Sometimes you're invited to spend a few days working on a play you know you'll never be asked to perform in any future incarnation. A couple of scripts have come my way that seemed to be written for Nathan Lane but obviously he's not going to available to workshop something that's still in early draft form so I get to play some smashing roles in rehearsal rooms. Occasionally people even see me!
Todd Graff (below) was in the original Broadway cast of BABY opposite Liz Callaway (and got a Tony nomination) before he directed the very funny movie musical CAMP. His sister is Broadway star Ilene Graff, his cousin is Tony winner Randy Graff and his niece is my lovely friend Nikka Graff Lanzarone, also a Broadway mainstay.
Todd has written a marvelous semi-autobiographical play about his dad Jerry Graff who was a member of the singing group The Pied Pipers and musical director for Nat King Cole's tv series. The lead role in Todd's play is something of a marathon entailing four songs, three sex scenes and two languages so I was thrilled when I was invited to play it at the reading. Danny Burstein had done the previous workshop so I had big shoes to fill.
Gordon Greenberg directed, another happy first for me. He's off to London to direct BARNUM at the Menier Chocolate Factory.
Musical director Drew Wutke is an old mate so it's always a joy to work with him.
I'm a huge fan of Brandon Uranowitz who played my son. He's been nominated for two Tony Awards and we've both played the same roles in TORCH SONG TRILOGY and FALSETTOS so I feel a bond!!
I was supposed to be in love with this man which wasn't hard at all. Dave Thomas Brown (recently in AMERICAN PSYCHO on Broadway) is a wonderful actor and singer and the loveliest person you could meet.
And what a delight to finally work with darling Erik Altemus. We had both appeared in MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL but didn't share any scenes. I love him to bits.
Checked out the Golden Girls cafe in Washington Heights, filled with memorabilia from the life and career of Rue McClanahan and owned and operated by a Mr. La Rue. Hence, Rue La Rue.
Episodes of Golden Girls play constantly. I was told that everyone was encouraged to sing along with the theme tune but I'm relieved that didn't happen as we were there for three hours and that would have been intolerable.
Many lovely pics of Rue scattered about
Cabinets of scripts, letters, awards and Golden Girls merchandise.
The menu leans towards cheesecake and sweets which meant we couldn't eat but the coffee was very good.
The gorgeous Elise McCann was in town from Australia for a visit. She played Miss Honey in the Australian company of MATILDA.
Bernadette is coming home, and she’s getting back on the bus!
Tony Sheldon as Bernadette in Priscilla on Broadway
The principal cast for Australia’s most successful stage musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert has been confirmed ahead of a Melbourne opening on Sunday January 21, 2018.
Tony Award and Olivier Award nominated actor (and Australian national treasure) Tony Sheldonwill be returning home to reprise his role of Bernadette in the show’s 10th Anniversary Celebration Tour. After creating the role of Bernadette in the original stage production, Sheldon reprised the role in the West End production before treading the boards at the legendary Palace Theatre on Broadway, frocking up more than 1750 times across the globe as the sassy desert queen.
Completing the trio of misfits who hop aboard a battered old bus bound for Alice Springs is accomplished leading man David Harris as Tick and Kinky Boots and Les Miserables alumni Euan Doidge as Felicia.
David Harris has a celebrated career spanning more than 20 years, gaining critical acclaim for his portrayal of Chris in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Miss Saigon and has won countless awards and nominations for various musical roles, including Fiyero in Wicked, The Baker in Victorian Opera’s Into The Woods and as Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde. Euan Doidge was most recently seen in Cyndi Lauper’s musical Kinky Bootsas one of the sequinned, high-heeled “Angels”. He understudied the lead role of Lola and performed many times to great acclaim. He previously played Marius in the recent Australian tour of Les Miserables and has appeared in Anything Goes, The Producers, A Chorus Line and Legally Blonde.
Tony, David and Euan lead a cast of 25 soon-to-be-announced movers and groovers for the 10th Anniversary tour of this veritable national treasure; Australia’s most popular homegrown musical and top cultural export. Based on the 1994 film of the same name (starring Hugo Weaving, Terence Stamp and Guy Pearce), this production will once again be directed by Simon Phillips and staging from co-choreographers by Andrew Hallsworth and Ross Coleman. Michael Cassel Group and Nullarbor Productions in association with MGM on Stage are presenting the tour, which is set to transfer to Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane after its Melbourne season.
We only got one rehearsal and our musical director dropped out the day before so we really were flying by the seat of our pants but we got through it and nobody died.
Matt Hetherington (C) was superb as Joe, the role played in the film by Tony Curtis and on Broadway by Tony Roberts
And we had Tony Roberts as our Narrator and host! What a charming man!
Hunter Ryan Herdlicka (L) played the Jack Lemmon/Robert Morse role of Jerry
Sheldy (C) played the Joe E. Brown/Cyril Richard role of Osgood the millionaire
who falls in love with "Daphne" who is really Jerry in drag
And the marvelous Broadway veteran Neva Small played Sweet Sue the bandleader.
Pictures of Lesli Margharita as Sugar Kane will be forthcoming!
