I had the privilege of meeting Brian Dennehy a few years ago at Emerson. He was touring with Miller’s Death of a Salesman. I then saw him a few years later in O’Neil’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night. And according to Playbill On-Line, it seems like he’s at it again! Dennehy is starring in a short by O’Neil, Hughie.
I know there are so many flashier actors out there — but it’s his humility, that he’s so salt of the earth, that’s what makes him so great. Watching him, you honestly feel like he’s trying to serve the work. Not his ego, not his wallet.
And I guess that what really makes him so great… He just does what he does, without making a show of doing it.
–Sue
November 6th, 2008
©Martin St-Amant - Wikipedia
I was watching the DVD of Elton’s 60th at Madison Square Garden yesterday.
One of the gems of that marathon concert was a newer song, The Bridge. Off his and Bernie’s “The Captain & The Kid” album, released in 2006. I have the album, and gave it a listen when I first bought it. I then put it away.
Yesterday was the first time I heard the song since that first listen two years ago… and I guess I was finally ready to hear it.
The Bridge (Taupin/John)
Chorus:
And every one of us has to face that day
Do you cross the bridge or do you fade away
And every one of us that ever came to play
Has to cross the bridge or fade away
When Bernie got on stage to wish Elton a Happy Birthday, he said it usually would take hell and horses to get him on stage, but that hell and horses could be the only things to keep him off that night…
We writers, we’re usually the ones in the back of the room… Most times, people don’t even know who we are. But I’ve been starting to put myself out there — push myself out there, against my protective reflex. And actually, it feels pretty good.
–Sue
November 4th, 2008
Autumn is my favorite time of year for many reasons… the newest of which is my red coat. It sang to me off the rack at Filene’s Basement. A sweet coat with little bit of sass. A coat much like a coat I wore as a young girl.
I was five or six, and I remember clearly standing in between my mom and dad, letting them take a step forward, bending at the knees, and swinging as hard as I could — and actually flying (if only for a brief second), and landing hard on the cement sidewalk.
At some point, (I’m not sure when) I thought I couldn’t “pull off” wearing red… Not sure how or why I convinced myself, but I did, for at least the past twenty years.
I’m not chasing my childhood, or looking for my innocence again… I’m just glad to still know that girl who wanted so much to fly is still with me, closer than I thought she was.
–Sue
November 3rd, 2008
Last night we saw The Road Not Taken (thanks, Ken), a benefit celebrating 5 years of Wicked in our own magical city. Scenes and songs that never made it into the show were read and sung through.
Stephen Schwartz described it as his and Winnie (Holzman)’s “public humiliation”. I don’t know if I’d go that far… especially since the last number was the unforgettable “Defying Gravity.” 5 women (two Elphaba’s, two Glinda’s, and a green bedecked Ashanti) brought the house down with this number.
When she sashayed out to the microphone, Ashanti said, “I guess some things you get right the first time.” And that’s what left us in awe — in spite of all of the logistics, lyrics, music, and plot points that needed tinkering, to have a vision so clear and so true from the outset is AMAZING!!!
Stephen, I have no doubt “we’ll be celebrating another five years of Wicked” in 2013!
–Sue
October 28th, 2008
I’ve mentioned my family musical Another Place In Time on this blog a few times. It’s a show I’ve been working on for years, and it has a very special place in my heart.
As with anything one has spent so much time, energy, and love creating, one wants to know it will “make it” out there in the wide, wide world.
And I must admit, I had a few doubts, well just ONE doubt really, the dancing and singing tarot cards.
(They are not really giant cards, but people dressed in costumes to personify the cards they represent).
Honestly, I wouldn’t even mind the dancing and singing cards, I am an Alice in Wonderland and general Disney fan, after all…
I was nervous about tarot itself, that it was too far outside the main stream.
Well, after pouring through a recent Oprah magazine, I realized that I need fret no more, apparently, tarot is SOOOO in the main stream (slight pun intended) that maxi-pad brands are using them in advertising campaigns. The ad I saw had a card called “The Protector” with a big pad in the middle. (Apparently, it’s a major arcana card.)
