman tucked her hands into what Dame Edna called "a most unlady-like part of the anatomy." Dame Edna admonished her and Kidman turned beet red as Leno and the audience were ROTF. Continuing with a relentless barrage, the Dame, without directly saying so, intimated Kidman wet her panties. The actress recoiled in jaw dropping horror. To her eternal credit, though she'll probably make sure she's never on another show with Dame Edna, Kidman was a trouper, sitting there when others might have stormed off.

The Dame Edna Everage Backstory

So, how did a star of the magnitude of Dame Edna Everage come to be? Her delightful, outgoing, helpful and sensitive exterior masks decades of interior horror. It wasn't always sparkling and blinding eyewear and dazzling sequins and jewels.

Behind every great woman, they say there's a great man. Claiming to be "behind" the Dame, there's satirist/performer/author/composer/painter John Barry Humphries. Dame Edna has become such a show business force to be reckoned that Humphries' claims of having created her persona bring stern words. "Can you believe anything a man ever says?" she admonishes.

Research, if it can be believed, reveals Humphries was a spoiled child but that his building contractor father spent little time with him. He reveals he was so painfully shy that "facing an audience amounts to my own form of highly paid therapy. As a child, I hid behind the curtains when relatives came around. Mother would say, 'Sing us a little song. Pretend to be the wireless.'

"I would disguise myself as different characters," he continued. "I had a whole box of dressing up clothes - red Indian costume, sailor suit, Chinese costume." That pretend helped create the persona we have come to know. "I found entertaining people gave me a feeling of release. Making people laugh was a good way of befriending them. People couldn't hit you, could they, if they were laughing?"

At Melbourne University, Humphries studied law, philosophy and fine arts. After writing and performing songs and sketches in revues there, he was a charter member of the Melbourne Theatre Company.

In 1955, Humphries claims, and wrote candidly about this in his 1992 autobiography, More Please, he created a character similar to Dame Edna in a sketch titled Olympic Hostess, in which "Edna" was "a caricature of Australian suburban complacency and insularity." The evolution to the celebrated, titled housewife/megastar Edna took four decades.

At age 20, after earning a following as "Dame Edna" in one-woman shows and on TV, he arrived in Britain. In the 70s, the career blossomed via such shows as A Night with Dame Edna. He began his theatrical career in the Berlin musical Call Me Madman and made his West End debut as undertaker Mr. Sowerberry in Lionel Bart's Oliver! opposite Clive Revill's Fagin. In 1963, he reprised the role on Broadway, where it won the Tony for Best Musical. That show had sets and costumes designed by Sean Kenny. Any relation? Could this be the Dame's beloved Kenny?

It's been difficult locating any official records indicating the bestowing of a royal title by QE2. However, Down Under, Humphries holds their highest honor, the Order of Australia.

He appeared in numerous West End shows and on radio. In 1967, following another Oliver!, revival, he met Peter Cook and Dudley Moore which led to his screen debut, as Envy in their film Bedazzled, directed by Stanley Donen. In 1977, he appeared opposite Shirley MacLaine in The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom.

In 1997, Humphries joined Cameron Mackintosh's long-running London Palladium Oliver!, revival, directed by Sam Mendes, following Jonathan Pryce in the role of Fagin. Jim Dale, who later took on the role, says Humphries "was priceless. In the scene where Fagin opens a box of jewels, Barry decked them about himself, then took out a pair of jeweled spectacles and played Fagin as Dame Edna for a few minutes. He had the audience in convulsions."

Humphries became an avid painter in his late teens - when he discovered there were nude female models. He's considered an outstanding landscape artist.

With success, came a demon. Humphries admits alcohol contributed to the breakup of his first two marriages. He hasn't picked up a drink since the 70s. But he has been on the marriage-go-round four times. Current wife Lizzie Spender, daughter of British poet Sir Stephen Spender and an actress, playwright and cookbook author, is nearly 20 years his junior. Humphries has four children.

Humphries, taking a cue from Dame Edna, began branching out and away from his and her's other persona. He portrayed Mrs. Crummles/Mr. Leadville in the 2002 screen adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby; and provided the voice of Bruce in Disney/Pixar's Oscar-winning mega animated hit Finding Nemo.

