Rubbing Elbows: My Brushes with Celebrities chapter 16

In the summer of 2015, promoter Nick Lion and I were guests of my Facebook friend, music producer Bob Esty, to see Pia Zadora at the Metropolitan Room in Manhattan.

It was here that I became fast friends with club owner Bernie Furshpan. After he read my review of this show, he started giving me press passes to his shows.

The Metropolitan Room is a New York City treasure, where live cabaret is still very much a lively art. It features established and rising stars alike. Pia is in the first category.

I have long admired her from afar. She is a complete professional in every way.

Don't underestimate Pia's talent. She can sing a mean, operatic "O Solo Mio" that will knock your socks off. She is underestimated as a singer.

Pia's career was faltering when she when Frank Sinatra took her under his wing. They're fellow Hoboken, New Jersey people by birth. Hoboken is right across the river from New York City.  It's an easy commute there by Path train or ferry. I know; I lived there for a year.

Esty's stage direction was expert and it was so terrific for me to meet my Facebook friend, whom I blogged about and interviewed, at last. It was also a thrill to meet Pia after the show.

Ms Zadora makes a mean cocktail she calls a Piatini. Since Nick and I were seated right up front, she had the staff bring each of us one again.

Pia now lives -- and frequently performs -- in Las Vegas. Viva!

She was married to billionaire Meshulam Riklis but they were divorced. She is currently married to a Vegas police detective, Michael Jeffries. She has three kids.

And, so, my my celebrity blog was essentially born as I saw precisely what I wanted to do after writing up my review of this show.

Buddy Beaverhausen's Random Thoughts on the Changing Face of Blanche Dubois

When they decided to make Tennessee Williams' hit Broadway show, A Streetcar Named Desire, into a film, they brought Marlon Brando, Kim Stanley and Karl Malden along but ditched its original Blanche Dubois, Jessica Tandy in favor of a big name at the time. Hollywood decided on Vivien Leigh. I think they wanted audiences to see Blanche as sort of Scarlett O'Hara going mad.

Vivien does a bang-up job as Blanche in the 1951 film and, clearly, is the Blanche most people remember and the one against whom all others will be compared. Elia Kazan, who directed the show on the Broadway stage, also directs the film with style and great dramatic flair.

I saw Streetcar on Broadway in 1982. Jessica Lange was a fabulous Blanche Duboise and put amazing physicality into her performance, especially into her mad scene at the end. She threw herself to the floor and proceeded to crawl around on all fours. It must have been exhausting for her. especially on days when she had a matinee and evening performance to do. Alec Baldwin made a great Stanley and Amy Madigan was equally engaging as Blanche's sister Stella.

Ann-Margret was in a 1984 tv-movie version. While she wasn't half bad as Blanche, Treat Williams was all wrong for the role of Stanley. He just did not have the brute physicality required of the role.

A Streetcar Named Desire is a now-iconic work and a marvel, a masterpiece of American theater. It was withstood the test of time. I'm sure we'll see more revivals in the future. But which actresses today could assay the coveted role of Blanche? And can a musical or operetta be in the works?

Rubbing Elbows: My Brushes with Celebrities chapter 15

Vicki Sue Robinson was a sweetheart. I met her briefly after her show on 42nd Street. It was a terrific show and Vicki didn't disappoint, doing all of her dance floor hits and a couple of numbers from Jesus Christ Superstar She was part of the ensemble cast on Broadway.

Vicki entered, walking down the aisle with a rotating, shimmering disco ball on her head. Best known for her monster hit, "Turn the Beat Around,"

The year was 2000. and the singer was ebuliant on-sstage.At a brief meet and greet afterwards, however, she did seem a bit tired and wary as I shook her hand.

Within a month afterwards, the diva died of cancer complications. Sadly, she must have known this show would be her last.

Her show that night included all her hits including the then-recent hits, the Junior Vasquez-produced "House of Joy" (one of my favorites)  and "Move On."

My friend and I met her husband on the street, "Vicki's not well tonight," he glumly told us. We already prepared for the worst.