In being so protective (again, the opportunity for a pun was too good to pass up), I didn’t even realize how accessible tarot has become.
Ironically, tarot has yet again done its job and changed my perspective.
–Sue
October 27th, 2008
Tonight we saw the AMAZING documentary “Who Does She Think She Is?”
The notion and the word that struck me most about this film is “responsibility.” In my blog a few days ago (before seeing the film in its entirety) I quoted the very talented Angela, an amazing songstress who could support the weight of an entire musical on her capable shoulders if she had to.
It seemed every woman in this movie lived her life with the same ideal in mind, living life on/with purpose. But it went further than that, and that’s where responsibility comes in.
The responsibility of caring for, and providing for a family was definitely a HUGE part of this story and in each of these women’s journeys — but the notion of responsibility informed who they are as artists.
They realized that they had the responsibility to create — TO DO ANYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO GET THEIR WORK OUT THERE AND SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD.
Watching their struggles, hearing these women, I just felt bigger than I’ve ever felt — more empowered, more aware, more sure, and more focused.
It takes a lot of sacrifice and courage for all these women to sing their songs, and for this precious gift, I thank each of them, and every person who contributed to the film. Ladies, I’ll carry your songs with me on my own journey.
SEE THIS FILM!!! You’ll be glad you did.
–Sue
October 17th, 2008
Last night we saw the French film “The Science of Sleep.”
It was a meandering hour and 46 minutes that took us everywhere, and at times, no where.
Where it took me today (subconsciously) was back to my journal, where I read an entry from last November. I recorded a heart thumping nightmare that still scares me today.
After reading it, I was inspired to delve deeper into the waking nightmare one of my characters.
Though she never contemplates physical death like Hamlet, a part of her does die.
…now I have to navigate heralding birth in its place.
–Sue
October 14th, 2008
“Everyone expects women to choose, but what if you didn’t?” is the question that blazes across a fiery backdrop to introduce the film “Who Does She Think She Is?“
The film follows the stories of five female artists and their struggles to maintain the balance between being a creator and a caretaker. Angela, a featured actress with Broadway under her belt, says, “I began to understand the power of living on purpose.”
It is this idea that any artist, or any person — mother or father, son or daughter can take away from this film and use in their everyday lives… in those moments when the finish line feels so far away in the distance, but the only choice is to keep running.
“Who Does She Think She Is?” premiers this Friday, 10.17 at various theatres throughout the country. Check the screening page for details.
–Sue
October 13th, 2008
In a recent post I wrote about the American Express Members Project.
The finalists have been narrowed down to five, with the winner to be announced in less than 12 hours. All are wonderful projects, and I hope to see other companies foster the idea of community building, especially in these times of uncertainty.
–Sue
October 13th, 2008
Last night’s Project Runway was really sad… Not only because Suede left, but because Kenley stayed.
Let’s not kid anyone here, it was only a matter of time until Suede’s departure, but it seemed that she only got a reprieve for the sake of sensationalism, and I’m not talking about her outfit.
There’s a difference between drama (as in theatre) and draaaama (the “draaaa” rhymes with “waaaa” as in a crybaby) and she’s clearly in the “B” camp here.
Kenley’s been torn up enough in a vast number of blogs, so no need beating a dead horse…
But I would like to point out why Tim Gunn is Tim Gunn. There’s no nice way to say it, Kenley was a biatch in this episode, rebuffing Tim’s help once again. He was very even with her, and she got treated much better than she deserved. Thankfully, he did get to see her “taken down a few pegs” which registered with “more than a little satisfaction” for the fashion Zen master.
Rebuke for Kenley’s immature behavior and praise for Tim’s restraint aside, my beef is with the producers who obviously had a heavy hand in the judging this past week.
I feel like they at times forget why we’re watching. So here’s a reminder: The nice thing about Runway is when we forget we’re watching a show that’s on a TV network and that ratings are involved. It’s when we really get to experience the competition with the contestants, those are the moments that make us want to come back.
Watching Kenley bitch, moan, and bitch some more for another episode is not why I’ll be watching next week. Let’s stop pitching to the lowest common denomenator here and focus on what counts.
–Sue
September 25th, 2008
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