Barbara Hale, Virginia O'Brien, Jana Robbins...and MORE

Born on this date, Barbara Hale, American actress. She's best known as "Della Street" on TV's Perry Mason.

 "It happened when we were both working for RKO in 1943.
I was there briefly before she came out from Illinois. She
certainly made a lasting impression on me. When I left for
service again, I

took with me the image of a bright, lovely
and wholesome personality whose charm kept lingering
in my mind. "
(Raymond Burr, TV Radio Mirror, 1962)

Happy Monday, April 18th, 2016!
Today is my favorite day of the week - Monday. April 18 is the 109th day of this year.
There are 257 days remaining until the end of the year.

Birthdays today: Actress Barbara Hale, Actor Clive Revill, Actor James Drury, Actor Robert Hooks, Actress Hayley Mills. Happy Birthday TODAY TO ACTRESS, PRODUCER & DIRECTOR - DOROTHY LYMAN! DOROTHY'S ACTING CAREER BEGAN IN 1971 ON HER FIRST SOAP OPERA "A WORLD APART".
Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier in a civil ceremony on April 18, 1956.The gown was designed by MGM's Helen Rose.
Superman made his debut 68 years ago today in the 1st issue of Action Comics.


Today is my favorite day of the week - Monday.

Happy Birthday, Dorothy Lyman

 
It’s a day to roll up our sleeves, pull up our boot straps, and  get to work. I got up early this morning. Our cat had cornered a squirrel who had gotten in through the chimney and our dog was refereeing. A typical spring day in Sparkill, New York! 
I'm drinking my coffee, listening to Ann Hampton Callaway sing in The Wee Small Hours of the morning and reflecting on the weekend and the week ahead. It is fraught with possibilities! 

For some (maybe you) it’s a day of anxiety and dread. My entire life has always been (personally) about looking ahead, although (professionally). it is about looking at where we've been. I'm interested in preserving our past, our heritage. I think it is imperative for us to know where we've been in order to

Happy Birthday, Virginia O'Brien

get where we desire to go. I know that sounds like an old cliche, but I believe it's true.
I heard recently where a developer in NYC was saying that New York is not about preservation as much as it is about progress. That kind of thinking is changing the landscape of New York. As New York, especially Times Square looks more and more like a mall, the character of New York is fading before our very eyes.   
Everyone, please pay attention and don't let our past slip through our fingers. 
Today, in honor of their birthdays, I am celebrating three women who have conquered stage, screen, and television.
Barbara Hale became a television star thanks to Perry Mason. Virginia O'Brien became a star due to her dead-pan persona in all those great MGM musicals of the forties. Jana Robbins has done very well on both sides of the footlights.

Happy Birthday, Jana Robbins!

I first became familiar with Jana when I saw her (six times!) as Miss Mazeppa in the Tyne Daly helmed Gypsy in the early nineties. Years later, we became friends (I don't even know when, where, and/or how!). 
When her father passed on from Parkinson's, we joined forces and did a benefit on behalf of Parkinson's. When Danny and I got married, Jana sang at our wedding. She is a TRUE friend and this blog is dedicated to her today.
Jana Robbins has played leading roles on Broadway in Good News, I Love My Wife, Crimes of the Heart, Romance/Romance;  the aforementioned Gypsy, in which she played Mazeppa (the "bump it with a trumpet" stripper) while standing by for Tyne Daly as Mama Rose (40 performances); and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, where she covered both Linda Lavin (Valerie Harper) and Michele Lee. On the National Tour of Allergist's Wife, Robbins replaced Michele

