We're In This Together: Part Two In A New Series...Today, Let's Celebrate Warren Schein!

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Life's like a play: it's not the length, but the excellence of the acting that matters.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Happy Wednesday, March 26th, 2020!
Today is Legal Assistants Day. It recognizes the many contributions made to the legal profession by legal assistants. Legal assistants do work to support lawyers in areas such as

Happy 80th Birthdayto Nancy Pelosi today

corporate law, criminal law, immigration, and litigation. Their duties may vary depending on the type and size of the law firm they work at, but their contributions are vast. 

March 26 is the 84th day of the year . 282 days remain until the end

of the year.

• 222 Days till Election Day! November 3rd! VOTE!!!!!!! (God willing)
• 16th of #SelfIsolation!
• Singer/actor Al Jolson born (1886?)
• Actor/singer Martin Short born (1950)
• Funny Girl starring Barbra Streisand opened on Broadway (1964)
• Minnie's Boys opened on Broadway (1970)
• Annie revived (1st time) on Broadway (1997)
A 20th anniversary Broadway revival, which played at the Martin Beck Theatre (now called the Al Hirschfeld

Theatre) in 1997, entitled Annie, the 20th Anniversary, starred Nell Carter as Miss Hannigan, but controversy surrounded the casting of the titular character. The original actress cast in the role, Joanna Pacitti, was fired and replaced by her fellow orphan, Brittny Kissinger (who usually played orphan July) just two weeks before her Broadway debut, while battling bronchitis in Boston. 
The Pre-Broadway Tour was playing the Colonial Theatre. 'Annie' Understudy and Swing Orphan Alexandra Keisman performed the role the first

Alexandra Keisman

night Pacitti was absent. The producers then gave Kissinger the next performance. The show then moved on to the Oakdale in Connecticut where an insert was placed in the Playbill claiming "The Role of Annie is now being played by Brittny Kissinger". 
Public sentiment seemed to side with Pacitti as she was the winner of a highly publicized contest to find a new Annie sponsored by the department store Macy's. 

Joanna Pacitti as a young woman

This incident, coupled with the mixed reviews the new staging garnered, doomed it to a short run, although it was followed by a successful national tour. Kissinger, then 8, became the youngest actress to ever play Annie on Broadway. 
More controversy surrounding the show involved Nell Carter. Carter reportedly was very upset when commercials promoting the show used a different actress, Marcia Lewis, a white actress, as Miss Hannigan. The producers claimed that the commercials, which were made during an earlier production, were too costly to reshoot. 

Marcia Lewis

Carter felt that racism played a part in the decision. "Maybe they do not want audiences to know Nell Carter is black", she told the New York Post. However, the ads did mention that Carter was in the show. "It hurts a lot", Carter told the Post, "I've asked them nicely to stop it — it's insulting to me as a black woman." 
Her statement, released by the Associated Press, read: " 'Yes, it is true that I and my

representatives have gone to management on more than one occasion about the commercial and were told that there was nothing they could do about it,' Carter said in a statement Thursday. 
'Therefore, I have resigned myself to the fact that this is the way it

Miss Hannigan-Annie Dorothy Loudon, Nell Carter, Katie Finneran

is.' 
The statement also addressed the alleged charges of racism, first published in the New York Post. Carter is black. 'I, Nell Carter, never, ever, ever accused my producers or anyone in the show of racism,' she said. Producers have said it is too expensive to film a new commercial."

Carter was later replaced by another white actress, Sally Struthers. The revival closed on October 19, 1997 after 14 previews and 239 performances.
Joanna Pacitti has become more famous for not playing Annie

than for playing her. 
Although pint-sized Kissinger went on to open the show on Broadway, America rallied around Pacitti, whose family sued the show's producers and settled out of court. Barbara Walters did a special about the scandal, and Pacitti made

Joanna Pacitti

appearances on "Good Morning America," "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" and "Sally Jessy Raphael." (Sources: Playbill.com and Wikipedia)

I celebrate everyone's art. Today's social media engagement: Comment on something mentioned in this

blog and let's keep the next 24 hours upbeat! Have something to promote? Email me at Richard@RichardSkipper.com! Now, go out and so something nice for someone without expecting anything in return! Celebrate the gifts you have to offer the world! Did you do your Morning Pages? 

