Nothing like a little pressure!!! These people are all here tonight. And, I stayed out too late after last night’s show–a kind of goodbye party before the real goodbye party–Susan Kellerman, Don Amendolia, Diane Walsh, James Gandolfini, Sandy Duncan—what a good time. Not enough sleep though and today I taped the Letterman Show. At least I didn’t cry on the show when I talked about the play closing Thursday. I said, “usually you do these shows to promote a play at the beginning, not 2 days before it closes. But we hired the Republican National Committee to do our PR, so what can you expect.”

James Gandolfini (photo: Michael Rudd)

Andrea Martin, Me and Debra Monk (photo: Michael Rudd)

Sandy Duncan (photo: Michael Rudd)

So here I am, in my dressing room waiting for the audience to come in so I can use my opera glasses to try and see who’s sitting where.

Neil Simon. OMG. You must know this, but just in case-he’s the great playwright who wrote “Barefoot in the Park” and “California Suite” both of which I was in. I am a huge fan of Tim Robbins and Anna Deavere Smith.

Neil Simon (photo: Michael Rudd)

Tim Robbins (photo: Michael Rudd)

Anna Deavere Smith (photo: Michael Rudd)

I got a beautiful vase of flowers tonight from Patti LuPone. Wow!! I don’t even know her personally. She is a power of a talent and I feel very honored by this generous gesture.

Carole Mitchell is here too. Carole and her husband, Tommy, help look after my place in atlanta and my office and my daughter’s house and on and on. We’ve been together almost 10 years.

Carole Mitchell (photo: Michael Rudd)

Time to go. I’ll write more at intermission to say how it’s going.

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None of us feel the show is going well and we can’t quite say why. At least I haven’t forgotten any lines–yet–there are five scenes to go. I have to go.

No partying tonight. Tomorrow is a two-show day. Our last two-show days. After tomorrow we do our final show.

Sam Waterston (photo: Michael Rudd)

Bernadette Peters (photo: Michael Rudd)

Barry and Carole Hirsch (photo: Michael Rudd)

Marisa Berenson (photo: Michael Rudd)

See you next time.