First, Broadway.com has asked me to Video Blog backstage at Finian’s Rainbow. This will be a fun series the first of which is up here and at Broadway.com. So, keep watching!
Busy and thankful.
Those are the two words that encompass these past five weeks. Been working on a lot of things simultaneously and so excited about it all. We teched Finian’s Rainbow and started previews this week and I am exctatic about the outcome thus far. We have all worked so hard to bring this piece to life, and every night it’s blooming and growing like a big, juicy sunflower. The audience response has been rapturous. People beaming and singing at the top of their lungs as they are leaving the theatre, and truth be told, I haven’t seen this type of response since Xanadu. As the Black Eyed Peas say..."I gotta feeling...”
Kate Baldwin, with whom I fall more in love with everyday, did Broadway on Broadway in Times Square. It’s one of my favorite events as it’s a great opportunity to see all of our friends in other shows that are on identical schedules to ours, and let our hair down for a hot second. What I’m realizing during these press events for Finian’s Rainbow, is that my initial fears that our show was too old to connect with a modern day audience, were silly and unfounded. Simply put, people are craving beautiful melodies, free of embellishments, free of histrionics, with pure, rich arrangements. What a treat to be the vessel of these classics.
One fun thing I got to do was go to the MTV VMA’s at Radio City Music Hall. At those type of events, my favorite thing to do is people watch, and there was oodles of that to be had. Lady GaGa was the highlight for me, even though some thought her bloody wedding dress was too much. But I gotta give it to her. She was unflinchingly committed to her performance and I found it performance art. Love it or hate it, it got people talking, and feeling something, which I think was the point. Another thing that got people talking was the Kanye/Taylor Swift debacle. I got to watch it all happen live; and I noticed the two ladies in front of me getting hysterically upset about the situation. Granted, it was obnoxious and rude, but I didn’t see how it could have warrented such a passionate response from these two ladies. They were huffing and puffing, and wringing their hands and pointing and screeching.....Well, turns out, we were seated behind Taylor Swifts’ mom and friend. A HA!
My friend Lance Horne did an evening of his music at Joe’s Pub. Alan Cumming, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Lea Delaria, Michael Urie and I did the honors and it was a great evening.He has a keen sense of rhythm, melody, and a sensitivity to lyrics that is very very special. I was very proud. Participated in the New York Times Great Children’s Read at Columbia University. Anything that gets kids interested more in reading is great by me. I have met three 7-9 year olds in the past month that have iphones. WTF? The kids were literally climbing on me to get to the book I was reading. Thanks to all who attended.
During these past few weeks, also been doing some work on a TV show that ROCKS! And that in my opinion, is the holy grail of television comedy. Thankful and humbled is all I can say.
And speaking of humbleness and thankfulness, I’m more than a little melancholy today as I just read that Stephen Gately from Boyzone passed away at the age of 33. Out of happenstance, I recently became acquainted with him. He had an undeniable innocence and a distinct light around him. My thoughts are with his longtime husband Andy, and his family during this time. Life is short.
Early morning mid-July, anticipation’s making me high...the smell of Sunday in our hair....you ran on the beach with Kennedy flair.....
Laugh...oh how we would laugh at anything. And so pretend forsake the logic of perfect plans....a perfect moment...slipped through our hands
That is from my favorite all-time summer music, KD Lang’s “Invincible Summer”.....Can’t believe it’s coming to a close. Been a great one, although one with notably bizarre weather.
Here’s a quick recap of my July and August shenanigans…
For the past several years I have been asked to participate with the RFamily cruise with Rosie O’Donnell and company, but have never been able to because I was always in a show. Well this year, I was free and I decided to go and to take my parents with me. I thought it would be a nice chance to spend some quality time and for them to see my own man show, as they weren’t able to make it to at Feinstein’s earlier this year. We had a wonderful time. If you ever get a chance to go on an Alaskan cruise, do it. It’s absolutely breathtaking.
We went on all the excursions, including whale watching, glacier hiking, and.......I did something I’ve always wanted to do, zip lining. It was thrilling and scary as hell. My guide asked our group to try our best not to shout while we zipped, as it scares the wildlife, but as you are careening 400 feet above the ground through the forest at breakneck speeds, I found that to be near impossible. I had the best of intentions, but it just wasn’t happening. At one point, I even scared a bald eagle out of its nest,much to the chagrin of my guide.
After the success of the show with Michael Feinstein, we decided to record it, and just finished up at the end of August. It’s being mixed now and we shot the cover a few weeks ago. Very exciting. We worked very hard on the tone, on the arrangements, on the musicality, and really, on the overall message. I’ve heard the tracks, and I’m thrilled with the outcome. It should be available by the end of October.
A few busy months with the usual benefits and whatnot, including recording a new PSA for Hetrick-Martin, which will be out soon.
On the tv and film front, I was cast in an episode of GLEE in a part thought of specifically for me, and was thrilled. They flew me out to LA to film, and...I got the flu, had a fever of 103, and couldn’t shoot. So, they had to recast my part at the last minute and it was such a bummer. But, c’est la vie. Hopefully, I will be on in some other capacity. Huge fan of all involved.
Filmed a hilariously twisted short film last month in NYC in which I played a ruthlessly driven, greasy, paparazzi, and had a blast with the peeps on set. Won’t give away any secrets, but let’s just say, I will never look at corndogs the same way.
And lastly, I found my way back to the Rainbow. Finian’s Rainbow, that is. We started rehearsals last week, and suffice it to say, it is beautiful. What a gift it is to be able to dig into this material. I can’t wait for audiences to see this delicious piece
It’s Fourth of July already? Good Lord. Time is flying. So just finished a very long, very fulfilling run of “The Power of Two” at Feinstein’s. Michael and I worked so hard to create something new and fresh and entertaining, and the response was just beyond both of our expectations. It got love letter reviews, was packed, and just a wonderful experience overall. I learned so much about performing in intimate venues, how to tailor humor and patter to match the clientele, which surprisingly varies from night to night, and most importantly, how to deal with very intoxicated, very jovial patrons. Michael is such a pro, and when we would have a particularly boisterous table, I just sat back and watched him work. He would seamlessly include them into the evening’s action without hurting their feelings or embarrassing them, but also not letting them control the proceedings. Working with him is a master class in the art of Cabaret.
Some of the fancy people who came to support us were Judge “Beauty Fades, Dumb is Forever” Judy, (who I shamelessly quoted throughout the evening) Tovah Feldshuh, who is in ridiculously good shape...she even flexed her guns for me. Jane Powell, Lynn Whitfield, who is breathtaking, Tyne Daly, Barbara Cook, Spike and Tonya Lee, Cynthia McFadden, Joel Grey, and my frequent partner in crime, Jane Krakowski. I also want to thank the many, many friends and fans that traveled from as far away as Hawaii and Germany to come. I hope you know how much it meant to me, and thank you all for paying the hefty ticket price. I know how expensive it is there, and I promise there will be a chance in the not so distant future, that you will be able to see us do our thang, for much less. So thank you for the piles of mail, email, flowers, and well-wishes that I received throughout my time at Feinstein’s. It means the world.
