On the Town with Buddy Beaverhausen: Pass the Marmalade, Lady, It's Sarah Dash's Birthday Brunch!

Sarah Dash's 70th birthday celebration at 54 Below was an epic luncheon that included a two-course meal, birthday cake, a cocktail named and surprise guest Nona Hendryx of Labelle and, prior to that, of Patti Labelle & the Bluebelles. It was three hours long -- but made us want even more!

A packed house turned out for the $100-per-seat affair. As for me, I ordered the poached eggs w/ chipotle hollandaise on grilled bread with spinach and a side of asparagus. I was seated with two very personable table companions, April Sette of the NJ Buzz Radio show and her friend Nancy Pertschuk, a professional shopper. I also saw friend/ musician Tracy Stark on my way into the club.

Sarah, like Pia Zadora, is a diva with her own drink. Pia has her Piatini, Sarah has her Sinner Man. I said no, I said no, I said no no no... but the cocktails kept coming. Four to be exact. Sinner Mans are prosecco with oj, honey syrup and grenadine. Yummy! I had coffee afterwards to help me get over them when the whipped cream-with-fruit cake slices came for dessert.

A Sinner Man

Best of all, however, was the entertainment. Melba Moore belted out a couple of her numbers, including "You Stepped Into My Life" and D-Train got the house up on its feet with his soulful hiNRG. The ladies from Chic (now known as Next Step) sang some '70s gold, including 'Le Freak,"I Want Your Love" and "Everybody Dance." I got to speak with Luci Matin, with whom I recently did a Q&A along with Alfa Anderson & Norma Jean Wright.

Next Step: the ladies of Chic

 http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2015/08/exclusive-q-with-luci-martin-of-chic.html

As For Nona, she praised her singing partner of many years but, unfortunately, had nothing prepared for singing.  Understandable as she flew in from the West Coast at the last minute to be a part of this affair. Nona had some pretty funny things to say, like how she loved but hated Sarah for bringing her into the world of entertainment when she wanted to be a teacher.

Nona, Sarah and Melba. Photo by April Sette

Nona said, with a straight face, that Patti Labelle wanted to be at 54 Below but couldn't because she was in Maine, catching crabs. "No, really," Nona assured us, "That girl loves her crabs!"

When Sarah Dash took to the stage at the end of the show, she sang her ballad "Im Still Here" (not the song from Sondheim's Follies), "Sinner Man" with Ari Gold and a few other guests, and, finally -- of course -- "Lady Marmalade" with a host of friends. Sarah played her birthday wishes from Patti via cell phone, with Patti saying she was unable to come because she was catching crabs. Poor dear.

Sarah said she was proud to be a groundbreaker in her support for transgendered people and the LGBT community. We love her right back.

Ms Dash said she had a cold but was in fine voice as far as her sold-out crowd was concerned. We spoke briefly after the show. Sarah Dash is a great performer but, more importantly, a survivor, an inspiration, and a kind, sweet individual it is a privilege to know. Expect a Q&A shortly.

By the way, when I mentioned Piatinis, Sarah asked if it was good. I told her it was more potent than a Sinner Man and that one doesn't fall out of a golf cart and get a concussion without a few Piatinis under her belt. I love making a diva laugh out loud.

Happy belated birthday, Sarah Dash!

70s Sarah turns 70 at 54

Sarah Dash will turn 70 on August 18th. She will be feted at a brunch at 54 Below, which is where I last saw her when she was part of Tracy Stark's tribute to Lesley Gore.

According to her press release:

54 BELOW, Broadway’s Supper Club will host Sarah Dash’s upcoming milestone birthday on Sunday, August 23, 2015 from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. This 70s Disco themed brunch is a play on words – the singer turns 70 this month (August 18th) and is perhaps best known as a powerful one third of the groundbreaking 70s group Labelle which was also comprised of Nona Hendryx and Patti LaBelle. 
Guests should expect a number of surprise appearances from a virtual “who’s who” from the world of music as well as a touching tribute from Tony-award winner and Grammy-nominated singer, Melba Moore. In addition, Alfa Anderson, Luci Martin and Norma Jean Wright, the magnificent lead vocalists on era-defining CHIC records “I Want Your Love”, “Everybody Dance”, “Le Freak” and “Good Times” are set to perform these classic hits as well as debut music from their hot new group Next Step. 

