November 28, 2005 |
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"CHITA IS the greatest star ever!"
That's what a sobbing Rosie O'Donnell said during the intermission break for the first run-through of Chita Rivera's upcoming musical memoir, "The Dancer's Life." It opens December 11th at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater.
Chita, a genuine, adored legend of the stage - "Bye, Bye Birdie," "West Side Story," "Chicago" "Kiss of The Spider Woman, "Nine" are but a few of her credits - tells her life story through song and dance. (The show has been written by Terrence McNally, directed and choreographed by Graciela Daniele, and aside from Chita, features 12 fabulous castmembers, including Liana Ortiz, amazing as "Little Chita.")
Miss Rivera arrived onstage to a thunderous standing ovation. She could have sat down and read the phone book at that point. Her star-studded audience - Liza Minnelli, Carole Cook, Harvey Fierstein, Bebe Neuwirth, Andrea McArdle, Karen Ziemba, Gary Beach, Joe Allen (a very significant former amour!) and hundreds of others - would have been content.
But then Chita went into her act and the tears flowed like wine. She was interrupted with bravos continuously. When she offered her tribute to Gwen Verdon, sobs were audible throughout the house. Carole Cook managed to say, "This reminds me of the greatest real gypsy run-through I've ever been to, and that was for the actual 'Gypsy!' More than one Broadway veteran remarked, "This is my life passing before my very eyes." (Chita's story is unique because it is hers, but resonates with the blood sweat and tears of all performers.)
Chita moves with the elan and grace of a woman half her age. She is sexy, funny, beautiful, bitchy, powerful and deeply moving. A life force! Early in the second act she performs a tribute to the men in her life. One of them is Joe Allen. "The man, not the restaurant," she cracks wisely. Joe sat in the audience grinning from ear to ear. The orchestra backing her, conducted by Mark Hummel was magnificent.
The final ovation was a ten on the Richter scale. The rafters literally shook. Harvey Fierstein, a Chita protégé' since he was a youngster, ran onstage with an enormous bouquet of roses. Then it was Chita's turn to break down. Liza Minnelli, one of Chita's dearest friends, wept, "I'm thinking this is almost a tribute to Freddy Ebb, too. And it's the best show I've seen in twenty years!" It felt like an opening night, rather than a rainy afternoon. But that big night - with tuxes and gowns and limos stretching down the block - arrives on Dec 11th, and it will be historic!
WHO KNOWS - or really cares! - about the "real reason" behind the breakup of Nick n' Jessica. All I can say is that these two were doomed before they even took the vows - at least in the eyes of the media. Did they have a chance? Can any marriage survive such a continuous onslaught?
Now that they are apart, maybe I'll figure out what either actually does, aside from appearing on magazines.
THERE'S SOMETHING appealing about the red cover on Jon Halliday and Jung Chang's new book "Mao: The Unknown Story." I tried to pin down why it seems so alluring and I guess it's just that old mysterious idea of the Chairman as philosopher.
But once you read "Mao," you'll want to fling it across the room. The incredible inside story of his rise, his reign, the falsehoods he hid behind, and his power-mad selfishness and gruesome modus vivendi certainly changes your mind about "the Chairman."
This man caused the deaths of 70 million people. He turned China into a dictatorship much worse than Hitler's or Stalin's although it is really troubling to think that these three horrible men gained power over so many during the '30s, '40s, and in Mao's case, much longer.
This book's litany of terror, torture, murder, systematic famine and the killing of the souls of those who weren't slain outright is just stunning. Once this work begins to be pirated and sneaked into China, it is going to cause another uprising or revolution. China may be on the rise economically worldwide, but the Chinese people will find nothing but shame in this great and difficult book.
My favorite parts - the demeaning manner in which Mao treated Nixon and Kissinger while they were busy kissing his ring. They didn't even realize they were being "had." A tremendous work of history! A great Christmas gift for readers with strong stomachs.
HEARD FROM that queen of comedy and drama, Christine Baranski, soon to be seen in Lifetime's "Recipe for a Perfect Christmas" airing December 5th. She says, "I get to sing and dance in this one and not play a bitch!" (Christine achieved TV immortality as the martini-swigging pal to Cybill Shepherd in "Cybill" - a forerunner to "Will & Grace's" always tipsy Megan Mullally.)
Christine just wrapped "Relative Strangers" with Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates and Joan Allen. What a cast! In this one, Christine does get to toss her curls and do all those bitchy things she does so well.
Next year, Christine prepares for "Mame" at the Kennedy Center, starring Christine Baranski as Mame. Talk about dream casting! (Perhaps Miss Baranski can finally bring "Mame" to TV in the spectacular manner in which composer Jerry Herman has envisioned it for the small screen.) And if you want another angle on Christine, dip into my book, "Dishing." She's in the Margarita chapter. And speaking of my little tome devoted to food and celebrity, I was thrilled to find it featured in the Bas Bleu catalogue for Christmas. There are wonderful items for sale here. Click on www.basbleu.com.
(E-mail Liz Smith at MES3838@aol.com, or write to her c/o Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207.)
©2005 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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