#Bette Midler after Hello Dolly

[broadwaydivastournament]

Broadway Divas Tournament: Round 4

Diva, icon, certified GILF Christine Baranski (1952) has a theatre resume a mile long. A two-time Tony winner, Christine has performed on and off-Broadway, regionally, and internationally in shows such as Mame at the Kennedy Center, the pre-Broadway workshop of Sunday in the Park with George, and the infamous flop that was Nick & Nora (1991). She can be seen alongside a slew of other Broadway Divas in HBO's The Gilded Age, and has also participated in at least ten Sondheim shows and concerts over the years.

Newly certified GILF, Donna Murphy (1959) is a two-time Tony-winning legend of the Broadway stage, with five nominations in all, each for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. Her gripping performance as the chronically ill Fosca in Sondheim's Passion (1994) may have disgusted and disturbed audiences, but earned her immense critical acclaim. Two years later, she won her second Tony for The King and I (1996), and the year after that, earned a Daytime Emmy. Additional credits include: Dear World (2023), Hello, Again (1993), LoveMusik (2007), and most recently on Broadway, Bette Midler's alternate in Hello, Dolly! (2017)

NEW PROPAGANDA AND MEDIA UNDER CUT: ALL POLLS HERE

"The high-kicking bitch herself, Christine Baranski. It's a legal requirement that every actress who plays Phyllis must have legs for days, and she delivers."

"There is one singular show above all other I would commit heinous crimes to travel back in time to see. Follies for Encores!, 2007. And now, with the upcoming Follies concert at Carnegie Hall this June, I can live out at least some of my dream. Donna Murphy, my beloved, who looks fucking stunning with no makeup. I am unwell."

[notebookmusical]

the thing about the 2017 tonys is that (for me) it wasn't just about dear evan hansen winning over come from away, or great comet; it was also hello dolly winning for best revival, bette midler winning for leading actress in a musical, dear evan hansen winning for best book + score + ORCHESTRATIONS, paloma young losing for best costumes, etc. it was like ... [ gestures vaguely ] everything & i think the tonys that year were just... more polarizing after the hamiltonys sweep !! and while i wish wicked won over avenue q in 2004, it's different because i 1) was not an active Musical Theatre Fan the way i am now (because i was like, six and was not on the internet in this way + had not seen wicked yet) and was not living through it + 2) wicked is still running <33333

[droughtofapathy]

The Gilded Age's Broadway Divas: Caroline "Lina" Schermerhorn Astor (Donna Murphy)

A queen among her people, Mrs. Astor rules over New York high society, and spends the show being challenged by New Money Bertha Russell at every turn.

Two-time Tony winner Donna Murphy is one of Broadway's greatest Divas. Though most recognize her as the voice of Disney's Mother Gothel in Rapunzel, her voice is better known to me personally as one of my earliest gay awakenings for her audiobook performance of Ruby Holler, but that's a separate story. One of Sondheim's most beloved interpreters, Donna has such an expansive repertoire that limiting myself proved damn near impossible. Her Tonys for Best Actress in a Musical were in 1994 (Passion) and 1996 (The King and I) and I will forgive her for the later despite my documented hatred of that musical.

Other sumptuous performances include: The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Ensemble, later Drood), Wonderful Town (Ruth), Hello Dolly! (Bette Midler's Tuesday night alternative and superior performer in every way), and Encores! Dear World (my #1 theatre experience of 2023). With the later two, Donna is well on her way to achieving the Jerry Herman trifecta. Someone mount a production of Mame starring Donna Murphy as Mame.

#1: "Could I Leave You?" Follies - The Stephen Sondheim 80th Birthday Concert (2010)

Many a Diva has taken on this song, but no one can come close to the rapturous performance Donna Murphy gives during the iconic Ladies in Red segment of the Sondheim 80th birthday concert. This video right here is the reason I am the Sondheim woman that I am. There have been many women who have played Phyllis over the years, and I've fallen a little in love with all of them (Jan Maxwell, my beloved), but Donna is everything.

Surrounded by five other iconic Divas dressed in red, Donna shows that her acting choices whilst singing remain unmatched. The controlled start, the rapid devolution, the rage in that final word. And the strands of hair that will not stay out of her face. I am obsessed. The reactions of the other women (note Patti LuPone's glee and Marin Mazzie, dear friend and Passion co-star's bursting pride) say it all. The entire concert is one marvel after another. Do yourself a favor and watch it.

I consider this song one of Sondheim's greatest works (Send in the Clowns, eat your heart out...but also...Donna did that at the 90th birthday concert, so there's that too).

#2: "Hit Me With a Hot Note," a benefit for Fran Liebergall (2015) and What About Joan (2001)

I couldn't decide which version to post, so you get both. Congratulations. This song showcases Mrs. Astor's wild side as Donna delves into growls, shimmies, shakes, and belts. "Hit Me with a Hot Note" is a Duke Ellington song that appeared on Broadway in Jelly's Last Jam (which will receive an Encores! production this spring). I never thought a white woman could scat, but I'm not mad about it.

The first video is a concert benefit for Fran Liebergall in 2015. The second is from a short-lived tv series in the early 2000s where Donna plays Ruby Stern, a smart and staid doctor who has a dream of appearing on Broadway. Apparently, the producers of the show were totally unaware that two-time Tony winner for Leading Actress in a Musical Donna Murphy could sing. I'm just as shocked by that as you are.

#3: "Surabaya Johnny," LoveMusik (2007)

Mrs. Astor is one of many real-life historical figures on Donna Murphy's acting resume. Another real-life figure is that of Lotte Lenya, an Austrian-American actress and singer best known for her work/marriage with Kurt Weill. LoveMusik explores that relationship. Lotte Lenya had a distinctive voice, and here Donna transforms her own signature voice to match Lenya's.

LoveMusik received mixed reviews, but garnered four Tony nominations for Best Musical, and Best Leading Actors for Donna and for leading man Michael Cerveris, The Gilded Age's Mr. Watson.

Donna has truly perfected the way to break down during a song.