Lee and co-starred across the country opposite Valerie Harper.
Other national tours include Ethel in Footloose and Aldonza in "Man of La Mancha" with Jose Ferrer. Her long list of off-Broadway and repertory credits includes both straight plays and musicals. Some of her favorite roles have been Maggie in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"; Lady in "Orpheus Descending"; Dr. Livingstone in "Agnes of God"; Rosie in "Bye Bye Birdie"; The Leader in "Zorba"; and Bessie Berger in "Awake and Sing" at Arena Stage. Most recently, Robbins played the title role in the world premiere of "Managing Maxine" at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta.
JANA ROBBINS was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where she began dancing lessons at the early age of 4 at the Gene Kelly School of Dance, appearing in recitals and singing provocative solos like "Blues in the Night" by the age of 11. She attended Westmont Hilltop High School, where they luckily did a Broadway musical each Spring. Her

junior year, she was cast as Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and played Eliza Doolittle her senior year in My Fair Lady, helping to further support and solidify her love of theater.
Here is our Mini-Interview
What Does This Time In Your Life Mean To You?
 When I was younger, I was always working to achieve something,  not only so that I might have a sense of accomplishment and the acknowledgement that comes along with it, but also in order to have a sense of worth.  I needed

the validation. At this time in my life..... I no longer need that validation.  The validation comes from simply doing the task itself - whether that's acting, singing, directing or producing. The process of doing all of the above provides me with  a great sense of satisfaction all on its own.

Do you have a hard time changing when things change?
I THINK BEING IN THE THEATER MAKES ME MUCH MORE ACCEPTING OF CHANGE.  ALL MY LIFE, THE SHOWS THAT I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH  HAVE OPENED AND CLOSED. YOU'RE ALWAYS BEGINNING AGAIN..... A NEW CITY..... A NEW SHOW..... NEW FRIENDS..... AND NEW COLLEAGUES.  AND I THINK THAT THAT HAS HELPED TO PREPARE ME FOR ALL THE CHANGES THAT LIFE HAS TO OFFER.

Click HERE to see Jana sing at our Wedding

What is your secret to keeping the balance between “Show Biz” and home life?
THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CHALLENGE, BUT I ALWAYS  WANTED IT ALL.  MARRIAGE, CHILDREN, AND A "SHOW BIZ" CAREER.   THANK YOU FOR COMPLIMENTING ME ON DOING IT WELL..... I DON'T THINK THAT YOU CAN HAVE 100% OF EVERYTHING,  SO THERE HAVE BEEN COMPROMISES AND PERHAPS SOME LOSSES ALONG THE WAY..... - I AM DIVORCED AND I NEVER QUITE ATTAINED THE LEVEL OF "STARDOM" THAT I HAD HOPED TO ACHIEVE.  BUT STILL, I'VE HAD A WONDERFUL CAREER IN A BUSINESS THAT I LOVE AND STILL HAVE A PASSION FOR.  I LIFE FILLED WITH WONDERFUL EXPERIENCES FROM RAISING MY SON, AND NOW CONTINUING TO WORK AND PRODUCE WHILE I ALSO GET TO SPEND TIME WITH MOM WHO TURNS 94 NEXT MONTH, AND MY TWO BEAUTIFUL GRANDDAUGHTERS.

Jana as Maggie in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at 19 at Stephens College.

Jana's most recent producing credit

What do you do to refill the well when you've worked too hard and feel your life is out of  balance.
WHENEVER I FEEL THAT I'VE DONE ALL THAT I CAN, AND MY LIFE IS OUT OF BALANCE, I GO INSIDE TO RECALL ALL THE LESSONS THAT I HAVE LEARNED

THROUGH THE SEMINARS AND SELF ACTUALIZATION COURSES I'VE TAKEN,  OR I ATTEND SERVICES IN A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE THAT HELPS ME CONNECT TO A HIGHER POWER. LASTLY I AM NEVER AFRAID TO SEEK THE COUNCIL OF A THERAPIST.  MY GOAL IS TO KEEP CONSTANTLY GROWING AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE WORLD AND MYSELF.

What is your biggest fear or an activity that you would never do, now that you’re older?
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN AFRAID OF HEIGHTS.  I WOULDN'T SKYDIVE WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND I DOUBT THAT I WOULD HAVE THE NERVE TO DO IT NOW.

