21 DAYS...KING and QUEEN

DAY 9

Sometimes you just have to leave town.  Sometime you just have to put on a cotton lawn nightgown and tootle about a backyard for a day, napping in the sun, playing with your dog.

Geoffrey Holder died.  An artistic King.  I did not know him but knew those who did...who cherished their friendship.  His son wrote an open letter.  Open it, please.

Marian Seldes died.  A theatrical Queen.  I did know her...for twelve hours.

We did an intimate concert together at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie.  For some reason they decided we should share a dressing room.  She was grace, she was majestic in her signature purple, she was personable with a wicked sense of humor.  

Pre concert I was trying to determine between flats and 4" heels to wear with my LBD. "You could get away with the flats but you'll be cheating the audience of those legs.  Heels it is."

Heels it was.

During intermission of the concert she witnessed me STILL looking at a piece of music from Act 1, trying to figure out how to make it work.  "Tear it up and put it in the garbage. Let me see you do it.  You are glorious and that song it is not.  I am not leaving this dressing room until I see you tear it up."

Little itty bitty pieces floated into the garbage as instructed.

That long and lean delight had an appetite as well.  We went brownie for brownie that day.

7. We each ate 7.  She was 74 at the time. This extraordinary actress had that exquisite ability of making you feel as if you were the most important person in the world. I was so thrilled to play with the woman I saw in my first Broadway play, DEATHTRAP.


Requiescat in Pace you two.  The world is a little darker but our ghost lights glow more brilliantly.