#4: "The Story of Lucy and Jessie," Follies (2007)

Prior to the Sondheim 80th, Donna played Phyllis Rogers Stone in the 2007 Encores! production of Follies (alongside Christine Baranski). This was considered her triumphant return to the New York stage following an unsteady attendance record in the early 2000s owing to a long battle with vocal hemorrhaging (running concurrently with multiple miscarriages). Her turn as the jaded former Follies girl was nothing short of sublime. In those days, Encores! concerts weren't remotely the fully choreographed shows they are now. Donna, who describes herself as a "singer who moves well," proves that in spades.

To my everlasting devastation, this clip omits the opening verse, but I think her legs more than make up for it. The little glove removal moment is a nod to an alternate number that has been used in place of this one depending on the production. For singers who are not as dance-capable, "Ah, But Underneath" offers up a sensational strip tease, and I, for one, would have liked to see that too, even if Lucy and Jessie is a better number.

#5: "Loving You," Passion (1994)

Though her riveting portrayal of a chronical ill woman who seduces a soldier in mid-19th century Italy earned Donna her first Tony, it was not a well-received show. Audiences disgusted by the obsessive and unattractive Fosca would cheer when she collapsed onstage every night. They couldn't fathom how Giorgio (Jere Shea) would leave his affair with the beautiful Clara (Marin Mazzie, who appears totally nude for the opening number) for a sicky woman like Fosca. Since then, like most Sondheim shows, we have come to appreciate the brilliance of the story, the score, and the actors with time.

Donna's immersion into this role is the stuff of Broadway legend. This song in particular, though simple in melody and lyrics, carries such deep emotion, and the way she sings as if every note pains her just ruins me. Her dramatic range cannot be praised enough. The entire proshot can be found HERE, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Story time: a few years ago I bid on the original lobby board that hung inside the theater, and I am now a proud owner of a piece of history. It stands in my living room and is nearly as tall as I am. It is my most treasured possession.

Bonus: For a more comprehensive of all things Donna Murphy, please enjoy this playlist curated by @princesspufferr. And if anyone wants a bootleg of Dear World, I've got you covered.

LINK TO MASTERPOST

[yourreddancer]

Bette Midler: Still Divine

During pride month, let’s honor Bette Midler, who was at the fore front of the gay rights movement. The Divine Miss M is a true gay icon for many reasons, from her foul, unrestrained mouth to her heavenly singing voice. But there’s a reason she’s called Bathhouse Betty!

After relocating to New York City in the ’60s, Midler started her career on Broadway, but it wasn’t her Broadway roles that got the gays going crazy for her (though that’s part of the reason why they love her now). In the summer of 1970, she earned her gay icon status when she started performing at a popular gay bathhouse in New York City. (Gay bathhouses are saunas where gay men go to have sex, in case you didn’t know.)

Accompanied by her pianist Barry Manilow, who she became very close with, Midler would light up the stage with her big voice and her even bigger personality. She quickly became a sensation in the New York gay scene, and once you’re big with the gays, you know you’re on way.Midler spoke fondly of those days when she released her album Bathhouse Betty in 1998: “Despite the way things turned out [with the AIDS crisis], I’m still proud of those days. I feel like I was at the forefront of the gay liberation movement, and I hope I did my part to help it move forward. So, I kind of wear the label of ‘Bathhouse Betty’ with pride.”

Over the years, Bette Midler has remained a gay icon after a string of iconic movie roles (Hello, Hocus Pocus!), stage roles — most recently appearing on Broadway in the revival of Hello, Dolly! — and for still being a firecracker who isn’t afraid to speak out about what pisses her off, such as the current political climate in the U.S. You just can’t keep Bathhouse Betty quiet!

[newyorktheater]

Barbara Cook in The Music Man, 1957

Denee Benton as Natasha and Brittain Ashford as her cousin Sonya

This has been the week from Hell both in the larger world and in the world of New York theater, but for theater fans also a little bit of Heaven, with the announcements of new shows, new casts, Broadway debuts, some welcome returns — and a community standing together.

Enter contest here  to win two free tickets to Bandstand by answering: What was the most underrated show you’ve ever seen on a New York stage? 

Week in New York Theater Reviews

The Terms of My Surrender

“The Terms of My Surrender” is not just an anti-Trump screed. It is also an oddly eclectic mix of sharp stand-up comedy routine, sketchy sketch comedy, memoir, parody political rally, activist exhortation, parody game show, actual talk show, prank call show, even a strip-tease (don’t ask, I won’t tell – except to say that Moore has an un-credited supporting cast.)

In format, Michael Moore’s live show has little in common with his funny but focused documentaries about specific issues,…It’s more like a scattershot variety show…But the puckish sense of humor will be enough for most of his fans

The Government Inspector

The vain, reckless son of a rich man is suddenly thrust into power by a venal group of citizens marked by their “ugliness, stupidity, greed, cowardice, corruption and sheer unpleasantness.” That’s the premise, more or less, of Nikolai Gogol’s 1836 play “The Government Inspector,” as interpreted by Red Bull Theater’s broad, bawdy production.

What saves this play from a depressing relevance is the phenomenal physical clowning by Michael Urie

Week in New York Theater News

Barbara Cook, 89

  Bruce Springsteen will make his Broadway debut this fall with “Springsteen on Broadway,” a solo show at the Walter Kerr Theater, for five performances a week from October 3 through November 26.

“I wanted to do some shows that were as personal and as intimate as possible. I chose Broadway for this project because it has the beautiful old theaters which seemed like the right setting for what I have in mind. In fact, with one or two exceptions, the 960 seats of the Walter Kerr Theatre is probably the smallest venue I’ve played in the last 40 years. My show is just me, the guitar, the piano and the words and music. Some of the show is spoken, some of it is sung. It loosely follows the arc of my life and my work.”  He will read from his recently published autobiography, “Born to Run.”

Tickets for “Springsteen on Broadway” will go on sale August 30 at 10am ET exclusively through Ticketmaster Verified Fan®. “This unique fan-first technology levels the playing field to combat bots and get real tickets into the hands of fans who intend to go to the event.”