"The Sarah Dash Birthday Celebration: 70s Disco Brunch is a gift to Dash from her longtime supporters who have followed her from her start with Patti LaBelle & The Blue Belles which morphed into the unprecedented rock-soul-funk trio Labelle to a solo career filled with remarkable individual achievements. 

“I was blown away”, says Dash, “when a group of fans approached me with the Disco Brunch concept. They organized themselves, pooled their funds to secure the venue, and are literally throwing me a 70th birthday party.” “I don’t think there is a higher honor than to have people show their appreciation in such a way”, she concluded. “I am truly grateful.” 

Tickets to the 70s Disco Brunch hosted by 54 BELOW (254 West 54th Street/Manhattan) are available now at www.54Below.com. The cost of a ticket is $100 per person and includes a two-course brunch, a bottomless cocktail aptly named after Dash’s international solo hit “Sinner Man”, and once-in-a lifetime performances. With food, laughter, flowing cocktails and a dynamic show this event is not to be missed. 

For more information, call: (646) 476-3551.

I am so looking forward to celebrating Ms. Dash's birthday in high style as befits a diva of her stature. Could it be any more appropriate it's taking place under the old Studio 54? Special thanks to Marvin Johns.

Exclusive Q&A with Adam B. Shapiro

Thanks to Ricard Skipper who, along with Carly Ozard is promoting the show "Love Don't Need a Reason" at 54 Below tonight, Wednesday, July1 at 9:30 pm, for arranging this interview. The show will sell out, so, for tickets (if any remain), go to http://richardskipper.blogspot.com

Adam B. Shapiro will perform and, the night before, will be part of the cast when the Metropolitan Room presents a tribute to Karen Carpenter. I've seen him at various events, perhaps last at Kevin Scott Hall's benefit for Bistro Award winner singer Amy Beth Williams. He at times seems ubiquitous and works tirelessly, always presenting a powerful, first-rate performance. It was indeed a pleasure to finally do a Q&A with this maestro of NYC theater, cabaret and film.

To learn more about Adam, check out: http://www.adamshapiro.xbuild.com

Buddy Beaverhausen: So, let's start by my asking you to tell us about your July 1 show, Love Don't Need a Reason.
Adam B. Shapiro: Well, I admire Carly Ozard so much as an artist. I had no idea, though, that she put on these benefit concerts in San Francisco. When she told me about what she was doing here, I wanted to be involved. It's a benefit for the Callen-Lorde Center and I personally know people who have been helped by them. And I've known Richard Skipper even longer. It's going to be a great night with a long list of great performers and I'm happy to be part of it.

BB: You seem relentlessly busy. How do you get so much work and what do you like to do to relax?
ABS: Thank God I'm busy! I've been at this for 11 years now. I've just tried to do a lot of shows, but then in 2013, I got lucky and got a part in HBO's The Normal Heart. So, after that, I became better known and much more in demand. Since then, I've gotten to do tv, movies and even more shows, including at clubs like 54 Below and the Metropolitan Room.
     When I do get to relax, I love to cook. I consider myself an amateur chef. I'm addicted to all the Food Network shows, take classes to learn things I don't already know, and I love to invite people over and serve my recipes. I do holidays really well. And I get a chance to do my Julia Child voice.

BB: As a gay man, what was your first thought or reaction to the Supreme Court's recent, historic marriage equality decision?
ABS: Oh, man! I heard the news while I was leaving to go on a retreat at Easton Mountain, near Saratoga Springs. It's a wonderful place to get out of the city and they do great workshops. Meditation workshops, body image, all kinds of things. Massage. So, I was on my way when a friend called with the news. So, it was great to have a place to go to where I could share this with other gay men. It was surreal! Most of the support when I got back was from my straight friends. And that's how this happened because our straight friends had the courage to stand up not just for us, but with us, on this.

BB: Let's talk about the HBO movie version of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart and how you became involved in that.
ABS: In 2012, I signed with new management and they sent me the script. I contacted them and said "How did you get me into this? Everybody wants to be in this!" And they just said "Read the breakdown," and I did. And my character, named Bella, was just ideally matched for me. I thought, I know him so well. Bella had a uniform fetish, so I showed up to audition in a quasi-Boy Scout uniform. And got the part! Bearded, dirty sense of humor, life of the party, larger than life. It was so wonderful to play opposite Mark Ruffalo, Julia Roberts... who are not just great actors, they're just really cool people.
BB: Well, you were great in that.
ABS: Thank you so much. It's wonderful to be part of it. I'm very proud.