Next up is Madam Needham opposite Lucinda Rhodes-Flaherty in Ken Russell's just-wrapped film adaptation of Moll Flanders. Can you imagine that combination?

Must See Bway

Geoffrey Nauffts' Next Fall appears to be a top contender for one of the season's best plays. One audience member called is a "dramedy" because its love story between two gay men - Luke, a Christian; and Adam, a non-believer - has equal elements of drama, comedy, and tragedy. There's no shortage of Kleenex moments, so you could call it a joyful tear-jerker.

The play, presented Off Bway earlier by Naked Angels, seems to be set for a long run thanks to 13 producers, including Elton John and his partner, film producer David Furnish. Sheryl Kaller makes an auspicious Bway debut as director.

Ben Brantley, writing in the Times under the headline "Love with a Proper Atheist and Other Leaps of Faith" that later became "Leaps of Faith to Transcend Urban Angst," called Next Fall "a thoughtful and very moving story of a gay couple agonizing over differences in their religious faiths that proceeds with the stinging breeziness of a cosmopolitan comedy."

Luke, portrayed by TV's Gossip Girl co-star Patrick Heusinger, believes in God. The much older "nebbish" Adam, played by Patrick Breen [original Brighton Beach Memoirs, Big River, many, many more], doesn't.

In subtle and not so subtle ways and sometimes in total silence, Nauffts explores the ups and downs of this unlikely couple's five-year relationship with honesty and humor. The play has political relevance since Luke refuses to admit to his divorced parents, particularly his Born Again/homophobic father, that he's gay. Adam can't understand why he wishes to hide his sexuality and their love.

They're already having a rocky road, when Luke is critically injured after being hit by a taxi. As he lies in a coma, friends and family gather. Luke and Adam's story is told in flashback.

Next Fall boasts a strong, superb cast, all with an endless list of theater/film/TV credits. In addition to the leads, Connie Ray [a star and writer of the down-home musical Smoke on the Mountain; The Heidi Chronicles], as Luke's rebellious stepmom, and Maddie Corman [Isn't It Romantic] as best friend Holly, supply beautifully-etched character portraits and scene-stealing moments.

They have excellent support from Sean Dugan [Bway debut; Valhalla, Flesh and Blood, Corpus Christi] as an introspective, seemingly self-hating friend from Luke's past; and Cotter Smith [An American Daughter, Burn This, How I Learned to Drive], as Luke's father, aptly named Butch. You can quibble with Nauffts' fade out. When Adam picks up the phone, you know he's about to say three more words.

Another Good Year

Grammy-winning Platinum-selling recording legend Melissa Manchester will join the cast of Scott Siegel's Broadway by the Year: The Broadway Musicals of 1948 on Monday in the acclaimed Town Hall series, celebrating its 10th Anniversary season. 1948 was one of the last seasons top-heavy with revues.

Shows that graced Broadway for 1,077 performances during that "unplugged" season include Cole Porter's Tony-winning treasure Kiss Me, Kate, with Tony-winning book by comedy vets Bella and Sam Spewack, based on the Bard's Taming of the Shrew and starring Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk, and Harold Lang; and the classic musical comedy Where's Charley? by Frank Loesser and starring Ray Bolger.

Kate songs to be heard, some undoubtedly "unplugged," are "So In Love," "Where Is the Life that Late I Led," "Were Thine that Special Face," and "Too Darn Hot." Charley will be highlighted by its runaway hit, "Once In Love With Amy,"

"Mr. Right," from the Weill/Irving Schlein/Lerner "vaudeville" Love Life with a time period from 1791 to 1948; "Schraffts," from Richard Lewine/Arnold Horwitt's hit revue Make Mine Manhattan; "Haunted Heart" from Inside USA; and "Neurotic You and Psychopathic Me" from Charles Gaynor's hit revue Lend An Ear.