The Great Comet to Close September 3. Could it have been saved?

.

Amy Schumer and Keegan-Michael Key will be making their Broadway debuts in a new play by Steve Martin, “Meteor Shower,” which will also star Laura Benanti and Alan Tudy, and open November 29th.

“It’s a hot night in Ojai, California, and Corky (Amy Schumer) and her husband Norm (Alan Tudyk) are having another couple over for dinner. But Laura (Laura Benanti) and Gerald (Keegan-Michael Key) aren’t looking for a casual evening of polite small talk with new friends. Eventually, the two couples find themselves in a marital free-fall matched in velocity and peril only by the smoldering space rocks tearing through the sky.”

Bandstand to Close September 17

Errol And Fidel

New York Musical Festival Awards for Excellence 2017

Freedom Riders

It ended on Broadway in January after 11 years. But  “Jersey Boys will be back in November, this time at New World Stages.

Further casting of @OnceIslandBway — @MsLeaSalonga as Erzulie, a goddess (naturally) pic.twitter.com/ec9jgZlFmm

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) August 8, 2017

William Petersen of @CSI_CBS joins Broadway-bound play by Tracy Letts, #TheMinutes, `1st opening at @SteppenwolfThtr pic.twitter.com/Vik4cldWDQ

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) August 7, 2017

.@AdamJKantor @EtaiBenson @MadisonMicucci @pommekoch join cast of @TheBandsVisit,opens Nov 9 at Barrymore https://t.co/LBywc1vZ3b pic.twitter.com/cquL3vfjE6

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) August 7, 2017

“Time and the Conways” will star Elizabeth McGovern as “Mrs. Conway,” Steven Boyer as “Ernest,” Anna Camp as “Hazel,” Gabriel Ebert as “Alan,” Charlotte Parry as “Kay,” and Matthew James Thomas as “Robin,” with Anna Baryshnikov as “Carol,” Brooke Bloom as “Madge,” Alfredo Narciso as “Gerald,” and Cara Ricketts as “Joan.”

In “Escape to Margaritaville,” the Jimmy Buffett musical, Paul Alexander Nolan will lead the company as Tully, and will be joined by Alison Luff as Rachel, Lisa Howard as Tammy, Eric Petersen as Brick, Rema Webb as Marley, Don Sparks as J.D, Andre Ward as Jamal, along with Matt Allen, Tessa Alves, Sara Andreas, Marjorie Failoni, Steven Good, Angela Grovey, Albert Guerzon, Keely Hutton, Justin Keats, Mike Millan, Justin Mortelliti, Ryann Redmond, Ian Michael Stuart, and Brett Thiele.

Theater for a New Audience presents Adrienne Kennedy’s first new play in 9 years, He Brought Her Heart Back in a Box, Jan 17–Feb 11 2018

Set in Georgia & NYC in 1941, this new work braids together the indignities of Jim Crow, rising Nazism, sexual hypocrisy, Christopher Marlowe, and the lingering shadow of a terrible crime.

  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/08/theater/bill-murray-groundhog-day-broadway.html

    What will @BetteMidler do post @HelloDollyBway? Maybe “those art places..elegant…just a microphone & a stool. Like Mabel Mercer” pic.twitter.com/Dh5gYasUQS

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) August 8, 2017

Watch Bette Midler interview

.@herearts has been here 25 years! Its 25th season includes revival of @Basiltwist #SymphonieFantastiquehttps://t.co/aH7V1IJ1Ex

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) August 8, 2017

  . @NatBlackTheatre‘s 49th season begins in Sept w/ Peculiar Patriot by @LizaJessieP, about Rikers Islandhttps://t.co/8OYHH77pSZ pic.twitter.com/vTY4srJOrQ

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) August 12, 2017

A Christmas Story, musical by @pasekandpaul, to star @MayaRudolph live on @FOXTV Dec 17. My review on Bwy:https://t.co/Qi9uUvqINH pic.twitter.com/9gZ93PN4Wf

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) August 8, 2017

  The deaths of Barbara Cook and Glen Campbell, the closing of Great Comet, & 2 crazies threatening nuclear war. Not my favorite day pic.twitter.com/aOuAtOlz1N

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) August 8, 2017

  Stand united in strength, power, & diversity. #DiversityOfBroadway pic.twitter.com/G3xvrtlYDl

— Javier Muñoz (@JMunozActor) August 12, 2017

My #DiversityOfBroadway hashtag spread & is going strong. Unified in our strength, power, & diversity. @aladdin @CharlieOnBway @PhantomBway pic.twitter.com/IBoGzt8DUZ

— Javier Muñoz (@JMunozActor) August 13, 2017

I love this #DiversityOfBroadway (hashtag created by @JMunozActor, collage by @raymondjlee) How about #DiversityOffBroadway too! pic.twitter.com/m0cq7p9nB9

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) August 13, 2017

The Boss on Broadway. RIP Barbara Cook. Bye Great Comet, Bandstand. Welcome Back Steve Martin, Lea SalongaWeek in NY Theater This has been the week from Hell both in the larger world and in the world of New York theater, but for theater fans also a little bit of Heaven, with the announcements of new shows, new casts, Broadway debuts, some welcome returns -- and a community standing together.

[biofunmy]

Bette Midler’s Fifth Avenue Penthouse Goes on the Market for $50 Million

Bette Midler is selling her longtime family home on the Upper East Side, an airy triplex with lush landscaped gardens, complete with composter and shed, and sweeping vistas of the Central Park reservoir and Midtown skyline.

Ms. Midler, an award-winning entertainer, and her husband, Martin von Haselberg, a performance artist, bought the penthouse at 1125 Fifth Avenue and 94th Street in 1996. The venerable prewar co-op proved a perfect fit: It’s near the school their daughter, Sophie von Haselberg, attended, has a full-time doorman to assure privacy, and is a short drive from the theater district and Carnegie Hall.

But at around 7,000 square feet — and that’s not even counting the additional 3,000 square feet of outdoor space — the apartment is too big for the empty-nester couple, and so they’re placing it back on the market. The asking price is $50 million, according to the listing broker, John Burger of Brown Harris Stevens, with $25,515 in monthly maintenance.

