Very Happily Ever After

This week saw my first official "American" gig. I was invited to take part in a "29 hour" reading (meaning all the actors work for a token fee and the director can only call you for a total number of 29 hours over the rehearsal period) of the musical version of EVER AFTER, based on the movie which starred Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston. The book and lyrics are by Marcy Heisler and the music by Zina Goldrich and the workshop was directed by Kathleen Marshall who staged and choreographed the current Broadway hit ANYTHING GOES. I was thrilled and flattered to be asked for several reasons. First and foremost, my role as the elderly Leonardo Da Vinci is miles away from Bernadette and I need people to see that I can play other parts. And the cast that Kathleen assembled was the cream of the Broadway crop. I couldn't believe I was actually in the same room as these people and they couldn't have been kinder or more supportive.

Amazing what a missing "O" can do. It looks like I was playing a Goodfella.

Zina chats with the stars Steven Pasquale (who has one of the most spectacular singing voices I have ever heard. If you have the cast album of "A Man of No Importance" just listen to his rendition of "Streets of Dublin") and Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid herself! And the star of "Love Never Dies" and "Phantom" at the Albert Hall). They played Cinderella and the Prince.

Nicholas Nickleby himself, the heavenly Roger Rees who played the King.

Beth Leavel played the Stepmother (she won the Tony for DROWSY CHAPERONE) with daughters Ashley Spencer (from PRISCILLA) and Gwen Hollander.

TV and movie star Jessica Walter played the Queen. She is my new bestie.

Another gobsmacking voice belongs to gorgeous Jose Llana from KING & I and SPELLING BEE.

Jim Walton, the original star of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG came to Australia to star in CRAZY FOR YOU.

Aussie Sean Michael Hingston with Broadway's Javert and Rum Tum Tugger, Terrence V. Mann

Marcy with the adorable and brilliant F. Michael Haynie.

(from left) Gavriel Savit, Merwin Foard, Bud Weber and Morgan Karr with Rachel Covey in front

Zina and Marcy have been working on this show for years. Their score is beautiful and sprinkled with showstoppers. A planned production four years ago lost its funding at the last minute and sent the girls into a spiral of despair. They were so thrilled to hear their songs performed by this supremely gifted cast that Marcy spent most of the week in floods of tears. I'll confess my cheeks were streaked a lot of the time, too.

Beth Leavel with our fabbo director Kathleen Marshall.

We did the show twice through today with a full house for the second readthrough. Don't know who they were but hopefully there were money people amongst them. My new agent was there and the casting agent for PRISCILLA who got me the job so I was extremely pleased that I got this exposure. And to make the aquaintance of this glorious group of singing thesps.