Headliners include: Jeffry Denman [White Christmas], Erin Denman [42nd Street], Josh Grisetti [Enter Laughing], Jeff McCarthy [Urinetown], William Michals [South Pacific], Noah Racey [Curtains], Bobby Steggert [Yank!, Ragtime, 110 in the Shade], and Grammy-winning opera singer John Easterlin. Stuart Ross [Forever Plaid] directs, with musical direction/arrangements by Ross Patterson, who'll be accompanied by his Little Big Band.

Tickets are $45 and $50 and available at the Town Hall box office, through TicketMaster by calling (800) 982-2787 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

"Having a star of Melissa Manchester's magnitude join us for 1948," says Siegel, "brings yet a greater spotlight to the wonderful music of Broadway's golden age and further underscores our efforts to make our 10th Anniversary season memorable."

Mark your calendar for Broadway Musicals of 1966, May 10; and the BBTY 10th Anniversary spectacular, June 14, the night after the Tony Awards, which will celebrate Broadway Musicals of 1990-2010 with one tune each.

Last Chance

Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Award-winning actress Lea Salonga continues in her New York nitery debut at the Café Carlyle in The Journey So Far through March 27. In The Journey So Far, Salonga features songs from theater, film, the American songbook and her native Philippines. Larry Yurman is music director/pianist, accompanied by a trio. Daniel Kutner directed.

Salonga, 38 and celebrating 30 years in show business, was catapulted to international fame when cast at 17 as Kim in Miss Saigon. She later appeared in Les Miz and was chosen by Disney for the singing voices of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin and the title character in Mulan.

For shows Tuesday - Friday at 8:45 P.M., seats are $75, with VIP seating at $125 and seating at the bar, $45; and Saturday at 8:45 and 10:45, $85, $125, and $45. Dinner seatings are at 6:30, 7, and 7:30. For reservations, call (212) 744-1600.

There's the strong possibility that Salonga will soon be back on Broadway. While she's in town, she'll continue in development readings of a musical set in the U.S.'s infamous Japanese internment camps during WWII.

Salonga will play Grizabella in a limited July premiere engagement of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, to be presented at Manila's Philippine Culture Center mainstage, the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo Theatre. The international cast will also feature Australia's John O'Hara in the role of Rum Tum Tugger.

Penny Serenade

Tony nom Penny Fuller [The Dinner Party], who also won plaudits as Eve Harrington opposite Lauren Bacall's Margo Channing in Applause, the musical adaptation of the backstage drama All About Eve, will play the Metropolitan Room one-night-only, April 3, at 7:30.

Following her 1962 Bway debut, Fuller appeared as a replacement in Barefoot in the Park and Cabaret. She co-starred in Wendy Wasserstein's An American Daughter . Her last Bway outing was Richard Rodgers' 1976 short-lived Rex, in which she appeared as Anne Boleyn opposite Nicol Williamson's Henry VIII and Glenn Close's Princess Mary. Off Bway, she co-starred in William Finn's A New Brain and NJ's George Street Playhouse's 1999 revival of Rodgers' Do I Hear a Waltz?.

There's a $25 cover and two-drink minimum. Also, upcoming in April: Annie Ross, Marcus Simone, and, among others, Baby Jane Dexter, For reservations and complete talent line-up, visit www.metropolitanroom.

At the Ballet

Riding a wave of critical and popular acclaim, the Richmond Ballet, under Stoner Winslett [soon to be celebrating her 30th anniversary as A.D.], returns to the Joyce April 6 -11. It's been five years since their NY debut. In celebration of their 50 + years of dance, the 18 + strong company will present two mixed programs, three ballets each, making their Manhattan debut.

Program A will include Ancient Airs and Dances by Winslett with Italian and French lute songs orchestrated by Respighi. Program B will be highlighted by Vestiges by Colin Connor, with music by Michael Nyman.

The Richmond's resident artists are ballet master Jerri Kumery, formerly of the NYC Ballet and who serves as repetiteur with the George Balanchine Trust; and Igor Antonov, former principal dancer with the Ukraine's Donetsk Ballet and major international companies.

Tickets are $10 - $49; $26 and $37, for Joyce members. They're available through JoyceCharge (212) 242-0800 and www.joyce.org, where you'll find scheduling. A "Dance Chat" will follow Wednesday, April 7's performance and the Saturday, April 10 matinee. For more information, visit www.richmondballet.com.