BB: If you had to choose between acting and singing, which would you choose?
ABS: Gosh! That's a tough one. I think part of what I love is that I enjoy doing both. Being on t.v. or in movies, I draw on a set of skills I only recently knew I had. And getting on stage, that just feels like home!

BB: You were born and raised in Indiana. What was growing up there like? What kind of music influenced you and how did your family support your talent?
ABS: Indiana is a small city compared to NYC but it has a great arts scene that has only grown in the time since I've left. Music? What didn't I listen to? I call my father the Vinyl King because he collects records. He'd put on Van Halen and I'd dance around the room. My grandmother was big into Rat Pack: Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. My mom listened to everything: pop tunes, Broadway tunes. Musically, it was a very eclectic house. My mother died when I was still very young, but dad remarried and our second mother has been very supportive. I know my parents were hoping performing would be more of a hobby because it's such a tough business, but I'm a tough cookie.

BB: Any celebrity crushes? Favorite divas?
ABS: Well, after working with him, I have to confess I have a little crush on Mark Ruffalo. I do have a thing for Seth Rogan I must say. Favorite divas? Tonight, I'll be seeing my queen, Bette Midler, in Brooklyn!
BB: Oh, my God, I'm going to be there!
ABS: Oh, great! I'll look for you, then! I also love Barbra Streisand. I call her and Bette my Queen B's! Also my Jewish divas! And I wouldn't be a good gay man if I didn't say Cher. Carly Ozard is also one of my favorite divas. Love her!

BB: You're happiest moment as a performer?
ABS: Ah, that's a good question. In 2012, in Boston, in a production of "Ragtime." Perfect production, orchestra, co-stars; singing "Our Children" gave me chills up my spine each night. And last September, in my show at 54 Below, "nothing Normal."

BB: Any roles you coveted but didn't get?
ABS: Oh, so many! So many. When I get older, I basically want to do everything Zero Mostel did: Fiddler, Forum, The Producers. Right now, I am dying to get into Something's Rotten on Broadway. I like to think of roles I didn't get as roles I'll play someday.

BB: I recently saw the video of you singing Bonnie Tyler's "I Need a Hero" and you say you didn't always feel comfortable about singing something like that. Was it liberating, and why that particular song?
ABS: Good question. I think that when I first came out here to NYC, I thought if I sing songs like this, it wouldn't be good for my career or people would see me only in a certain light. But recently, I thought, unless I'm auditioning for a role and it wouldn't be right for the part, screw it, I'm going to be true to myself. Why that song? We all need a hero, don't we!

BB: Thank you Adam! Any last shout-outs, especially to our LGBT readers round the world?
ABS: I am just so grateful to everyone who has seen my work. Everyone internationally who has seen me in Normal Heart and, especially, anyone who's seen me onstage. Please check out my website. Also, I'm grateful to Carly and to Richard Skipper! And please join us at 54 Below July 1st. I look forward to performing with such great people for such a great organization.

The Legacy of Lesley Gore at 54 Below

What a wonderful night it was indeed as 54 Celebrates Lesley Gore rocked the packed house at the swank, underground nightclub, 54 Below. The show not only highlighted Ms Gore's hits as well as her lesser known numbers, but it did it all in grand style. My friend, singer Ron Giles, was my guest and he was at times, moved to tears. At one point, he danced in the aisle -- and who but Sarah Dash of LaBelle got up to dance with him, lucky guy.

The line-up of talent for this event was amazing! The Marvelettes, Sarah, Lorraine Ferro, Molly Pope, Maxine Linehan, Jill Abramovitz, Lorinda Kisitza, Gabrielle Stravelli. It was a pleasure to meet some of these ladies after the show.

Tracy Stark's musical direction was assured throughout. The show opened with the upbeat but little-heard "Mama I'm a Rocker," with Lorinda on vocals followed by the pop hit "Maybe I Know," sung by Gabrielle. The crowd immediately caught Lesley Gore Fever!

