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Copyright June 22, 1998
By: Laura Deni
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THE JUDAS KISS
A man and woman are in bed engaged in a convincing portrayal of oral sex. They
definitely had the audience's attention.
The play about Oscar Wilde, running
through August 2nd at The Broadhurst Theatre, contains 20 minutes of male nudity,
all with dramatic purpose and none of it in the form of the show's star, Liam
Neeson. He's made it clear that he's not showing himself in the altogether for the
paltry sums thrown at Broadway actors. He's saving his naked body for the big
bucks movie deal. Nobody can blame him. Nor does he have to take it all off to
deliver a poignant portrayal of the gifted playwright Oscar Wilde.
Unfortunately,
Neeson was passed over during this season's theatre awards. Perhaps, to his
credit, Liam makes acting the emotional duality of the flawed literary icon look just
too easy. He does such an understated, delft interpretation of Wilde that it's easy to
think the skill he delivers on stage must not take any work - one of the marks
of an excellent actor.
Liam Neeson as Oscar Wilde and Tom Hollander
as Lord Alfred Douglas
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This is a play about a real man. One whose words will live forever and whose
lifestyle destroyed him. Wilde was married to a lawyer's daughter and fathered
two sons. A Protestant, he was curious about Roman Catholicism. He was a
homosexual who was betrayed by his lovers. In 1891 he began an affair with Lord
Alfred Douglas. In l895, shortly after his play The Importance of Being Ernest
opens in London his private world begins to crumble. He receives a card, sent to
him by The Marquis of Queensberry, addressed to him as "Oscar Wilde posing as a
Somdomite (sic) " That so ticked off Wilde that he attempts to sue The Marquis of
Queensberry for libel. Among other things, the Marquis of Queensberry was also
the father of Wilde's lover, Alfred Douglas. The public airing of the private dirty
laundry opened up a can of worms that would be Wilde's downfall.
OSCAR WILDE
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His case against the Marquis of Queensberry doesn't stand up. At that point Wilde is
arrested on charges of engaging in homosexual practices. After three trials, Wilde
was convicted of sodomy, sentenced to two years in prison with hard labor and
subjected to orchestrated humiliation.
His destitute family had to auction off his possessions. His wife was forced to flee
England. To protect the children, their surnames were changed to Holland. They
were enrolled in schools in Monaco and Germany, while she found refuge in
Genoa, Italy. That is where she died in 1898 at the age of 39, still in love with her
husband. Not so with Wilde's lover and nemesis, Lord Alfred Douglas, who bailed
out. Oscar Wilde died in a cheap Paris hotel room in l900.
The Judas Kiss begins with Wilde arriving back at his hotel suite after losing the
libel trial. He refuses to flee England while the getting out is still good. His concern
is not over his forthcoming arrest, which he knows is a given. Rather, his coping
skills coupled with his alcoholic consumption have him concerned over the
preparation and quality of his luncheon lobster. His life is in an out of control
downward spiral. Wilde grasps at dignity by overtipping the servants with other
people's money. He's manipulated and destroyed by the men he loved.
This is a marvelous production, which is better appreciated if one already has
knowledge of Wilde's life.
The Judas Kiss is brilliantly written by David Hare,
and effectively directed by Richard Eyre. In addition to Neeson, the play stars Tom
Hollander as Lord Alfred Douglas, Stina Nielsen, Alex Walkinshaw, Richard
Clarke, Peter Capaldi and Daniel Serafini-Sauli.
Effective set designs by Bob
Crowley and lighting by Mark Henderson are right on. It's a production not to be
missed, although you might because the show closes Aug, 2nd. The closing notice
isn't because of poor box office, but because that is the time frame for which Liam
Neeson committed to the production. As he recently told me, he needs to get back
to movies to make some real money. It's a gift to all theater goers that he has given
so much of his time to this production. Make an effort to see it before it closes. You
won't be disappointed.
IT'S A
BOY!!
Congratulations to Heather and Tony Randall, who welcomed their second child,
and first son, into the world on Monday, June 15th. The 7-pound, 2-ounce boy was
named Jefferson Salvini Randall, after two performers of the late 1800's. Joseph
Jefferson was a comic actor and Tommasso Salvini, an Italian actor highly
acclaimed for his interpretations of Shakespeare's tragedies.