Dame Edna & Michael Feinstein Featurette: All About Me
With Ellis Nassour
Produced by Michael Stever

Recession hasn't hurt business at cineplex box offices. More than $10-billion in tickets were sold, which means more people than ever went to the movies [of course, that big number could be the result of skyrocketing movie prices in the last 10 years]. Thanks to James Cameron and 3-D, movies remain a popular entertainment for the masses whether we purchase tkts at the box office or rent/buy the DVD and Blu-ray.

When the going gets tough, America goes to the movies - even to tough movies, and those not so easy to watch. We like hissing supervillians, line up for romance, love comeback stories, and are willing to support more than mindless drivel and the adventures of superheroes.

Compared to other forms of entertainment, even with the highest movie prices in the nation in New York City, going to the movies is still one of the least expensive [even less than bowling] excursions you can make, especially if you stay away from concession stands. Of course, it would be nice if even 50% of the films released were worth going to see.

The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will honor the best films of 2009. They take place Sunday beginning at 8 P.M. [with red carpet arrivals], telecast from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on ABC, and with two major changes: The number of nominated pictures will rise from five to 10; and the special and honorary award winners will be saluted, but their trophies were handed out two weeks ago [no doubt to make room for highlights from the 10 nominated films].

Actors Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin will host the show. Martin will host for the third time, while Baldwin is making his host debut.

[It would have been interesting to see what Sasha Baron Cohen would have done had the Academy not rejected him as "too much of a wild card."]

An audience of an estimated 35 million have the pizzas ordered, the trail mix mixed, and the Champagne on ice. Viewers in 200 countries will also be watching via satellite. The big parties are the Vanity Fair and Academy's Governor's Ball, the places to be seen. Wolfgang Puck's menu for the latter will be Beverly Hill's style comfort food: organic chicken pot pie with black truffles. For starters, a very simple but elegant crispy potato galette with smoked salmon.

In an effort to please movie buffs and in an attempt to keep the TV ratings high, the list of presenters reeks with variety - someone old, someone new, someone for everyone: Jason Bateman, Kathy Bates, Gerard Butler, Steve Carell, Bradley Cooper, Miley Cyrus, Robert Downey Jr., Zac Efron, Tina Fey, Tom Ford, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson, Queen Latifah,Taylor Lautner, Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica Parker, Tyler Perry, Rachel McAdams, Keanu Reeves, Ryan Reynolds, Zoe Saldana, Amanda Seyfried, Kristen Stewart, Ben Stiller, Babs Streisand, Charlize Theron, John Travolta, Robin Williams, Kate Winslet, and Sam Worthington.

Participants in special segments will be Colin Farrell, Forrest Whittaker, Neal Patrick Harris, Demi Moore, Julianne Moore, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tim Robbins, Michael Sheen, Peter Skarsgaard, Stanley Tucci, and Oprah Winfrey.

In addition to the annual memorial tribute, there will be a special segment on director/writer John Hughes, who died in August at age 59, by members of the The Breakfast Club "Brat Pack" and stars from his films, such as Matthew Broderick and Macaulay Culkin.

Nomination Highlights:

Have you voted? How many have you seen?

Picture
>The last time 10 films were nominated was 1943<
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Actress
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious...
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Supporting Actress
Penélope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious...

Director
>History could be made in this category.
Bigelow would be the first female to win.
Daniels would be the first African American<
James Cameron, Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Lee Daniels, Precious...
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Original Screenplay
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman, The Messenger
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, A Serious Man
Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy, Up
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Adapted Screenplay
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci,
Tony Roche, In the Loop
Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell, District 9
Nick Hornby, An Education
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious...
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

Foreign Language
Ajami, Israel
A Prophet (Un Prophète), France
The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada), Peru
The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos),Argentina
The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band),Germany

Original Score
Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, The Hurt Locker
Alexandre Desplat, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Michael Giacchino, Up
James Horner, Avatar
Hans Zimmer, Sherlock Holmes

Original Song
"Almost There," The Princess and the Frog, Randy Newman
"Down in New Orleans," The Princess and the Frog, Randy Newman
"Loin de Paname," Paris 36, Music, Reinhardt Wagner; Lyrics, Frank Thomas
"Take It All," Nine, Maury Yeston
"The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart, Music and lyrics, Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett

Animated Feature
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up

For a full list of the nominations, the awards given out to date, the Countdown to Oscar feature, a printable ballot, video clips, trailers of the 10 nominated "Best," and play-along games visit www.oscar.go.com.