Have no clue what I am referring to? Today, celebrate your crazy ideas and surround yourself with those who will support those ideas! Make it a great week! Recommended Reading
Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand
By William J. Mann

Now, Go to the 8th person in your friend’s list and do something for them without expecting anything in return and let me know what happens! 
Warren Schein, Today I celebrate YOU! 
The world has changed. I find myself reminding people that we’re

experiencing a once-in-a-century pandemic event. Right now, a little kindness and a little humanity, goes a long way. That’s why I’m writing you an email, personally.


Richard Skipper Celebrates Warren Schein! 
“the voice is true and beautiful, the phrasing elegant and he never crosses that fine line between emulation and imitation.”

WARREN SCHEIN, has been entertaining audiences on stages throughout the US and Europe. He has played leading roles Off-Bdwy, Regional Theater and in Summer stock productions which include Mickey in Sugar Babies, Max Bialystock in The Producers and Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, just to mention a few. He has been performing his one-man shows, Remembering Mel: A Musical Tribute To Mel Torme and Spend An Evening With Mr. Saturday Night, a medley of timeless music and comedy to sold out audiences throughout the country. 

with Marty Allen

Warren also garnered glowing reviews from his show “From the Borscht Belt to Broadway which included a tribute to the entertainer extraordinaire, Al Jolson (whose birthday we celebrate today). 

For many years Mr. Schein has been participating as one of the major headliners performing in the famous Provincetown Cabaret Fest in Massachusetts. 

Warren has been the voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy, the Rice Krispy MandMs, and the leprechaun for Lucky Charms. TV appearances include ads for The History Channel, A and E and Nick at Night . He appeared on Saturday Night Live, Boardwalk Empire, Law and Order and in the films, The Stepford Wives, Dark Room and Spector. 

as part of Richard Skipper Celebrates

Warren and his musicians enjoyed a jazzy evening, Rhythm, Reeds and Brass, a nineteen-piece big band that offered selections from the Great American Songbook. The impressive list of performers he has opened for and performed with includes: Marty Allen and Steve Rossi, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara,  Milton Berle, Red Buttons, Totie Fields, Buddy Hackett, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Danny Kaye, and Tony Martin.

Steve and Eydie

 
Warren is especially known for his classic jokes from the Golden Era of Comedy and of today’s lifestyles. Warrens interaction with his audience makes him one of the foremost improvisational comedic performers in the business. Mr. Schein has played in every NY City premiere night club such as the Metropolitan Room, and The Copa. 
Warren is currently in rehearsals with his Music Director, Tom LaMark, for his up-coming debut performance of “Dream Along

Perry Como

With Me”: A Tribute To Perry Como.

Do you recall your first stage appearance? What did you do?
I was in the sixth grade at P.S.18. They had a talent show and I got up and sang a song from "Guys And Dolls".
I wasn't even nervous, I just got up on stage and wowed them.
The principal came over to me after the show and asked why I picked such a song. 

with Jeff Harnar and Patricia Fitzpatrick

I told him all I've ever wanted to do is to perform on stage so I thought a Broadway tune would be the thing to do. (By the way, I won the contest.)

Do you have a structured routine during this time (of the Coronavirus Pandemic)?
I'm not good at having too much time on my hands. I like to keep busy. I'm up early, have my coffee, read the paper and usually look at what needs to be done for the day.

with Dana Lorge

How do you prepare for a performance?
Over the years I've learned that I need to prepare each performance differently. And, of course this depends what venue I'm playing at. If I'm booked to perform my Mel Torme` Show and it's all music, I ease up on the comedy and keep it very structured. I keep to the script of the show almost line by line, word for word, song by song.

If I'm doing "standup and music" now that's a different story. I improvise and "work" the audience throughout the show. Obviously, my band members are aware of this and they know I'm going to go off "script" and I'm going to ad-lib. However, I still keep to my structured show for that performance but, stay in tune so to speak

so as to keep focused.
When I'm only booked for comedy, I keep it very structured except when I'm working an audience member.
I perform at many condo's, assisted living facilities, libraries, civic centers etc, it's important to bring the audience into your show. 

