The most amazing thing I saw on Broadway...

I thought the highlight of my day on Saturday would be getting a ticket to Anything Goes, one of the hottest shows in town.  The show was great, but the audience at this Saturday's matinee got an extra special happy ending.  Let me back up...

Walking into the Stephen Sondheim Theater, I saw that all of the ushers were wearing Sailor caps.  And I thought, This is perfect for Fleet Week!  Because New York was overrun with sailors, and I'd seen them in the audience of every show I attended.  I figured they'd feel right at home at Anything Goes.

After the show, as the curtain call was ending, Joel Grey stepped forward and stated that as it was Fleet Week and the show wanted to acknowledge all the servicemen in the audience.  He asked them all to stand so that we could thank them.  The audience went wild.  It was so nice!  Then Joel said, "Hey, Sutton, maybe we could bring one of these guys up on stage for a photo op?  You want to pick someone out?"  So, Sutton Foster stepped forward and pointed at a Marine in uniform in the audience.  Joel Grey asked him to come up on the stage.

A moment later, he and his girlfriend came out on the stage.  Joel handed him the mike and asked his name.  And then he asked if he had anything to say.  At which point, Captain Zubah Koweh turned and proposed to his girlfriend, Ensign Amy Sullivan, in front of over 1,000 people!  Seriously, the whole audience was crying!  It was wonderful.  And that's a matinee I'll not be soon forgetting.

Coverage in the NY Daily News here.

BEA: Day 3

I forgot to mention the celebrities.  They're always around at BEA because they're always publishing something or other, and lets face it, booksellers aren't immune to a little star power.  So, I mentioned Diane Keaton at the breakfast yesterday, but I forgot to mention two others I saw.  Former Hercules Kevin Sorbo was looking worse than expected (though a far cry from anything resembling "bad").  And Jimmy Fallon was looking better than expected.  Seriously, much better looking in real life.  Huh.  And there were several celebs today as well...

My day started early again with the author breakfast.  Today's line-up was as good as yesterday's, if not better.  Nonetheless, the room was half empty!  I've attended these breakfasts since forever, and I've never seen anything like it.  Anyway, the host this morning was Jim Lehrer of PBS.  His next book will be about presidential debates from his perspective as a journalist and insider.  It sounds quite interesting, and I was able to grab several copies of the galley.  Lehrer is always a reliably good speaker, but then again, he should be. 

Next up was Roger Ebert, and of course, he doesn't speak anymore.  He had his computer speak for him, and commented that he's realized his life-long ambition of sounding cooler than HAL.  Additionally, he had his wife, Chaz, read excerpts from his forth-coming memoir.  He sort of gesticulates and emotes as others speak for him.  He and his wife were really sort of adorable.  (I'm hoping to post video of a lot of these breakfasts talks next week, but unfortunately, the audio is better than the picture, I'm afraid.  Flip cams aren't really made for distance work.  Anyway, there may be video of some of the things I'm describing eventually.)

After Roger was the Irish, Booker Prize-winning novelist Anne Enright.  I've never read her, but I tend to enjoy Booker winners, so I was really interested in hearing her speak about her forthcoming novel, The Last Waltz.  I was also able to snatch several galleys of this title, and I'm looking forward to reading it, but I have to admit that she wasn't a great speaker. 

And finally, Erik Larson spoke about In the Garden of Beasts.  He is a terrific speaker (and a not bad looking older gentleman).  His talk had the feeling of being extemporaneous, as though he knew his subject matter so well inside and out that he could just speak comfortably on the subject off the top of his head.  It's probably true.  I was able to grab many copies of this finished hardback, and while I read little non-fiction, it does sound interesting.  I may give it a read, and I will certainly be giving copies away soon.