I saw the late Tammy Wynette (who had five costume changes) and Laura Nyro, each at The Bottom Line (long after I had worked there). I also met Joan Rivers after her show at Fez in the East Village. Joan was disarmingly sweet and kind after her show. It was my friend Kevin who got us in backstage to meet her.

I developed a complex, fearing I was becoming the Angel of Death!

Nona Hendryx  of Labelle also performed at Fez one night. The late Luther Vandross sat at a nearby title. and blew kisses at her from his seat. I was lucky to have met both artists after the show.

So many memories of the great and the late.

On My Birthday, 2016!

Today is my birthday, thank you. It also happens to be the birthday of Stevie Wonder, Be a Arthur and Dennis Rodman. I was born in good company.

This year, my birthday falls on Friday the 13th. Not to worry as 13 has always been my lucky number.

I know many great Tauruses. My close friend Tracey had her birthday yesterday. My friends Gary Popkin and Greg Sullivan had birthdays this week as well.

Cher's birthday is exactly a week after mine. Ah, if we could turn back time! Grace Jones' is only six days away.

I'll turn 64 tomorrow. What a drag it is getting old -- as The Rolling Stones sang before they grew old! Sometimes I do look in the mirror and wonder who the old man looking back at me might be.

So wish me well, everyone as I continue on my journey! It's been a marvelous trip thus far and I hope to have further fabulous adventures in life.

Buddy Beaverhausen's Random Thoughts: Donovan Turns 70

Donovan turns 70 today! He is, of course, the iconic '60s pop-folk singer who sang of love, peace, happiness and his wardrobe.

Donovan's songs are eternal/. I have long enjoyed his lovely pop tunes and still give them a listen now and then. They gently transport me back in time.

Born Donovan Phillips Leitch, he was a major star. Radio, concert performances, tv.

It's difficult for me to grasp how old my idols are getting, as well as I.

Here's a song I love that was used in an old GAP ad:



This was probably Donovan's greatest hit:



Happy birthday to my fellow Taurus, born just three days ahead of me, though not in the same year. I've always shared a special affinity with the Scots singer and now I know why!

Rubbing Elbows: My Brushes with Celebrities, chapter 13

Miss Manners

Back in the 1970s, I worked at a law firm then called Kramer, Nessen, Kramer, Davis & Saul. Ruth had been married to a film producer for Joseph E. Levine. He put her in charge of dubbing Levine's foreign films from Embassy Pictures. They included some gladiator howlers and Japanese sci-fi films.

She was very proud of the fact that she worked with Robbie Benson as a child, doing dubbing work. She told everyone she mentored him though I doubt that was ever the case.

Ruth was not a kind woman. She was sharp tongued and a drunk. She would call the office 24/7 and ask the time and if it was a work day. Needless to say, this schtick got tired very fast.

She often came in and in a nasty mood as a result. One morning, she pinned a helpless female co-worker against the kitchenette wall so that she could vomit in the sink. She was sent home that day.

Ruth was a cousin to the etiquette columnist Miss Manners, to whom she bore a strong resemblance.

It was at this point that that I launched my cabaret career as a singer/ comedian. Ruth came to my show but only to disparage me.

"Sweet vanity production," she told me, :But I've worked with professionals..... And you just don't have it."  Ruth was a mean-spirited old drunk.Unaffected by her comments I went on yo perform at a number of popular clubs at the time, included. And for the record, my act was not a vanity production. I auditioned, was paid and never mounted any of my shows myself.

Ruth died, tragically, when she fell down, drunk, at home and hit her head on the coffee table. She bled to death on the floor. Such a tragic end. Very William Holden-esque.

I attended her funeral in Manhattan with co-workers. She was not spoken of kindly by her daughter, a psychologist,  and her son, a lawyer. They were scarred, physically and psychically, when Ruth passed out with a lit cigarette in her bed one night when they were just children. Ruth got out unscathed by bolting out the doorShe only thought of herself, uncaring about the welfare of her kids. Even the rabbi, speaking at her grave, damned her. My friends and I were taken aback as we'd never experienced anything of this sort before.

