JULIE WILSON performs with a white gardenia
tucked behind her left ear as a tribute to the late Billie Holiday.
The Third West Coast Cabaret Convention running June 5 through June 11 at the Ira & Leonore
S. Gershwin Theater in San Francisco. Thanks to the hard work of Donald Smith and The Mabel
Mercer Foundation this promises to be a week of some of the best music this side of
anywhere.
S'Wonderful - Celebrating the Lyrics of Ira Gershwin opens the convention tomorrow
with Karen Akers, Val Diamond, Jeff Harner, Ruth Hastings, Marcia Lewis, Karen Mason, Willis
Moore, Kim Nalley, Christian Nova, Spider Saloff, Peter Mintum, Billy Stritch, KT Sullivan,
Paula West, Wesla Whitfield, and Ronny Whyte.
On Tuesday it's Cabaret Caravan with Eileen Barnett, Opie Bellas, Klea Blackhurst,
Sylvia Braitman, Claiborne Cary, Helene Davis, Jonathan Frank, Cory Jamison, Jana Keeler,
Phillip Officer, Teri Lynn Paul, Lisa Peers, Abe Reybold and Julie Wilson the jazz legend who
says: Cabaret is one-to-one, like a party, and you're the hostess who wants to please."
When she slinks into the room with her husky voice toying with the lyrics she'll be accompanied
by David Lewis.
Jazz in San Francisco is a fitting title for Wednesday's activities which is produced by
Larry Dunlap. Participants include; Judy Barnett, Chris Calloway, Mary Foster Conklin, Baby
Jane Dexter, Barbara Linn, Jenna Mammina, Jacqui Naylor, Morning Nichols, Bobbe Norris,
Denise Perrier, Billy Philadelphia, Sherri Roberts, Jackie Ryan, Daryl Sherman and on bass, Bill
Douglas.
CYBILL SHEPHERD performs at the Cabaret
Convention and then stars June 14-17 at the Cinegrill in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
The soldout Cabaret Cavalcade taking place Thursday features Linda Asher, Aron Lee
Battle, Maye Cavallaro, Bill Cooper, Anne Kery Ford, Rita Gardner, Julia Hunt, Shane Kelly,
Meg Mackay, Rita Moreno, Sidney Myer, Darlene Popovic, Cybill Shepherd and Dane
Vannatter.
Sweel Party - A Birthday Celebration of Cole Porter is going to be one sell sold out party.
Whooping it up in memory of Cole will be Joyce Brech, Charles Cerele, Jeff Harner, Celeste
Holm, Lilliane Montevecchi, Abe Reybold, Steve Ross, Clark Sterling, Marti Stevens, KT
Sullivan, Paula West and Julie Wilson.
ANDREA MARCOVICCI
Turner Classic Movies will present Cabaret Goes To The Movies with host Robert
Osborne on Saturday. Taking part are; Frank Basile, Tovah Feldshuh, Jeff Harner, Shauna Hicks,
Celeste Holm, Jane A. Johnson, Marilyn Lovell Matz, Sharon McNight, Peisha McPhee, Peter
Mintun, Lainie Nelson, Lee Roy Reams, Marian Seldes and KT Sullivan.
The Grand Finale next Sunday will have Andrea Marcovicci serving as special host with
Barbara Brussell, Shelly Cullin, Lee Lessack, Susannah Mars, Pam Munter, Joanne O'Brien,
George Osborne, Joan Ryan, Stacy Sullivan, Lumiri Tubo, and Faith Winthrop.
INTERNATIONAL GLEN MILER
FESTIVAL
Visitors from around the world converge on the small town of Clarinda, Iowa, during the second
weekend in June to attend the international Glen Miller Festival.
GLENN MILLER BIRTHPLACE.
Clarinda, the birthplace of Miller is the headquarters for the international Glen Miller Birthplace
society, putting the Iowa town on the map because of its native Alton Glenn Miller.
Miller founded and directed the number one Big Band, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, during the
height of the Big Band Era, 1939-1942.
Glenn's grandparents were a part of the westward movement of people during the 1800's and
moved to the Clarinda area around the 1850's. During their stay in Southwest Iowa, their son
Elmer married Mattie Lou Cavender and before this young couple left Clarinda, their first son,
Dean, was born; followed by a second son, Alton Glenn Miller, on March 1, 1904.