After breakfast, I did a quick walk through of the show floor on my way to hear Jane Lynch speak.  That's right, Gleeks, she's got a memoir coming out called Accidental Happiness.  She got up on the stage and said something about reaching several milestones.  She got married.  To a lady.  Because she's "a gay."  Also she turned 50, bought a house, and is financially solvent for the first time in her life.  How all of that translates into "write a book," I don't exactly remember, but I should have good video of this one to post later.  After she spoke and answered questions, she was just signing some little cards advertising her book.  They didn't even have blads there for her to sign.  I certainly didn't need a signed card, but I really am a huge Gleek, and I wanted to meet her.  She was lovely when she was speaking on the stage.  During the signing, she kept things moving quickly, but gave everyone a moment.  I told her that I always enjoy seeing her interviewed because she looks like a completely different person without her Sue (Sylvester) face on.  Then she made the Sue face at me.  She was very friendly.

So, the show was closing down at 3:00pm instead of 5:00 today, the final day.  I certainly didn't feel the need to stay until the bitter end.  I walked the floor, grabbed what galleys I could.  Got several signed books.  Don't ask me which ones.  I never really know what I pick up at BEA until I unpack the boxes.  Okay, I remember one debut novel I had signed today was Girls in White Dresses by Allison (?) Close.  There were others.  Oh, and John Rector, who I know from T-fest and mutual friends signed a galley of his latest. 

Years ago, I made a rookie mistake at BEA.  I waited until the very end of the show to take care of my shipping--and was stuck waiting in lines for several hours!  Well, I never made that mistake again.  Now I'm in there early, but truthfully, things were so quiet at the show, I don't think there ever were lines.  Anyway, shipping was fairly painless, other than the cost.  I packed up a bag of books to share with family and friends in DC next week, and ultimately I did ship three boxes of books back to California.  A grand total of 121 pounds worth.  They should make it back there before I do.  I'm looking forward to really looking at what's in there!

I was considering hanging around til 3:00pm to swing by the opening reception for the Book Blogger Con, but I really didn't have the energy.  Also, I had left my cell phone on the charger in my room, and I needed to make a call.  The last thing I did before leaving BEA 2011 was swing by and listen to Jane Fonda talk for a while.  You got it, another memoir.  All in all it was a fine show.  I made contact with several publicity folks, and as noted above, have more books than anyone could possibly read.  Humpday giveaways should be interesting for a while.  I'm really looking forward to the Book Blogger Con starting at o'dark hundred tomorrow.  I am also hopeful that I may get to sleep in one day this weekend.

I went back to my room at the glamorous Westside YMCA (What am I, made of money?) and finalized dinner plans with my friend of 20 years, Roland, and relaxed for a couple of hours.

Theater Postscript:  You thought I was out of celebrities for the day?  Roland and I went to see The House of Blue Leaves with Ben Stiller, Edie Falco, and Jennifer Jason Leigh.  The production received mixed reviews, but Roland and I both enjoyed it an awful lot.  The play is somewhat bizarre.  Reality and characters are heightened, and the plot is absurd.  But the language is magnificent, and there's something very powerful and effecting about it.  I have always been fond of the play.  And Roland, who is a talented composer, playwright, director, and filmmaker was exactly the right person to see it with.  We had a great chat as we walked out of the theater.

BEA: Day 2

Okay, it's after 1:00AM, and my sleep deficit is significant.  This is going to be super brief tonight--you heard it here first.  I'll add artwork later.  (And speaking of which, it seems my videography attempts from day one weren't an "abject failure" after all, so there is hope of adding video later, too.)  Also, happily, I just went back and fixed all the typos in yesterday's post.  Count on me proofreading this one about 24 hours from now, okay?

Let's see, I started the day at around 6:30am, so that I could get over to the Javits Center for my 8:00AM author breakfast, which featured Diane Keaton, Jeffrey Eugenides, and Charlaine Harris, and which was hosted by Mindy Kaling from "The Office."  I was primarily there to see Eugenides, and happily he spoke the longest and was by far the most interesting.  And I think I've got the whole thing on video.  Diane Keaton was predictably entertaining and did a fabulous reading from her forthcoming memoir, complete with emotional breakdown and tears.  Authentic?  The breakfast was well worth attending, despite the early hour--though I've never been to one of these breakfasts that wasn't.  There was one  disappointment, however.  One of the big benefits of plonking down extra cash for the breakfasts is that you usually get copies of the speakers' and host's books.  Today, the only book they had available on tables and seats was Charlaine Harris's latest Sookie Stackhouse novel, which is of less than no interest to me.  (However, I suspect that it would be of great interest to some of you, so I grabbed a stack for my house, ha ha.  Book group and blog giveaways are forthcoming, and if you're one of my RL friends, just let me know if you want a copy.  Friendship has benefits.  And so does reading my blog, apparently.)  Oh, they also had blads of Mindy Kaling's forthcoming book.  Apparently Mr. Eugenides was making changes to his novel as recently as... yesterday.  He says he's done now, but no galleys for a while, I guess.  Fingers crossed for better luck tomorrow.