They need to like you, love you. And that's true of any performance. Dana Lorge taught me that you've only got the first ten minutes of your show to get into the hearts of your audience. If you can do that, you"ll kill. She was right, and I think of her as I walk on stage to this day. Whatever little bit of success I've had is because what Dana taught me. She was a "present" that was given to me and will always remain in my heart. Both Richard and I had a real privilege to share her friendship and love. And performing on stage with her, was a dream come true.

Name one thing you’ve learned about yourself during this

pandemic?
This is a tough question. I'm a free spirit. I spend many hours working and rehearsing all the time. But I always didn't think that way. I need to be rehearsed, especially musically. I've learned that you can't feel comfortable on stage in front of an audience it you're not prepared. 

I've found very honestly, that as you get older it takes a little more time to prepare. 
So, I've learned that now I need to start rehearsing and planning well in advance of all of my material so that I'm ready to give every audience all that I've got. It's on thing to "wing" it when you have to but remember, you need the "chutzpah" to make it work. (I learned that from both Marty Allen and Totie Fields).

What song(s) are you currently listening to during this time?
I'm always in tune with Broadway melodies and looking for songs I've never sung that will now fit my voice and age. My favorite songs now of course are those sung by Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Matt Monro, Steve Lawrence, Perry Como to name a few. Especially the "Vegas Sound".
They make me feel good and when I perform them, I get this wonderful feeling throughout my body and I realize how happy I am on stage.

Do you believe our spirit lives on after we pass on?

Absolutely. I only hope that when my time comes to leave this precious world, (and I hope it doesn't happen for a very long time) that I come back somehow and be able to watch whomever is lucky to have a little of me in them so I watch them perform. 

Dana and I used to talk about that happening together. We would come back and take over their show and do them and they'd never even know. But no question that I do believe that our spirits live on, or at least I hope so.

What do you wish to be remembered for?

That I made people happy. Not only my audiences, but my friends and family. For example, whenever I've had the good fortune of be in some of your  shows. I'd always give it all that I've I got. And why not, when you produce such terrific shows along with Russ Woolley, you and your audience deserve that. 

And of course all of the many other Variety Shows that I've been in, I want them to know how much I've appreciated my stage time. Working with Patricia Fitzpatrick is a pleasure. Especially writing material for her shows. And of course after a show, especially in Florida, when it's over you've got to do the "meet and greet". Some performers complain about it, I love it. Thanking your audience is so important. I want them to know how much I appreciate them. I truly do. 

Without them, what would we do? To this day, and I've been performing for over four decades, whenever I'm in the audience I always say to myself "I wish I was up stage". I guess it all comes down to this. I try to be humble and when I perform, I hope the audience says, "he really made me forget all the problems of the world, my aches and pains and I'd just love him". I have a huge ego, but I'm really very nice and humble...

Lighting round! Describe each of the following in one word: Who you are, what you value the most, and what you’d be if you were a food item.
Who are you-Friend
What I value the most- Family
Food item-Jelly Donut, alright it's two words

What do you like least? Leg of lamb. Hate the taste and the aroma destroys me. Besides, how

could eat "Bambi".

What do you wish to be remembered for? A loyal friend and someone you can depend on. Always willing to do something nice for someone else!

How do you create a strategy to continue the drive and ambition

to continue to perform?
Because it's what we are made of.
Some people are meant to be doctors, teachers, train engineers and some are born to entertain. It's in our DNA.
Some people can try to be funny but, no matter how hard they try they can't because they just don't have it in them. That goes for singing as well.
My strategy is my inner drive that keeps me going to want more. It's this constant feeling that I have deep in my soul that powers my ambition to keep on working at what I love to

do the most, perform. It doesn't stop and never goes away.
What would happen today if all the scientists who are trying to come up with a medication to stop this virus stopped working because they didn't have the drive and ambition to continue to do what they've been trained to do all their life?
So, as long as I have a breath in my soul, my strategy is to always keep my motor running and put it into drive, which will allow me the privilege to continue to perform.

Thank you, Warren Schein!, for the gifts you have given to the world and will continue to give.

Now, everyone, please go and and do something nice for someone without expecting anything in return! Go to the 8th friend in your friend's list and call them! We're ALL in this together! Till tomorrow...