In hopes of a brighter future, the young couple decided to homestead and move on west in 1907
to Tryon, Nebraska where they lived in a sod house. In the evenings, Glenn's mother, Mattie Lou,
would play a simple pump organ which helped ease the lonesome existence on the flatlands of
Nebraska. Mattie Lou started a school called Happy Hollow and her children would sing songs as
they rode in a wagon on their way to school. Before leaving the sod house, Mattie Lou gave birth
to a third son, Herb, in 1913.
GLENN MILLER as a baby in Iowa
In 1915, Glenn's family moved to Grant City, Missouri where he went to grade school, worked
for the town bandsman John Mosbarger, was given his first trombone and then played in the town
band.
In 1918 Glenn's family, include an infant daughter, Irene moved to Fort Morgan, Colorado. It is
in Colorado where the movie The Glenn Miller Story begins.
In 1942, at the peak of his civilian career, Glenn decided he could better serve those in uniform by
putting one on himself. By doing this, the band gave up a $20,000 weekly income. Too old to be
drafted at age 38, Glenn first volunteered for the Navy but was told that they didn't need his
services. Not giving up, Glenn wrote to the Army's Brigadier General Charles Young on August
12, 1942. Miller persuaded the Army to accept him as he could in his own words, "put a little
more spring into the feet of our marching men and a little more joy into their hearts and to be
placed in charge of a modernized army band." After being accepted in the Army, Glenn's civilian
band played their last concert in Passaic, New Jersey on September 27, 1942. It was such a sad
event that the band couldn't finish playing the closing theme song, Moonlight
Serenade.
GLENN MILLER was rejected by the Navy. Finally
the Army made him a Captain
Arriving in London, the band was quartered at 25 Sloane Street, an area in constant barrage by Herman V-1 buzz bombs. Glenn was immediately concerned for the band and made arrangements
for the unit to move to new quarters in Bedford, England. The band moved on July 2, 1944, and
the very next day a buzz bomb landed in front of their old quarters, destroying the building and
killing 100 people.
In one month the band played at 35 different bases, while performing 40 radio broadcasts. Finally,
on December 5, 1944, Glenn boarded a single engine C-64 Norsman aircraft to travel to Paris,
where he was to make arrangements for a Christmas broadcast. Tragically, the plane never
reached France and was never found.
Glenn Miller will be remembered for many things, but to the people who live in Clarinda, Iowa he
is remembered as their favorite native son.
During the International Glenn Miller Festival special shows and presentation will include
historian Alan Cass author of Portrait - Glenn Miller, Glenn Miller trombonist Paul Tanner
and a panel discussion by original Glenn Miller Band members and Miller authorities.
Don Martin, North Hollywood, CA serves as Festival Emcee. Performances include; Swing Time
Big Band from Vienna, Austria, Tamana Girls Concert and Marching Band from Tamana, Japan,
USAF Airmen of Note and Strolling Strings from Washington, D.C., Bill Baker's Big Band from
Rijswijk, Holland, Sunburst Singers from Utah State University, Stan Fornaszewski Big Band
from Granite City, Ill., The Iowa Army National Guard Rhythm Masters and Marching Band,
Evansong from Clarinda and The Glenn Miller Birthplace Society Big Band.
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KANDER AND EBB HONORED
The 11th Annual Oscar Hammerstein Award will be presented to John Kander and Fred Ebb by
The York Theatre Company at its annual gala benefit tomorrow at the Grammercy Theatre
followed by a champagne supper.
JOHN KANDER AND FRED EBB
Among those scheduled to participate are Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Lea DeLaria,
Robert Cuccioli, Charlotte Rae, Charles Busch, Ann Reinking, George S. Irving, Barbara Cook,
Maureen McGovern, Mario Cantone, Jane Connell, Eddie Korbich, Marc Kudisch, Heather
McRae, Mark Nadler, and Sherie Rene Scott.
Kander & Ebb, who have received three Tony Awards and two Emmy Awards, are the composer
and lyricist team that brought the world Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman and
many others. They recently contributed songs to Minnelli on Minnelli and will return to
Broadway next season with The Visit, starring Angela Lansbury. They have written songs
for such films as New York, New York, Funny Lady, Stepping Out and Lucky
Lady.
The Oscar Hammerstein Award commemorates lifetime achievement in the musical theatre, and
was created in 1988 by the York Theatre Company's founding Artistic Director Janey Hayes
Walker. Past honorees include Stephen Sondheim, Harold Price, Peter Stone, Stephen Schwartz,
Jerry Herman, David Merrick and Cy Coleman.
The York Theatre Company, now in its 31st season, is under the leadership of Artistic Director
James Morgan and Managing director Robert Buckley. This season, the 2000 Musicals in Mufti
Winter concert Series featured a sold-out run of Kander & Ebb's 70 Girls, 70.