My buddy Ricki Lake came to town to promote her new book Your Best Birth , and while here, she informed me that she really wanted to sing somewhere.....Lot’s of people don’t know this about her, but, she has a great, big, beautiful voice....So, we made a surprise appearance at Jim Caruso’s Cast Party at Birdland....people were so excited to see her and to find out that she can actually sing. I told her to get herself in some big Broadway show, ASAP. So don’t be surprised if you hear about that happening in future.
Participated in the 92 Street Y annual Spring Gala. It was an evening dedicated to Burt Bacharach. I sang a medley of 8 songs, being supported by three top notch back up singers and an orchestra of 26. My buddy Tiger (Liza’s dance captain!) Martinez choreographed the proceedings and also on the bill were the incomparable Dionne Warwick and Elvis Costello. Ladies nearly threw their underpants at Elvis, I had never seen him live, he is no joke. Just all soul and heart. Very cool.
Speaking of Krakowski, she and I did a reading of a new musical called “Busload of Blondes” by Scott Warrender and Jim Luigis. It’s very easy to fall in love with Jane onstage, and this was no exception. Completing our love triangle was Marin Mazzie. I love Marin Mazzie. She is one of the sexiest, smartest, and just mind-blowingly talented women around, so doing scenes with her and looking into her eyes, was very easy and VERY hot.
Faith Prince rounded out the cast and can make anything hilarious. It’s just innate in her. During Faith’s big song, she did something particularly recognizably “Faith Prince-y” and I turned to Marin and said under my breath...Holy Shit! That is Faith Prince!....and she smiled at me and said...."The one and only,darlin.” Scott is from Seattle and brought along the A-team from my hometown to play the supporting parts. Jason Collins, who is crazy talented and lives here now, Anne Allgood, one of the most talented actress/singers I have ever worked with, and my first leading lady in Seattle, Beth Devries. They were sublime and it was so great to see them.
I Chaired amfAR‘s Honoring with Pride event in June, so I took a great amount of pride in knowing that even in this economy, we raised a staggering amount of money. Cleve Jones, Patricia Field, and Lady Bunny, who cracks me up!!!! were honored and it was a wonderful evening.
Was asked to be a presenter and give some scholarships out at the annual Trevor Project event. They are the only 24 hour suicide hotline in America for LGBTQ youth. They have saved thousands of lives, and helped thousands more navigate the tricky waters of coming out while still in adolescence. Judy Gold and Caroline Rhea killed with their sets, and Lance Bass, who is very quick-witted and sweet, presented with me....and we were just blown away by these kids courage and fortitude. The evening was capped off with a stunning set by Jewel. I have always liked her, but was never a die-hard fan. I am now. What a multi-faceted and well-spoken woman.
Also have to give a shout out to Megan McCain, who probably took a lot of shit for coming to the event, as I’m sure she did a few weeks back when she did Bill Maher’s show, but she gives me hope that the right and left can slowly inch toward the middle for the betterment of society.
And the thing that I was most excited about of all, my awesome 13-year-old nephew Sawyer visit for a week from Brainerd, Minnesota. He is da bomb. We did everything in the city, saw tons of movies, I took him to Shrek, got him a Mohawk, (mom didn’t like it....oops....sorry S!) But mostly it was just fun to hang with him. He is smart and hilariously funny.
I took him to a few events that I had scheduled. A great event for HETRICK-MARTIN, and I took him to the 40th anniversary of Stonewall at City Hall. I was asked by the kick-ass Christine Quinn to sing a song and be a part of this important evening. I sang “The Time Has Come”, which Michael had so beautifully done in our act together, and it was really beautiful to watch the events of the evening through the eyes of a 13 year old who didn’t know anything about Stonewall learn about the history of the struggle of the LGBT community. He was even sitting by drag queens from the Imperial Court and didn’t bat an eyelash. Amazing.
Better late than never. Oy to the vey. Busy last few months. So much has happened.
Wrote and performed my first one-man show at Feinsteins What an awesome experience. I had wanted to do that for so long and I thought it time. I was nervous at first, but then you just have to just do it. What was a little strange, was the proximity of the audience to you. They can literally touch you, and occasionally did. Had only planned on one show, but it sold out, so we added another. It was such a fun experience that Michael Feinstein, yes, THAT Michael Feinstein, and I decided to collaborate and do a two man show that we are now working on. More to come.
Lots of openings and theatre lately. Tis the season.
Some highlights were opening night of “Liza at the Palace.” Inspiring. Surreal. Invigorating. She knocked it out of the park over and over.
Blithe Spirit.............What a charmer! Solid cast and great pacing, but the ebullient Angela Lansbury shows us again why she is such a treasure to the American Musical Theatre. Her tony is in the bag. Bet on it.
Speaking of Tonys,.....I took my pal Tony Roberts to the opening of Westside Story. Good Lordy.....I have never heard an audience scream as loudly or with so much energy as they did when the “dance at the gym” music started. It was really remarkable. Great performances. Especially my boo, Curtis Holbrook. Awesome.
Guys and Dolls...All I can say is...Mary Testa. Mary Testa. Mary Testa. Shamelessly brilliant. Her first line is something ordinary-ish like...I’ve been looking for you for over an hour....” and I swear, she got three laughs on it. I looked at my date, the delish Ms. Vicki Clark, and said..."unbelievable."
Sang in Broadway Backwards 4 with my friend Sandra Bernhard. Love her. She’s so alive and unpredictable onstage. There’s a youtube video of our shenanigans if you are so inclined.
Television has been good to me lately. Goodness knows I have devoted enough hours of my life watching it, so I think the tradeoff is fair.
After “Lipstick Jungle” aired, I got cast as a glam rock god on “Life on Mars.” Did scenes with Harvey Keitel, got beat up by Michael Imperioli, made out with a supermodel, verbally sparred with Gretchen Mol, wore 8 inch gold platform heels, huge gorgeous hair, and more eye makeup than Janice Dickinson. Needless to say, it was my favorite gig I have had all year.
Then I played a potential new love interest for my buddy Michael Urie on ABC’s “Ugly Betty.” Not much to do, really, but had a great time nonetheless. Great group of people there. Like a well-oiled machine. Some fun trivia....while we were doing my slo-mo entrance scene out on the street, it was during one of the coldest weeks in NYC. About 17 degrees outside. We literally had hand and body warmers strategically inserted in every nook and cranny of our costumes and had to bite our cheeks to keep our teeth from chattering. Poor Becki...she had bare legs and stilettos, but never even complained. What a pro. Speaking of Mr. Urie...did some more incarnations of “Celebrity Autobiography.” And a belated congrats to Eugene and Dayle..our producers, for their well-deserved drama desk nomination for the show. Woohoo
Roundabout Spring Gala was a fun evening. Lots of old friends and made some new ones. Kathleen Marshall and I came up with a cool idea for a classic old song and it went over well. Most suprising element of the evening?? Who knew Edie Falco could sing? And a few people came up to me saying the same thing about my peep Mario Cantone, which was bizarre to me, because I thought everyone knew he could wail.
