Qarrtsiluni and Patti
Qarrtsiluni (terrible title) has just posted the final collage of mine, and you can see all three at this link.http://qarrtsiluni.com/tag/ira-joel-haber/,
And speaking of collages I went to see Gypsy yesterday afternoon, and really enjoyed it. I've known the musical of course since it opened originally on Broadway in 1959. I was intriqued by the title and Merman, but I was too young and the idea of going to see plays was not part of my childhood. The first play that I saw wasn't until 1964 when me and two friends went to a matinee of Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? with Elaine Stritch in the lead. Which brings me back to Gypsy with Patti Lupone as Mama Rose. If you don't care much for her, than skip this show, because she really owns it. Of course she has superb material to work with, this score is great with now classic pop theatre songs. I mean who doesn't know "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and the great overture with the orchestra on stage was a real Broadway musical event. I've always liked Lupone but I've only seen her "live" a few years back in "Sweeney Todd". She's brassy and earthy with a good Broadway voice. I would never buy a cd of hers she's just not my kind of singer but on stage even from the last row in the balcony she delivers. Her film career is pretty much invisible, I liked her in her small role as Harrison's Ford's sister in "Witness" and wanted it to be longer, but lets face it, shes not movie star pretty. She's done better on tv., but I could never bring myself to watch her popular series "Life Goes On" but did see her small recuring role on Oz and she was terrific. There are lots of strictly Broadway diva's and quite a few are terrific. Donna Murphy, Betty Buckley, Elaine Stritch come to mind, and in the not too far past there was Mary Martin, and of course Ethel Merman who was the original Mama Rose. Lupone belongs in that group. Really great talents but not able to make that switch to movies. I can't say that I enjoyed the crush of crowds around Times Sq. The St. James theatre is right in the heart of it on 44th Street. I see that I had been to this theatre only twice before in the late 60's to see Martha Raye do "Hello Dolly" ( I know, Martha Raye but I liked her) and the "All Black" cast starring Pearl Baily and Cab Calloway. Both times me and Freddy had standing room for no doubt $2.00 each. That was the night that Barbra Streisand was in the audience and I was tipped off by one of the male ushers. During the intermission I charged through the row that her and then hubby Elliot Gould were sitting and thrust my playbill in her face for her to sign. Gould was totally ignored by me. And she did sign the playbill. After the show Bailey made Streisand get up with her on stage and sing "Hello Dolly" "Honey you better get up here with me, this is your audience darling." She got up and sang. The only thingsI don't like about going to the Broadway theatre in New York is the crowds of tourists and the tight and uncomfortable seats in these old but beautiful theatres. I would of course like to be able to be closer than the last row of the balcony. Next up for me is the revival of the two Edward Albee plays, Sunday In The Park With George and South Pacific. The amount of theatre here is overwhelming at times, and for anyone who really loves the theatre I can't imagine with the exception of London a city being as bountiful as New York.