How do you measure success?
I MEASURE SUCCESS BY THE LOVE, LAUGHTER AND INSPIRATION THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE TO OTHERS... AND THE SATISFACTION THAT I HAVE ACHIEVED THROUGH USING THE GOD GIVEN TALENTS THAT WERE BESTOWED UPON ME.

Randall Wreghitt, D Tucker Smith author of ROOF OF THE WORLD which just had a successful run at Kansas City Rep in February,7 years ago at Jana's Birthday Concert at The Laurie Beechman Theater.

 

With Thom Thomas, Jeremy Holm and Scott LaFeber in New Harmony, Indiana.2004 - A MOON TO DANCE BY in New Harmony, IN - original premiere production Jana had three days to learn the entire script due to last minute casting!

How did you get started in the entertainment industry? 

with son and granddaughter

MY MOTHER TOOK DANCE LESSONS WITH GENE KELLY AND SENT ME TO DANCING SCHOOL WITH HIS SISTER AND BROTHER IN LAW WHEN I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD. I NEVER WANTED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE. I MAJORED IN THEATER IN COLLEGE AND CAME STRAIGHT TO NEW YORK.  THE FIRST SHOW I EVER SAW WAS MAN OF LA MANCHA IN WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK.  I WAS VERY LUCKY.  I GOT THE FIRST JOB I EVER AUDITIONED FOR - WHICH WAS BEING IN THE CHORUS OF SOUTH PACIFIC AT JONES BEACH, AND ONE

YEAR LATER I WAS HIRED TO COVER ALDONZA IN MAN OF LA MANCHA WITH JOSE FERRER.

What one thing would you change in the world, to make it a happier
place for yourself?
DISCRIMINATION AND PREJUDICE OF ANY KIND.
 
What disappointment ended up teaching you an essential lesson?
​I THINK THE LOSS OF A RELATIONSHIP TAUGHT ME MUCH MORE ABOUT DEALING WITH LOSS THAN THE LOSS OF ANY JOB. IT TAUGHT ME THAT LEARNING TO LOVE AN ACCEPT YOURSELF IS

Please note this is September 2015

ULTIMATELY WHAT WE ARE HERE TO DO.

What comes up next for you?
I JUST FINISHED PRODUCING THE WORLD PREMIER PRODUCTION OF ROOF OF THE WORLD AT KCREP AS A FIRST STEP ON OUR WAY OF DEVELOPING IT FOR BROADWAY. THE PRODUCTION DIRECTED BY ERIC ROSEN WAS SIMPLY SENSATION.  I AM WORKING TO IDENTIFY OUR FINAL STEP PRIOR TO BROADWAY.  I ALSO HAVE THE JAZZ AGE SLATED FOR THE WEST END.

WHAT'S THE ONE THING YOU'RE RELIEVED I DIDN'T ASK YOU?
WHEN I WILL BE "ON" STAGE NEXT - BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN AGAIN SOON AND WAS SO THRILLED TO

DO MY CABARET SHOW "I'M STILL HERE" FOR A NICE RUN PRIOR TO LEAVING FOR KC AND ROOF OF THE WORLD.
You and me both! Please check in with Jana at JanaRobbins.com to keep up to date with ALL aspects of Jana's career.
  
Other Notable Birthdays Today
James Woods, American actor and producer.
Kenneth John "Kenny" Ortega (born April 18, 1950) is a film and television producer, director, and choreographer, best known for directing Hocus Pocus, the High School Musical trilogy, Descendants and Michael Jackson's This Is It concerts.
Eric Roberts, American actor.
Jane Leeves actress, producer, comedian, singer, and dancer. She is best known for playing Daphne Moon on the television sitcom Frasier from 1993 until 2004, for which she was nominated for Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. She is also known for her role Joy Scroggs on TV Land's sitcom Hot in Cleveland.
Jeff Dunhamis a ventriloquist, producer, and stand-up comedian

who has also appeared on numerous television shows, including Late Show with David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents, The Tonight Show and Sonny With a Chance. He has six specials that run on Comedy Central: Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself, Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity, Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special, Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos, Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters, and Jeff Dunham: All Over the Map. Dunham also starred in The Jeff Dunham Show, a series on the network in 2009.