Did the second annual 24 hour musicals. Still recovering from it. I liken it to what women say about childbirth. You know, that they forget about the pain once they see the baby? I don’t think I remembered how painful It was the first time, so I jumped right in. It is ultimately rewarding, but it’s SOOOO difficult to get there. To cram that much information into your noggin in that short amount of time is excruciating. But that’s why they call it guerilla musical theatre. And hey, it’s for a good cause, and that always makes it go down easier. But still, I think my stretch marks will never go away.
AND THEN CAME THE RAINBOW..............
So Finians Rainbow at Encores was supposed to be just another faithful retelling of a near-forgotten old musical theatre gem, and turned out to be such a gift for all involved. We found out that the story was surprisingly relevant, and spoke really specifically to what we in this country and world are going through right now, speaking to race, economics, and civil rights. GREAT group of people. Loved my leading lady and the dear dear Jim Norton, who I think has some sort of contraption surgically implanted behind his eyes to make them twinkle onstage, because I swear they do. The reviews were amazing and the response was overwhelming, and I may be coming back to Broadway this fall to stare at that old devil moon once more. Stay tuned.
I have had so many firsts these past few years that it’s hard to put them into a hierarchy as to which is the most exciting, but right up there at the tippy top would have to be making my solo debut at Carnegie Hall with the NY POPS. I could write a thesis on what that evening was like, but suffice it to say, my face hurt from smiling all night long. To be backed by 82 pieces, and to share the stage with Barbara Cook, Liza Minnelli, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Idina Menzel, Anika Noni Rose, and so many other mind-boggling luminaries....was better than I could have ever imagined. Im a lucky lucky boy.
Another first was singing at the Nokia Theatre in LA for the GLAAD awards. It was massive, and it was awesome. My friend and recent music director and collaborator, the brilliant Lance Horne, went with me and played for me. and we were stoked. Btw, Dana Delaney looks exactly the same as she did on my favorite show ever..."China Beach.”....and I told her just that.
The annual amfAR gala was beautiful and inspiring once again, and it was the last time I got to spend any time with the beautiful Natasha Richardson. I had the good fortune of spending several evenings with her with great conversation, and she was a class act. Her commitment to amfAR and those living with HIV and AIDS will be a huge part of her legacy and I am proud to have known her.
Lost two more friends these past two months as well. My friend and co-star in “The Most Happy Fella” in Seattle, the glorious Julian Patrick. He believed in me and told me to believe in myself. He was kind, and hilarious, and tough, and a joy to be around.
And finally, my dearest and oldest friend since my time in new york, Elaine Orbach passed away. I must say, that is strange to even write down now, as it still doesn’t seem real. She was a life force. Many times I would be dragging my tired ass out of the house in the morning to walk my dog, or go get some coffee, and Elaine would come bounding by me, power walking looking fresh as a daisy on the way to a dance class or something fabulous. She had an outlook on life that was infectious. Jerry and Elaine were my first friends in New York and are together now and forever.
Happy 2009. Time to catch up on the blog and start anew. A new president, a new year of blogging. Crazy days here in New York. So many shows closing, so many people getting laid off, so many stores in my neighborhood closed. On one corner alone by my gym, there are three stores in a row that have closed and are now boarded up and covered with graffiti. Sad. Things will get better, but they may get worse before they get better, so we all have to hang in there, and keep one foot in front of the other. And that’s what I’ve been doing for the past six weeks. So after Xanadu closed, I did a few readings and workshops, did some traveling, and lots of sleeping and absolutely no skating.
We recorded the concept cast album of RED EYE OF LOVE ... a passion project that I have worked on for some time. Kelli O’Hara (who is preggers btw...woohoo) was my girl and the producers thought it time to actually put these beautiful songs down in the studio. Ted Sperling always does impeccable work, and with the help of Bob Coughlin arranging, the end product is just gorgeous. ”Way out there among the Navajo” was the first song I heard from this piece a few years back and the song that made me realize I had to do this show in some manner or form. I felt like it was written specifically for me to sing, and it was so fulfilling to finally record it. Will put more songs up when the rest of the album gets mixed.
Also was part of the CBS Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and froze my ass off. It was fun to be a part of, but I literally couldn’t feel my fingers and toes. It was sponsored, I would later find out, by the Canadian board of tourism, which would explain why nearly everyone on the bill (with the exception of Michael Feinstein and me) was Canadian....., including The BARENAKED LADIES, The Canadian Tenors, and the Olympic Figure Skating Canadian Pairs Champs. Sang Harry Connick Jr’s arrangement of “Sleigh Ride” and “Silent Night.” Again.....BRRRRRR. Btw, I caught Michael’s tribute show to Frank Sinatra at Feinstein’s, and it was wonderful...AND...I went with my friend Victoria Clark and guess who was seated next to us? Tony Bennett!!! LOCO!!!!
And speaking of freezing my toucus off, I spend the holidays in Brainerd, Minnesota with the in-laws. You know, home of Paul Bunyon and Babe the Blue OX? While we were there, the weather warmed up to 8, so we went sledding to celebrate. There was so much snow, it was beautiful. Sang at church on Christmas Eve, and ate WAY too much. But that’s whacha do in Minnesota for the Holidays. While I was there, I got a call that I booked this kick ass guest part on the TV show “LIFE ON MARS.” It’s on ABC and stars Harvey Keitel, Gretchen Mol, Jason O’Mara, and Michael Imperioli. I play a glam rock god from 1973 and it was some of the most fun I have ever had, and from someone who was in XANADU, that’s saying something. I filmed for two weeks, and can’t say too much about it, but suffice to say, it was unbelievable. My characters hair and makeup was ridiculously cool, and I share some crazy scenes with Harvey Keitel AND Michael Imperioli. Doesn’t really get much cooler than that. It airs in February, will update when I know more.
My guest spot on Lipstick Jungle aired and that was cool to see, although I was brutally rebuffed by Lindsay Price in it. Bitch. Did a couple of fun photo shoots, the craziest one was for Italian Vanity Fair, and L’uomo Vogue shot by world-renowned photographer Bruce Weber. He did not disappoint. He is very charismatic and has a great team around him. He asked me if I would smoke for one of the setups and I said sure. Truth is, aside from some fake cigs onstage in GREASE, I’ve never smoked, but I said I would give it a try, you know, for “art’s sake”; Then they hand me some Marlboro reds belonging to one of the lighting guys, and I was actually inhaling because I guess it looked cooler on film, but after about four puffs, I was SOOO buzzed. I started giggling and I got lightheaded like a 14 year old girl smoking behind the bleachers in school. HMMMMM...I was at a party some time after that and I relayed the story to some people there and one of the guys said quite indignantly...."You should not have smoked...it gives people the wrong message...!” And although I agree that smoking is terrible, members of my family struggled for years to quit.....all I could say is that when Bruce Weber asks you to smoke, you just do it. Meet him and you will know what I mean. The pics come out this spring.