Ruth fancied herself to resemble Rosalind Russell. No one had the heart to tell her otherwise.

Ruth walked with a cane at the time I knew her. She was crippled when she drunkenly crossed the street in the middle of the block against the light.

And that, my friends, is the story of Ruth. Miserable life, tragic end, not remembered lovingly by friends nor family.In death, I hope she's found some sort of peace at last.

Audio Beaverhausen Takes a Detour with Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper has done several theme-based albums, displaying her diversity in doing blues, disco and pop standards.

In the meanwhile, the songbird has won Tony and Olivier awards for writing songs for Kinky Boots with Harvey Fierstein.

She has kept her career thriving, reaching new heights. She is fearless.

Today I received Lauper's latest effort, Detour. Of course, it's a long awaited event. A Detour tour is in the works.

Detour is a mix of country and bluegrass. Ms Lauper told Rolling Stone magazine that she wanted "the beat to be dirty and sexy." Indeed, she got results courtesy of producer Tony Brown. There is a seductive sultriness to the album.

Duets with Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill and Jewel are a delight to listen to.

Song selections show impeccable taste. The album kicks off with the original "Funnel of Love." I was pleasantly surprised to hear Cyndi cover "Misty Blue." Her version of Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn's "You're the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly" is hilarious.

Make a detour this weekend to buy this album. Or get it Amazon.com. CD version comes with liner notes, credits and photos enclosed.

Cine Beaverhausen: Captain America ~ Civil War

Captain America: Civil War was released theatrically today. More superhero stuff ahead of summer specially targeted to young males.

That said, it is, in the long run, a fun and engaging action flick that helps keep the Marvel franchise alive.

A good cast assists in making this palatable. Chris Evans is Cpt. America, joined by Robert Downey Jr, in his Iron Man role, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Paul Rudd as Ant Man among others.

Script and direction are sturdy. It's great as far as it goes, though no big shakes in my book. Characters are well developed, taking this a long way. Still, younger audiences will adore this though older audiences less so.

My parents' generation were aware of Captain A and his adventures and exploits. This reboots the character for the new kids. Worth seeing on the big screen.

Video Beaverhausen: F/X Channel to Present Feud with Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon

This is perfect news arriving, as it does, just days before the anniversary of Joan Crawford's death.

Thanks to producer Brad Pitt bringing this property to the F/X cable channel, this tele-film is expected to come to us later this year.

Susan Sarandon will play Bette because she has Bette Davis eyes and Jessica Lange (hot off American Horror Story) will portray Joan. The mini-series will be a behind-the-scenes expose of the feud between the two stars on and off the set of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane in 1961.

Inspired by the Henry Farrell novella, this is anticipated to be powerhouse tv entertainment. This is turning into a divine year for the entertainment, entertainment industry and cable.

Pitt is producer and put his considerable muscle behind this effort. Stanley Tucci, Alfred Molina and  Judy Davis among others.

This has the potential to blow the roof off the house. Not to be missed. Alert to the film's legion of gay fans.

Cine Beaverhausen: Being Chariie

Being Charlie is an unpredictable tale about a troubled young ma. I admire it for its candidness.

I think readers already know that Buddy is my nickname but my birth name is Charles. I certainly never had a substance abuse problem of the sort depicted in this film.

The film, shot in Utah, is directed by Rob Reiner. Cary Elwes (who was in Reiner's The Princess Bride) is in this. Always good to see.

Expertly executed and delivered. Being Charlie opens at theaters this Friday. There's nothing like being Charlie, I can tell you from long experience. This film is for anybody who's ever felt alienated or disenfranchised in their youth. Young Nick Robinson is wonderful in the titular role.

I very much recommend this film to everyone seeking a tonic to the juvenile action fare released recently. Beautifully done. Bravo!

Opens in theaters in the USA on Friday.

Video Beaverhausen: Joan Crawford as Sadie Thompson in Rain

What do you do on a rainy day at home, with rain predicted all week, but watch Joan Crawford in Rain and be grateful that you're not stuck in Pago Pago during rainy season.