GENE KELLY AWARDS, WIDOW
GREETS AND REMEMBERS
The 10th Annual Gene Kelly Awards for excellence in high school musical theater were handed
out last week at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, with a special Kelly award presented to
Patricia Ward Kelly, Gene Kelly's widow. Last February 2 marked the fourth anniversary of
Kelly's death.
GENE KELLY.
The gracious lady married the famed dancer when she was 31 and he 77, invited "anyone whose
path crosses Gene's " to meet her and meet her they did. She greeted people of all ages, those
who knew Gene, went to school with him, worked with him in Pittsburgh shows, and took dance
classes with him.
The widow discussed how she met Gene - it happened in 1985 at Washington's Air and Space
Museum and Patricia didn't even know who he was. She was then a 26-year-old grad student
research/writer who had written a script for a PBS that was to have been narrated by Gregory
Peck. At the last minute he had to cancel and the replacement name given to her was - Gene
Kelly. She's never heard of him.
She asked if it was Jean or Gene - a male or female.
They immediately hit it off. He was fascinated at meeting someone who didn't have a clue that he
was a living legend. She in turn went to video stores and rented as many of his 44 movies, that
she could locate.
GENE KELLY AND WIFE PATRICIA
Six months later Kelly hired her to write his autobiography. They were attracted to each other,
but in some ways it was a forbidden love. When Kelly's second wife died in 1973 he had promised
his children that he's never marry again. Their first date was to a ball game where he bought her a
hotdog. She recalled what he told her; "Stick with me kid, and you'll be wearing rhinestones."
But Cupid intervened and Patricia won Gene's heart, although she has been - in some cases still is
- vilified by fans of the late entertainer.
Even though Gene was crazy about Patricia, that didn't mean he didn't want to change her. His
widow divulged that Gene wanted her to dress to look older and added five years to her age. She
now dresses as she pleases with spiky blond-tipped hair. Kelly also had a quirkiness about glasses
- he liked them! "Gene loved a woman in glasses, so even though my eyesight is perfect,
he bought them for me."
GENE KELLY AND FRANK SINATRA
"He always said his childhood in Pittsburgh was the greatest time in his life, almost idyllic -
nothing ever compared to it, " she told the Pittsburgh gathering. " But very few people knew how
significant Pittsburgh was to him.
There were unhappy events - prejudice against Catholics. "He remember the anti-Catholic
cross-burnings on the hillside during the Al Smith campaign, and when he went to college at Penn
State he was shocked and hurt to be left out of fraternities and made fun of because he was
Catholic That really angered him"
They were planning a trip to Pittsburgh because Gene was anxious to show Patricia his boyhood
home. As they were about to leave he suffered the first of the strokes that led to his death in
1966.
Making her very first trip to Pittsburgh was hard on the widow who told the gathering that as the
plane descended to land in the rain she began to cry. Then she saw a rainbow and "knew that
Gene was welcoming me."
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGHS
It's a shame that somebody didn't send the good people of Colorado any calendars. If they had
checked perhaps they wouldn't have booked musical festivals which overlap, forcing fans to
make choices. Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction and Telluride all host festivals of their
own, with performances ranging from country to jazz.
NATALIE MERCHANT performs at the Telluride
Festival.
The Jazz Aspen Snowmass festival, Glenwood Springs' Strawberry Days and the Telluride
Bluegrass Festival all take place on the same weekend - June 15-18!
Aspen's 10th anniversary fest includes performances by R&B legends Wilson Pickett and Natalie
Cole, as well as Grammy award winners Diana Krall and Wynton Marsalis. Regular festival
favorite Bonnie Raitt will also return to play, as well as the Vail favorite acid jazz
and funk stars Karl Denson's Tiny Universe. Tickets and passes begin at $28.
Glenwood's Strawberry Days, which features something for everyone with acts like former Blue
Grass Revival star John Cowan, classic rockers Firefall, Chupacabra and even an exciting
appearance by Siberia's most famous rock 'n' roll band, the Red Elvises, which we enjoyed when
we caught their show in Alaska. You can get a ridiculously inexpensive $20 pass that covers all
three days of music by calling the Glenwood Chamber of Commerce at (970)
945-6589.
Bluegrass fans from around the world will be making their way to Telluride, where
dozens of the best players in the business will be performing June 15 to 18. Highlights of this
year's lineup include Natalie Merchant, Michelle Shocked, Jackson Browne and Mary Chapin
Carpenter, as well as favorites like Leftover Salmon, David Grisman, Peter Rowan and Bruce
Hornsby. A full pass is $155, and tickets and non-camping accommodations can be reserved by
calling (303) 823-0848.