Saw some great theatre this past couple months as well. Liza at the Palace. Went on opening night and it was spectacular. Truth be told, have never quite gotten on the Liza train before, but I am telling you, she was unbelievable. It was a smashing show from beginning to end. Caught Kristin Scott Thomas and Peter Sarsgaard in THE SEAGULL. Wow. I don’t think I have ever heard a theatre that quiet. People were hanging on every word. It was astonishing. I hope she gets the Tony. And speaking of TONYS.... Saw SHREK on opening night and my dear friend Christopher Sieber is giving the funniest performance of the year right now. Engrave his best featured Actor Tony now. He was hysterical. There were so many great performances in it, Brian D’Arcy was delicious, and Sutton always gives a polished, heartfelt performance, and I have so say, I don’t think I have ever seen so much money up on a stage before. The first time all the fairy tale characters line up across the stage together, the audience gasped. Great fun. Saw Sandra Bernhard’s New Years Eve show at Joes ‘Pub....it’s become kind of a tradition. She always brings something new and inspires me...and just last week, finally got my ass to Spring Awakening before it closed. Nothing really to say about it that hasn’t been said a million times before, but it is just plain beautiful. So frank. So honest. So new. Gorgeous.
Busy days and busy nights, just like I like it. Lynda Carter opened her show at Feinstein’s. I have had a thing for her since I was very little. The night she hosted the muppet show, I thought I was gonna implode. So when asked to be a guest at her opening, how could I say no. She looks exactly the same. A gorgeous, gracious glamazon. She was very sexy and at ease throughout her set. People ate it up. I met her after. My mom has been told several times that she resembles Lynda Carter, but I thought to not mention that my mom looked like her and instead say, my sister did. I told her that and Lynda said ..."we DO look related!” We look like siblings. Atta girl.
I’m continuing my work with amfAR and was asked to serve on the benefit committee and be a special guest performer at the annual Cinema Against Aids Gala in Rome. It was held at the Galleria Borghese and was just so beautiful it seemed otherworldly. Wished I had more time to spend in Italy, but relished the time I did. Did lots of sightseeing and exploring and eating. Beautiful.
Worked on a new musical called Funked Up Fairy Tales by Kirsten Childs. It was directed by my Damn Yankees helmer John Rando and was produced by the Manhattan theatre club. Very funny stuff. Really catchy music, and killer cast. We all played several characters, but my fav was probably a prince who gets turned into a rapping pig called K-Pig. Mary Testa was my mom. Hog Heaven.
Did another version of Celebrity Autobiography, this time in the Hamptons. My first time there, and it was gorgeous. I felt so far out of the city. My peeps Michael Urie, Rachel Dratch, and Kristin Wiig went as well, and it was all of our first times there. Love those guys. I just can’t ever stop laughing when I’m with them.
Went to the opening night of All My Sons on Broadway. Dianne Wiest, Patrick Wilson, John Lithgow and Katie Holmes starred. I liked a lot of it, but it was very difficult to relate to anyone onstage as they are all directed to say their lines directly to the audience. Even when they are having conversations with each other, they stand side by side and stare directly out. It was definitely a strong statement and choice of the director, and I know many people who loved it, but it felt strange to me. Perhaps he was trying to emphasize the characters isolation by blocking it that way...at any rate, it was a good night of theatre, and after the show, I stared at Tom Cruise for a long time. He is very handsome and very short, but incredibly charismatic in person. People were flipping out around him. It was interesting.
Did a big reading of a new musical called BANDWAGON written by my boo Douglas Carter Beane. It was kind of reimagined for me and I had a great time. Beth Leavel played opposite me as well as Mara Davi and Tony Yazbeck. The Weisslers are attached and I’m interested to see what will happen with it. It has lots of potential with unbelievable old standards. It would be a very scary undertaking, but that usually means it’s something you should do. So we’ll see.
Played the title role in THE SHEWING UP OF BLANCO POSNET by George Bernard Shaw at The Players Club. An obscure and little known play, it was a great challenge to wrap your tongue around the delicious dialogue. So many people came up to me after and said..."it was so nice to just see you act and not sing...!” lol...I agree. Give the chords a rest for a spell, I say!!!
Participated in the Transitions for Dancers gala at City Center. We recreated our “Two Lost Souls” number from Damn Yankees. Kinda scary, as it’s been awhile but it went great. Jane Krakowski danced her ass off and I was so proud. Tommy Tune was a delight to work with, as were Angela Lansbury and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Brooke Shields was there as well and we caught up in the corner as we had just worked together two weeks earlier when I did an episode of Lipstick Jungle. It aired on Friday. It was fun and weird to watch. Mostly because my scenes were ALWAYS last of the night and were at 3am in the morning when 100 people were grumpy and tired and wanting to go home, so watching it with that knowledge made me laugh. Oh, and I thought I looked exactly like my mom.
Did a couple of fun gay events. Now that’s kind of an oxymoron, no? First one was I was asked to be a performer at the Hetrick-Martin Institute Gala at Cipriani. Tim Gunn, who is just the sweetest man ever, hosted it and it was such a great inspiring evening that puts the world in perspective. Those kids at the Harvey Milk High School are amazing and I want to meet them all. This month I was on the cover of OUT magazine for their out 100 list for 2008. I was chosen as entertainer of the year. WTF? I know, I thought the same thing. Anyhoo...there was a fancy party where they gave me the award and Patti LaBelle sang. (And hogged the entire dressing area for her and her entourage and wouldn’t let anyone back there… but she’s Patti and she’s earned it). I was asked to say something when accepting the award. Michelle Williams from Destiny’s Child (who I did AIDA with) introduced me and all I could think of to say was that I hope to do something in my career to live up to the moniker that they gave me.
Went to a gorgeous CHANEL event in Central Park and later in the week attended the Glamour Women of the Year Awards at Carnegie Hall. My friend Kim invited me and it was SO AMAZING. Hillary Clinton, Nicole Kidman, Condoleezza Rice, Jane Gooddall. Maureen Chiquet, Tyra Banks, and so many other inspiring gorgeous and brave women were there. The most inspiring was a young girl from Yemen named Nujood Ali who was married off by her family at the age of 8 to a man in his 30’s. He beat and raped her on a regular basis. She ran away, took a cab by herself to a courthouse and waited all day to be seen by a judge and proceeded to ask the judge for a divorce. She was the first 8 year old to be granted a divorce and because of her bravery and gumption, many many other young women are standing up against being child brides. She flew 22 hours to be there and she was beaming. Everyone in the Hall was crying and screaming. Fergie from Black Eyed Peas sang (very well, I might add)...and it was awesome. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban were seated in the row directly ahead of me and I just wanted to touch her neck, it’s so white and smooth. But I’m sure I would have been thrown out.
Did the NYMTF five-year anniversary gala honoring Robyn Goodman. The original ALTAR BOYZ from the festival sang a song and it was so great to see the boys again. The current boyz were there and were very impressive and beautiful. I could never dance like that.
And finally, saw the closing performance of WIG OUT at the Vineyard. I wished I had seen it 5 times, because now I see what the fuss was about. It was breathtaking. I hope this sees the light of day again, it would be such a shame for it not to.