This was a show where, frankly, every interpretation was a highlight, really. But I must single out The Marvelettes, whose original vocalist, Denise, was quite the raconteur. What a voice this lady possesses! And her fellow vocalists are far from slouches as they covered "Look of Love" and belted out the final song, "It's My Party."

Sarah Dash's rendition of "California Nights" was indeed a powerful one, though better yet was her interpretation of the anthemic classic "You Don't Own Me."

News of the night was distinctly Tracy Stark's announcement that she has a forthcoming album of her own featuring varied vocalists -- including Lesley Gore.

It was wonderful to hear faves like "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows," the "Run, Bobby, Run/Off and Running" medley, "She's a Fool," Judy's Turn to Cry," the Oscar-nominated "Out Here on My Own" (written by Lesley with her brother Michael for the movie Fame)

Kudos to all. And that includes the staff at 54, prompt, polite and attentive service as always. This show was a treasure and an event I will remember and cherish a lifetime.

Exclusive Q&A with Musical Director Tracy Stark about her Tribute to Lesley Gore

With Tracy and Nick Lion

I had already approached Ms Stark about doing a Q&A with regards to her forthcoming Lesley Gore show at 54 Below. At the tme, the performers list had yet to come together, so we postponed it. Well. it developed into quite an interesting ensemble and I look forward to the show. Here, then, is our conversation. The shows are tonight at 7 and 9 pm. I met Ms Stark in person for the first time when she was musical director in April for Gretchen Reinhagen. Thank you so much, Tracy, and see you tonight.

Buddy Beaverhausen: Hello, Tracey, and thank you for doing this Q&A with me. You recently celebrated your birthday (another fellow Taurus; we're the best)! Did you do anything fun or exciting?

Tracy Stark: On my birthday, I did arrangements and band charts for this show!  So, basically I worked on my birthday. But, I took a birthday nap!

BB: It was so nice to meet you at Gretchen Reinhagen's show last month and hope to be at 54 Below Wednesday night for the Lesley Gore tribute. I recently saw the line-up. Wow! How did you get The Marvelettes and Sarah Dash on-board?

TS: I met, and played with Denise Spann-Morgan, (who is in the "Marvelous" Marvelettes) some years ago. And, I've recently been doing shows with Sarah Dash. Both of those women are so talented and generous, and they eagerly agreed to hop on board.

BB: Was the show your idea from its original inception?

TS:Not at all. 54 Below does a whole series of shows, honoring various artists and shows.   It's a wonderful series, and the shows are always extremely high quality.  I'm actually not sure who had the original idea to do this tribute. Scott Coulter was asked to direct it, and he called me, because he knew I had worked with Lesley in the past.  I said yes immediately, and I gathered some of the musicians I had worked with, when I worked with her.

BB: What was it about Ms Gore that attracted you to doing this show celebrating her music?

TS: I just really admired her as a strong, funny, down-to-earth human being.   As a musician, she was so versatile.  In her live shows, she'd do a lot of different styles of music - her hits, of course, but she'd also do rock, jazz, disco, etc. - and do them all extremely well.   And, she wrote such incredible songs. I've been re-immersing myself in her music for this show, and finding an entirely new level of respect.

BB: Her birthday was May 2nd (another Taurus). Was it your idea to plan the show close to that date?
TS:  I think it might have been a coincidence!   You can ask the producers this question.

BB: When I last talked to you, you were just starting to put together the singers/cast for 54 Celebrates Lesley Gore. How did you choose the performers who will be in the show?"

TS: Sarah Dash and Denise Spann-Morgan had both known Lesley. And, they are both incredible vocalists.   Lorraine Ferro had sung with Lesley for over 10 years.   (Lesley had referred to Lorraine as "the best rock vocalist around" and I might be inclined to agree.) Some of the other vocalists, are people whom I just love.  For example, I will take any opportunity to play music with Gabrielle Stravelli, and Molly Pope.   Both Scott Coulter and I know and love a lot of the same vocalists, so there was a lot of agreement in our choices.

BB: You were Lesleyy's musical director. What are your favorite or most outstanding memories of her?   

TS: My musical memories range from the sublime to the bizarre, mostly depending on whether we got to play with our own hand-picked musicians, or if we had to do 1-nighters with a local pick-up band, that was chosen for us, by the producers. Although, no matter what the quality (or lack thereof), the audience always had a great time. They were there to see Lesley, who was ALWAYS a superb performer.  

