Haines His Way

It is interesting that the majority of the cast of A Chorus Line it was the either the first and last Broadway credit and or the last one

Next, I watched the last special feature on the DAYS OF GLORY DVD. This was an eight minute animated short subject made by the director of this film, and it shared a common theme with the main feature: that is, the disavowed role the North Africans played in the winning of World War II. These worthy patriots were not paid their due salaries by the government for fighting and winning the war. In fact, as of this date, the various French party in power has found ways to put off paying the reparations to the families of these valiant men.

And then the last episode set up the next (and what turned out to be surprisingly ANGEL's last season despite good ratings) season where our heroes took over the management of enemy agency Wolfram & Hart. I enjoyed seeing the tour of the facilities featured in this episode.

I noticed that DRAGON SEED is 2 1/2 hours long, so now I'm unsure if I'll watch that when I go back down or pick something else. I could always go with another Martin & Lewis film or perhaps one of the Nancy Drew features starring Bonita Granville which I just got in the (very inexpensive) boxed set.

I have some decisions to make later. . . .

I wanted to add one thing to the various posts about ACL and Thommie Walsh.

Thommie would (I think) be the 4th of the original cast members to die.  Back around 1993 or so, we lost a very dear and close friend of our's here in Phoenix.  His name was Rick Mason, and he was not only in the original cast, but also did all of the original "workshop sessions" that created the characters for the book.  His registered "Equity name" was Cameron Mason.

He was a sweet, very funny, multi-talented, caring and warm guy, and his death was devastating to Kerry and I.  He truly had become like a brother to us.  Rick was also partners with Clive (from the orig. ACL cast) for a few years, but they had ended their relationship but remained friends.  

Ironically, when I got to know our fearless Grande Mensch here at HHW, I was surprised that he also had known Rick Mason, and in fact I think Rick had gotten him tickets to the original run of ACL in New York.  Small world!

Rick Mason was not only my friend back then, but I gave him what was either his first job or close to it here in LA.  He was in the third production of my show Start At The Top, at the old Stage Society Theatre on Melrose (at Doheny - it later became the screening room of the Writer's Guild).  Also in that cast was another newcomer, Eric Michael Gillette.

In any case, I've told the story before, but I was in NY briefly in September of 1975 to preview The First Nudie Musical (previewing with Love and Death - where I can't remember but somewhere in mid-town).  I was up and just walking around the theater district and found myself in Shubert Alley and there was Rick walking to the stage door of the Shubert.  We chatted and he asked if I wanted a house seat to the following day's Wednesday matinee (we were previewing Wednesday night) - since I had the time to kill, I naturally said yes.  So, he got me a fifth row aisle seat.  The minute the house lights went down and I heard the opening piano notes and then "Again" and the lights came up, I had a lump in my throat the size of Brooklyn and it didn't go away for the entire show.  I laughed, I cried, I cheered.  Nobody was ever better than Rick as Mark - he just had that innocence and sweetness, plus he was a GREAT dancer - one of the best in the company.  We had a brief conversation after the show, and, sadly, the next time I saw the show on Broadway, he'd already left the cast.  

Michael S - I'm confused about your statistic about CHORUS LINE being the last Broadway credit for a majority of the cast.  Do you mean the a majority of the original cast?  And if so, do you mean including the people who played the dancers who were cut before the line was formed?

and a Happy Father's Day to Vixdad.

Vixdad has his very good friend Paul,who hails from Birmingham, a friend since their university days, visiting with us.

We are are having alovely visit and what a great father's day gift  for vixdad!

TCB

My first Broadway show was laso at the St James theatre, I saw 1776.  The local public library had organized a trip and I immediatley signed up.  When I arrived I discovered that all the other attendees were sr citizen ladies, I was probably 14

  But I had such a wonderful time that I contiue signed up for the trips and got to attend several wonderful shows at the Shakespeare festival at Stratford CT


We had front row mezzanine seats and the ladies  discovering it was my first show, graciously made sure I had the absolutes center seat

I fell absolutely in love with the show, laughing during Sit Down John, crying my eyes out during Mama Look Sharp and singing He Plays the Violin  on my way out of the theatre....

When we got back to the library I immediately checked out their copy of the OCR album  

A few years later When my college decided to run the show during all of July in 1976 I was shoicked that I was the only one of tghe crew and cast who was at all familiar with the show

You saw the Broadway show "Laso" in 1776? I assume it was a western. Was TCB in the cast?

Are you thinking of LASO COME HOME. perhaps?  That one was a real dog.

The first Broadway show I saw was "Passion".

Good afternoon studlies and lovelies, and H/Ks and DRs, and daddies and mothers (and muthahs), et al, ad libitum.....

I have (what is to me) a very exciting tidbit to pass along about what sounds like a fabulous new show coming up.  (That is one fabulous).

At the Friday night event that I attended, Leslie Jordan took a moment at the end of the evening to tell everyone about a pilot that he had shot, and that HBO is picking up and is supposed to start airing around January of 2008.

The very barest of a description is that it is about a man and woman who work together, are very high-end real estate agents, are very well off themselves, and the locale is a very upscale neighborhood of the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.

But the best part are the 2 stars ---- Leslie Jordan and Lily Tomlin.  And the production company is the "Bloodworth-Thomason" team.  It sounds like it could be really good.