Eric McCormack is a Canadian/American actor, musician, and writer. Born in Toronto, he began his acting career performing in high school plays. He left Ryerson University in 1985 to accept a position with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, where he spent five years performing in numerous play productions. (Best known for Will and Grace).

Conan O'Brien is a comedian, television host, writer, producer, musician, and voice actor. He is best known for hosting several late-night talk shows; since 2010 he has hosted Conan on the cable channel TBS. O'Brien was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, and was raised in an Irish Catholic family. He served as president of The Harvard Lampoon while attending Harvard University, and was a writer for the sketch comedy series Not Necessarily the News.

And from a friend...

New Jersey Native gone Hollywood, Chase Bell, has been writing love songs because that's what song writers do...write songs about love. But what is love? What does love mean? Chase decided to ask his fans around town and here's what he's come up with. Here's a beautiful song to make you smile. 
Thank you, to all of the artists mentioned in this blog for the gifts you have given to the world and continue to give!

With grateful XOXOXs ,

 

 

Check out my site celebrating the legacy of Dolly Gallagher Levi!

Hello, Barbra!

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.  FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!

Please do what YOU can to be more aware that words and actions DO HURT...but they can also heal and help!   

        

PLEASE CELEBRATE WITH US MAY 25th in NYC at The Triad!
Richard Skipper Celebrates May 25th! A New Talk/Variety Show! He will be joined by Anna Bergman, Carolyn Montgomery-Forant, Gretchen Reinhagen, Adam Shapiro, Leslie Orofino, Wendy Scherl, Carol Skarimbas (joined by Larry Woodard) and an all star cast celebrating the many gems of May 25th 8PM Show... AND A VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO CAROLE DEMAS!Wait till you see the tribute to Beverly Sills Reservations a MUST! You Never Know Who You Might See There! http://www.richardskipper.com/celebrates.html
What would YOU like to celebrate?

Here's to an INCREDIBLE tomorrow for ALL...with NO challenges!

Please leave a comment and share on Twitter and Facebook

Keeping Entertainment LIVE!
 

TILL TOMORROW...HERE'S TO AN ARTS FILLED DAY

Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com

PLEASE CELEBRATE WITH US Friday, May 6th AT DON'T TELL MAMA NYC


Don't Tell Mama Presents...

Wendy Scherl returns in What Do You Do All Day?  Directed by the incredible Helen Baldasarre with great musical direction by Matthew Martin Ward. Wendy is an amazing vocalist with a rangy and rich sound. “This is someone to watch!” Go see her, you can thank me later.
- Sue Matsuki   In “What Do You Do All Day”, Wendy Scherl shares anecdotes and song about the numerous hats she wears every single day as a wife, a mother of two boys and two dogs, a short order cook, a daughter, a house manager, a chauffeur and Cabaret Singer! Her show is both touching and real, theatrical and funny!
This show WILL sell out! So reserve today and be a part of his star studded audience!
You will truly be amazed by what this full-time executive director of a family of four accomplishes every day!  Wendy will wow you with both her choice of material and her talent!
After graduating from Northwestern University with a BA in Theatre, Wendy performed in numerous
regional theatre productions around the country, including some of her favorite productions: Hair (The official 20th Anniversary Production in Chicago), Grease (numerous roles), Annie (Grace), The Pajama Game (Babe), and Godspell.  

$20.00 Cover/Two Drink Minimum Cash Only Reserve at 212-757-0788 (after 4PM or through me)

$5.00 OFF COVER OF ALL MAC MEMBERS
Richard Skipper Celebrates is the publicist for Wendy Scherl and What Do You Do All Day? at NYC's Don't Tell Mama. For press reservations, interview requests, or more information, contact Richard Skipper at Richard@RichardSkipper.com or 845-365-0720

Check out Wendy's Interview with Sue Brender HERE

 

 

Clive Davis, George Sanders, Bea Benaderet...and MORE!