BB: Your hometown is Philadelphia. What was growing up in Philly like?

TS: My best memories of Philadelphia, were of high school. I went to the Philadelphia Creative and Performing Arts.   I was in the very 1st graduating class.   At that time, the school was so new, there was not even a building for us. We were using 3 floors in the College of Art building.  And, some of the classes took place in the hallway. So, you'd have people writing in 1 area, dancing in another, and you'd hear singing coming from the stairwell.   It was such a great place to be, as a budding musician.

BB: What's the best part, for you, about being self-employed as an artist?

TS: Other than a couple of months of survival jobs in my 20's, making my living as a musician, is all I've known.   The best part, is being able to be exactly who I am.   I feel like this is what I was born to do.  It is my own responsibility. Although, being self-employed absolutely has its difficulties.  Most of the difficulties come because there are so many great vocalists I love to play with, that I end up with too much on my plate.  That's when music meets stress.

BB  Besides Ms Gore, who were the voices that most inspired you throughout your life?

TS  Oh my god.  I'm not sure I can answer this question without listing a thousand names...So, I'll just list the first few who influenced me as a teenager. Janis Ian was the first musician whose songs I analyzed within an inch of their existence. I knew every note, orchestration, lyric, and phrase of her first 7 or 8 albums. Of course, Joni Mitchell has to be on this list.  Genius. Innovative. Poet. Inventor. Musician. Painter.  She was the first artist for me, who had albums that were completely different genres from each other.  Each song inspired me, and the fact that she could go from one genre to another, so effortlessly, was illuminating for me. Rickie Lee Jones inspired groove for me. Phoebe Snow has the most other-worldly voice, that I could not stop listening to.

On the Town with Buddy B: Sally Kellerman Takes NYC by (Snow) Storm

Sally Kellerman brought her considerable talent and charm to 54 Below last night to a crowd of appreciative fans that included columnist Michael Musto (who sat at the table behind us), jazz great Annie Ross, music producer Nick Lion and myself.

Kellerman was cool and casual, strutting about the stage, still a willowy beauty, dressed in a silky white tailored shirt over blue jeans. She was accompanied by Ed Martel on piano, a guitarist and drummer.

Composer and pop music producer Ken Hirsch took over the keys for a couple of numbers while the band took a break, with Sally singing "Still Miss You," a song by Mr Hirsch and Paul Williams, and the extremely affecting "If I Could."

Sally is one of the few artists who can get away opening a song while lying on the floor. A moment distinctly not music directed by Bob Esty back in L.A. And she sure knows how to work a fedora! When she pondered why she never slept with Marlon Brando when she had the chance and he was still thin, she was completely, disarmingly charming.

Ms Kellerman opened with the jazz tune, "Somebody Call the Cops." Her sets included many great standards of the '50s, '60s and '70s including "The Look of Love," "Spooky," "Love Potion #9" and the raunchy blues number, "Sugar in My Bowl."

From the start, I felt Sally's voice (by the way, she claimed not to be enamored of her first name, which she thinks is too "poofy") reminded me of Peggy Lee's. And damned if she didn't do a memorable interpretation of "Is That All There Is?"!

Sally had a clearly drunken fan in the house, a bit too vocal, leaning toward heckling. When he became truly overbearing near the end of the act, Sally said with sweetly delivered sarcasm, "Have another drink, sir."

In the lobby after the show, this man lurched toward Sally after she and I spoke. My friends, Nick and his life partner, Benjamin, gentlemen that they are, quickly escorted her back into the club. And the club personnel (always gracious and attentive at 54) escorted the sod to the street.

After we left, Nick, Benjamin and I stopped for a drink at the jam-packed The Ritz club on Restaurant Row. There's a photo of Nick and I with another giant drag queen that Benjamin took and I'll share on Facebook. Those great guys drove me through the snow (that started really coming down) to Bay Ridge. Safe passage to them, going back to Queens, and to Sally, on her way to PA for her Saturday show.

EXCLUSIVE Q&A with SALLY KELLERMAN

Sally Kellerman is an entertainment legend who needs little introduction, having been in show business now for decades. At 18, she signed a recording contract with the Verve label, though her first album, Roll with the Feelin', was not recorded till '72.  Her album, Sally, was released in 2009.