“It’s time for another family to enjoy it,” Ms. Midler said in an email, adding that she and Mr. von Haselberg “consider ourselves die-hard New Yorkers” and plan to downsize into another Manhattan home.

Image

Bette MidlerCreditAngela Weiss/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The penthouse, a combination of two units, occupies the top three floors of the brick-and-limestone building, all of which are connected via curved stairways with brass balusters. (Elevator service is available on the 15th and 16th floors, but not the top floor of the triplex.

After the units were purchased, the interior was remodeled over two years into a comfortable loft-like space by the architect Frederick Fisher and Partners and the exterior was landscaped by Sawyer Berson. “The ceilings were lower,” Ms. Midler said of the previous layout, “the corridors narrower, and many of the rooms were much smaller.”

Today, she said, “it’s like a country house in the city.”

The apartment contains four main bedrooms and six and a half baths, along with a home gym that could be converted into a fifth bedroom. There are also three wood-burning fireplaces.

The main entrance is on the 16th floor. A spacious central gallery, with a powder room and small office, leads to a greenhouse with a seating area. On the west side is a 24-by-25-foot living room anchored by a wood-burning fireplace with surrounding ceramic tiles handmade by the artist Kim Dickey. Off the living room, a wraparound terrace with limestone pavers alternating with turf provides direct reservoir and park views, as well as a place for lounging, eating, and one of Ms. Midler’s favorite pastimes, bird-watching.

“Our street is the highway to the East River for all sorts of water birds,” she said. “The red tail hawk often comes to visit.”

Ms. Midler added a birdbath and birdhouses along the terrace. She also had purple ribbons taped on some of the apartment windows as a safety measure for wayward birds.

On the main floor’s east side is the dining area and kitchen, which also opens to the terrace and offers cityscape views and an herb garden — something Mr. von Haselberg, who enjoys cooking, has used for his dishes. The kitchen is equipped with stainless-steel appliances, including an enormous stove hood, marble countertops and an abundance of custom cabinets and storage.

The en-suite bedrooms, a family room and a windowed laundry room are on the 15th floor. The sprawling master suite has a large dressing room with a fireplace; numerous closets; a small beauty parlor; two steam rooms; and the home gym. One of the two master baths features a Japanese hinoki-wood soaking tub.

The top floor contains a 21-by-18-foot library/music room with another fireplace and a full bath. Built-in shelves houses a sizable collection of vinyl record albums. And then, of course, there’s the rooftop garden.

Ms. Midler, who won a Tony Award two years ago for her performance in “Hello Dolly!,” has a special affinity for green spaces. In 1995, she founded the nonprofit New York Restoration Project, which is dedicated to reclaiming and restoring city parks. Her garden terrace is lined with terra-cotta tile and features potted pine trees and tomato and lavender plants, as well as an assortment of flowers, including roses and hydrangea.

Besides the spectacular views, Ms. Midler says she will especially miss the home’s tranquillity.

The penthouse was decorated in soft, neutral colors by Fernando Santangelo, and includes an eclectic mix of antiques and traditional furnishings with many pieces of art pottery.

Throughout the unit are light oak floors, high ceilings and numerous oversize windows. “There isn’t a dark room in the apartment,” Mr. Burger, the broker, said.

The 1125 Fifth Avenue apartment house, in the Carnegie Hill neighborhood, was designed in a neo-Renaissance style by Emery Roth and built in the mid-1920s; it was converted to a co-op in 1951. Notable residents have included the actors Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates, Disney’s chief executive Bob Iger and the financier Ted Ammon.

In July, a 14th-floor apartment, just below Ms. Midler’s penthouse, sold for $19 million.

Sahred From Source link Real Estate

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[andallthatmerrymishigas]

What is your favorite live theatre moment? Did you ever play sports? Favorite ice cream flavor?

Favorite live theatre moment: Bette Midler dropped a dumpling on the stage in Hello Dolly and was extremely cute about getting up and getting it off the floor and eating it

Sports: I played tennis as a kid but I stopped all organized sports after I was about 13.

Ice cream: Mint Cookies and Cream

[chromolume]

if hello, dolly didn’t close in august:

september 2018 - bette midler improvises a ten minute bit about horace being a cow that poops money, which bombs terribly

november 2018 - donna murphy improvises a bit in which she makes out with stanley during the title number. she takes the actor playing stanley into the wings and returns after ten minutes with her hat backwards

january 2019 - nip slip

march 2019 - bette midler eats an audience member during the dinner scene, to rapturous applause

june 2019 - bette midler, donna murphy and bernadette peters alternate the role of dolly within a single performance, utilising a david byrne-like oversized red dress in which two dollys hide as the other performs

september 2019 - elon musk, enraptured by and ultimately succumbing to dolly mania, stipulates in his will that hello, dolly be performed in space. the role of dolly is played by the only diva qualified, sarah brightman

november 2019 - joy behar temporarily steps into the role of dolly to trick people into thinking she’s bette midler while bette midler assassinates putin

april 2020 - a fire breaks out during a performance, which donna murphy turns into so successful a bit that it is repeated for all subsequent performances, killing 19

november 2020 - the production is sued for voter fraud when all actresses portraying dolly decide collectively on who dolly would vote for in the presidential election, and cast a vote in her name

december 2020 - this ultimately leads to the closure of hello, dolly, after 1,800 coherent and 875 incoherent performances  

[keep-calm-and-cariani]

after a year and a half of it being open and four days before it closes I’ve finally seen (Act 1 of) Bette Midler Hello Dolly and they really have an entire train on the stage. I’m a changed man

[keywestlou]

HELLO DOLLY!

The Beatles hit the charts and dominated the #1 spot it seemed forever. Actually, not.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand became #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Held the #1 spot for 3.5 months. The Beatles so good it seemed like forever, however.

Few recall the song and performer who knocked the Beatles out of first place. Hello Dolly! as performed by Louis Armstrong. He was 63 at the time.