So, it’s the end of another summer, and the beginning of another fall. Time really does fly as you get older. But it’s nice to know that there are still things you can count on, like stinky cabs, Sarah Palin’s Up-do, and the annual Broadway on Broadway concert in Times Square. The best thing about it is that it’s free to the public, and that we get to hang with all of our peeps in other shows. We did “Don’t Walk Away” and to be honest, I wasn’t really into doing that song again, because we rocked it so hard at the Tonys, I though no matter how well we did at the concert, it would seem like a disappointment compared to June 15th. But it’s not my decision to make and we ended up doing great. There was a small platform down below the stage that reached over the audience that I noticed no one in the numbers prior to ours was utilizing. I asked a stage manager why, and he said it was because once you go down there, you can’t hear yourself in the monitor because you are well past the proscenium. I thought it worth the risk and during the final chorus, jumped down there right over the crowd, Jonas brother style, and it was awesome.
Seth Rudetsky and I collaborated a couple times last month. What can I say? I love the guy. He makes me laugh so hard and he is a savant when it comes to all things Broadway. He has a new live Sirius Radio show that he does from the Times Square Visitors Center on Wednesdays with a live audience. Check it out.
I have been involved with AmfAR for a while now and this year I was asked to be the special guest performer for their Fourth Annual Bucks County Event. I was honored to be asked but this time it meant I had to come up with an entire show of just me. I was really anxious. I wanted it to be great. My friend Michael McElroy told me not to do a one-man show until I had something to say, and I realized that I do have something to say now. I put together about an hour and asked Seth to play for me. I was incredibly nervous when it began, but as I started talking to the audience, which was seated in a huge, gorgeous barn on a twenty million dollar farm in New Hope, Pennsylvania, I looked into their faces, and I saw them leaning toward me and really listening, I knew it would be ok. It was a great night, especially because I brought Zora with me. She loves road trip adventures and had her head out the car window most of ride there. She ran like it was her last day on earth, dug holes, and jumped into the creek. She snored all the way home. Ahhh, a dog’s life.
So then we got the news that Xanadu was closing. Wasn’t a big surprise, and truthfully, I was about ready to be done anyway. Over 500 performances of the same show is a lot. We did 513, which as I said on my closing speech, was about 512 more than anyone thought we would. What a gift Xanadu was to us all. It wasn’t as sad as I had thought. Perhaps because any feelings of melancholy that I was feeling were replaced with shock when in the final 20 minutes of the show, Jackie Hoffman did the entire last speech of Westside Story and sang “Somewhere” while kneeling in front of me and staring at my crotch. Quintessential Jackie. Lots of friends and family were there and Kerry and I and the rest of the family had a lovely party afterward to close this remarkable chapter of our lives.
Didn’t have much time to sit home and eat microwave popcorn and catch up on The Biggest Loser on dvr because I booked an episode of Lipstick Jungle. Not sure how much I am supposed to say, but I can tell you that they have a great group on that show. Really supportive cast and crew with a great vibe. My scenes somehow always seemed to be last on the list, so inevitably it would be 3 am and I was just getting started. The ladies were very generous to me and I’m excited to see how it turns out. Special bonus....a big time Tony Award winning Broadway diva is also in the episode with me. But you have to wait and see whom.
Gonna leave you with an absolutely kick ass song written and performed by my dear friend Shoshana Bean. When I heard this, I started jumping up and down because it’s that good. It is going to be huge, and she is going to make a major splash in the music industry just as she did on Broadway I just know it in my guts. Her new cd comes out December 2nd, but you can order this song on itunes now. So damned proud of you SHO!!!
Very gloomy outside today. This day is always hard here in New York, for good reason. We can’t ever forget. It wasn’t a movie. It really happened. It’s hard to fathom.
Another busy month came and went. The lovely Whoopi Goldberg played her final show on Sunday, I miss her already. Her contribution to the show was huge...of course, in terms of box office, which I guess is the bottom line, was tremendous, but more importantly, her energy backstage was just unbelievable. She shared a bathroom with the nine of us, and was just a part of us in every way. It’s strange how close theatre people can get so quickly.One of my funniest friends lovingly refers to theatre folk as carnies. And it’s a good comparison, I think. We really are a dysfunctional, tightly-knit, eccentric group of artists.
I knew quite a lot about Ms. Goldberg, but let that information slowly leak out, so as not too frighten her. For instance, not only can I quote from nearly every one of her movies, but I knew her real first name was spelled with a Y, not an E. When I let that little bit slip, she looked at me strangely, which prompted me to say..."sorry, that’s weird, huh?” She paused and said, “a little, but I like it”. Because of her joining our little tribe for a spell, lots of fancy people came to the Helen Hayes. In a week, we had all the ladies of the View, a 60’s sitcom star, a supermodel (who texted all through the show), and mayor Bloomberg. Talk about a motley crew.
Received a wonderful honor in having my caricature added to the broadway wall of fame at tony’s dinapoli. All my peeps came to be there for me, and it was, as these things always are, surreal and wonderful.
Was a participant in Celebrity Autobiography again. I really enjoy that group of comedians. Rachel Dratch makes me pee and Kristin Wiig never stops suprising me. Kristin Johnston and I did a Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson piece. (special thanks to my boo, Tony Roberts on the trick to getting Burt down), also with us that night were Sherri Shepherd (who has seen Xanadu four times) which I informed her made her now and forever a FANADU. Justin Long, who is very dry, and very cute, and Claudia Shear, who has impeccable timing and very nice breath. I think I’m gonna go play with them whenever possible, it’s just too much fun. And what better way to work on your craft than to be surrounded with some of the funniest peeps around?
BTW....Richard Kind IS Vanna White.
Went to a superdy duperdy fancy Calvin Klein Event the other night. This was a night for people watching. The women looked gorgeous and hungry. Halle Berry was breathtaking and Ashley Olsen was very very tiny. I have done a few of these now, so I don’t feel like a complete tool on the red carpet,...but every now and again I have a moment. There I was, decked out in CK, giving my best Zoolander blue steel, while trying desperately to smile with my eyes like Tyra says, and out of the corner of my eye I see someone waving me over to talk to him. Wouldn’t you know it, it was Jay Manuel from America’s Next Top Model holding a mike that said .........TYRA.
In the words of John Wulp and Arnold Weinstein ....Ah life!...You’ve done it again
One final story to leave you with. One of my favorite things to do is eavesdrop on little kids’ conversations . Whenever I see a big gaggle of 1st graders tethered together between their teachers crossing the street, I try to get near enough to listen to what they chat about amongst themselves. Recently I came upon just that...and as I listened, I heard what had to be the most hilarious and disturbing thing I have seen in ages. In unison, boys and girls, started chanting aloud, with hands and hips, (some doing a provocative little shimmy for added effect,) this memorable refrain ..... 877 393 4,4,4, 8!