Country fans can warm up to the sounds of contemporary favorites like Sammy Kershaw,
Brooks and Dunn and Collin Raye - plus the honky-tonk of Dwight Yoakam who plays the Las
Vegas Hilton on June 9-10 - at Grand Junction's Country Jam USA, which at least doesn't begin
until June 22. The event also includes classic rockers Styx and Foreigner. Two-day passes are $83
and can be reserved by calling (800) 530-3020.
OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY
SUSAN DIETZ who ran Canon
Theatricals for over a year with former business partner Joan Stein, will now serve as president of
the entertainment producing company. Stein left the company last month to form Martin Stein
with actor/writer Steve Martin. Dietz will continue to produce theatre, film and television under
the Canon Theatricals banner.
BEA ARTHUR on the board of directors.
"I am so thrilled for Joan to have this opportunity, and we hope to continue to work together on
both theatre and television projects," said Dietz. "We are still producing partners, together with
Ina Meibach and Lou Viola, of the world premiere of Bill Graham Presents at the Canon
Theatre. We are in discussions about taking the production to New York."
Dietz also announced the company is producing an independent movie entitled All Over the
Guy, produced by Dietz and Donnie Land. It's is a romantic comedy by Dan Bucatinsky. The
film will be directed by Julie Davis ("I Love You, Don't Touch Me"). Susan Landau ("An Ideal
Husband") and Don Roos ("The Opposite of Sex") are the Executive Producers. Shooting for
All Over the Guy begins June 15.
In addition to the film, Dietz is also opening the Canon Theatricals Conservatory. Joel Paley
(writer and director of Ruthless) will serve as the school's artistic director.
"It's never too early to teach kids that acting is a craft as well as an art. What we're trying to
do is give these talented young people a strong foundation in vocal and physical work,
improvisation, character development, rehearsal and cold reading techniques," states
Paley.
Bea Arthur, Bernadette Peters, Joel Grey, Gillian Lynne, Marvin Laird, Dana Ivey and Lynn
Cohen make up the board of advisors.
The Canon Theatricals Conservatory will offer acting and production classes for kids ages 10-18.
The conservatory, based in Los Angeles, will be expanding in 2001 with the hiring of more
teachers and the offering of a more diverse curriculum. Dietz is currently developing other
projects for Canon Theatricals. She is working with David Zippel on It's Better With a Band
a revue of this Tony Award winner's songs, to be directed by Joe Leonardo. Dietz and
Zippel are also in the early stages of developing a revue with Diane Warren, long considered one
of the most prolific and successful pop writers in the business. Rhythm of the Night: The
Music of Diane Warren will be a revue featuring the multiple Academy Award nominee's hit
songs. Dietz is also collaborating with Amanda McBroom on a new musical theatre piece and is
in preliminary discussions with the legendary singer Janis Ian to develop a feature film based on
her life and music.
SWEET CHARITY
SAM HARRIS in Revival a
Theatrical Concert in Progress presented by Liza Minnelli at The Bottom Line in New York City.
For two nights only June 5-6 in support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS an Organization
of Life.
Several months ago San Harris completed and released his latest CD entitled Revival. The
CD took on a life of its own - evolving into a theatrical genre as unique and vital as Sam's voice.
Slowly but surely the CD moved from the stereo to the stage - a place Sam Harris has called
home since the beginning of his career.
Revival became a theatrical concert and a high-octane rock 'n' - roll-gospel-soul-work-for-the-stage.
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Sam first exploded into the public eye as the grand champion of
Star Search in its premiere season. He wrote the TBS sit-com Down to Earth,
which ran for 4 years and also penned the Los Angeles produced musical Hurry! Hurry!
Hollywood! and Hard Copy.
In the theatre, he has starred in Jesus Christ Superstar, Cabaret, Hard Copy and an
extensive National tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat. On Broadway Sam received a Drama Desk nomination for his role in Tommy
Tune's Grease and most recently received a Drama League Award as well as Tony, Outer
Critics Circle and Drama Desk nominations for his work in Cy Coleman's The
Life.
Support a good cause and enjoy Sam Harris in - Liza Minnelli Presents Sam Harris in
Revival.
SHARON GLESS
SHARON GLESS
who won two
Emmy awards for her exceptional work on television on Cagney and Lacy has taken to
the stage in only the fourth play she has ever done, and two of those were in London.