Patricia Cope: Ermengarde with Ethel Merman’s Hello, Dolly!

Patricia says her claim to fame was doing Hello, Dolly! with Ethel Merman.

Patricia also happens to be the wife of Will Mackenzie who replaced Charles Nelson Reilly when he left the show.  One night, she and Will and Marcia Lewis were at a party together. Marcia was Patricia and Will’s son’s godmother. Casting director Joel Thurm was also at this party. He struck up a conversation with Patricia. He told her they were looking for a new Ermengarde. Andrea Bell, who was playing the role, was leaving to do a show in Vegas. Andrea had taken over when Alice Playten left the show. Marcia told Patricia to cry for him and she did. “Augh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” 

He asked her to come to the theater the next day to audition for them. She went to the theater and auditioned for Lucia Victor. They liked her. 

She sang and danced and cried. They offered her the role of Ermengarde.

Cab Callaway, Pearl Bailey

Of course, Merman ended the original run of Dolly and Patricia was with the show from April , 1970 until December 27^th, 1970. Pearl Bailey’s company had left the St. James and Phyllis Diller’s company replaced that company for three months and then Merman. After Dolly! Patricia would go on to do How Now, Dow Jones?   Prior to Dolly, Patricia also appeared in Roar of the Greasepaint with Anthony Newly and Cyril Ritchard. That was a fabulous time for her. She would also do Wonderful Town and How to Succeed at City Center. She and Will also did a couple of tours together, The Apple Tree and Promises, Promises.

“Opening night was magical.” Even though the audiences were there to see Merman, Patricia got huge applause.

Patricia brought her own brand of perkiness to the role of Ermengarde. She also got an agent as a result of her role in Dolly, Martin Gage.  He came backstage to meet her and greeted her at the stage door. When she spoke to him, he said, “Wait a minute. Where’s your voice? “ She had used a cartoonish voice for Ermengarde.   

She was young and he thought she was” that kind of person.” It kind of shocked him but he said, “I think we can work with this.”

She was finding something new about Ermengarde nightly. When she closed, she said, “I could have done this or that!” You’re always trying to, not overdo obviously, but to go deeper or find a better way or a more fun way. When you are doing a role over and over, you do try to make her more palpable as time goes on.   

Working with Ethel was different from every other show she would go on to do. 

Ethel set the standard. People were afraid of her but she was terribly shy and quite the professional. People were afraid of her because she did not stand for anything below par. She had a level that she played and she said, “I will never go below this. If I feel great, I will go above it, but I will never go below it. There are people out there paying to see you. Give them the best you have to offer. When I feel good, I give a great performance. When I feel great, I give a fabulous performance!”  Patricia learned a lot from her in that respect. Merman commanded this aura. Other stars, according to Patricia, had stars but not of that caliber. 

Courtesy: Stephen Crowley

You weren’t as “scared” by them, they were real people. Merman was an icon. She was someone who you almost couldn’t touch and yet you could touch. There were rumors towards the end about the show closing. Patricia decided to go to the top, Merman!  Everyone tried to dissuade her. “You can’t go to Ethel!” Patricia did. She went to Merman’s dressing room and knocked on the door. She opened the door and exclaimed, “Someone’s come to visit me! Isn’t that wonderful!” She removed the clothes that were on the chaise lounge and said, “Sit! Sit!” They sat there and talked. They talked about the show and the rumors of the closing. Merman told her that the show was closing but “not yet.” Merman said she would let the cast know when it would happen. They had the most wonderful “down to earth time.” It was a side that few rarely saw because they never made that first move.  She was shy but always present. If you started a conversation with her, she would go all out and have a great conversation.  If you didn’t say anything to her first, she was just there.

Ethel threw several parties for the cast and crew at various restaurants around town.  From time to time. Patricia would find herself at the same table as Merman. It wasn’t a “close” friendship but they WERE part of the same cast and had a great time together.

Patricia says the biggest misconception about Ethel Merman is that she was this “scary MAC truck.”

Jack Goode was Horace Vandergelder. He was wonderful according to Patricia. He suffered this horrible thing when he went into a hospital for a transfusion and died. This wasn’t long after Dolly closed.