Tony had said that if he
had a son he'd like to teach the boy how to act. It appears that little Jefferson is
already a trooper. The lad graciously made his bow into the world on a Monday,
the one day of the week The National Actors Theatre, home of The Sunshine
Boys, in which Randall co-stars with Jack Klugman, is dark.
Waiting at home is Jefferson's sister, Julia Laurette. Prior to Viagra possibilities,
the age of 77, Randall became a first time father. Julia was born April 11, l997 and
named Julia for Randall's mother and Laurette for Laurette Taylor, a Broadway
actress who died in 1948.
Tony and Heather Randall Photo By: Laura Deni
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The doting father, who had attended all prenatal doctor visits with his wife and
Lamaze birthing classes, immediately announced he had been extremely close to his
own sister while growing up, and wanted Julia to have a brother.
When Randall was 75 he married the then 25-year old Heather Harlin. The
emotional five-minute ceremony on November 17, 1995 took place in the Blue
Room
at City Hall, officiated by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who selected the 17th century
British marriage service. Randall's wife of 54 years, Florence, died in 1992. The
couple had been childless, although they had once considered adoption, but the
blessed event never materialized. The union with Randall was Heather's first
marriage. Heather, and now their two children, have provided Tony with
happiness and fulfillment he never dreamed he'd ever experience.
In addition to endless television, movie and stage credits, Randall is the life force
behind The National Actors Theater. He has contributed more than $1 million of his
own money. Thanks to his tireless promotional efforts and unyielding commitment,
he has provided a top-level repertory company. The massive project also had a
fringe benefit - it's how he met Heather. She was an actress at his theater. On their
wedding the night the couple reported for work. Tony was starring in the farce The
School for Scandal, and his bride was the understudy for the role of his ward.
DEAN MARTIN LOVED HER
Dorothy Hamill Photo By: Laura Deni
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Dorothy Hamill captured America's hearts in Innsbruck, Austria bringing home the
1976 Olympic gold medal as well as winning the 1976 U.S. Figure Skating
Championship.
In 1984 she was Skater of the Year, skating's equivalent of an
Oscar. She also took home an Emmy as hostess and star of CBS-TV special
Romeo and Juliet on Ice. On June 29th she will open in Las Vegas in the
Stardust's Hotel's award-winning stage extravaganza Enter The Night. Her special
engagement runs through Aug. 30th.
The talented lady is no stranger to the lights and lifestyle of Las Vegas. For two
years she was Dean Martin's daughter-in-law, married to his beloved son, Dean
Paul. The marriage ended in a l984 divorce and both went on to other marriages.
Dean Martin
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Dean-Paul was killed two weeks after she remarried, when the fighter plane he
was piloting crashed. Hamill always spoke lovingly of Dean-Paul. "We still love
each other and we remain best of friends."
Dean Martin once told me that he adored Dorothy and as far as he was concerned
he would always love her and view her as a daughter-in-law. Dean also told me
that Dorothy had taught him to ice skate. Dean never owned up to how many
lessons or whether he even had any aptitude for being balanced on anything other
than a bar stool.
The artist who created the ice skating maneuver The Hamill Camel, a hair style
called The Hamill Wedge, and even launched a Dorothy Hamill doll, is the author
of the 1984 Children's Book of the Year, Dorothy Hamill, On and Off the Ice.
While she has performed many times in Las Vegas the Stardust Hotel engagement
is her first as part of a production show.
TENOR IN THE TOMATO
PATCH
Michael Crawford
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The original Phantom of the Opera star, that's Michael Crawford, in concert at
Radio City Music Hall June 30th and July 1st, with special guest Dale Kristin and
featuring Windham Hill recording artist David Arkenstone.
After leaving Phantom of the Opera Crawford starred at the MGM-Grand Hotel,
Las Vegas in EFX.
The gracious Crawford was born in Britain, drinks English
breakfast tea with milk sipped through a straw, and remains a country gentleman at
heart.
While living in Las Vegas he planted some tomato plants. After his second
show of the night, Crawford returned home at about 2 a.m. and determined his
cherished tomato plants were thirsty. So, he decided to water them. Suddenly his
boyish looking face was staring into police spotlights.
It seems the neighbors heard
rustling noises in the yard. Thinking there was a criminal about to do serious
damage they summoned the police, who converged upon the neighborhood.
