I AM SO GRATEFUL I MOVED TO PALM SPRINGS. I AM LITERALLY HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE. THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO HERE IN TERMS OF CULTURE. I RARELY TAKE A BREATH, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MISS ANYTHING. ACTUALLY, NEW YORK COMES TO US!
HERE GOES...........Four weeks of events
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| Jennifer Holliday |
Jennifer Holliday did a concert at the Annenberg Theatre. She got at least four standing ovations throughout. Her talent is off the charts. She's lost tons of weight, is happier now, and sings "I am Telling You I'm Not Going," better than ever. She has a unique take on standards. She "elegantly-funkified" their arrangements. WOW.
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| Lucie Arnaz, Ron Celona, Larry Luckinbill |
CV Rep, one of the top theatre groups in the desert, broke ground on their multi-million dollar new theatre. They are hoping it will turn into the Guthrie or Williamstown. Congratulations to Ron Celona. Great work.
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| Chuck Yates |
Coyote Stageworks is another top theatre group. They presented Gurney's THE COCKTAIL HOUR at the Annenberg.It was a terrific, sophisticated production starring Chuck Yates, Lee Bryant, Jeffrey Jones, and Yo Younger. Congratulations Chuck Yates, founding artistic director.
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| Kyle Dean Massey |
Cabaret 88, a series of intimate club-like shows with Broadway stars at the Annenberg, served up Kyle Dean Massey from PIPPIN, NEXT TO NORMAL, XANADU, AND WICKED. He was warm and chic at the same time. Wonderful voice. Cabaret 88 presents a series each year, and past performers have been Ann Hampton Callaway, Leslie Odom, Jr., Hugh Panaro, Valerie Pettiford, Rachel York, Billy Stritch--you get the idea.
Purple Room--Michael Holmes' VERY HIP supper club gave us Ann Hampton Callaway, Marilyn Maye, and Liz Callaway & Jason Graae. It's the 54 Below of Palm Springs.
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| Marilyn Maye |
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| Ann Hampton Callaway and Lucie |
AND, THEN THERE'S MICHAEL CHILDERS
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| Pre-Show Cast Party at Helene Galen's--Jamie Kabler, Helene, and Michael |
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| The brilliant pianist, arranger, accompanist Todd Schroeder with Michael |
His Andy Warhol exhibit is still breaking all attendance records at the Palm Springs Museum. His benefit show, ONE NIGHT ONLY, for JFS, is the year's season stunner. This year they saluted Rodgers & Hammerstein & Lorenz Hart. Simply dazzling performances by Lucie Arnaz, Billy Stritch, Ann Hampton Callaway, Faith Prince, opera star Susan Graham, Karen Ziemba, Brent Barrett, Davis Gaines, Constance Towers, and BRUCE VILANCH and SAK MISTRETTA IN DRAG. What an incredible evening. It ends with a private party for the talent where everybody just gets up and sings whatever they want. My favorite night of the year.
ONE NIGHT ONLY is a three day event. First, Helene Galen and Jamie Kabler give their annual party for the stars and donors. The next night is the show and party after. (Then there's a party at Lucie's after the after-party!)
The Pre-show Cast Party:
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| Tom Truhe, David Zippel, Terri Ketover, and singer David Burnham. |
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| The LOVELY Bruce Vilanch |
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| Ann and Liz |
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| Beloved Billy Stritch |
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| Faith Prince |
HAVANA NIGHTS---The finest Cuban musicians in the world gathered in Palm Springs to do some concerts. Marcel Casteneda, the producer, and a glorious musician himself, produced the evening which was a Salutel to Celia Crz. Let's just say I went insane. Latin Cuban Jazz is my favorite music. I was in the front row and almost ran onstage.
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| Marcel Casteneda |
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| With my dancing partner, Bradley James |
All of these things happened in a six-week period. And, oh, yes. There's the Palm Springs Friends of the Philharmonic. They fly in the best orchestras in the world for classical concerts at the McCallum.
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