Dolly ran like forever on Broadway. Came back in several revivals. Various stars brought in to perform the title row.

I was fortunate to view Dolly twice on Broadway. Further lucky in that I watched Carol Channing and Bette Midler in the lead role.

I also was fortunate to catch Dolly one time in Key West. Carol Channing. Not in the Dolly role, though she did sing the song.

A long time ago. I was staying at the Sheraton Suites across from Smathers Beach. It had been a hot day on the beach for me. I was a glutton for the sun back then.

I decided to stay in and get to bed early.

Went downstairs for a drink first. The bar was an outside one. The area next to it was where people lay and sun bathed by day. The lounges had been removed and tables set up. Many tables, many people. Candle lights on each table.

Some sort of convention meeting.

The microphone to address the group was all of 5 feet away from me. The master of ceremonies addressed the group a bit. And then introduced the entertainment for the evening. Carol Channing!

I was close enough that if I took a step or two I could touch her.

The evening was magic. She sang everything. Chatted in between songs. Closed with Hello Dolly!

The Republican Party has many faces this year. Most bad. An embarrassment to what Republicans used to be, an embarrassment to good people.

Four examples.

The new duet apparently intending to tour the U.S. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Both Congresspersons. One waiting to be charged for having sex with a 17 year old and some other matters. The other ostracized and removed from all House seats.

Both whacks.

They are on a tour described as “America First.” Its first appearance this past week at the Villages in Florida. The Villages is referred to as the Disney World for Retirees. All senior citizens. Ninety five percent Trump Republicans.

The Gaetz/Greene rally has been described as a Trump rally without Trump.

Gaetz and Greene’s statements were as expected: “Incendiary and violent.”

Now comes Steve Bannon and Roger Stone. Whores/horrors in their own right.

Back when, Bannon said he “believed Trump was suffering from early stage dementia and he should be removed from office.”

Roger Stone in an interview this past weekend retaliated on Trump’s behalf. The retaliation coming several years after Bannon accused Trump of having alzheimers.

Recall Stone was ether pardoned or had his sentenced commuted immediately before Trump left office. Stone’s golden words: He called Bannon a “fat disheveled load of shit and an informant for Robert Mueller.”

These four shamefully are the face of the republicans Party today. There are many more similar in composition and nature. Most crazies and liars. The real conservative Republican of yesteryear are few. Replaced by Trump stalwarts.

A disappointing work report this past week.

Why? I suspect three reasons.

Many have been out of work a year or more. Learned they can live on less. They have become accustomed to not working. Playing golf, laying around the house, etc. the better life.

Then there are the stimulus checks. Especially those that will continue providing checks for one year to those who have children. Better to stay home and make babies than going to work. More fun, also.

Finally there are those that are just plain lazy. They who avoid work for any reason.

The battle between Germany and Russia in World War II was extremely destructive. It was based on philosophical viewpoints. It had its beginnings even before World War II.

Russia defeated Germany in World War II.. On May 9, Russia celebrated the victory on the 76th universality of the end of World War II in Europe.

The day significant to the Russian people. It is celebrated every May 9 with a military parade in Moscow’s Red Square.

Putin spoke. He said Nazi ideas persist. We must “remain strong.”

It confuses me that Putin points the finger at Germany. Why not the U.S. or Britain or France? I fail to understand.

Enjoy your day!

HELLO DOLLY! was originally published on Key West Lou

[broadwaydivastournament]

Broadway Divas Tournament: Round 3

Donna Murphy (1959) is a two-time Tony-winning legend of the Broadway stage, with five nominations in all, each for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. Her gripping performance as the chronically ill Fosca in Sondheim's Passion (1994) may have disgusted and disturbed audiences, but earned her immense critical acclaim. Two years later, she won her second Tony for The King and I (1996), and the year after that, earned a Daytime Emmy. Additional credits include: Dear World (2023), Hello, Again (1993), LoveMusik (2007), and most recently on Broadway, Bette Midler's alternate in Hello, Dolly! (2017)

With a career of triumph after triumph, Marin Mazzie (1960-2018) was an unfathomable talent. With lauded roles in powerhouse shows like Passion (1994), Ragtime (1998), and Kiss Me, Kate (2000), and sleeper hits like Carrie (2012), and Fire and Air (2018), Marin was born to make something beautiful. She earned three Tony nominations, and posthumously was awarded a Special Tony Award for her women's health advocacy. After three years of treatments, remissions, and relapses, Marin died on September 13, 2018. She was 57.

NEW PROPAGANDA AND MEDIA UNDER CUT: ALL POLLS HERE

"Every year, Donna posts a remembrance for Marin on her socials, and every year I weep. The depth of their friendship goes beyond anything we can possibly fathom. And the love Donna carries for Marin just makes them both even more special to me."

"We are once again full-steam ahead on our Missing Marin Mazzie Millennium. This tournament, and this poll specifically, will ruin me beyond repair. I am already emotionally fraught just putting it together, but now you want me to vote?"

[monsterhighalumni]

on the other hand i finally bought the rare hello dolly train pin i’ve been searching years for from bette midler’s run on bway after some asshole knocked my original off my jacket on the subway, so ebay giveth and ebay taketh away i guess

[freenewstoday]

New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2020/12/02/bette-midler-movies-how-many-movies-has-bette-midler-been-in/

Bette Midler movies: How many movies has Bette Midler been in?

Bette Midler is today celebrating her 75th birthday, which is astonishing given her vivacity and performance skills. She has been working since 1966 across various mediums and is adored by fans globally. To mark her birthday, Express.co.uk takes a look back at her incredible career,

How many movies has Bette Midler been in?

Bette Midler was born December 1, 1945, making her 75-years-old today.

Her first role was in 1966, where she played an uncredited extra in the movie Hawaii, which was where she grew up.

However, she then relocated to New York City and her career began properly.

READ MORE:  McFly band members: Where are the members of McFly now?

She studied acting and landed a role in Off-Off-Broadway shows, before landing her first Broadway role as Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof.

After years collaborating with her piano accompanist, Barry Manilow, she released her debut album The Divine Miss M, which he co-produced.