If Hello, Dolly! was a brand new show today without its track record, Patricia does not think it would succeed in today’s theater world. 

Because of generations growing up on television, watching characters develop, and it has to be fast and furious and special effects and the louder you can sing and all of that and microphones. When Patricia started in the theater, there were NO microphones. They had to use their bodies and voices. When the microphone came in, for the most part, everything shifted to a more “pop” sound.

We live in a world of Spiderman and The Lion King and Wicked. They are all about special effects.

Patricia is a very positive person and does not recall anything remotely negative during her run of Dolly! There were absolutely no drawbacks.

One of the highlights for Patricia was standing in the wings with Ethel Merman waiting to go on.  Also sitting on the valises with Ethel and whispering in each other’s ears.

The fact that at the time of closing that it was the longest running show, having amassed 2,844 performances was exciting to Patricia.

The one thing that Patricia learned from her Dolly days that she carried throughout the rest of her career was how to be a professional, especially from Merman. She epitomized professionalism. She didn’t even allow the stagehands to play cards backstage while she was working.  It was too distracting. “You don’t want to live in a tunnel but people are paying to be entertained, big money nowadays, to see a good performance. Who in the world can make a living working for three hours a night and have the rest of the time available? When you think of it that way, it’s an easy job…to be up there singing and dancing and applause!”

Patricia saw Carol Channing perform the role many times although she never appeared with her. She saw it in San Francisco when Will did it with her when she went down to visit. “Oh, she’s just a doll. She’s just amazing.She brought an usual quality to the role that had not really been tapped before or since. She was certainly loved by the cast and audiences just adored her. They were spellbound. ”  

Patricia also saw Betsy Palmer, Betty Grable,  and Martha Raye play Dolly.  Will appeared with both Martha Raye and Betty Grable. According to Patricia, Martha Raye was definitely unique. Betty Grable brought a glamour. Betsy Palmer brought a humanity. She had been in everyone’s living rooms for so many years through television. Everyone felt they knew her. It brought a simpatico feeling with audiences.

Jerry Herman

Patricia says Jerry Herman is a doll and so cute. Very talented in his own way. A rumor that he steals from himself which is probably the best form of flattery. He has had a great long career.  He has a way of making everything fun and palpable for people. When Will went into the show with Ginger, Jerry was around a lot to see the transition. Jerry came back after Will had been in the show six months and asked him to sing the melodies more. He was actually talk singing most of it. Jerry explained to him that there were notes there that he wanted him to sing.  Both he and Michael Stewart would show up from time to time to look at the show.

The one major change that Patty has seen in the business since Dolly is that for many young people, “the show does not go on when they don’t desire it to.” Both Patricia and Will find that these days they see so many standbys and understudies go on.  In Patricia’s day, you got the job and you did the job. Whether you felt bad or not, you just did it. People are very lackadaisical now. “I have a hangnail; I think I’ll let someone else go on tonight in my place.” To Patricia, they really don’t take it that seriously.

Closing night was a very sad night.  It was also joyous knowing that had gone down in history at that time by being the longest running show on Broadway AND ending the run with the original choice for Dolly Levi, Ethel Merman. It was a momentous occasion with a huge cake rolled out on stage. Will Mackenzie and Patricia both feel that Hello, Dolly! is one of the top five best musicals ever written.

It truly was the end of an era.

Thank you Patricia Cope for the gifts you have given to the world and continue to give!

With grateful XOXOXs ,

Check out my site celebrating my forthcoming book on Hello, Dolly!
I want this to be a definitive account of Hello, Dolly!  If any of you reading this have appeared in any production of Dolly, I'm interested in speaking with you!

Do you have any pics?
If you have anything to add or share, please contact me at Richard@RichardSkipper.com.

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!    
               

My next blog will be... My exclusive interview with David Misch: Celebrating Comedy


Thank you, to all the mentioned in this blog!

  

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

Please contribute to the DR. CAROL CHANNING  and HARRY KULLIJIAN FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS

Sign The Petition!

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

Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com                            

 
This Blog is dedicated to ALL THE DOLLYS and ANYONE who has EVER had a connection with ANY of them on ANY Level!