BK, OUT OF THE PAST is as close to perfect as a movie gets. It's in my top ten, probably my top five.
BK, since Inga and Elliott have opted out...who all is singing tonight? I assume Mr. Jones and Schmidt. Is Lesley Anne Warren still going to be there? The Lovely Wife wants to know if Marin Mazzie is singing tonight.
Mr. Guy Haines has introduced me to four Schmidt songs that have come on as faves...I'm Glad To See You Got What You Want, Evening Star, Roadside, and Wishes Don't Wash Dishes. I love all of 110 In The Shade and The Fantasticks.
Elmore, thank you for the memories of the Word Baker era of The Cincinnati Playhouse. This was the best time for the Playhouse and it and Mr. Baker were a part of my formative years in the theatre. He came in as Artistic Director when I was in college. And I saw many terrific productions by him there...THE RIVALS, THE PLAY'S THE THING (which had a swimming pool on stage), THE CRUCIBLE, CARAVAGGIO, probably the best HAMLET I ever saw with Daniel Davis (the butler from the Nanny) as Hamlet (He was wonderful...I met him in our local bistro and got to tell him so. You see an actor's eyes really light up when you tell him that he was the best Hamlet you ever saw. He also told me some funny stories about some of the actors). Baker directed Uni. of Cincinnati students in a production of Edward II that was done at night outside on the Playhouse steps and terraces, the audience finding seats where they could. I think it started around ten or eleven after the regular performance and went late into the night. It was mesmerizing.
He also directed a production of THE FANTASTICKS there, which The Lovely Wife, Julieanne (who has played the girl and directed a much-lauded production herself) and I went to see. It was my first time for the show and I was dazzled. I'm sure I have the program around here someplace...but the one cast member I remember, playing was the father, was a guy who was highly recognizable as the Caravelle Man, which had been a National commerical for the candy bar, Caravelle...I don't know if they even make it anymore. He did several shows at the Playhouse.
The Playhouse was a great plant. A wonderful thrust theatre.
I got to know Word Baker somewhat when he came down to Lexington to be part of a theatre conference. Several college theatre troupes were to bring scenes which Baker would then re-direct. My professor chose Hamlet and I was chosen to play Hamlet. Oddly enough, I had just seen Baker's Hamlet up at the Playhouse. So when he came to re-direct me in the scene, he used his blocking which I lapped up. He told me I took direction very well. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't, but his Hamlet was still fresh in my head, so I knew exactly what he wanted.
He seemed to take a liking to me as did a couple of his staffers at the Playhouse and I would occasionally stopped by when I was home on school breaks to say hello. They would make resume suggestions and tell me places to write to (It's where I became aware of TCG for the first time). I think I may have auditioned for him one more time. And there was another theatre conference at the Playhouse where he conducted a series of acting exercises with a group of us. Afterwards a select bunch of us went to his house...for some drinks in Mt. Adams. It was filled with posters of shows he had done and I remember being very impressed. He always referred to me as "Hamlet." I felt a door was opening there (he had used many of his UC students in Playhouse Productions) when he suddenly left as Artistic Director. He was a very nice man...and a wonderful director.