She had great success with this album and released a self-titled follow up in 1973, a year later, and two more throughout the 1970s.

While Bette had mainly been known as a singer and Broadway performer by this time, she became better known for her acting when she starred in her first lead movie role, as a self-destructive rock star in The Rose.

Her turn received critical acclaim and she was nominated for her first Oscar, though she did win the Golden Globe and a Grammy for her work on the soundtrack.

She continued to star in movies from this point, and while the early 1980s was not a good period with regards critical acclaim, she turned things around with the movie Beaches, in which she starred opposite Barbara Hershey.

The 1988 tearjerker was a resounding success, as was Bette’s soundtrack song, Wind Beneath My Wings, which is still her best-loved song.

This song won her third Grammy for Record of the Year, and also went platinum.

Overall, Bette has taken part in 35 movies, as well as six documentaries where she has featured as herself or as a narrator.

DON’T MISS

She has also appeared in a great many TV specials, often singing, dancing and acting or even playing versions of herself.

Her first leading TV role was in her own sitcom, Bette, which aired for 18 episodes in 2000.

After this, while Bette continued to take part in movies and TV shows, she made a triumphant return to the stage.

She starred in one-act play I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers in 2013, after which she won her second Tony Award for her role in the revival of Hello, Dolly!, the first of which was the Special Tony for adding lustre to the Broadway season.

Most recently, she has garnered acclaim for her role in The Politician, in which she played scheming political advisor Hadassah Gold.

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[centrestagereviews]

“Hello, Dolly! isn’t just a musical, it’s an experience” Review: Hello, Dolly! on Broadway

Based on the 1969 film starring Barbra Streisand, Hello, Dolly! is set in 1890’s New York and tells the story of Dolly Levi, a widow, a matchmaker and most importantly, a professional meddler. When Dolly’s latest client is the “half-a-millionaire” Horace Vandergelder she finds herself attempting to make the hardest match of her career. Can she help everybody find the happiness they seek, and can Dolly for once bag herself the perfect match?

Hello Dolly is an epic production of a great magnitude. Everything about this show is extravagant, huge, and generally just wonderful. From the sets, to the songs, to the performances, audiences honestly couldn’t ask for more. This production opened on Broadway in April 2017 and starred the wonder that is Bette Midler. Bette and the team behind the show received rave reviews from fans and critics alike, however earlier this year Bette hung up her feather headdress and made way for two new Hello, Dolly! stars.

Bernadette Peters is an absolute legend. There is no other possible way for me to describe her or her performance as Dolly. From the moment she first entered the stage, to the moment she took her final bow, Bernadette electrified the auditorium and sent the audiences into a state of hysterical applause. Obviously any role made famous by Barbra Streisand is going to be known for its element of comedy, but the beautiful thing about Bernadette’s performance is she made the role completely her own. Yes she was hilarious, and her comedic timing was impeccable, but my favourite thing was the vulnerability she brought to the bright and confident character. It really is wonderful to see an actress who can reduce you to tears through laughter, and yet still bring you to tears through sheer exposure. Dolly is fierce, but the moments where she’s stripped bare and her emotions take over were simply beautiful. Bernadette Peters is the Dolly of my dreams.

If Bernadette wasn’t enough of an attraction, Hello, Dolly! has one more ace up its sleeve and this time in the shape of a young, curly haired actor called Charlie Stemp. Charlie is charming, he’s cheeky, he has incredible onstage chemistry with Santino Fontana and Molly Griggs, but most importantly, my goodness is he talented. I mean, there’s not many actors who have a brand new dance solo added to an already established show, just to show off their talents. After watching his performance as Barnaby I challenge you not to fall even a little in love with Charlie or his gravity defying dancing. Broadway is certainly shining a little brighter now they have Mr Stemp lighting up the Great White Way.

When discussing the show in a recent interview Bernadette said “You’ll leave the theatre feeling better than when you came in” and she couldn’t be more right. I laughed ridiculously hard, I grinned like a Cheshire cat and was generally filled with an overwhelming sense of appreciation. Hello, Dolly! isn’t just a musical, it’s an experience and I just feel so lucky to have been able to see such a fabulous production in all of its Broadway glory.  

Hello, Dolly! is currently running at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre. The current cast is led by Bernadette Peters, Victor Garber, Santino Fontana, Kate Baldwin, Charlie Stemp and Molly Griggs. For more information or to book tickets please head to the official Hello, Dolly! website.

Images courtesy of Google Images.

[gwynnew]

Beanie Feldstein on her dancing, cheese-eating 'Lady Bird' role and her breakout year

Beanie Feldstein attends the “Lady Bird” premiere during the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival in September (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)

The characters in Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age film Lady Bird are so vividly drawn, and played with so much heart, that the audience leaves the film longing for just a little more time with the people onscreen. That’s especially true of Julie, the best friend of Saoirse Ronan’s title character, played by effervescent newcomer Beanie Feldstein. The relationship between restless, desperate-to-be-different Lady Bird and optimistic, introspective Julie is, in a sense, the film’s great romance. The longtime friends lose and find one another over the course of their 2002 senior year at a Sacramento Catholic school, ultimately reuniting in an unforgettable prom scene. As Feldstein told Yahoo Entertainment, that prom scene was just as fun to film as it was to watch. So was the scene where she and Ronan sob in a car while blasting the Dave Matthews Band; the scene where they perform a Sondheim musical; and the scene where they eat an entire block of cheese. Basically, Feldstein never wanted the Lady Bird shoot to end; when it did, she admitted, “I was crying so hard that I made Lucas [Hedges] come to my hotel room in Sacramento and sit with me, because I was so sad! It felt like the end of summer camp.”