Another benefit of getting to the hall early is the opportunity to pick up tickets to signings that require them, but I mostly struck out.  However, I ran into Heather Graham's husband, Dennis, today (I saw Heather yesterday.) and he did me a good turn.  He was like, "Do you want a ticket to the Dave Barry/Ridley Pearson signing?"  Oh hell, yes!  Not only did I get a signed galley of their really delightful-sounding forthcoming YA novel, the two of them yucked it up on video.  They're reliably fun.  Thanks, Dennis, you rock!  Saw lots of other lovely friends today, including the awesome Laura Caldwell, Rick Mofina, M.J. Rose, and Joshua Corrin.  Josh and I were reminiscing about our MWA dinner at the Tonga Room during Bouchercon last October, and what a great time was had by all.  What's especially nice is that all of us will be together again in six weeks for Thrillerfest.

Highlights today included lovely chats with Alice Hoffman and Luis Alberto Urrea, who joked about (former San Francisco mayor) Gavin Newsom with me.  I got signed galleys from both, and I'm especially excited about reading more Hoffman, as I loved The Red Garden.  This is a period drama, and looks very different from that one.  The truth of the matter is that I don't remember much about most of the books I acquired today.  I was grabbing and stashing today, and spent much less time in lines, and more time walking the show floor. 

Another BEA observation that many have commented on:  There seem to be a lot of librarians attending this year.  Is it just that there are fewer booksellers?  Anyway, it was a shorter day for me.  I played hooky and snuck out early; I had a date with Chris Rock.  One more note:  I'm buying stock in Dr. Scholl's.  It's a miracle product!

Theater Postscript:  Yes, my date with Chris Rock was to see the matinee of Motherf**ker With the Hat.  Now, among those who know me well--or superficially, for that matter--I have a reputation for being foul-mouthed.  I can only wish to be as creative with my obscenity as the cast of this show.  I was amazed how profane and yet brilliant the language was!  I seriously loved this play, and as brilliant as the performances of the cast of five were, for me it really was about the script.  It was a perfect blend of comedy, tragedy, and high drama.  The cast really was wonderful, and I believe that three of the five actors are Tony-nominated.  Rock was not nominated for this debut performance, but I thought he was strong.  It's also worth noting the amazing set and design work.  Set changes were a delight to watch.  And this show got the standing ovation.

Following the mat., I had the time to sit down for my first real meal all week.  It was nice.  To sit.  And to eat.  After which, I went to the theater right across 45th Street from the one I was at in the afternoon.  There, I saw Jerusalem, which has been one of the most highly praised productions of the season.  I can see why.  Mark Rylance is brilliant, and given that he's nominated for the best actor Tony for two separate plays this year, I have to assume he's a shoo-in, and for this play specifically.  I don't even know what else to say about this production, other than go see it if you have the chance.  Big standing O, and not even three curtain calls would quiet the audience down.

Indulge me for a moment... of Hugh

I realize this is supposed to be a book blog, and most of the time I stay fairly on topic.  But I can't think about any dusty old books right now.  All I can think about is the lovely time I had at the Curran Theater where some friends and I saw Hugh Jackman perform his one-man show last night.  (Oh, and if you absolutely must insist on a literary tie-in, one of the friends accompanying me was NYT bestselling author James Rollins.)  It would be an understatement to say we had an awesome time.  I could barely sleep last night I was so jazzed!

