I tried to post this to "castrecl" but wonder if I got bounced there, since I got no copy in my inbox. Can any castecl-er who doens;t get the digest confirm if it got through to the castrecl group:
Thoughts on the "Dim the Broadway Lights for Jan Maxwell" Movement
I'd wanted to post this on ATC since it would potentially reach their wide national readership there, but it seems that not only I, but also my far-from-involved spouse, and now it seems all the theater writing by me has been banned and (suddenly, inexplicably) the theater writing of my totally innocent staying-out-of-controversy composer spouse has been banned. Skip did a lovely tribute to our beloved neighbor Jan Maxwell in his 54 Below show on Monday night, a show which ATC decided no one should read about there, despite their writing abou and promoting every other 54 Below show this year there. Banning both of us by ATC deprives us ofthe ability to mourn and grieve with that wide community, just as the last posts which got us banned were the day when we posted about the passing of a dear friend, beloved Albert Marre, which had felt early then even in his 80's.
So I hope my from-the-heart thoughts about this young, untimely passing can reach a fraction of those ATC people, and maybe a few others, here. And that someone with posting privileges can post these thoughts there for me.
This dimming issue has become such an odd tumult. When the central location at the site of her last and biggest Broadway triumph was announced, some of us were planning to show up there outside the Marquis hotel by 7:30, where there’s a lot of room in one place, rather than all along the many many streets dispersed while looking at the many Broadway houses, and feel Broadway’s loss together. For many of us, she was someone we saw around 43rd Street a lot, pushing her wagon in the Food Emporium (now Marketplace Emporium), pulling one thing after another out of the overstuffed mailbox in the lobby, but most of all onstage.
Some of us had seen her many other shows maybe once each, but her Phyllis in “Follies” - several or up to ten times (even in all three cities and on both
coasts), and it somehow felt like a great idea to all congregate to honor her in that one spot. There was talk about some showing up in something red in honor of her “Lucy and Jessie.” We sensed that there might not be a specific huge public memorial in a full Broadway theater given her tragic young age, and this (weather permitting), was going to be that.
From a less practical, emotional who-should-be-honored perspective, yes, a life devoted and celebrated in New York theatre taken so young, I do understand the very thoughtful “dimforjan” movement. Still, when it was one theatre, which as it happens has lots of room on the street and in the alleyway to congregate in one place for 20-30 minutes, it felt like it was going to be very special.
xoxo to our theater friends, and someone please post this for me.
Fred Landau
Author
Topic: A PERFECTLY PLEASANTLY PLEASANT DAY THAT WAS PERFECTLY PLEASANT (Read 4367 times)