Crawford, clad in a bathroom and bedroom slippers, holding a garden hose,
explained to the bemused gendarmes that he was simply watering his
tomatoes.
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TAP YOUR TROUBLES AWAY
Tap Dogs, a non-traditional high-energy tap sensation featuring unique music,
dance and theatrical elements that originated in Australia, finds a permanent home
in Las Vegas, with a July 3rd opening at the Stratosphere Hotel. Previously, "Tap
Dogs" performed a limited engagement at the MGM-Grand Hotel earning rave
reviews.
The international award winning show was created and choreographed by
Australian Dein Perry. Tap Dogs depicts the themes of Dein's six years as an industrial
machinist in Newcastle, a steel town north of Sydney. Dein and his
Newcastle tap dancing mates including younger brother Sheldon, first formed Tap
Brothers, an early incarnation of Tap Dogs, in l990.
From this, Dein was offered the chance to choreograph the West End musical Hot
Shoe Shuffle, which brought the group to London and earned Dein his first London
West End Olivier Award in l995. A subsequent offer from the Sydney Theatre
Company led to the collaboration with designer director Nigel Triffitt and composer
Andrew Wilkie, which resulted in the creation of Tap Dogs.
Awards raked in include; the London West End Olivier Award for choreography,
which is the UK's equivalent of a Tony - and a 1997 Drama Desk Award
nomination for Best Choreography. The production was also honored with a
1997 Obie Award as well as the prestigious Spoletto Festival's Pegasus
Award.
In Las Vegas they'll be tapping their screws loose in a contract that calls for a
six-night per week performance schedule, dark Mondays, with two shows nightly.
Tickets priced at $24.95 per person, plus tax.
EVERYBODY NEEDS A HOBBY;
FOOTBALL, PAINTING, YARD SALES
LYNN ANDERSON former
Country Singer of The Year, is out of the hospital and
hobbling around, recovering from having a hip totally replaced.
Anderson, 50, who
picked up a Grammy for her recording of I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
picked up a few thorns in her backside when she was tackled too hard while
playing her favorite sport - football. Lynn now lives in Taos, New Mexico and when
she isn't watching Monday Night Football on TV she is playing it in her own back
yard.
She's not sure exactly what happened - she was running, got tackled and
went splat. Next thing she knew she was in the operating room receiving a new hip.
The hard nosed football fan can't wait until she is fully recovered - so she can get
back to playing football.
In the meantime, Lynn opens June 25th at John Ascuaga's
Hotel-Casino in Sparks, Nevada. She'll be performing with Tony D'Andrea through
July 8th.
NATASHA RICHARDSON, star of Cabaret makes her
"yard
sale" necklace
look like the crown jewels.
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With her is her handsome husband, LIAM
NEESON, who stars in The Judas Kiss.
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NATASHA RICHARDSON
recently attended a New York function wearing a big ticket,
designer label, black number that showed off her figure to perfection.
Dangling
from her swan like neck was a fabulous necklace.
Complimented on her choice of
elegant jewelry, the delightful Cabaret star divulged that she and her hunk of a
husband, Liam Neeson, enjoy shopping at New York street fairs.
The bobble was a
cheap bit of jewelry that they ran across while bargain hunting.
Goes to prove that if
you're beautiful enough the most inexpensive item can look like a million bucks.
RANDY TRAVIS
who will be appearing in Chicago, Ill., and Des Moines, Iowa this
week spends his free time sitting in his hotel room painting.
He's now working in
acrylics.
To keep his creative juices flowing the performer downs a breakfast of
three eggs, grits and tomatoes.
WHO'S WHERE
ALEC BALDWIN will narrate 26
episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends on
the Fox Family Network.
ROSELAND
BALLROOM in New
York City is the place to be June 25
if you'd like to audition for Goosebumps - Live On Stage, slated to open Sept.
23rd at the Saenger Theater, Pensacola, Florida. Cross country tour includes 30
cities. Thursday's casting call is for talent ages 9 to 40.
LINDA EDER who portrays the
prostitute Lucy in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and, in
real life, is the lady married to the show's composer, Frank Wildhorn, leaves the
production Aug. 30th.
NOAH WYLE is spending his
ER hiatus on the boards at
a Burbank, California theater.
Next Column June 28, 1998.
Copyright: June22, 1998. All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary,
Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten,
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