I returned from Atlanta and visited Richard while he worked on the “Baby It’s You!” cast album which sounds terrific!
Richard on the left, in the studio working on the cast album of 'Baby It's You!' which opens tonight.
Geno Henderson, who plays Jocko in the play and is terrific
Beth Leavel, who plays the lead and just received an Outer Critic's nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She won a Tony for 'Drowsy Chaperone.' What a voice!
Erica Ash who plays one of the the Shirelles. Erica graduated from Emory!
Crystal Starr, also a Shirelle
my friend, Polly Anthony, is in charge of music for theatrical, Film and TV projects for Universal Music who is releasing the cast album.
The next night I saw “Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo,” with Robin Williams which Moises Kaufman directed. It is a powerful, intense play but also has a lot of humor. Robin is brilliant as the tiger but the whole cast is remarkable. When it ended, I couldn’t move for awhile it was so overwhelming. Afterwards, Robin, his fiance, Moises Kaufman, Jeff, his partner, joined Bette Midler, her hubby, Jann Wenner and his partner, all of whom had seen the play. Susan Kellerman came too…she played Gertie in “33 Variations.” It was a fun dinner. Robin is the quickest brilliant wit. He knocks my socks off.
Moises Kaufman, Robin Williams and Me (photo by Bruce Glikas)
Then, the following night, was the opening of “Baby It’s You!”. Lots of dear friends were there. There’s no question in my mind that it is a feel good, fun evening. The music is terrific. The reviews the next day were mixed but that won’t stop it from doing well, I don’t think, cause people really enjoy it. I have seen several previews and each time, people gave it a standing “O” and were dancing in the isles at the end.
Last night, I had a glorious reunion with my dear friend, Robin Morgan, and we went to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and saw (drum rolls here please….) Derek Jacobi in “King Lear.” It was the greatest stage performance by a man that I have ever seen…EVER! Jacobi’s emotional and vocal range is simply breathtaking. He brings something completely new to Lear, nuances, subtlety, fragility even. BAM does the best work. The last time I went there was to see Cate Blanchett in “Streetcar Named Desire” directed by Liv Ullmann. That was the greatest female stage performance I have ever seen.
In between these theatrical experiences, I have spent a lot of time at Random House going over the copyedited manuscript of “Prime Time, to flag typos and other errors as well as to make final decisions about photos for the book and the cover art. I am soooo excited about this book of mine. It is so great, if I say so myself, cause it gives ideas about how to live well on many levels with this additional (on average) 34 years that we have been granted. Ideas about emotional, practical, spiritual, psychological, physical, sexual aspects of life that we can enhance and enjoy. The people I have started hearing from who have read it (both inside and outside of Random House) show me that I have succeeded. I am being told the book has changed their lives! So, I’m on top of the world right now.