Happy Birthday. Clive Davis

I’m not into one hit wonders. Clive Davis

Happy MONDAY April 4th, 2016!

April 4 is the 95th day of this year. There are 271 days remaining until the end of the year.
On the Roman calendar, this was known as the day before the nones of April (Latin: Prid. Non. Apr.).
Here in New York, it is COLD! We have had some beautiful spring like weather, but this is a sick April Fool's joke from mother nature. Here, however, it is warm in my office and I am looking forward to ALL that the day holds in store for me.
Today, is the birthday of Clive Davis. If any of my readers have a connection with him. He is on my bucket list of interviews. He is one of the biggest movers and shakers in the music industry. I would love to discuss the changes he has seen first hand and what he has embraced and what has been difficult for him.
There are other musical gems associated with this date. In 1964, The Beatles occupy the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.
In history, in 1968 – Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 6.

Happy Birthday, Bea Benaderet!

Notable Birthdays Today
Today marks the birthday of two television icons.   Bea Benaderet, American television, radio, and voice actress (d. 1968) and David White (April 4, 1916 – November 27, 1990) best known for playing Larry Tate, the boss of Darrin Stephens on the 1964–72 situational comedy Bewitched.  David White (birth name Daniel David White) was born to John Patrick White and Alice (Deasy) White in Denver, Colorado on April 6th, 1916. According to the 1920 United States Federal Census, the family resided in Durango City, Colorado and David had an older brother named William and an older sister named Margaret. The family moved to Blue Springs, Missouri shortly thereafter, where David attended elementary school with well-known theater producer Jennifer Reeder, and later to California, where David studied drama at Los Angeles City College during the late 1930's. Following the completion of his studies, David began acting professionally in regional theater, most notably at The Pasadena Playhouse.
After completing a four year stint in the Marines during World War II, David resumed his acting

career at the Cleveland Playhouse after the war. He made his Broadway debut on January 21st, 1949 in the play "Leaf and Bough", co-starring Charlton Heston. Unfortunately, the play was savaged by New York theater critics and abruptly closed after only three performances. David returned to Broadway in 1950 in a play entitled "The Birdcage", co-starring Maureen Stapleton. In 1952 David made his television debut in The Philco Television Playhouse production of Rich Boy, co-starring Grace Kelly.
Rosemary Lane and Frances Langford were both born on this date in 1913.
Elizabeth Wilson (April 4, 1921 – May 9, 2015) was a Tony Award-winning American actress whose career spanned nearly 70 years, including memorable roles in film and television. Wilson was inducted into to the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2006. It is also the birthday of  Arthur Murray, born in 1895.
April 4 is the birthday of Kenneth Mars, He appeared with Madeline Kahn in What's Up, Doc? and Young Frankenstein.

Happy Birthday, David White

1922 – Elmer Bernstein, American composer and conductor (d. 2004).
Maya Angelou: April 4, 1928-May 28, 2014. (Today would've been her 88th birthday.)

For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Estelle Harris, American actress.

Born Today 1932 Anthony Perkins: A boy's best friend is his

Happy Birthday, Anthony Perkins!

mother. -Norman Bates in Psycho
Happy birthday to writer and biographer Kitty Kelley (April 4, 1942), author of "Jackie Oh!" (1978) and other works.

In memory, everything seems to happen to music. Tennessee Williams

Happy Birthday to Craig T. Nelson, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter.

Happy Birthday, Graham Norton!

Caroline McWilliams (April 4, 1945 – February 11, 2010) is best known for her portrayal of Marcy Hill in the television series Benson.McWilliams was a regular on the CBS soap, Guiding Light (as Janet Norris) for several years and also appeared in a short-term role (as Tracy DeWitt) on the NBC soap Another World. She also had a recurring role on Beverly Hills, 90210 playing the mother of Jamie Walters' character Ray Pruit.

Happy Birthday,  Christine Lahti, American actress and director
On this date in 1930, the Communist Party of Panama is founded.
Happy Birthday, Graham Norton, Irish actor and talk show host.