Ms Kellerman is a combination of beauty, brains and talent, so her success on-screen, stage and vocally (as singer and voice-over artist) should come as no surprise. Her most iconic role was that of "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the film MASH. She's been on several motion picture soundtrack recordings, has done voices for animated features, voiced over many tv commercials (Hidden Valley Ranch dressing, Revlon), has done numerous classic tv episodes and has written a memoir, Read My Lips.

Sally Kellerman appears at 54 Below in Manhattan, NYC, on Friday, January 23rd at 9:30 pm. I will be there. She will also be at The Razz Room, New Hope, PA on Saturday the 24th.

One thing you don't do is to keep a Hollywood icon waiting but, unfortunately, I couldn't find Ms K's phone number. I was in a panic! When I called an hour late, the star was incredibly gracious -- and forgiving. Special thanks and gratitude to Alan Eichler for setting up this interview opportunity. 

Ladies and gentlemen, Buddy Beaverhausen Talks with Sally Kellerman!   

Buddy Beaverhausen: Hello, Ms Kellerman, so sorry I'm so late but I couldn't find your number....
Sally Kellerman: I understand. I have to pack for New York after this.....
BB: I'll be there at 54.
SK: Oh, wonderful! This is for your blog?
BB: Yes, I get over 13,000 views monthly, internationally.
SK: That's terrific! By the way, what's the weather like in New York?
BB: Today's rainy and icy, but it'll be fairer when you arrive. Were you ever at Studio 54 in its day?
SK: I went once. I'm an L.A. girl.
BB: Now, some actresses make their star debut coming down long staircases. You made yours stepping from a helicopter. What was that like?
SK: MASH, yes! It was terrific getting to meet and work with Bob Altman, with whom I later made a number of films. I think my favorite role was that in Brewster McCloud. Have you seen it?
BB: Yes. It was a favorite film of mine in college.
SK: We worked so well together and I was devastated when he passed away. He really worked beautifully with actors, giving us respect and freedom in how we created our roles.
BB: What was it like for you, filming the sequence in MASH, when the guys collapse the shower frame and you're "on stage." I remember, on its release, it was quite a sensation because of your dramatic nude scene.
SK: Oh my God! That was quite a take because the feeling of rage was so real, raw! But Bob Altman handled it all very delicately at the set and afterwards. I always had full faith in him as my director.
BB: I see your show is directed by Bob Esty, whom I've interviewed....
SK: You know Bob?
BB: Only through our interviews and on Facebook. We did meet in New York this past summer....
SK: Right. Pia Zadora! Well, Bob is just an angel. One of the sweetest people I've ever met and we got to be close friends. I adored working with him on my act and I love listening to his classics with Streisand, Cher and Donna Summer....
BB: You've been singing professionally a long time. You had your cabaret debut at Reno Sweeney's (NYC) in the '70s. What kind of music did you listen to growing up?
SK: I always wanted to be a singer but my acting career eclipsed it. In my parents' home, growing up, I listened to the radio and heard all the popular voices of the time. Jo Stafford, Patti Paige, Rosemary Clooney, and I wanted to be like them.
BB: You made your big-screen debut in a film called Reform Girl, which I've never seen but would love to! Were you a good girl or a bad girl in it?
SK: I don't know what I was. [chuckles] I have only the foggiest memory of that.
BB: Lost Horizon! What was that set like.
SK: Oh, it was wonderful. Did you like it?
BB: Errrr.... Not really.
SK: I had the greatest time making that with Liv Ullman and that cast. The Hal David lyrics! Try watching it again. It's underrated, misunderstood.....
BB: What was your favorite of all the films you've made?
SK: And still make. I have some new releases in 2015. But Slither! Slither was a joy and I loved working with James Caan!
BB: You came to the public's attention in a big way as the surviving victim in The Boston Strangler. What was it like working with Tony Curtis in such an intense scene?
SK: Fabulous. Tony was such a gentleman, even though his character beat the crap out of me. He was gracious and I felt comfortable with him.
BB: You did a lot of tv work....
SK: Oh, yes....
BB: Mannix.
SK: Loved working with Mike [Connors].
BB: Did you get to yell, "Mannix, look out!"?
SK: [Laughs] I don't think I did. I was in the very first episode of Star Trek.
BB: You did a lot of sci-fi. The Invaders, Outer Limits.
SK: Joseph Stefano saw me in a play in L.A. He saw it twice and met me and said "I want you to be on my show." So we shot my Outer Limits episode. I played opposite Martin Landau, whom I adored! It was wonderful and Stefano, by the way, wrote the screenplay for Hitchcock's Psycho.
BB: Any shout-out to your LGBT fans?
SK: Yes! Keep on doing what you're doing! Equal rights for all. I fully support you and thank you for supporting me. Lots and lots of love!
BB: Thank you, Ms Kellerman.
SK: Thank you, now on to packing. See you in New York!

