I have no idea what stage of their relationship they were in when my family and I walked into them as they headed into Sardis. I wrote about this in a blog entry Fame is Fleeting. (We were cutting behind a huge group of people waiting for a glimpse of them and were stopped to let the couple and Liz's two sons pass by into the restaurant. Apologies to the hundreds of people waiting hours for a look.)
My point is I hadn't thought of this encounter for years until Carol Channing died. And after that, it took some complex thinking to get the memory right.
The topic here is memory. False or faded? I can't always tell. When Carol Channing died I wanted to comment on Facebook that I had loved her in Hello Dolly!, but had I really seen her in Hello Dolly! or was I remembering her appearances as Dolly on The Ed Sullivan Show? I had no idea. I had to research to find the answer.
1) I went to the Broadway database.
2) I found out the timespan when Hello Dolly! ran.
3) I looked at the other plays that were running at the same time and verified that I had not seen any of them.
4) I noticed that Richard Burton's Hamlet was playing during that same time period.
5) I recalled running into the actor with Liz Taylor outside the theater.
6) The only reason I would have been in the New York theater district during Hello Dolly!'s run, would have been to see a show.
7) The only show I even suspected I saw during that time period was Hello Dolly!
8) Ergo, my memory of Carol Channing in Hello Dolly! was correct.
With the price of tickets on Broadway, maybe it would be cheaper to hire an IT professional to implant false memories for me.
Some of my faded memories shock me. They just pop up or I find them when scanning old photos. I recall telling a London cabbie how someday I had to get to the changing of the guard. When scanning, I found a photo of me at the changing of the guard but in winter uniforms not in fancy gear. Maybe that was what I meant. I am giving myself the benefit of the doubt.
The topic here is memory. False or faded? I can't always tell. When Carol Channing died I wanted to comment on Facebook that I had loved her in Hello Dolly!, but had I really seen her in Hello Dolly! or was I remembering her appearances as Dolly on The Ed Sullivan Show? I had no idea. I had to research to find the answer.
1) I went to the Broadway database.
2) I found out the timespan when Hello Dolly! ran.
3) I looked at the other plays that were running at the same time and verified that I had not seen any of them.
4) I noticed that Richard Burton's Hamlet was playing during that same time period.
5) I recalled running into the actor with Liz Taylor outside the theater.
6) The only reason I would have been in the New York theater district during Hello Dolly!'s run, would have been to see a show.
7) The only show I even suspected I saw during that time period was Hello Dolly!
8) Ergo, my memory of Carol Channing in Hello Dolly! was correct.
With the price of tickets on Broadway, maybe it would be cheaper to hire an IT professional to implant false memories for me.
Some of my faded memories shock me. They just pop up or I find them when scanning old photos. I recall telling a London cabbie how someday I had to get to the changing of the guard. When scanning, I found a photo of me at the changing of the guard but in winter uniforms not in fancy gear. Maybe that was what I meant. I am giving myself the benefit of the doubt.
Friends tell me I gave them a tour of Las Vegas but I swear I have not been to Las Vegas since it became "Vegas." I really think that one is not on me.
Given my Carol Channing experience, I am going to use this post to record shows I saw as they pop into my mind. I have a feeling there are a lot of shows that still need to pop up. I remember not seeing shows, e.g. Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, more clearly than I remember seeing shows.
Given my Carol Channing experience, I am going to use this post to record shows I saw as they pop into my mind. I have a feeling there are a lot of shows that still need to pop up. I remember not seeing shows, e.g. Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, more clearly than I remember seeing shows.
Here are some I did see:
The Music Man with the original cast. The first Broadway show I ever saw. (I rode in an elevator with Barbara Cook decades later when she was performing at the Waldorf Astoria. I regret I didn't tell her how much I loved her in that show, but I don't talk to celebrities even to offer compliments.)
Hello Dolly! Apparently.
Mame. My favorite Broadway experience ever. Angela Lansbury. Bea Arthur.
Pippin. Ben Vereen and John Rubinstein. Before I loved him in television series Family? No idea. Apparently, Jill Clayburgh as well.
Benefactors. Sam Waterston, Glenn Close, Mary Beth Hurt, Simon Jones. I had to look up Simon Jones. (Saw Glenn Close many years later around Lincoln Center. Her skin did not appear to wrinkle.)
My One and Only. Tommy Tune and Twiggy. Completely forgotten until a profile of Twiggy appeared on CBS Sunday Morning. (Although it was hard to miss Tommy Tune walking down Fifth Avenue, going past the Met in white pants, pink shirt and a white sweater tied around his shoulders. That memory stayed.)
My Fat Friend. Lynn Redgrave, George Rose, John Lithgow. (I never remembered actors in plays I saw. Decided to follow John Lithgow's career. He did me proud!)
Hamlet. Ralph Fiennes, Damian Lewis. (Sat across from Anthony LaPaglia who fell asleep. He was in rehearsals for another play at the time, so I am sure his demeanor was no comment on the performances. If I had realized I would in the future develop a crush on Damian Lewis, I might have paid more attention.)
Hamlet. Richard Burton. Special broadcast for schools. Kind of cheating. Not in person but I'd seen him elsewhere with Liz Taylor.
Waiting for Godot. Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Billy Crudup. For the first time ever in a theater, I could hear every word - at least those Stewart and McKellen said. Every single word. Couldn't understand Crudup at all. Watched Crudup later in The Morning Show. He is such a subtle actor. He would never have to move anything other than his eyes. Fantastic.