So here we go again. As you can see, I have a new web site, (thanks to the folks at AARDVARK BRIGADE) and I thought it time to start blogging again. Sometimes you just need a little break. Am going to try and be more consistent, and thanks to all who email me and say...."where the !@#$ is the blog?”....but that won’t be necessary for a while now. Also, am going to try and implement a few changes. First of all, I get lots of feedback that while the content is good, the font, and lack of punctuation gives people headaches. WTF?? To be honest, it wasn’t really a big decision, it was more of going with the whole “stream of consciousness thing. But who knew that it bugged so many people? Well, I will tell you who....my friend Leslie, who makes her living as a writer. So for Leslie and all the others who complained, here you go...First up, the Tony’s. Probably the most amazing night of my life. I had never been to Radio City Music Hall before and it was unbelievably vast inside. We knew we had to really bring it in our performance and I felt a lot of pressure on me, as it was my big song. Something strange happened backstage just as Kerry and I and the cast were getting into place....Usually, before a big scary performance, I am a spaz and jump around like a crazy five-year-old with A.D.D., because I don’t know what to do with my nervous energy, but this time, I was strangely calm and relaxed, so much that a cast member asked me if I was ok, because it seemed out of character.But I was fine, and the curtain went up, and we sang our hearts out and it was fan- fucking-tastic! Sorry, mom, it’s the only way to describe it.
So after that, it was a very busy few months. FIrst, we raised a large amount of money at this summer’s amfAR event, a big THANK YOU to everyone involved! I always think life doesn’t throw anything at you that you can’t handle, but I questioned that a few times recently. Case in point, doing double duty on XANADU and DAMN YANKEES. What the hell was I thinking? Well, I will tell you what I was thinking...I thought, I am young and strong and full of energy, so as long as I stay organized and focused and get my rest, this should be fine, right? I wish. It started off fine, but as we got into tech for DY, I was in full-on zombie mode. A zombie with bloodshot eyes and daisy dukes.Thank God for my understanding leading ladies......Ms. Butler, Ms. Krakowski, and Ms. Graff. During that time, I nearly called Kerry Lola many times and had to resist the urge to flip Randy Graff around like an Australian pixie on wheels. It was not cute, but I made it through, and DY ended up being such a beautiful experience. I made some great new friendships and learned alot. Most of all, when Sean Hayes is doing an impromptu modern dance routine off stage right, ............get the hell out of his way.
Going back in Xanadu was great because even though I was a bit rusty on my skates and with some of my timing, the focus was rightfully focused on our newest cast member, Whoopi Goldberg.I can’t say enough about this woman. She has accomplished so much in her career thus far and manages to be completely down to earth, and real, and funny, and just kick-ass. She shares a bathroom with the 9 of us and a dressing room with Mary Testa and Annie Golden. She’s doing great things for our box office and it’s a pleasure to share the stage with her.
Something very shocking to me was found the other day… Zora’s first gray whisker. She will be five in September, so I wasn’t expecting this for a few more years. But as much as I hate to think of her getting older, I resisted the urge to put some black mascara on it or to pluck it. She’s earned it, damn it. Off to watch more Olympics. I love them. How ‘bout that opening ceremony? With the globe rising up out of the floor and the people running around it? I don’t care how jaded you are, that shit was beautiful.
Oh yeah, one final thing, and the most important thing of all. I met Rosie O’Donnell. The people that really know me, know what a big deal that is for me. She is the only person I have ever written a fan letter to. It was years ago during her talk show and I have just been such a fan for years and years....and unbelievably, I had never met her until now. I almost did her cruise a couple times, I had some callbacks for TABOO back in the day, I was supposed to do a benefit that she was hosting, but it never worked out that I met her. It had become kind of a joke in my house. But last week, there at the Helen Hayes in the fifth row, she sat with her son and smiled and cheered through the show. I don’t really get star-struck anymore, but I have admired her honesty and her strength and her tenacity for so long, that it was a real thrill to get to meet her. She didn’t disappoint. I think she may have even called me a cutie-patootie. I told my friend Mark A. while sitting on his couch in Seattle nine years ago that I would meet her. I should go call Mark.
Taking a sabbatical from the blog for a bit, maybe just for a few months, but I will share one quick story before I jet. Zora had her vaccinations from the vet the other day, and they gave her a dog lollipop on her way out. She carried it all the way home in her mouth, so she could enjoy it in private, and only the long end of it was sticking out. About a block from home, I hear a loud voice shout...."Hey you!!!!.....get dat cigarette outta dat dog’s mouf!” i turned to see a homeless man glaring at me and pointing at zora. I was tempted to correct him, but the thought of Zora smoking was so funny, I just let her prance on by as he kept shouting it over and over at us.
2008 is looking to be another busy and challenging year full of lessons. have learned alot of them of late. namely.....don’t believe that your pilot is picked up until you are on the set for the first day doing the table read with the cast. yes, sadly, my pilot was not picked up. i was surprised, mainly because everyone involved seemed to think it was a sure thing. now, although i have picked up what i believe to be is a healthy amount of skepticism from my time in this business in nyc, i still like to believe that i am very hopeful. when we wrapped “family practice” in chicago.....everyone was saying......"see you in three months!” and was busy looking for apartments in the city.....i was even told that the wardrobe department wasn’t even bothering to pack everything up because it was all thought to be a slam dunk. alas, twas not to be. i found out from my executive producer/writer/show creator right around the same time as we all found out about the death of heath ledger.......which immediately put things properly in perspective for me. this just means that i wasn’t supposed to do that show. but i was pretty sad, mainly because the actors who played the family bonded so deeply. but i know whatever is meant to be will be.
have had another busy couple of months. things are plugging along at xanadu. we are determined to plow through the lean winter broadway months, and our new commercial seems to be helping with that. the audience response continues to be great and i have lots of confidence that xanadu will continue to flourish. one really exciting thing that happened recently was that i, along with my girl kerry, were honored with caricatures at sardi’s. it was amazing and humbling. my pals tony and mary and jackie came from the show to support as well as many other wonderful friends who have supported me on my journey here. i was especially touched to see elaine orbach, jerry’s widow and a dear friend for five years there to lend her support. and lastly, my big bro, marc kudisch came to give me some love. that man is pure yellow, as rosie would say.
did 24 hour musicals at joes pub. crazy day of rehearsing and really satisfying experience artistically. it really challenges you to see what you can accomplish in a minimal amount of time. i was SO happy that i got to work with and make out with victoria clark, my co-star in the agony and the agony off-broadway last year and a wonderful friend, as well as claudia shear, a supreme talent, and john ellison conlee, who is divine. we worked our tails off and it was really damn scary and just thrilling at the same time.
did two performances at barnes and nobles, which was a bit strange, but fun too. the first of which, was an instore performance and signing of the xanadu cast recording, which i’m told was the biggest crowd they have ever had there for a signing..... and the other to read snippets from seth rudetsky’s new book. i love seth and would do anything he asked, (well, almost;) and it was fun to chill with dennis o’hare and christine ebersole, both of whom i have loads of respect for.
participated in celebrity autobiography again and had a great time. did my homage to kenny loggins again and got to hang with some of my favorite funny people. kristen johnston, richard kind, and kristin wiig from snl. i was especially excited to meet kristin as i am a huge fan of hers. i decided not to tell her that before she performed because she was nervous about her piece and i didn’t want her to be self-conscious around me, but as soon as she was finished, i let her have it. she is an original, and her characters are off the wall, left of center, but always ring true. and....she couldn’t be nicer. did another episode of title of show, and was even more blue with the language this time, sorry mom. but that mindy just brings it out of me.
a couple of times i felt really fancy in january. i was in people magazing in a little feature. it was really cool, and we shot in front of the marquee of xanadu and i felt a bit silly at first posing, but then i got into it and had fun and tried to smile with my eyes, like tyra always says. i was asked to be on the host benefit committee for amfar and thus went to the annual gala at cipriani. it was really inspiring and amazing to see what amfar has accomplished in such a short amount of time. i have since been asked to be on the board for the amfar honoring with pride event this year at the rainbow room, and happily obliged.