So, why is action star Hugh Jackman singing and dancing in San Francisco for two weeks?  It really is rather random.  He was all set to fly to Japan to film the next Wolverine movie when the earthquake and tsunami hit, setting back production for a few months.  He had a bit of unexpected time on his hands, and the Curran Theater had a brief opening, and it all came together rather spontaneously.  Apparently the Aussie motto is "Let's have a go," and as Hugh explained, "This is us having a go."

This morning, I read about six different press reviews of his show.  There wasn't a negative one in the bunch, and the word of the day was "charisma."  The man is warm and winning, and he'll charm your socks right off.  (I speak from experience.  A mutual friend introduced us for one minute years ago after a performance of The Boy from Oz on Broadway.  Hugh addressed me as "darlin'."  I still get giddy thinking about it.)

So, what is Jackman doing for more than an hour and a half on stage each night?  He's showing off his considerable vocal talents backed by a 17-piece orchestra.  Not all fans realize that he has a long musical theater resume.  The evening opened with the song "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma!, a nod to his star turn in the 1998 London revival.  Another show-stopper, and piece of his past, was the song "Soliloquy" from Carousel.  My friend Jon was in the audience when he originally did this number in a staged concert production at Carnegie Hall.  Even out of context and on an empty stage, his performance was extraordinary.

Not every song was so heavy, or had such pedigree.  Hugh got to shake his hips to Elvis ("A Little Less Conversation" and "Jailhouse Rock") and sang Peggy Lee's "Fever" from a seat in the front row, while an audience member shook it good naturedly with the back-up singers on stage.  Speaking of "shaking it." Hugh did a little shtick about needing to stay muscled up for Wolverine and how jazz hands made Hollywood producers nervous.  Not good for the image.  He then launched into roughly the same "I Won't Dance" medley as he performed here on the Tony Awards back in 2007.

There were several medleys in the course of the evening.  One was full of favorite songs from the movies and included: “As Time Goes By,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Stayin’ Alive,” “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Lady Marmalade.” 

At one point, Hugh briefly left the stage to let his two backup singers do a number of their own.  Moments later he appeared in the mezzanine in full Peter Allen regalia.  From there, he quickly ran back to center stage where he sang several of Allen's songs from the show The Boy from Oz, including: "Not the Boy Next Door," "Don't Cry Out Loud," "Best That You Can Do," and "I Go to Rio." 

As he'd done on Broadway, he had fun interacting with the audience in character.

Hugh was definitely having a good time with the audience, and I get the feeling that the show is different every night. Apparently there were several mishaps on opening night, but Hugh just rolled with whatever was happening, often turning the spontaneous occurrences into the show's highlights. On that first evening, he split his pants doing fan kicks that would make a Rockette proud. He had his dresser bring a fresh pair, and donned them center stage. Alas, there were no such mishaps last night, but more than a few audience members called, "Take it off!" Hugh could not have been more comfortable or having a better time with the rambunctious San Francisco audience. I think we were all there to have a good time, and no one left the theater disappointed.

All through the evening he shared stories from his life and career, such as being awoken in London in the middle of the night by Steven Spielberg asking him to host the Oscars.  One of the most interesting things I learned was that he spent several months with the Aboriginal people deep in Australia's outback in his late teens.  It was clearly a powerful experience.  Despite his best intentions, he was unable to return for 20-some years.  He sang an unusual Aboriginal song, accompanied by two didgeridoo players which then led to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."  The final song of the evening was a rousing "Luck Be a Lady" from Guys and Dolls.  I listed a lot of songs he sang, but truthfully, there were an equal number I didn't list.  It was a full night, and while ticket prices were steep, we got our money's worth.

Certainly none of us who saw this show last night would be surprised if he takes this show to Broadway some day.  It deserves to have a life beyond these 10 or 12 performances.  But how exciting to have had a chance to see this early incarnation in such a wonderful, intimate house!  We had such a great time, that my friend Jon and I are very much hoping to score some cheap student rush tickets to a performance next week.  Fingers crossed! 

Now, I promise to get back to the books, but be forewarned.  I'm off to New York for BEA and BBC in a couple of weeks.  There will be a lot of theater.  I'll try to control myself, but there are likely to be reports.  Thanks for indulging my enthusiasm!