In 1979, Edgar Buchanan passed on  on this date in Palm Desert, California, USA.

Billy Wilder, Gloria Swanson (who passed on this date in 1983)  and Cecil B. DeMille during the shooting of ‘Sunset Boulevard’

David Cross best known primarily for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show, and his role as Tobias Fünke in the sitcom Arrested Development.

Gloria Swanson with Elizabeth Taylor

Cross created, wrote, executive produced, and starred in The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, developed and had a prominent role in Freak Show, appeared on Modern Family, portrayed Ian Hawke in the Alvin and the Chipmunks film franchise, and voiced Crane in the Kung Fu Panda film franchise.
Happy Birthday, Robert Downey Jr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter.
Happy Birthday,  Nancy McKeon, American actress.

Happy Birthday, David Blaine, American magician and producer.
Actor/singer Walter Charles

Notable Transitions on this date 
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that this is the date that Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. We can only speculate about what would have lied ahead. You gave your life so that all Americans can be free, Dr. King. Rest

2013 – Roger Ebert, American journalist, critic, and screenwriter passes on

in Peace.
1983 – Gloria Swanson, American actress (b. 1899). I was lucky enough to have met her two years before her passing.

Priscilla Lane passed on on this date (she was the youngest of the Lane Sisters)

Gloria Swanson went to public schools in Chicago; Key West, Florida; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her film debut was as an extra in The Fable of Elvira and Farina and the Meal Ticket (1915). From the following year on, she had leading roles in pictures for Keystone, then a year with Triangle, and, in 1919, a contract with Cecil B. DeMille. DeMille transformed her from a typical Mack Sennett comedienne into a lively, provocative, even predatory, star. She collected husbands (e.g., the indigent Henri de la Falaise) and lovers (e.g., Joseph P. Kennedy, father of President John F. Kennedy). Kennedy produced her Queen Kelly (1929), directed by Erich von Stroheim (it was von Stroheim's copy of this film that Swanson was watching as Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd. (1950) when she leaped into the projection beam shouting, "Have they forgotten what a star looks like? I'll be up there again, so help me!"--ironic in that the butler-projectionist was, again, vonMusic in the Air (1934), but her kinds of films were over with by that time. She returned to the stage in the 1940s (Reflected Glory,  "Let us Be Gay," "A Goose for a Gander"). She was a clothes designer and artist; she founded Essence of Nature Cosmetics; and she made television appearances through the 1960s and 1970s, doing cameos and pushing health foods. She received Best Actress nominations for Sadie Thompson (1928), The Trespasser (1929) and Sunset Blvd. (1950).

The Education of H*Y*M*A*N*K*A*P*L*A*N opened on Broadway (1968)

Stroheim). She survived the switch to talkies, even learning how to sing for
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Ed  Stephan

1995 – Priscilla Lane, American actress (b. 1915)

Time is a precious thing. Never waste it. Gene Wilder

1999 – Lucille Lortel, American actress, artistic director and producer (b. 1900).
2013 – Roger Ebert, American journalist, critic, and screenwriter (b. 1942).
The New Moon opened in London (1929).
Rodgers and Hart's Higher and Higher opened on Broadway (1940)


Sondheim had three shows open on April 4th!
Anyone Can Whistle opened on Broadway (1964).
Follies opened on Broadway (1971)
Assassins opened on Broadway (2004)

In Other Entertainment News
Who would like to join our party tomorrow night? I'm looking forward to seeing William V Madison, Joanna Gleason, Barbara Barrie, Austin Pendleton, Maddie Corman celebrating Madeline Kahn and William's biography. It is all moderated by Valerie Smaldone. Check out my interview with Valerie in yesterday's blog. Don't you know the meaning of propriety?
Click HERE for more details. 