Honorary Oscars went to:

Lauren Bacall: SEE BELOW

John Calley: a producer and former Sony CEO, admired as one of Lalaland's most trusted figures. Not a household name, but his achievements include a long association with Mike Nichols, which began with the all-star Catch-22 [1970]; Best Picture nomination for The Remains of the Day [1993], which received seven other noms; Postcards from the Edge [1990], which netted a Best Actress nod for Meryl Streep; and Closer [2004].

Roger Corman: produced more than 300 films, and directed over 50. However, the Academy's Board of Governors voted Corman his Oscar "for his unparalleled ability to nurture aspiring filmmakers by providing an environment that no film school could match." Corman is legendary for his ability to stretch a dollar. He shot period films and sci-fi "epics" on budgets that wouldn't cover catering on today's shoots. For years, he was the butt of industry jokes, but there were occasional gems, such as his Poe-inspired early '60s horror flicks starring Vincent Price. He mentored such directors as Cameron, Coppola, Demme. Howard, Scorsese; and such actors as De Niro and Nicholson. What's little known is that he also became a savvy distributor of art house films by Bergman, Fellini, Kurosawa, and Truffaut.

Gordon Willis: cinematographer on some of the most acclaimed films of the '70s and '80s, two-time Oscar nom Willis shot three Best Picture winners, The Godfather [1972], The Godfather Part II [1974], and Annie Hall [1977]. The Academy noted "he broke new ground with daring compositions, simplicity, reduced lighting schemes, and lens choices, and became one of film's foremost stylists." Willis was Oscar-nom'd for Zelig [1983] and The Godfather, Part III [1990]. Other films include the innovative Pennies from Heaven [1981] and The Purple Rose of Cairo [1985].

And the Winner Is

One of the most acclaimed films among the 10 Best Picture nominees is Lee Daniels' unsparing and deeply poignant Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire,which was a hit at Cannes and the Sundance, Toronto and NYFilm Fests.

Adapted from the 1966 novel, this raw and not always easy to watch story of a 16-year-old who endures unimaginable hardships [poor, angry, barely literate, fat, unloved], abuse by her mother, and rape by her father. Daniels says, "Precious isn't just a tale of endless abjection. It's also the celebration of a young woman's determination to free herself from the pathologies surrounding her," guided by a teacher who senses innate talents and a tough yet compassionate welfare officer.

The casting is innovative: Sidibe, an unknown; stunning Paula Patton as the teacher has a magical screen presence [and could be almost mistaken for JLo]; Mariah Carey, in only her fourth film since the Glitter fiasco; and appearing "unvarnished" as a welfare worker; Lenny Kravitz.

Daniels' casting coup is comedienne Mo'Nique, who's won a Golden Globe and the Special Sundance Jury Prize among a slew of other honors, in a role like you've never seen her before and one you'd never expect her to play: the monstrous, abusive mother. Her performance will def shock audiences; however, it will open many doors and lead her down a path to heavy dramatic roles.

But can it win Best Picture when it's in a category with blockbuster Avatar and the little film that could, Hurt Locker? Logic says yes, reality says no. Here the old axiom applies: it's nice just to be nominated.

There's much ado over who'll win Best Actress. Among the noms are two-time winner and 16-time nom Meryl Streep, who seemingly can just show up on a set and get nom'd but this time it's for the very, very, very, very light comedy Julie & Julia; Sandra Bullock, a well-liked actress with a winning personality who's starred in some downright silly, some downright awful, and one very good film, Blind Side; and the totally unknown college student Gabourey Sibide, not especially attractive, admittedly obese, who on a lark went to an audition for director Lee Daniels and his Precious..., not only won the title role but stunned critics and audiences with one of the most indelible, jolting, and heartbreaking performances ever.