There's a monsoon going on reflecting all the turmoil going on inside the characters and their enacted drama.

While Crawford was always critical of her performance in this 1932 film, it has stood the test of time beautifully. It's an early talkie but there are remastered videos available.

Rain is a pre-code melodrama based on a Broadway play that was, in turn, adapted from a W. Somerset Maugham story.

The film is still relevant with its tale of false Christian values and religious hypocrisy. Walter Huston plays a missionary who moves to Pago Pago with his wife. He meets Sadie and hopes to reform her. And seduce her.

Sadie, you see, is what's politely referred to as a "good time girl." She likes the sailors -- and they like her

Joan, who started her career in silents, knew all her life how to make great use of her eyes and lips to steal scenes. She consistently put that technique to good use.

This is a marvelous movie classic that's not to be missed.

Rubbing Elbows: My Brushes with Celebrities chapter 12

It was at the Metropolitan Room in Manhattan where I met Julie Budd, She has a residency there and aways brings in a full house regardless of the weather.

Though she has fawning gay fans in her crowds, I was rather taken aback by her homophobic stance when I blogged about her show and mentioned that my friend, promoter Nick Lion and I went to a gay bar, The Monster in the West Village, after her performance that night. Julie felt it was sleazy and

Julie had a promising career as another Barbra Streisand. They expected her to be a superstar singing sensation and she should have been. But maybe show biz has room for only one Barbra.

Still, Julie is basically a lovely individual and sweet soul. Richard Skipper does a wonderful job promoting her.

NYC cabaret is where established stars meet the upcoming ones and the wannabes. It makes for an interesting mix and mingle.

Incidentally, I'd like to bid a fond farewell to Dana Lorge who passed away from lung cancer just around the time I was putting this chapter together. We had met in passing several times at shows at the Metropolitan Room She was a lovely woman and did a magnificent job hosting her variety show at the club.

Dana had a rather eclectic group of her guests in her show. She was diagnosed with cancer briefly before her final presentation at Metropolitan Room. A trouper to the end, I pray she rests in peace.

Cine Beaverhausen: Mother's Day

It's May 1st so, naturally,Mother's Day is in the air.

The movie, Mother's Day, opened in cinemas on Friday so, obviously, it means to cash in on the holiday. It stars Jennifer Anniston, Kate Hudson and Julia Roberts in a hideous, very unbecoming red wig.

It's another one of those dysfunctional family get-together movies. Didn't we just go through this at Christmas?

At least this flick isn't treacly sentimental but it's still a bit hard to digest.  The film takes place one year after a mother's death. While all professional credits are fine, the final effort doesn't really seem cohesive. Garry Marshall of tv's Laverne and Shirley, the film The Flamingo Kid and more, directed ~ heavy handidly. He recently did the movie Valentine's Day. What's next for him? Memorial Day? Fourth of July?

Stay away from theaters for this luke-warm comedy. It will turn up on video soon enough.

Video Beaverhausen: Joan Crawford Gets Axe Happy in Strait-Jacket!

The poster at right hangs in my living room. I love this William Castle suspense/ horror flick from 1964.

Strait-Jacket is the movie that Joan Crawford made after being fired from Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte. People tell me they think nothing's scarier than Joan yielding a large axe.

Crawford portrays Lucy Harbin, a woman who comes home one night, finds her hubby in bed with another woman, stumbles upon an axe and impulsively hacks them into pieces.

She is put away in a mental asylum and returns decades later to society, only to be haunted by her past. The story was written by Robert Bloch, the author of Psycho.

Diane Baker plays Joan's daughter. Joan liked Diane; they bonded after performing together in the 1959 soaper The Best of Everything.

Baker went on to co-star with Crawford in this film and, later, the tv-movie Della.

Strait-Jacket is good for thrills and chilla and maybe a few laughs. A must-see.

Video Beaverhausen Looks Into What Ever Happened to Baby Jane!

I first saw Baby Jane when I was 10, in the US Theater in my hometown of Paterson, NJ. My grandmother took me. After all, it was she who weened me on Joan and Bette films on our tv.