Fortunately, the end of Lady Bird was just the beginning for Feldstein. In March, she made her Broadway debut opposite Bette Midler in Hello, Dolly!, after being recommended for the role by Lady Bird and Dolly producer Scott Rudin.  And when Lady Bird opened to rave reviews in November, 24-year-old Feldstein was widely hailed as its breakout star. As the younger sister of Jonah Hill and best friend of Dear Evan Hansen star Ben Platt, Feldstein may be better prepared for the spotlight than most up-and-comers. Still, she never dreamed of a year like this one — because who could?  In a conversation with Yahoo Entertainment early in December, the contagiously enthusiastic Feldstein shared behind-the-scenes stories about her most memorable Lady Bird scenes, and talked about how she’s handling the whirlwind of sudden fame. (Editor’s note: This interview was conducted prior to the death of Feldstein’s brother Jordan on Dec. 22.)

Yahoo Entertainment: What has this experience been like from your perspective? It’s been a truly remarkable time. I have always wanted to do Broadway, my whole life, but I never knew I’d actually make it — it’s a dream, it’s never been in the realm of possibility. So to be doing Hello Dolly!, it’s not just Broadway but it’s the most joyful, sort of classic Broadway experience with the most extraordinary company. And then Lady Bird – I really feel like I’ll never do anything as meaningful again. And that sounds crazy because I’m 24, but this film is magic. [laughs] And the people in it and around it and bringing it into the world are magical, and extremely kind and extraordinarily talented, and I feel deeply honored to be in their company. 

As a director, what kind of things did Greta do to help you get into character as Julie? Greta emailed me some photos that time in Sacramento — streets, the outsides of stores — just to give us a sense of what that would feel like. I had been to Sacramento once as a kid — I grew up in California, so it’s the capital — but it was an in-and-out-type school trip thing, I didn’t really have a sense of it. So those pictures were amazing. And also, she made me a Julie playlist which I still listen to all the time. There’s a lot of musical theater on there, obviously, a lot of Audra McDonald, but there’s also, of course, ”Crash Into Me,” and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes,” and Blink 182. Just the songs of the time and then songs that would be specific to Julie, Indigo Girls and things like that. And I would listen to it every single day on the way to work.

But what I think is so spectacular about Greta is that she’s simultaneously so specific and so universal. And I felt that even just with preparing for Julie; there were so many specific things that she gave me or that we found together that really helped Julie feel like someone you would know.

Was there a particular insight early on that you had where you went, ‘Oh, this is Julie?’ So, the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” was also on my playlist. I so distinctly remember Saoirse and Greta and I saying, “Well, Lady Bird would love John, and Julie would love Paul.” [laughs] Like, they both love the same thing but in slightly different ways. And that was sort of a key signifier for us. So the scene where Lady Bird comes to find Julie at her apartment, the shirt that I’m wearing has Paul McCartney’s face on it. We put that in there as a thing just for us that we’d know was in there. And in front of her in that scene, too, there are art supplies. Something we had talked about was that Julie is a drawer and a painter.

I love the way you and Saoirse physicalized your characters in opposite ways. Julie’s arms are often crossed and she’s hunched over a lot, while Lady Bird is always flailing all over the place. Oh my god, I know, her physicality as Lady Bird is so genius. The hardest I’ve ever laughed was singing “Crash Into Me” with Saoirse in the car, but the second hardest I’ve ever laughed was watching her do “Everybody Says Don’t” [in the audition scene]. It will forever be one of my favorite things I’ve ever experienced in my life.  [laughs] The physical attack on that performance is genius!  

Beanie Feldstein, right, with Saoirse Ronan in ‘Lady Bird’ (Photo: A24/courtesy Everett Collection)

So let’s talk about what you remember from shooting some of Julie’s big moments, starting with the scene where you’re snacking on communion wafers and talking about masturbation. I love that scene so much. We did get permission to do it, because the wafers really aren’t consecrated. We asked! [laughs] I remember, actually, that scene was one of my audition scenes, and Greta and I in my audition talked about this sort of intimacy that the two of them have together. And Greta was saying, they sort of enter into this dream state together — this sort of day-dreamy space, this little bubble of safety. And I was like, “Oh, it’s like pillow talk.” I lived with my best friend Gwen for four years in college, and at the end of the night when we were falling asleep we would talk to each other, and we couldn’t see each other, but we knew the other was there. And I remember having some of our best conversations each lying on our pillows in our beds, just completely connected to each other even though we were about to go to sleep. And she was like, “That’s exactly what it is.”

But that scene was so fun. I swear Saoirse and I even forgot we were doing a scene because we make each other laugh so hard. It’s so easy. And I think even physically, the way that we relate to each other – you can’t sort of fake that, being comfortable with someone. At least, I have not mastered the art of acting that; I think it’s just something you find with someone. And Saoirse and I just instantly clicked. She’s the most warm, delicious human and makes everyone feel comfortable. And I think that was really important to building the Juliebird — Juliebird! I like that actually! — the Lady Bird/Julie best friendship, in that, when you’ve been best friends with someone forever, you just are so comfortable with them, and you’re always sort of hanging off of each other.

In those last couple scenes you two have together, the prom and the goodbye scene, it feels like you’ve been through such an epic journey together.   The prom itself was our last week in L.A., and then my last scene in the film was my last scene that I shot. I’ve never cried so hard! I was like, [mock crying] ”I just want to be with Lucas and Saoirse!” So I literally made Lucas come down from his room to come sit with me,  because I was so sad. [laughs]

Tell me about shooting that perfect prom scene. So, okay: we dance so much in this film. Saoirse and I always joke that Lady Bird and Julie are either eating or dancing. For the prom scene, Greta was like, “We’re going to get a shot of you guys dancing.” And she always had music playing on set, whether it was a dance scene or even a classroom scene, there was always music to set the vibe that she would create for the day. And so she had a prom playlist that she was playing. And Saoirse and I are dancing and dancing, and we’re both looking at each other like, schvitzing. We’re sweating, and at some point we’re like ‘Have they called cut and we just didn’t hear them?’ We were dancing so hard for so long. Finally Greta calls cut, and we sit down and we were like, “How long was that?” And they were like, “It was forty minutes.” [laughs] We went through an entire prom dance playlist and just danced our little booties off! But it was so fun. And we pulled Greta in for a moment to dance with us, with her prom dress on. It was a true magical moment. And I actually went to prom with my best friend, but Saoirse had never gone to prom. So it was a really fun, special day.