Edie Beale: Live at Reno Sweeney at 54 Below

It was very appropriate that Jeffrey Johnson performed his recreation of Little Edie's 1978 stage show at Reno Sweeney, as New Year's Eve neared, in the swank, subterranean cabaret trappings beneath the old Studio 54 in Manhattan, with its disco party ghosts, to a packed house.

I attended the 1978 show at the now-legendary West Village cabaret (I was but a child at the time; my mother took me) and saw the real Edith Beale perform. I distinctly recall the cruel derision she received from her audience at the time; not at all like the climactic, upbeat apotheosis at the end of the HBO movie version of Grey Gardens.

Mr Johnson's theatrical channeling of Edie might best be described as campy but very much inexact.

For one thing, the show is largely filled with frequently fact-based but often speculative monologues about Edie's life in long, tragi-comic rectitals. In the real deal, the rather shy performer nervously went from song to song without much patter.

It was my privilege to sit with Jerry, the Marble Faun of the original documentary movie, Grey Gardens, at the show. Speaking to him afterwards, Jerry Torre told me he found the evening to be "fun" and a "nice tribute to the memory of Edie" and that he felt Johnson did a good job of "keeping Edie's spirit alive."

The real Beale deal

"I'm going to sing a song Mother hated," Jeffrey-as-Edie announced before tackling "Lili Marlene." The song list for this show included "Tea for Two," "As Time Goes By" and "Auld Lang Syne." (I recall Edie opening her act in '78 with "Don't Throw Bouquets at Me.")

There was a periodic and off-stage Q&A read to Edie from index cards that had been distributed to the crowd prior to the show. Jeffrey Johnson's replies were often clever and funny, displaying his improvisational skills and his ability to think on his open-toe heels.

Johnson's characterization of Little Edie was more bold and strident than the real-life demure socialite on whom it is based. Edie certainly did not break down onstage discussing the Grey Gardens estate. And Johnson's voice and accent failed to satisfy even if the patrician lingo sounded spot on.

In short, if you're simply looking for an evening of camp pleasure and some laughs, you might enjoy this act. If, however, you want something more in the way of verisimilitude, this may might not be your cup of tea for two.

L to R: Dj Buddy Beaverhausen, Richard Skipper, Jerry Torre (The Marble Faun)

Disco Bloomingdale's

Disco is back big-time, to the point that it seems you can't avoid seeing a mirror ball at least once sometime during your day. Dj Buddy B feels he and this blog were in the vanguard of this revival. In March 2012, I interviewed Johnny Morgan about his disco bible, Disco: The Music, The Times, The Era, which made me realize there was something in the air because of its commercial success. (http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/03/dj-buddy-bs-q-with-author-johnny-morgan.html). The coffee-table book, sumptuously illustrated, is still selling at Manhattan's gay general store, Rainbows & Triangles.

The back-to-disco diversion has positively glitter-balled into a movement. Manhattan clubs, like B. B. King's, have showcased disco artitsts; Michael Musto has a recurring Disco Night at 54 Below (the club beneath the old Studio 54); the new Resorts International casino in Flushing frequently books disco entertainers (The Village People; the upcoming First Ladies of Disco night) and, across the nation, clubs, bars and lounges are multiplying with classic disco night offerings. This phenomenon deserves closer inspection, but for now, let's focus on Bloomigdale's disco-themed windows on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan.

Coming out of the subway this morning, this first-class window design caught my eye. I feverishly snapped photos with my cell.

The window series highlights designer fashions sold at Bloomy's, with retro-progresso surroundings of undeniable dancefloor fabulousness.

Have a look at the photos below. And put on your favorite dance tunes for background music as you do. With disco, baby, style and ambience are everything!