I adored this psychodrama. But, afterwards, my grandmother sighed and said, "They used to be so beautiful."

Nonetheless, my mother and her brother, my uncle Pat, loved this Robert Aldrich-directed suspense-cum-horror flick. They laughed and gasped throughout. My uncle taught me how to do a mean impersonation of Bette as Jane.

The film has, over the years, become a classic though, at the time, it received mixed reviews but was a box-office success that sparked an entire genre of aging studio screen goddesses in Grand Guignol-type movies.

This movie has been imitated and parodied throughout the decades but seems better as it ages, like a fine way.

It's said that Bette weeped through rushes when she saw her appearance on-screen. Yet it was she who fearlessly insisted that Jane rarely washed her face and just put on more make-up.

Oddly, it was only women who were relegated to this type of Gothic "hag" melodrama while men their age went on to be handsome leads in comedies and romances,

The script was written by Lukas Heller based on Henry Farrell's novella. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2014/06/beaverhausen-book-nook-what-ever.html

Great supporting cast here headed by Maidie Norman and Victor Buono.

Davis' and Crawford's rivalry was infamous and is gossiped about until this day. So is much of the film's dialogue which has taken on a life of its own. Crawford knew how to steal scenes by rolling her eyes, a technique she learned from starting in movies.

Joan was scheduled to play the role of Cousin Miriam in Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, Aldrich's follow-up. She got fired due to growing animosities with her co-star Bette and Aldrich, her director, and replaced by Olivia de Havilland.

Baby Jane is eternal. I'm sure you've all seen it. Novices be prepared. Every gay man must learn the dialogue and be able to repeat it on a moment's notice.





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Rubbing Elbows, My Brushes with Celebrities chapter 11

It was a great pleasure of mine to have met Pia Zadora. She was absolutely Zadorable.

I was already Facebook friends with her stage director for the show, Bob Esty. We finally got to meet that night which was like a dream come true. I believe that's where I first met Metropolitan Room's owners, Bernie and JoAnne Furshpan and immediately struck up a wonderful friendship.

As for Pia, she was just delightful, and I hope she'll return one day.

I went to her sold-out show with my good friend, Nick Lion (more about him to come later in this book. Nick is a promoter and club entrepreneur. He and I bonded and are now like brothers. I love Nick dearly.

The two of us, as Bob Esty's guests, were seated right up front. Pia even ordered us a complimentary Piatini, her own concoction that she sipped onstage.

She really knocked the ball out of the park with her rendition of "Oh Solo Mio." Little did I ever expect her to have such range and versatility.

I hope she'll return to Metropolitan Room. She had a sold-out house. And her beverage isn't half bad.

I believe that what makes a blog successful is its coverage of the "scene,"

Love you, Pia!

Cine Beaverhausen: Papa Hemingway in Cuba

Cuba was once a luxury resort for rich foreigners, largely Americans, until Castro's 1959 revolution, which is when this drama takes place,

Papa Hemingway in Cubs is a great movie that I'd happily revisit when it arrives on video. But go to theaters now to catch this beauty.

Superb acting by Adrian Sparks as America's famed writer Ernest Hemingway, Joely Richardson as his wife Mary, and everyone else in this wonderful cast.

The plot involves a reporter's visit to interview Hemingway just at the time everyone gets swept up in the political turmoil. It makes for terrific dramatic art.

Hemingway, of course, moved to Key West, Florida afterwards. It's the US's nearest point to Cuba. Back in the late 1980s, I took a trip by dark, to Key West. I even took a boat ride to as far as we could ride towards the country at the time. President Obama recently opened up the doors to freely travel to and from Cuba. Scenes were actually filmed in Havana.

By the way, I was conceived in Cuba when my dad was stationed on a Navy base and my mom flew down for a conjugal visit. It was August and very hot. Maybe that's why I feel such affinity with this film.

Papa Hemingway is directed sturdily with a great script to boot. Very highly recommended.

