Our Cinderellas danced and sang and shared heart and soul with all who came to celebrate the magic and publication of “Cinderellas of West 53rd Street: Stories from the Legendary Rehearsal Club!
Now what?
None of us like waiting for the phone to ring so we are all continuing to create while finding our next “Corner of the Sky” as Stephen Schwartz so brilliantly wrote for Pippin — and our “Rising Stars,” Julia Adams and Sofie Hans opened our Cinderella Cabaret with heartbreaking brilliance. Check them and all the other Cinderellas and Friends in this “teaser” video:
My goodness it felt good to “strut our stuff” on a stage again! Mary Lou Barber, Diane Findlay and me singing “Broadway Baby,” originated by Ethel Shutte who had to be in her 90s when she brought down the house in Follies. My friend, Nelson Aspen, snapped this shot with his IPhone (I totally do not remember this moment). But it’s quite fun, yes?? We ALL had a blast doing the song — and both women were amazed I came in on time and on pitch! The magic of an audience and the energy of adrenalin pumping that captures those unexpected moments in time.
Prior to coming in on pitch with “Broadway Baby,” I HAD to perform the song that’s made Steve and me semi-famous — at least to those in show business who recognize the history and gestation of A Chorus Line and the two characters on the line, “Al” — the guy from the Bronx — and “Kristine” – the gal who “couldn’t sing!” — that were “us” — in the room with Michael Bennett. I learned years later that Ed Kleban, whom I’d never met, create the “SING!” song from the tapes, listening to the interaction of Steve and me during that first night of taping. I was a nervous wreck in front of the great MICHAEL BENNETT, constantly losing my train of thought — even tho I said very little that night. Steve, however, managed to finish my sentences, keeping me on track whenever I did try to “share” how I ended up in dance. My coming-of-age story actually intertwines with “Sheila.” My mother was divorced, raised me on her own which meant I created my home away from home — with like-minded friends and a motherly dance teacher in El Paso, Texas. See? Judy Turner, the tall one who “shaved her sister’s head” was also part of “me.” I just never had a sister. Or a brother. Or an Ozzy & Harriet kind of 50’s home.
But my mother’s every choice was for my benefit. I knew that and that is part of the story I told with Chryssie Whitehead who re-created my story in the 2006 Broadway revival of A Chorus Line. Iconic. We were FABULOUS together (I thought). We both royally screwed up the duet, but the audience didn’t seem to notice — or if they did, they didn’t care. We laughed. We hugged. We celebrated each other’s manic energy. You just had to be in the room with us to truly understand. Below is an excerpt from both “Sing!” & “Broadway Baby.”
The Cinderella Broadway Friends, Anita Gillette, Kurt Peterson and Jane Summerhays (front row below), who showed up to share the stage with us . . . rocked the room with their talents proving age is just a number and we all still got a lotta living to do.
Now that the celebration “ball” is over and the Cinderella Book and Audiobooks are out there and available for others to share in a world gone by for The Rehearsal Club, we continue to support the sisterhood of like-minded women keeping The Rehearsal Club name alive for the next generation.
Meanwhile, Boockvor Productions continues to educate and inspire the performing artist. We were the wind beneath the sails leading the Cinderellas to publication; we continue to create a safe space for artists to feel challenged with Shakespeare readings — while keeping the door open to working with the best of the best wherever they might lead us.
Meanwhile, we mourn the passing of those who lifted us up — Michael Bennett, Bob Fosse, Hal Prince, Marty Charnin and others — probably still creating with the legions of angel dancers on a much more divine stage.
Latest life challenge is much more mundane — updating this particular website! About 5 days before our Cinderella Cabaret went up, my computer decided to CRASH! Now that my new one is up and running, I can no longer edit this site without paying a monthly fee to Adobe for the privilege!! So — when I can focus — I’ll take the “free” trial to update — then cancel and start working on revamping the whole thing elsewhere. I wonder how many others “out there” are experiencing this same “corporate greed” ripping off the lower and middle class? I am one small voice adjusting — and not liking — to what I see happening to our country.
I actually saw it years ago when the Supreme Court gave Microsoft its monopoly and Wordperfect (an excellent data processing program I used in the law firm) went out of business! Word took over the law firm (they trained me so I then had the skill to write that book! Silver lining). At least Microsoft allowed me to “buy” the new programs. But we can’t always make lemonade from the lemons the government throws our way. My own daughter freaked out when Roe vs Wade got reversed! What if??!!
We, Steve and I thru Boockvor Productions, could lead our women to write and complete our Cinderella Project; we can provide the platform for actors in our circle to challenge and grow; we cannot change the course of America’s history. We can just make sure our Democratic vote gets counted and those with forked tongues are suppressed, allowing the foundation of checks and balances our forefathers created to work.
Stay tuned to this ongoing soap opera I call my life!
Invictus: I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul. William Ernest Henley
