BLT III - clip from 1980 WEST SIDE STORY Revival

[mywonderwa11]

Flippancy...I second that bump!

PalJoey, you're my new favorite :) Thanks for your wonderful stories!

[PalJoey]

When you're a Jet,
you're a Jet all the way,
From your first pirouette
To your last grand jete...

[allofmylife]

I saw the Debbie Allen version twice in 1980 and have directed it twice. One of my favorite shows. I have to admit, both times I directed it, I followed the lead of the OCR and added the 16 bars from "The Rumble" as a mini-overture to the opening. It is a very arresting gesture and actually draws the riveted attention of the audience so the fingersnaps are not missed when they begin.

[Gypsy9]

I am so glad I started to read this thread with posts beginning in 2005, and am grateful to Pal Joey for bumping it up through the years. My favorite bits of Pal Joey's contributions are describing production stage manager Ruth Mitchell using the first names of Larry(Kert), Carol(Lawrence) and Chita(Rivera) while blocking the 1980 cast members. Secondly, I loved hearing about Pal Joey's descriptions of Leonard Bernstein sighing loudly at the back of the house at the Miami orchestra's mistakes, going down the aisle with his jacket over his shoulders and whispering to the conductor, and finally his taking over the conducting of the orchestra, inspiring them, and the subsequent superior playing by the orchestra. This thread also motivates me to finally read the biography of Leonard Bernstein by Humphrey Burton(c.1993) which has been sittting on my bookshelf unread for all these years.

[PalJoey]

Just came across this picture of Hector Mercado, who played Bernardo in the 1980 revival.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hillyblue/2615148342/in/set-72157600430945166/

He was amazing. Wonder where he is how?

[PalJoey]

Could be...

Who knows?

Something's coming--something good?

I'd been quoting that When You're a Jet/pirouette "lyric" to friends for a while now and never could remember where I read it. Musta been this thread way back

[PalJoey]

Brian Kaman was the Baby John who made that up.

Wonder whatever happened to him... ;-{

[best12bars]

PJ, I met Hector out here in L.A. about 10 years ago. He was a friend of one of my coworkers at the foundation I used to work for.

He came by our offices one day, and I talked with him for a good long while. We had a mutual friend from "Cats," and I actually chatted with him briefly about the WSS revival.

He said it was a big thrill for him to play Bernardo, because he was actually in the movie, too. I questioned that, because I said he would have been a little kid when the film came out in '61. He said, "Yes, exactly right!"

Hector was one of the kids playing basketball on the court, during the opening shots filmed on the inner-city playground. So to have him go from that to Bernardo (almost 20 years later) in a WSS Broadway revival was a big thrill.

He was a very nice man, and I'm glad we had the chance to talk. He was living here in L.A. back then, but this conversation was a decade ago. I have no idea if he's still out here nor not.

[PalJoey]

I wonder where he is, and I hope he's well.

[PalJoey]

Bump.

Even though Miss P didn't like this revival, it remains my one and only Broadway show.

[miss pennywise]

I just read through this entire thread. PJ, your story Ivie Anderson had me grinning from ear to ear. Just think, you impressed Leonard Bernstein...and did a little duet with him. That's a memory I would never forget either!

I had no idea you worked on the WSS revival. Forgive me. As I said, I thought some of the casting was quite bad. I didn't want to name names, but everyone else has, so I may as well go for it! Ken Marshall couldn't sing and totally lacked charisma. I imagine him making every entrance hunched over, his pale, skinny arms dangling lifelessly at his side despite the excitement of his new-found love, witnessing the death of his best friend and murdering his lover's brother. I mean, when you're playing Tony, you have to show a little spark, at least. Mr. Marshall was just depressing! (I'm sure he's a very nice man though.)

Nevertheless, I KNOW that whatever contributions you made improved the show exponentially! I think the title of your memoirs should be Scatting with the Maestro.

[PalJoey]

I was just an assistant to the book director. Mostly I took notes.

And thanks for your suggestion for a memoir title, but don't you think scat references have an unfortunate double entente?

[miss pennywise]

So does the word maestro for that matter!

[PalJoey]

Bumped, pathetically, for the scrapbook with the yellowed clips.

[miss pennywise]

No apologies necessary, PJ. Your stories continue to entertain.

Now, tell us why Arthur turned on you!

[PalJoey]

Too painful for a message board. You have to get me very drunk for that.

[ljay889]

Aw, I knew there had to be a reason why you hate Arthur.

[PalJoey]

"Hate" is an inaccurate description. I bear my scars with a mixture of anger, sadness and pride.

[ljay889]

I would love to hear the stories!

[miss pennywise]

PJ, it's a date!

(But sorry about its being painful.)

I basically thought Arthur was a big jerk while reading his autobiography, but his love, devotion and respect for his long-time partner won me over. I was very sad when I learned of his passing. So Arthur IS willing to admit he's wrong and show his vulnerability. It only took 90 years!

[B3TA07]

Why am I reading this?

[PalJoey]

Well, I don't know that he's showing any "vulnerability"...

[miss pennywise]

Hey, Pal Joey, I'm trying to be NICE!

[PalJoey]

Bump for LadyDramaturg2

[Reginald Tresilian]

PalJoey, I don't believe you've included the coda to this story, which I love: the note from Bernstein.

PJ has a little note in his possession, written on one of Bernstein's correspondence cards. Lenny struck through the printed name and then wrote a short message, concluding with: "You're a fine lad, and a big spirit."

The funny part is that in Bernstein's scrawl, it looks as though he actually called PJ a "big sh!t."

(I'm not being mean; PJ is always the first to point this out.)