Gless is in Chicago starring in Cahoots written by Claudia Allen and directed by Sandy
Shinner at the Victory Gardens Theater. The plotline is a screwball comedy about a play writing
team who pursue fame and fortune across several decades. The reason Gless accepted the part is
"because there are things in the script that will offend everybody."
THUNDER KNOCKING ON THE DOOR
a new musical with music and lyrics by two-time Grammy winner Keb'Mo
and Anderson Edwards, with book and direction by Keith Glover and musical staging by Jeff
Calhoun, will open at the Minetta Lane Theatre, NYC on June 11. This original musical earned
the 1999 Helen Hays Award for Best Musical at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. Set in
Bessemer, Alabama, in blues-rich 1966, the show is a mythical tale of the Dupree family, caught
at a crossroads until a guitar-playing drifter with a taste for sweet revenge appears, toting
romance and changing the music forever. The production stars; Pamela Isaacs, Marva Hicks,
Doug Eskew, Peter Jay Fernandez and Kevyn Morrow.
THE CIVIL WAR STARRING LARRY GATLIN opens June 6 in Costs Mesa, Ca performances through June 11. The show
travels to Denver for a July 13-25 engagement.
for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow
is enuf written by Ntozake Shange, on June 11 celebrates the 25th
Anniversary production of this history-making show by opening at The American Place Theatre in
a production directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winning George Faison. for colored
girls who have considered suicide when the rainbowis enuf has stood the test of time. But of
course it has. It was written by a woman.
WHO'S WHERE
TOM POSTILIO swings into
summer at Arci's Place, NYC. The crooner's all new show This Time Around will include
classic and contemporary standards in a show directed by Broadway director/choreographer
Thommie Walsh. Pianist Ken Ascher will lead the trio with musical direction and arrangements
by John Oddo. June 6-24.
DON HENLEY June 8-0 Radio
City Music Hall, NYC.
ERIC GILLETT a MAC award
winner who is currently in the smash Kiss Me Kate lived and worked in Vegas for a
number of years, appearing in Hallelujah Hollywood at the MGM, now Bally's Hotel;
Bal du Moulin Rouge at the Hilton, where he was the ringmaster; and a number of other
things, including A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum at the Union
Plaza. He also spent 10 years with RBB&B Circus becoming known as The Singing Ringmaster
In the last few years, he has released two CDs Sing Me a Rainbow and Cast of
Thousands: The Songs of Craig Carnelia under the name Eric Michael Gillett, as well as a
soundtrack recording with Chicago's Marcia Lewis of Big City Rhythm: The Songs of
Barry Kleinbort. Eric's Las Vegas friends want him to know they are thrilled for his
success.
MANHATTAN TRANSFER
one
of the most honored vocal groups in the history of American popular music, appears at the
Stardust Hotel, Las Vegas June 6-10. Featuring four-part harmony that combines elements of
swing, jazz and pop, the group has occupied a unique niche on the world's music scene for the
past 25 years, winning 11 Grammy Awards. Tim Hauser, Janis Siegel and Alan Paul have been
singing together since 1972. The fourth member, Cheryl Bentyne, joined them in 1978.
PATTI LUPONE at
Theatrefest/Memorial Auditorium at Montclair State University in Upper Montclair, N.J. June
8-11.
BARBRA COOK at the
Playhouse Theatre, Hotel Dupont in Wilmington, DE on June 13.
MARC ANTHONY at the MGM
Grand, Las Vegas on June 16.
THIS AND THAT
TEMECULA VALLEY BALLOON AND WINE FESTIVAL
2000 will have more than 50 hot air balloons decorating the sky.
The annual event also includes Wine Gardens featuring tastings of region's finest wines,
including sparkling vintages. Entertainment is also in the air with jazz, blues and other styles -
Gary Wright, Ambrosia, the Commodores, Dem Brooklyn Bums, Nightranger, and 39 special.
Temecula Valley, Ca. June 11.
MICKEY ROONEY doesn't shy
away from his fans. While most entertainers now have body guards and refuse to give autographs
Rooney, who has been performing at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas, would stand outside the
showroom door after every show, talking to his fans, signing autographs and posing for
pictures.
ANDRE AGASSI is a big fan of
Barry Manilow using Manilow's hit I've Made It Through The Rain as a way to help the
tennis great - blister or no blister - get through the tough times. Agassi puts on the song and plays
it over and over and over. We thought we were the only one that did that.
Mention BROADWAY TO VEGAS for Special Consideration
Call (800) 942-9027
Next Column: June 11, 2000
Copyright: June 4, 2000. All Rights Reserved.
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