PORGY & BESS

Saw a preview of  Diane Paulus's controversial new staging of PORGY & BESS today and it's not controversial at all. Apart from a few dodgy musical arrangements which suddenly take the show out of its 1930s period and hurtle it towards '60s Vegas, this is a very worthy and touching reading of the piece.

I loved the choreography by Ronald K. Brown and  the costumes by ESosa.

There are very fine performances from the entire cast including David Alan Grier as Sportin' Life and the incredible Joshua Henry (in red braces) as Jake.

And then we have the wonderful Norm Lewis as a funny, proud and sexy Porgy and Audra McDonald's tortured, ravaged and self-loathing Bess, a wounded animal who desperately clings to every kindness that is shown to her before backsliding time and again into self-destruction. This Bess is so far gone when we first see her, a vicious scar across her face telling her history, that she doesn't stand a chance. Especially while she remains in sexual thrall to the monstrous thug Crown.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!

(tt)   It's a relatively cool day so the old computer has agreed to start up.

I send all my love to yall and a pic I took on Christmas Day . No not sloshed and I even had sherryless trifle!!!
All my love for the coming year    xxxxxx

Peter Pan!!

Cathy Rigby is packing 'em in at Madison Square Garden with her one millionth tour of PETER PAN but she came to see us on her afternoon off. She is sweet as anything.

Framed

Alison took the pic of tt in his dressing room in Melbourne. Jack, my wig dresser, gave me the frame for Christmas.

Scarred For Life?

Eric Sciotto's baby boy Samson stunned by Bernadette cavorting on the telly.

Christmas Morn

Before the Christmas Day performance I was invited to drop in to the "open house" at the glorious Greenwich Village apartment of the brilliant Charles Busch.

He actually made a very "Mame"-like entrance down these very steps.

The apartment became the subject of a New York Times article when Charles renovated about five years ago.

 So Charles planted me on the sofa above right and introduced me to one of my favourite performers, Sondra Lee, the original Tiger Lily in PETER PAN and Minnie Fay in HELLO, DOLLY!

I only read her autobiography last year and she'd seen PRISCILLA so I was in heaven. Seated between us was Peter Harvey who designed the scenery for the original productions of DAMES AT SEA and THE BOYS IN THE BAND.

Peter(above left with Willa Kim at another event) has lived in the Village for more than 50 years.

I also met the delicious David Staller who is artistic director of PROJECT SHAW which aims tp produce readings and/or productions of everything George Bernard Shaw ever wrote. I bemoaned the fact that his performances always take place on Mondays when I have to work so I can never take part, but David replied "One day your show will close and then you'll be mine, all mine!"

Jim Broschu and his partner Steve Schachlin were a total delight. Jim has spent the past few years starring in a one-man show about Zero Mostel and last week completed a sold out season as "The Man Who Came To Dinner".

As I was leaving I met Robert Osborne who introduces the classic movies on the TCM channel. I congratulated him on his recent interview with Jane Fonda which was terrific...

and I had a brief chat with Jim Dale who is in previews with Athol Fugard's THE ROAD TO MECCA.
It was torture to leave knowing that so many more legends would soon pour through the door but I floated out into the street feeling like a very lucky lad indeed.

A Priscilla Christmas

We had our gift exchange in the wardrobe room between shows today. Everyone had to buy an anonymous gift and leave it under the tree.

Jeff Metzler was in charge of counting to make sure we all contributed.

Gaten brought around a Santa hat and we all picked a number. That was the order in which we got up to select a gift.

Once we opened the gift in front of everyone we could keep it or "steal" someone else's. A gift could be exchanged up to three times before it got "frozen".

The most coveted gifts were bottles of alcohol and a couple of hand held blenders. I got an itunes gift card which I swapped for Gaten's coffee plunger.

I'm not sure what Josh Buscher got but he looks so cute opening it.

(front) Mike,  Thom and Lisa, with our magnificent dressers Pam and Dan standing behind.

Then it was time for our health food.

And on to the second show!!!!

a lens experiment

(tt)   I shot this through a window and fly screen with one of the new lenses teech gave me.

Castlemaine and the 2 Pauls

(tt) Last Sunday paul Byrne drove me up to Castlemaine in Northern Victoria. It is a spendid old gold town and for the most part not too demolished by the tasteless developers

Here is Rudy, Paul Hampton's kelpie/beligian shepherd cross and a real doll.

 A view from Paul H's house looking down a t the dam which has been empty for over 10 years until the drought broke this year

Pauls H and B in the vege patch

mission accomplished

(tt)   Just finished the first dressing room project. I listen to the play every night. The script is quite good. While bathing in Wilde I stitch.  The next one is underway.