So who'll take the prize? In a perfect world, it would be Sibide, but it's not a perfect world. And Precious... hasn't broken b.o. records. You also have Helen Mirren's much lauded performance in Last Station and newcomer Carey Mulligan lilting work, with her ability to light up the screen, in An Education.

So, it's a category where you really can't compare which actresses is actually "best," but who'll get the votes. The Vegas/A.C. money seems to be on Bullock, but how precious, indeed, it would be for Sibide to walk off with the statue.

Jeremy Renner stunned audiences with his performance in Hurt Locker as did the much-admired Colin Firth in the praised, but widely unseen A Single Man. Betting says it's Jeff Bridges' time in the spotlight, and not just for his strong performance in Crazy Heart, but for the times even much stronger portrayals have been overlooked. With four noms under his belt, it appears his luck may have changed.

The Best Director category has irony: James Cameron, with the biggest blockbuster ever, up against his ex, Kathryn Bigelow, with the much-acclaimed but not exactly blockbuster The Hurt Locker . Now, how sweet would it be for Bigelow to walk off with the statue? Also, quite deserving, and maybe not the longshot everyone thinks: Lee Daniels, Precious....

Where did you put your money?

Lauren Bacall

Lauren Bacall's lines to Humphrey Bogart in one of filmdom's sultriest voices in acclaimed director Howard Hawks' To Have and Have Not [1944], "If you want anything...just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you? You just put your lips together and blow" not only made movie history and became part of the day's vernacular but also raised the ire of the Legion of Decency. Based on the Hemingway novel, THAHN was Bacall's first film. She was stunning, but not in the Betty Grable/Jane Russell pin-up way. She oozed elegance, sly sophistication, smoldering sex appeal, and T.N.T. and was sublimely photogenic. It's hard to believe she was only 20. She not only became instant box office but Bogie's lover. He was married and more than twice her age. Their scorching affair made world headlines. They went on to co-star in The Big Sleep, Dark Passage, and Key Largo; and to later marry.

New Yorker Bacall, a former model, amassed 50 film credits. She recently admitted that her trademark "look" sprang from stage fright so severe she had to press her chin to her chest to keep from falling apart. My how she's has changed. She's as strong-willed and intimidating as they come. Among her more than 50 films are How to Marry a Millionaire, Designing Woman, Murder on the Orient Express, The Shootist, and Misery. She was nominated as Supporting Actress for Streisand's The Mirror Has Two Faces. She's made five Broadway outings, highlighted by Applause, Woman of the Year, [winning Tonys for both], Waiting in the Wings, and Cactus Flower.

She's known as a tough-as-nails "broad"; and she can be cold as ice. Yet, she is adored by her intimate circle of friends. One of my favorite New York sightings ever was at a recent Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. As one of the first bands passed her Central Park West Dakota apartment, she appeared at a window, fresh out of bed. I couldn't hear her, but I sure wished I could read lips. Eight years ago, following a memorial at the Shubert Theatre, a veteran press agent, who knew just about everyone in the business and who famously went around kissing every female star he encountered, literally ran smack right into Miss Bacall in Shubert Alley - and finally met his match. He went to plant a big wet one right on her mouth. In the ultimate "Halt!", she reprimanded sternly, "No! I know where that mouth has been!"

It's no secret that Miss Bacall, not exactly known for her generosity of spirit, can have ferocious mood swings. The staff at a certain UWS bookstore renamed her "Betsyboo" after she rained terror on them [not to mention her publisher's pub rep] when she came to promote her autobiography reissue. Management even swore "that diva will, hopefully, never enter this store again!" Her behavior didn't endear the Widow Bogart to her Waiting in the Wings co-stars.

More recently at the memorial for Marilyn Cooper's memorial, it was noteworthy with tributes pouring in from composers, directors, and a long-ago star she supported, BabsS [who sent a message to be read], that one person was noticably absent. That was especially puzzling given that the multi-talented Miss Cooper paid Miss Bacall lavish tribute as she accepted her Featured Actress Tony for WOTY.