Beanie Feldstein, left, with Saoirse Ronan in ‘Lady Bird’ (Photo: A24/courtesy Everett Collection)

I also love when you’re back in Julie’s apartment and eating an entire block of cheese. Was that in the script? That was in the script! Greta is just so genius. Poor Saoirse — I’m allergic to dairy and so all the food had to be dairy-free, the cheese and the cupcakes. Luckily communion wafers are naturally dairy-free! So we ate some vegan cheese and some crackers.

I remember the scenes where Julie and Lady Bird are separate, like the scene at the abortion assembly, all of those little moments, or even standing behind her and Odeya [Rush] in the church. We both hated it, because I just felt for Julie so much that she’s so close and yet so far from her best friend in those moments.

And if I’m being super honest, I was really nervous for that scene where Lady Bird comes to find Julie. Just because I’ve never really asked to be so vulnerable onscreen before. Most of the work I’ve done before has been more on the strictly comedic side, and also I’ve played characters that are really loud and boisterous and outgoing. And Julie was the opposite of that. She was so vulnerable and quiet and introverted. I felt like I owed it to Julie to get that moment right, because it’s such an important moment for her story in the film, and just a testament to Greta’s writing and direction to give the best-friend character a moment like that. I was just so struck by it when I read it for the first time, and then I felt such a responsibility to the character I was playing to get it right. And so I was really nervous! So when it was finished, and when we got to just laugh and eat the cheese, it felt like such a relief, the way that it would feel for Julie, having a night where you’re just sad on the couch and you’re alone, and then all of a sudden your best friend is there and you’re laughing and eating after being apart for so long. It felt like such a relief. Even the energy in the room just felt so different between when we finished on the couch and moved to the kitchen. So I remember feeling so happy to be back together, and to be laughing.

One of my favorite things about the film is how it honors the individual stories of the characters. Julie is the rare movie best friend who clearly has a life outside the main character. And I love that the audience doesn’t see Julie’s home until that moment. I love that. It’s sort of illuminating all at once what Lady Bird has turned a blind eye to.

I have to ask you about performing Merrily We Roll Along. Greta said you staged five songs? Yeah, so that was another way that I think we all really bonded, especially me, Saoirse, and Lucas, was that we were in rehearsal for those numbers — you know, the way you would rehearse your high school play. [laughs] So it felt very much like we were putting on a mini-show. And that was definitely a moment of bonding before we started shooting. But it was honestly bonkers. Because I am the biggest musical theater nerd, I worship Sondheim. And so I was reading the script for the first time and I was just falling madly in love with every word, and every relationship, and the way that Greta writes.. And then there was a musical in the middle of it! [laughs] Are you kidding me? Did someone crawl inside my head and create something I didn’t even know I wanted? It was just insane.

And it was so special because Greta had her best friend from high school come down and help her stage it. So the two of them together were staging these musical numbers. It was just the most special thing I ever witnessed. And Mary [in Merrily We Roll Along] is a role I would love to play one day so to get to play her through Julie — it was so crazy to me. And “Our Time,” the song, has meant something to me for a long time, because it was — this is so dorky! — but it was sort of the anthem of the theater camp that I went to. [laughs]  

Did you ever get in your head about how you were Julie playing Mary? That was actually something I thought a lot about, to get back to your earlier question about prepping. My singing voice has sort of an Ethel Merman-type quality, just like loud and strong and full. And I really had a strong sense that Julie would not sing like that. And also, I grew up singing and I had vocal issues as a kid, so I’ve had so much training. Julie, this is her first audition, so she wouldn’t have had any of that. So I really, as much as I could, I tried to strip away the brash sort of quality and round out my tone and create a sweeter sound. So I thought a lot about that, especially with the audition scene, because it had to feel so intimate and so different than Lucas singing “Giants in the Sky.” It was such a different tone and energy that I knew I had to bring. But once they were performing, I feel like, there’s a shift in Julie in that she feels confident for one of the first times. So I thought less about it when we were performing Merrily and more when I was thinking about her audition.

You’re very suddenly in the spotlight right now — an experience that can be very isolating and confusing in addition to being amazing. But it also seems like you have role models in your life who have been through this, like Ben Platt and your brother Jonah. Do you feel like you have more of a guidebook than most people? Or is it all still new and weird? I think, probably both? I don’t know if that’s an okay answer. I’ve had the privilege of watching my brother most of my life, and now in the past year or two watching Ben. It’s just been so special for me to get to witness the world seeing them. And I don’t know if there’s ever a right way to handle it. Actually, Lucas and I talked a lot about this because [while he was promoting] Manchester by the Sea, he was doing this play Yen at the same time. And there’s nothing more grounding than doing theater, I think. Because it requires all of you. Every decision, everything I eat, the time I go to sleep, the people that I hang out with, where I have dinner, everything revolves around being the best that I can be in Hello, Dolly! And so it’s such incredible timing in that I get to promote the film and be onstage at the same time; it feels just like I’m still putting my head down and doing the work, and that’s been super stable and wonderful in that way.

Lady Bird is in theaters now. 

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

‘Lady Bird’: How Greta Gerwig gave wings to her Oscar-buzzing directorial debut

2017’s 50 best movies: A tough year to choose

‘The Post’ and ‘Lady Bird’ make early leaps in awards race as ‘Get Out’ gets more love

[lynnvotteroquarantine]

Iconic restaurants...

Jac N Do’s Pizza= family favorite!

The Fern Cafe known for its meatloaf sandwich

Dietsch Brothers Ice cream and Candy=Gavin Creel, FHS alum and Tony award winner, was in ‘Hello Dolly’ with Bette Midler on Broadway. He gave her a box of Dietsch’s candy and she tweeted “BEST CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!”

Wilson’s Sandwich Shop opened in 1936 by Stub Wilson and was a spin-off business of the Kewpee Hamburger chain in Lima. Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s, is said to have patterned his hamburgers after Kewpee’s.

As this video shows, there’s an ordering system at Wilson’s which totally intimidated me!

https://youtu.be/grOk7KHzcpU