Flashes from the past

(tt)  I was looking at some pics on my memory sticks last night. In that this blog was begun after Sheldon and I started photographing our world adventures I thought I would begin putting one or two up every so often. They will be chosen at random and sometimes will not bear any description. They are just what they are.

These were taken in the Trevarno Gardens near Penzance,Cornwall,  after S's stint in  the London 'Priscilla' in 2009.

rehearsal from behind the scenes

(tt)   We are into runs now and this is where we wait for our entrances. You get fascinated by the props and cossies, some of which are still standins for the real thing. The set itself has been mocked up in cardboard and is a work of art in itself. That's Mr Hornery waiting to announce Mr Worthing

The settings for the various tea scenes are photoed for the stage management to get just right. One false cup and disaster.

The cue light. When this goes green...yer on!

Right at the back are a few boxes with set models in them. This one is by the late Tony Tripp, whose designs for "Earnest" are being re-realised. This is the set for his production of  "Into the Woods" in the 90's.

The Queen's Tram

(tt)   Imagine the frisson that surged through me when this pulled up in Swanston St this morning.

The very tram that Liz hopped on last week.
Now we mere mortals can ride in style for a while. It was obviously tarted up especially from paint to seat covers. No scratched windows saying,  " Killa Dilla" or "Rianna does if for five bucks".

Here is out good lady on her way to Government House along St Kilda Rd

 Could this have been where she parked her Norman Hartnell?

Didn't get it on the return journey.  My number 1 was dirty and scratched and smelt of  damp and old mackas.

Gorgeous Gwen

Brian Thompson pointed me towards a retro website that had these rare pics of Gwen Verdon rehearsing Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell in GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES. Gwen was choreographer Jack Cole's assistant at the time.

The Ladies of Rock

The gentlemen of the PRISCILLA ensemble caused quite a stir on the streets of Manhattan on All Hallows Eve.

Priscilla Italiano

For any PRISCILLA followers out there, our associate director Dean Bryant is currently working with our production team in Milan to put in the first foreign language production of the show. His fascinating account of the rehearsal process can be found on his blog http://bryantandfrank.wordpress.com/

I'm quite jealous of him being surrounded by all those dishy Italians. And the guy playing my role is only 27!!!!!!!          AAAAUUGGGHHHH!

Celebrity Autobiography

My first visit to the brilliant CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY at the Triad on 72nd St was a joy. A packed house, I was squeezed into the crowd on an extra chair and of course the man next to me immediately said "I know who you are, I've seen PRISCILLA 15 times." Unbelievable.

Delicious Craig Bierko read from "Don't Hassle the Hoff", a chapter detailing David Hasselhoff's Broadway debut in JEKYLL & HYDE.  He asked the stage manager to remind him which character he was playing each time he made an entrance (because he'd only had FIVE weeks rehearsal).

Co-creator Alan Zweibel read from "Here's the Situation", written by the six-packed star of JERSEY SHORE. The chapter was his failed attempt to join the "Mile High Club".

The magnificent Susie Essman from "Curb Your Enthusiasm" portrayed a scarily accurate Ethel Merman.

followed by the hilarious Mario Cantone giving us Susan Lucci finally winning the Emmy Award after seven nominations.

Co-creator Dayle Reyfel gave us Diana Ross and the night her 1983 concert in Central Park was rained out.

Florence Henderson gave us another JERSEY SHORE alumni, Snookie

Co-creator Eugene Pack was brilliant as Ricky Martin whose friends know him as "Kiki"

Alan Zweibel read from Geraldo Rivera's account of his many strange aborted sexual encounters with Liza Minnelli, as Mario Cantone embodied the lady herself. Truly uproarious.

Pack, Cantone, Essman and Henderson read a "mash up" of desperately boring diet hints from Neil Sedaka, Dolly Parton, Cher and Streisand, and then the grand finale, a "Roshomon"-like retelling of the Elizabeth Taylor/Eddie Fisher/Richard Burton/Debbie Reynolds affair performed by the entire cast.

I hear there are moves afoot at the Sydney Theatre Company to present an Australian version of this concept. They'll have their work cut out for them but I'm sure it would be a smash.