On receiving her honorary Oscar, it was obvious, even at 85, Miss Bacall is as feisty as ever. Gripping the award, she gazed at it and said, "I'm here to stay, so you better get used to the idea."

New to DVD

Oscar-winner and 2010 Oscar nom George Clooney gives what many have termed "the performance of his career" under writer/director Jason Reitman [Juno, Thank You for Smoking; and son of director Ivan] in Up in the Air, just released on DVD [Paramount Home Entertainment; 105 minutes; SRP $20; Blu-ray, $30]. The film is thought-provoking, smart, dark, romantic, and borders on serious "comedy." It is also quietly powerful, most often in its subtleties. Is it Clooney's career-defining performance? It might come close. He certainly has no screen ego, especially in showing that he's aging.

Up in the Air has racked up six Oscar noms, Best Picture, Director, Actor, Adapted Screenplay, and two nods for Supporting Actress, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. Farmiga. It's also been named by over 200 critics as one 2009's top films.
There are several dozen poignant cameo performances. J.K. Simmons and Sam Elliott appear briefly. Farmiga, an unconventional beauty now in her mid-30s, has been emerging as a major screen presence since her 1997 film debut. She finally achieves her star-making role.

Clooney plays Ryan, a man-on-the-constant-go corporate downsizer [i.e., he fires people] and loving it racking up the miles as he does, Oddly, Ryan maintains a secondary job giving motivational speeches on relieving one's life of excess physical and emotional baggage - just the type of anguish, hostility, and despair he causes. An independent man, proud to be a loner, he finally meets, in his female counterpoint [Farmiga], what could become the great love he's made a point of never searching for.

But even he's about to be down-sized through technology planned to remove the human touch - and just as he's reaching his eagerly-anticipated 10-mil frequent flyer status.

Up in the Air may not be everyone's cup of tea [one reviewer described it as "strong but a flim flam lacking honesty"]. It doesn't hurry to tell its story; however, as the minutes tick away, the story gets deeper and deeper. Savvy viewers will be able to predict one of the twists miles ahead of its arrival. Yet, when it arrives it's one of the film's most telling moment.

The DVD includes five deleted scenes. Is it a good idea to second guess the director?
In the case of these scenes, yes. The film doesn't feel overly long, and the 15 1/2 minutes that hit the cutting room floor - especially information revealed in two quite extended sequences, would have added much to the film. This material includes Clooney in a space-age fantasy dream that might have been the film's finale and a lengthy one that shows Clooney going against his grain and setting up a new life.

The Blu-ray includes an additional eight deleted scenes, storyboards, and Sad Brad Smith's music video, "Help Yourself." UITA's original soundtrack is available on Rhino and includes the Smith track along with those by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

Though long available on video and shown countless times on TV, you ain't seen nothin' yet until you catch the immaculately-restored print of John Houston's 1951 The African Queen, one of cinema's all-time classics. It arrives newly remastered on DVD [Paramount Home Entertainment; SRP $20; Blu-ray, $27] March 23 and is a must-have for any movie buff.

Using state-of-the-art 4K digital technology, African Queen can now be seen by a new generation as if it's a brand-new film and for the classic romantic comedy/adventure gem it is.

Legendary director John Huston, in one of Hollywood's great casting coups, managed to pair two of the screen's most treasured and acclaimed actors, the incomparable Humphrey Bogart as hard-drinking tramp boat captain Charlie Allnut, a performance that won him his only Oscar; and the equally incomparable Katharine Hepburn, who was Oscar-nom'd, in a role totally different than she'd ever played, spinster, lovelorn missionary Rose Sayer. But the movie ain't bad either!

Based on C.S. Forester's best-selling novel, adapted by James Agee and Houston, set in East Africa at the start of WWI, it tells the story of two disparate people from farreachingly disparate backgrounds who are thrown together on a good vs. evil mission: to impossibly try to knock out a patrolling German ship, if for no other reason than pure spite. Through unbelievable hazards and obstacles, they not only accomplish their deed but, in one of screendom's most unlikely love stories, fall head over heels. See, opposites do attract.