Rent. In Chicago. Made an exception to "no musical" rule.
Cats. DC. The play was far from new. Betty Buckley was long gone from the cast, but I did see her on the way into Elaine's one night. She was on her way into Elaine's. I was eating next door.
42nd Street. Think I missed Jerry Orbach but used to see him around my neighborhood a lot when he was filming Law & Order. As I recall, Jason Alexander was in it.
Timon of Athens. Part of subscription to Tony Randall's theater. No idea what else I saw or who was in them.
Aspects of Love. Stayed until the end but walked out vowing I would never see another Broadway musical.
Les Miserables. I would make an exception and see this musical over and over again.
Camelot. Philadelphia's Playhouse in the Park. Rock Hudson.
The Music Man with the original cast. The first Broadway show I ever saw. (I rode in an elevator with Barbara Cook decades later when she was performing at the Waldorf Astoria. I regret I didn't tell her how much I loved her in that show, but I don't talk to celebrities even to offer compliments.)
Hello Dolly! Apparently.
Mame. My favorite Broadway experience ever. Angela Lansbury. Bea Arthur.
Pippin. Ben Vereen and John Rubinstein. Before I loved him in television series Family? No idea. Apparently, Jill Clayburgh as well.
Benefactors. Sam Waterston, Glenn Close, Mary Beth Hurt, Simon Jones. I had to look up Simon Jones. (Saw Glenn Close many years later around Lincoln Center. Her skin did not appear to wrinkle.)
My One and Only. Tommy Tune and Twiggy. Completely forgotten until a profile of Twiggy appeared on CBS Sunday Morning. (Although it was hard to miss Tommy Tune walking down Fifth Avenue, going past the Met in white pants, pink shirt and a white sweater tied around his shoulders. That memory stayed.)
My Fat Friend. Lynn Redgrave, George Rose, John Lithgow. (I never remembered actors in plays I saw. Decided to follow John Lithgow's career. He did me proud!)
Hamlet. Ralph Fiennes, Damian Lewis. (Sat across from Anthony LaPaglia who fell asleep. He was in rehearsals for another play at the time, so I am sure his demeanor was no comment on the performances. If I had realized I would in the future develop a crush on Damian Lewis, I might have paid more attention.)
Hamlet. Richard Burton. Special broadcast for schools. Kind of cheating. Not in person but I'd seen him elsewhere with Liz Taylor.
Waiting for Godot. Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Billy Crudup. For the first time ever in a theater, I could hear every word - at least those Stewart and McKellen said. Every single word. Couldn't understand Crudup at all. Watched Crudup later in The Morning Show. He is such a subtle actor. He would never have to move anything other than his eyes. Fantastic.
Rent. In Chicago. Made an exception to "no musical" rule.
Cats. DC. The play was far from new. Betty Buckley was long gone from the cast, but I did see her on the way into Elaine's one night. She was on her way into Elaine's. I was eating next door.
42nd Street. Think I missed Jerry Orbach but used to see him around my neighborhood a lot when he was filming Law & Order. As I recall, Jason Alexander was in it.
Timon of Athens. Part of subscription to Tony Randall's theater. No idea what else I saw or who was in them.
Aspects of Love. Stayed until the end but walked out vowing I would never see another Broadway musical.
Les Miserables. I would make an exception and see this musical over and over again.
Camelot. Philadelphia's Playhouse in the Park. Rock Hudson.
Half a Sixpence - Tommy Steele
London's West End. No idea what I saw. Remember Patrick McNee and Jenny Agutter. Maybe in the same play. It was bad although it wasn't the actors' fault. I should have gone to see The Mousetrap at some point. I‘ve had enough opportunities.
London's West End. No idea what I saw. Remember Patrick McNee and Jenny Agutter. Maybe in the same play. It was bad although it wasn't the actors' fault. I should have gone to see The Mousetrap at some point. I‘ve had enough opportunities.
Art. Albert Finney. Tom Courtenay. Ken Stott. Had to look up Ken Stott.
Bob Hoskins. This is a mystery. I thought I identified the play, but I contacted the playwright and he said it had never been done in London. I know I did not imagine this but I cannot find any mention of Bob Hoskins in a play with two characters. The entire play takes place in Freud's office or someone else's. I really liked the rug. That's how I know I could not have made this up.
The Best of Friends - John Gielgud. Since I recall seeing John Gielgud the last night he was on stage in London, I must have seen this play.
A Chorus Line On Broadway. No idea what cast.
Mary, Mary. Pretty sure I saw it on a high school trip, Was Barry Nelson in it or do I think that because I passed him at the 1964 World's Fair? He was eating an ice cream cone or possibly a Belgian waffle. At the World's Fair, not on stage.
Three Sisters. In London. Lots of Redgraves. Vanessa, Lynn and Gemma.
Sleuth. No idea who was in it. Now I can only remember the movie.
Dreamgirls. No idea who was in it but I would bet Vondie Curtis-Hall because he was always on my radar. That might be how he got there. I recall noticing him next to me in a New York restaurant at Denzel Washington's table.
Song and Dance. Remembered Bernadette Peters singing Unexpected Song but nothing else.
Equus. No idea who was in it.
Something about Elvis in London.
I hope to update this page as memories pop up. Three Sisters was a recent addition.
Adding October 2022:
Man of La Mancha. Raul Julia (Anthony Quinn in audience)
Dracula. Frank Langella? Raul Julia? Both?
A Man for All Seasons Paul Scofield
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