I went to my first fashion show during fashion week. it was the michael kors show and i got the whole vip treatment. i felt super fancy and hung backstage with all the famous people, trying not to seem to eager or obnoxious. i got to sit in the front row of the show near eva longoria, (who, btw.... asked me how the skating was going......i paused and looked at her like....how the #$%! does she know who i am?....but i got it together and said it was going great and that we would love to have her visit xanadu.....yowza) sigourney weaver, and natasha richardson and right smack in between angie harmon and roshumba, who were both sweet and stunningly beautiful in person. michael kors has seen our show a few times and has been very lovely to me so it was just great to be included in his big day.
finally, i will leave you with this. the other day a little kid named holden came to the stage door and gave me a picture he had drawn of me. it was so sweet and i told him i would hang it in my dressing room, which i have......and when i first saw him, i had to do a double take because he looked just like i did when i was 8. well, apparently his parents filmed it all. and as holden would say, it was awesome. check it out.
So unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know about the two big strikes that we have all been dealing with. The writer’s strike and the Stagehands on Broadway strike. Luckily the Broadway Strike was resolved with not too much damage done. We were one of the lucky four musicals that weren’t affected, and although it was great to play to full houses, we couldn’t help but feel for our friends and colleagues that were going without their salaries during this important holiday season. It was a tough situation without, surprisingly, too many press leaks, so I was thankful for that. So it’s back to business on the great white way and to kick it off, we did a big ole’ free show for the public at the Marriott Marquis. Jeffrey Seller organized it and Seth Rudetsky did his thang and it was awesome to be a part of. They wanted us in costume, so that was the funniest part to be backstage with all the leads from their shows in their respective costumes. Frankenstein monsters were mingling with Drowsy Chaperones and Jersey Boys and Grease Kids were chilling with the witches from Wicked. At one point we all noticed that Kerry Butler and Annaleigh Ashford, (Glinda in Wicked) and Laura Bell Bundy were all dressed almost exactly alike in their Barbie-like pink confections. I always get very hyper at things like this. It just makes me excited to be a part of this community and I can’t help but run around and be crazy backstage. Luckily, I had a partner in crime by the name of Beth Leavel. LOVE. Great energy. The highlight was singing with Bernadette Peters and the one and only Angela Lansbury, who sang “We need a little Christmas” IN THE ORIGINAL KEY. I don’t care who you are, when she started singing that in our rehearsal, I looked down the line at the faces of some of the biggest stars on Broadway and everyone looked like a five year old at Disneyland. Just awesome. 
Meanwhile, at the Du’.....Things are going splendidly. Good houses and great crowds and our family unit has even gotten tighter. Kerry and I did a new photo shoot together, which was very fancy and had an artsy photographer with thick framed glasses who shouted things like..."Reach out to me with your eyes!” and “SPLENDID! SPLENDID!” Kerry looked absolutely gorgeous and I can’t wait to see the shots. Also, this Friday we are shooting a big ole’ commercial for Xanadu, which we are all very excited about. I can’t wait for the catering. What can I say? It’s the little things, you know? Catered lunches are very exciting to me.
Did Whoopi Goldberg’s morning radio show. She and Mary Testa are good friends from back when they did A FUNNY THING......FORUM, and Whoopi has been such a wonderful supporter of our show. It was fun to try and get a word in with those two. Mary truly has the gift of gab. She has a very sharp mind. She should get her own show. Also did the Frank DeCaro show for the second time, who is on Sirius. He is just lovely......incredibly supportive and ridiculously witty. Have a cup of strong coffee if you wanna keep up. We also rang the NASDAQ closing bell, which was very interesting. Everything is so planned and down to a science, it was fun to watch the inner workings of it all.
Had some fun visitors at Xanadu last month, Christina Applegate, who I have known for a while and is just lovely. Also, Angela Lansbury, and David Copperfield, though he vanished quickly after.....sorry, had to. You just never know who will pop up. Oh, and Sheri Shepherd from THE VIEW. I was tempted to ask her if she really thinks the world is flat, and that Jesus came before the Greeks and the Romans, but I was good and kept it to pleasantries with Ms. Shepherd.
No news on the pilot I did for Lifetime, the writers strike has really affected all new projects and time lines, but I am excited to hear either way.
Did a couple of readings too.......the first of which was called “The Gingerbread House” by Mark Schultz, directed by Alex Timbers and produced by Barry/Fran Weissler at the Players Theater. The cast members included Elizabeth Marvel, Remy Auberjonois, Ian Scott Mcgregor, and Laura Heisler. It’s about a husband and wife who wake up one night, and basically look at each other and say...."What if we sold the kids?” It’s riveting and dark and funny and the cast was kick-ass. I played the guy who facilitates the sale of the children and most of my scenes were with the unbelievable Elizabeth Marvel, who is probably one of the best actresses I have ever seen. Don’t know what will happen with the project but it was awesome to be included by the Weisslers. Then last week, Jason Robert Brown asked me to do a table read of his new piece “13.” It’s about 13-year olds and is brilliant. Funny, Poignant, and Searing, with one memorable melody after another. Very intricate and polished story-telling. I can’t pass for 13 you say? Well, it was actually just a chance for the creative staff to hear the updated script read by adults to see how it flowed. I was joined by some of the funniest actors in New York, including, Steve Rosen, Sarah Saltsberg, Kate Reinders, Barrett Foa, my old Altar Boy peep David Josefsberg, and a newcomer named Ashley Morris, appearing now in “Die Mommie Die.” Remember that name.....she is the real deal.
And finally, last monday I was invited to the New York premiere of SWEENEY TODD. It is insanely good. It will be lavished with Oscars and stellar reviews. Johnny Depp will probably win his first Oscar for it. The music is sublime, the cast is perfect. I have been haunted by it since last week. I have thought about it every night in bed. Tim Burton manages the impossible and that is to take a piece as dark as this, and make it ever darker. I don’t know what middle America will do with it, but trust me that it is a masterpiece. I don’t know that I will ever have chicken pot pie again, though.
Just finished recording cast album of Xanadu. Long day, but fun as well. It’s nice to hang with the cast in a setting that isn’t the theatre. For many of us, the theatre is the only place we see each other, so to hang out and watch the Tyra Banks Show and eat ribs is a nice change of pace. It went well, the producer seemed to have a really good handle on things and everybody sounded terrific. Should come out right before Christmas.