A six-year project filled with challenges as difficult as those of Charlie and Rosie, the restoration process began with access to the original three-strip negative, which was scanned and digitized. The separate three-strip Technicolor elements were painstakingly recombined and, frame by frame, restored removing accumulated build-up. Then, because of the number of process [blue screen] shots in the film [partially made on location in the Congo and London soundstages], there was the meticulously realigning of close-up images. The soundtrack was restored to reveal a clarity never before realized. Luckily, Oscar-winning cinematographer, the brilliant Jack Cardiff was consulted.

The DVD sets have a new doc, Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen, with interviews with Martin Scorsese, the restorers, and archival interviews with principals [in addition to one with surviving cast member Theodore Bikel], and home movies shot on location. The box set includes an audio disc with a recording of the Lux Radio Theater broadcast of The African Queen, a reproduction of Katharine Hepburn's out-of-print memoir The Making of The African Queen or How I Went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind, a film frame collectible reproduction, and production still postcards.

More good news: 35mm prints have been struck which means The African Queen will have new life not only on TV but also in film festivals and rep houses.

Movies the Way They Were

Movies, movies, movies at one time were shown in "Everyman" palaces with Wonder Organs to interlude audiences between showings. You get a taste of that era when you go to some events at Radio City Music Hall, opened in 1931, and they whip out the dueling organs. But New York City's movie palaces have, so sadly, gone the way of the wrecking ball.

If you'd like to see how our parents and grandparents saw films, visit the still intact, almost 78-year old opulent former Loew's Paradise in the Bronx [2413 Grand Concourse] recently reopened for concerts and special events after an extensive $5-mil renovation of its Italian Baroque grandeur by entrepreneur Gerald Lieblich. The cherubs, caryatids, recumbent lions, gargoyles and other statuary in the vaulted lobby [often used for high tone parties and such in film/TV] and gargantuan auditorium have been cleaned. The famed midnight-blue ceiling has been repainted, but the stars won't start twinkling and the clouds won't begin rolling again for a while.

The fate of Jersey City's magnificent treasure 3,000 + seat movie palace, Loew's Jersey [54 Journal Square, and easily reached by PATH], opened in 1929 as "the most lavish temple of entertainment," isn't quite the happy story, yet. Slowly, but surely, its glory years are returning with ongoing restoration. The theatre's huge Wonder Organ masterpiece recently returned after being refurbished and rebuilt. It's played before most films by members of the Garden State Organ Society.

This landmark deserves the support of dedicated moviegoers. Upcoming:

March 26, 8 P.M., Charles Laughton's haunting B&W classic film noir thriller The Night of the Hunter[1955], based on the Davis Grubbs novel with screenplay by James Agee. Starring are Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, and, in a most memorable role, Lillian Gish.

March 27, 6 P.M., acclaimed director Michael Curtiz helms King Creole [1958], based on a novel by Harold Robbins and starring the King, Elvis, with a featured cast led by the brilliant actress Carolyn Jones, Walter Matthau, Dolores Hart [not long after this film, she exited Hollywood to join the strictly-cloistered Benedictine Regina Laudis Monastery in CT, where today she's the abbey prioress], Dean Jagger, and Liliane Montevecchi. It doesn't much resemblance to the Harold Robbins novel on which it's based [A Stone for Danny Fisher], but it's one of Elvis' best.

At 8:30 P.M., on the 27th, one of cinema's greatest classics, Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront [1954], winner of eight Oscars, including Picture; Director; Actor, Marlon Brando; Supporting Actress, Eva Marie Saint; Screenplay, Budd Schulberg; and Cinematography, B&W, Boris Kaufman. In the Supporting Actor category, Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, and Rod Steiger received noms, the first time three actors in a single film were nominated in the same category. Also nominated was Leonard Bernstein's score.

Admission to screenings is bargain-priced. The huge, ornate lobby has an awesome crystal chandelier. Everything at the concession stand, including popcorn fresh from the kettle, is reasonably-priced. For schedules, visit www.loewsjersey.org. For more opts to hear pipe and theatre organ concerts in the tri-state area, visit www.gstos.org.