Rubbing Elbows: My Brushes with Celebrities chapter 9

Jimmie Bush was a pleasure to meet at the Metropolitan Room in NYC. He's a big talent and a big guy. He is a former college football hero and a crooner in the Tom Jones tradition.

We met at the Metropolitan Room in Manhattan in early 2016, after his great show there.

Jimmie is 6-5: and wears size 15 shoes. It was a privilege to meet him and his stage-mother, Mary.

That was the last time I recall going to a show without any trouble. You see, I've developed neuropathy in my feet from Type 2 diabetes. I know a promoter who has discontinued his contacting me as a result. Kind of a relief, actually.

You see, the numbness in my feet has resulted in my clutching onto things just to walk. My recent visits to club life, going to shows by impressionist Dorothy Bishop and Ty Jeffries (as Miss Hope Springs) had me clutching onto things so as not to topple over.

It has been a rapid decline and deterioration that I'm not at all pleased about. Oh Lord, no! Not me, not now! It seems like I just found my niche and now I find it fading from me. I'm getting physical therapy and rehabilitation, so hope to see improvement soon.

Many have mistaken my falling as a sign of drinking too much. I've even had one bartender refuse to serve me a second wine one night, though I was not slurry or inebriated.

So, I'm learning to walk with a cane for now. At Manhattan's Metropolitan Room, I've had the tall, hunky French sound engineer, Jean-Pierre, help me get into a cab.  Very kind, sweet and above the call of duty.

For the time being, I've been blogging more about movies and videos. Still in the game. At the point of writing this, I have soon-to-come shows at Carnegie Hall & Joe's Pub to see, both involving climbing stairs.

Wish me well.

Cine Beaverhausen: Legend and The Mermaid

Two recent sleepers here in the US have not, to my knowledge, been in any kind of wide release and may be headed directly to video. They both deserve to be seen by discerning audiences.

The Mermaid, arguably the best of these flicks, is from China. It's a Disney-esque family film, released theatrically in 3-D, and its a cutie. Kids will adore this ~ as long as it's dubbed and not subtitled.

The plot has a strong message at heart as the mermaids and mer-man struggle to foil a greedy tycoon and save our eco-system.

It's a wonderfully made modern fantasy feature with several memorable moments and plenty of laughs.

Legend is not a fantasy, as its title might suggest, but a dark, brooding crime drama about the Kray brothers of England. Their notorious real-life story has been told before, best in 1990's The Brothers Kray.  In that film, the twin brothers were portrayed by twin actors.

The new film stars one actor ~ Tom Hardy ~ in both roles. He is amazing as the dominant Reggie who draws his brother Frances into a life of violent crime.

Great special f/x help pull off this amazing performance feat. The support cast is superb, production values are all strong, as is direction by Brian Helgeland. 1960s period detail is spot on.

Both Legend and The Mermaid are on my updated "recommended viewing" list.

Buddy Beaverhausen's Random Thoughts: Dana Lorge, RIP

Sad news arrived on the Internet this morning where I learned of Dana Lorge's passing.

Dana was a first-rate entertainer and a real trouper on the circuit.

She found a niche for her variety show at Bernie and Joanne Furshpan's Metropolitan Room in downtown Manhattan. The popular presentation garnered quite a grand reputation in the cabaret community.

Dana was a very funny lady and possessed a lovely voice. She made an excellent, most entertaining Mistress of Ceremonies on stage. You never knew who her special guests might be. One night, Randy Jones (Village People's original cowboy) turned up. She was full of surprises.

It was a shock to me this morning to read about the news of her death of her death in broadwayworld.com.

I have fond memories of talking with her after shows at Metropolitan Room. She was sweet, funny and so completely down-to-earth and charming. This is a sad loss for the cabaret community.

"Nowhere will you find someone as special as our Dana. Joanne and I are absolutely devastated with this unimaginable loss. She will live forever in our hearts. May God Bless your soul," wrote Bernie Furshpan today.

Dana learned she had lung cancer not very long ago. Her funeral will be tomorrow, Monday, April 25th in Rego Park, Queens. Farewell to a lively, lovely lady.