The 31st annual Bistro Awards, March 8: It was

a moment in jazz history: Standing on the small stage together at the end of our show at Gotham Comedy Club was jazz legend Jon Hendricks (ASCAP/Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award), Annie Ross (Outstanding Contributions to the World of Jazz), Janis Siegel (Sustained Excellence in Jazz Performing and Recording),Yolande Bavan (formerly of Lambert, Hendricks  and Bavan), and Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, who introduced and presented Mr. Hendricks with his Bistro Award. (from Sherry Eaker)

Happy Birthday, George Sanders!

I would like to end this blog today by celebrating one of cabaret's greatest assets, George Sanders. He has been a part of the cabaret scene for as long as I can remember.
Today is his birthday. Here is our MINI interview!
What does this birthday mean to you?
Getting closer to Social Security!

What is your Morning Motivation?
What is this thing called “morning”?

How do you approach social media marketing?
What is this thing called “social media marketing”?

It’s Twitter’s 10th birthday. So how do you feel about it now – love it or hate it?
What is this thing called “Twitter”?

What is your dream gender reversal role?
 When I was in my twenties, I wanted to play Cecily Cardew in The Importance of Being Ernest.  Now I would like to play Lady Bracknell.

You haven't changed a bit, George!

What do you still want that you don't have now?
 Not much.  A pool home in Palm Springs?  A pool boy?

What are you doing to make the world a better place?
Recycling.  Never buying things in plastic bottles that are available in boxes, glass, or cans. (i.e.  Laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, Windex, soda, etc.)

WHAT TALENT DO YOU WISH YOU HAD?
I believe all “talents” can be learned if you work hard enough at it.  How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Practice, practice, practice.

What makes you look so young at your age? (from Pat Cooper!)

Thanks, Pat.  But we haven’t seen each other in 20 years.  You have no idea what you’re talking about.

How do you stay focused on what matters most?
What matters most STEALS FOCUS.  It upstages everything else.

Please follow George on Facebook!

Thank you, to all of the artists mentioned in this blog for the gifts you have given to the world and continue to give!

With grateful XOXOXs ,

 

 

Check out my site celebrating the legacy of Dolly Gallagher Levi!

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.  FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!

Please do what YOU can to be more aware that words and actions DO HURT...but they can also heal and help!   

        

Here's to an INCREDIBLE tomorrow for ALL...with NO challenges!

Please leave a comment and share on Twitter and Facebook

Keeping Entertainment LIVE!
 

TILL TOMORROW...HERE'S TO AN ARTS FILLED DAY

Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com

PLEASE CELEBRATE WITH US THURSDAY NIGHT April 7th in NYC


Don't Tell Mama Presents...

Wendy Scherl returns in What Do You Do All Day?  Directed by the incredible Helen Baldasarre with great musical direction by Matthew Martin Ward. Wendy is an amazing vocalist with a rangy and rich sound. “This is someone to watch!” Go see her, you can thank me later.
- Sue Matsuki   In “What Do You Do All Day”, Wendy Scherl shares anecdotes and song about the numerous hats she wears every single day as a wife, a mother of two boys and two dogs, a short order cook, a daughter, a house manager, a chauffeur and Cabaret Singer! Her show is both touching and real, theatrical and funny!
This show WILL sell out! So reserve today and be a part of his star studded audience!
You will truly be amazed by what this full-time executive director of a family of four accomplishes every day!  Wendy will wow you with both her choice of material and her talent!
After graduating from Northwestern University with a BA in Theatre, Wendy performed in numerous
regional theatre productions around the country, including some of her favorite productions: Hair (The official 20th Anniversary Production in Chicago), Grease (numerous roles), Annie (Grace), The Pajama Game (Babe), and Godspell.  

$20.00 Cover/Two Drink Minimum Cash Only Reserve at 212-757-0788 (after 4PM or through me)

$5.00 OFF COVER OF ALL MAC MEMBERS
Richard Skipper Celebrates is the publicist for Wendy Scherl and What Do You Do All Day? at NYC's Don't Tell Mama. For press reservations, interview requests, or more information, contact Richard Skipper at Richard@RichardSkipper.com or 845-365-0720