So this month I did something exciting.......I made my Carnegie Hall debut! Well, I just backed up Brian Stokes Mitchell at his concert, but I did sing on the stage, so I guess that counts. Along with some members of the Broadway Inspirational Voices, we closed the show. It was a great night and I was really inspired by watching Brian. We had a sound check during the day and I was able to sneak in and watch quite a bit of his rehearsal. He really is amazing. What impresses me most about him is not his voice, which is obviously astonishing, but it’s his grace. Watching the way he treats everyone around him with kindness and patience is definitely something to aspire to.
Wrapped the pilot “Family Practice” in Chicago. Had a wonderful time, learned a lot, and am hopeful to work with these people again. My tv family definitely had some natural chemistry going on. Thankfully, that aspect didn’t seem forced. Will know more in a month or so what happens with that. Had some ADR (looping) last week and from what I saw, it looked beautiful. Wonderful cinematography and colors, and the family looked biologically related, which is probably a good thing, no?
Did another reading of RED EYE OF LOVE at the Public Theatre. The piece was generally unchanged since its time at the O’Neill Center this summer and no matter how much I hear the music it never gets old to me. Just bewitching. I hope it gets some type of further life if only for people to hear this lush material. Elizabeth Stanley, my leading lady in Connecticut, couldn’t join us this time as she is in the middle of getting CRY-BABY on it’s feet before the Broadway debut, so I was joined this time by a wonderful actress named Laura Marie Duncan. She learned the incredibly challenging score in a matter of days and was a joy to work with.
Just finished reading Rosie O’Donnell’s book Celebrity Detox. It’s raw, and honest, and real,...... just like her. I admire her spirit.
I’ll leave you with a funny Xanadu story. Now at this point, I am used to distractions at Xanadu. People sometimes shout things, some people stand up and dance, a couple weeks ago, the entire onstage seating was full of drag queens......you get the picture. So last week at a matinee, I am doing my monologue that starts the show and right as i get up from my chalk drawing and come down center stage, some ladys’ cell phone goes off. Not one ring, not two rings, but five long rings....and not normal cell phone rings, but strange sounding, high-pitched rings. I was annoyed. I saw the lady who I thought it was coming from and I decided to put her on the spot a bit. She saw me looking at her and tried to clumsily shut it off, but it continued to beep, beep......beep. Something came over me, my concentration was completely gone at this point, and I just stopped the show and said...."and now, we wait.”......and I just looked at her. The beeping finally stopped, she smiled up at me, I took a breath and went on with it.
Later, backstage we all were laughing and re-telling the story to others who hadn’t heard what I had done, and swapping other cell phone horror stories like how Nathan Lane would grab the phone and shout into it...."SHE CAN"T TALK TO YOU RIGHT NOW SHE’S WATCHING A SHOW!”.....Or how Billy Crystal and Brian Dennehy would deal in similar and swift fashion. I was feeling very proud of myself to be included with these guys when the house manager came up to me and quietly said......."Just wanted you to know that that wasn’t a cell phone, it was feedback from a ladys’ hearing aide.”
So if by any chance that woman is reading this........I’m sorry, and would like to treat you to a nice dinner at Applebees, which apparently is my favorite restaurant, though I’ve never been there.
a new season approaches and new adventures arise. xanadu is going strong, having so much fun. lots of fun people have come in the past month. marily henner, (damn does she have some energy......must be that no dairy thing) lisa rinna and harry hamlin (who i had to give an improvised shout-out to, considering our show’s clash of the titans connection), m knight shamalan and his beautiful family, celeste holm, and lots more. it’s fun to be in something so high energy that people genuinely love. kerry and i did THE VIEW last week. the ladies were very nice and Barbara Walters told me she is coming to XANADU once i get back. Before THE VIEW, i was in my dressing room lying on the couch with no shirt on because they were ironing the one i was to wear on air. i heard a knock on the door. “come in!,” i shouted. knock knock knock........"come in!” i shouted louder. knock knock knock. COME IN! i bellowed. “I CAN’T,..... IT’S LOCKED!” someone yelled. the voice sounded familiar and i flew open the door and there was Whoopi. she laughed and didn’t bat an eye at my toplessness. she has been a huge supporter of xanadu, not only on THE VIEW, but also on her radio show. she rocks. and i told her so.
also did the CW morning show. they wanted me to skate, but i politely declined. instead i gave the hostess some wobbly pointers. it was fine, and i could be mistaken, but i think she wanted me to be her baby daddy.
did celebrity autobiography: in their own words. a benefit for the actors fund and a night where actors read real excerpts from celebrity autobiographies. some of the things written are not to be believed. i initially thought the whole evening to be a bit mean-spirited, and had some reservations, but i had a change of tune after participating. there really is no commenting on the material. it’s just the words. i did, however, make a request that they not ask me to read kathie lee gifford’s, as i happen to know her and like her very much. truth is, kathie has such a good sense of humor that if they asked her, she would probably have read from her book herself. i read from kenny loggins book, my buddy richard kind read from vanna white’s book, mary testa read mr, t., jackie hoffman did ivana trump, seth rudetsky did star jones, and tony roberts did a spot-on burt reynolds and richard burton. a fun night for a great cause.
did seth’s chatterbox at don’t tell mama’s for the second time. love that dude. so funny, so quick, and just so knowledgeable of all things broadway. pretty amazing actually. did some radio and some magazine stuff. posed for some cool pics and felt like a supermodel for a day.
then i get a call that a tape i had sent in for a television pilot about a family of lawyers had found its way to the executives of the show and they were interested in testing me in l.a. i had to get on a plane in 24 hours, and make it happen. the script was great. on the page, it read like a play. turns out the writer, jeffrey lieber, (writer and co-creator of LOST) is a former playwright from chicago. it shows. so i get to l.a. and have to do the song and dance for the executives at lifetime and sony, minus the song and dance. the room had about 20 execs sitting behind a long conference table with papers in their hands and staring at you. i read with an actress named joey honsa, who they had already cast as their lead girl. she would be my love interest. we bonded in the waiting room and when i improvised something in the room, she went with it, which was a good sign. there were four of us testing for the sae part. we all had black hair and blue eyes and were wearing different variations of the exact same suit. it could have been any one of us to nab it, but alas, this time........ it was my turn.
so........here i am in chicago on this new adventure for a couple weeks, and having a great time getting to know these folks. anne archer and beau bridges are my parents in the show and are both just lovely people. just got back from a night shoot where my character has just taken the son of the girl i like to a baseball game. we get home late and the little boy is asleep so i carry him home to his moms house. she is waiting for us on the steps of her house and we have our little scene. right before the director called “action” i had this moment where i just took it all in. it was awesome. there were about 100 people around all with a job to do. all focused on the scene. we filmed on a little street in a suburban neighborhood in chicago called humboldt park. lots of families with kids were lined up craning their necks to see what all this fuss and bright lights were about. i just felt so exhilarated and thankful to be right there, at that moment.
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