By Charlene Giannetti
There was so much talent on display during the recent Actors Fund benefit, “Nothing Like a Dame,” that the spectacle was almost too much to take in. Where could you see—in one evening—Kelli O’Hara, Betty Buckley, Andrea McArdle, Audra McDonald, Bebe Neuwirth, and Stephanie J. Block? Hearing them sing would have been enough entertainment. But coaxed by the charming and talkative host, Seth Rudetsky, each woman told tales out of school. There were confessions, salty language, and hilarious stories about lives spent on the stage. Now, whenever we see one of these women perform, we will know them a little better and appreciate their incredible talents even more.
Of course, the evening could never have happened without a special dame, Phyllis Newman, an Actors Fund trustee, who launched The Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative after she battled breast cancer. Karen Graham and Lynnda Ferguson, breast cancer survivors and beneficiaries of Newman’s safety net, came on stage to tell their stories. Left without health care after losing their medical coverage, both women were helped by the Health Initiative. Newman recently received the Humanitarian Award at the Tony Awards.
After welcoming the audience, Newman introduced Rudetsky, who essentially brought his weekly talk show, “Seth’s Broadway Chatterbox,” to the benefit’s venue at New World Stages. (Rudetsky, center above, is pictured with, from left, Block, McArdle, Buckley, and Brian Stokes Mitchell, Actors Fund President. Photo by Steve and Anita Shevett).
Rudetsky, although not a dame, is a Broadway star in his own right, an accomplished pianist who has conducted and played in the pit for many musicals. He dazzled the audience, not only with his talent on the piano, but also with his skill for interviewing these stars. (Now we can’t wait to attend one of his Chatterbox sessions at the club, Don’t Tell Mama).
First up was Kelli O’Hara, expecting her first child in July and resplendent in a short turquoise dress, on hiatus from starring as Nellie Forbush in South Pacific at Lincoln Center. Her one frustration with that musical’s score? There are no high notes to sing, because the songs were tailored for the first Nellie, Mary Martin, whose range was only one octave. “I knew Nellie Forbush like the back of my hand,” said O’Hara. When Nellie confronts her own prejudice in the play, O’Hara said she “went back to my roots to think about the people I knew and thought about how she would change.”
Plopping a straw cowboy hat on her head and ditching her high heels, O’Hara lit up the stage with, “Opera Country”, a song written for her by Dan Lipton and David Rossmer.
We thought, how do you follow that? And then along came Stephanie J. Block, currently starring in 9 to 5, whose other credits include The Boy from Oz (she played Liza Minnelli), Wicked (she was the first Elphaba in tryouts), The Pirate Queen, Godspell, Pippin, and many more. Gorgeous in a deep purple dress, Block was a good sport, watching as Rudetsky shared a video of her at eleven singing “Maybe This Time.” Even at that young age, her talent was overwhelming.
Block praised Dolly Parton, the brains and energy behind 9 to 5, telling the audience that the Country Western star has multiple outfits with “9 to 5” somehow emblazoned on the material, even if that fabric is gold lame. Parton is “divine and so smart,” and treats the cast to homemade peanut fudge made in her microwave oven.
Although she admires Parton, Block cited Barbra Streisand as her idol, so it was no surprise when she sang one of Streisand’s signature songs, “He Touched Me.” Block’s rendition was a show-stopper. Fitting in with the evening’s theme, she also sang “Woman” from The Pirate Queen. Rudetsky echoed many people’s feeling that The Pirate Queen closed much too soon. Fortunately, we can enjoy Block’s voice on the cast album. Her newest album, “This Place I Know,” includes a duet with Parton, “I Will Always Love You.” (I went on Amazon that night and ordered both!)
Bebe Neuwirth, dressed in a tight-fitting red dress, accessorized with red heels and a butterfly broach on the shoulder, told Rudetsky that she began taking ballet lessons when she was five but at thirteen realized she didn’t have what it would take to succeed. “I went to see Pippin and said, `That dancing! That’s what I want to do!’” Ballet’s loss has certainly been Broadway’s gain, with Neuwirth starring in a long list of musical hits, including her debut role as Sheila in A Chorus Line and her Tony Award-winning turn as Velma Kelly in the revival of Chicago.
Asked by Rudetsky to contrast the two star choreographers, Bob Fosse and Michael Bennett, Neuwirth said Bennett was “down on the floor, very muscular, canine,” while Fosse was much more “up on the stage.” Neuwirth, delighted the audience with “Ring Them Bells,” a story about a woman who travels the world to meet her true love, discovering that he lives next door. Neuwirth will next appear on Broadway in The Addams Family with Nathan Lane, scheduled to open in 2010.
Barbra Streisand’s name was mentioned for the second time (it wouldn’t be the last) when Andrea McArdle recalled that the first time she went on as Annie, she was told Streisand would be in the audience. “Okay,” she laughed, “you’re going to meet Barbra, but you have on a red dress, Mary Jane shoes, and a red fright wig.” McArdle replaced an earlier Annie with only two days notice after Mike Nichols and others involved in the musical heard her sing and decided she was the better choice for the lead. She had originally been cast as the behavior-challenged Pepper.
Aside from the red hair, McArdle has left her childhood days behind. Looking grown-up and svelte in a Kelly green low cut long sheath, she sang, “You Made Me Love You,” once sung by Judy Garland to a photograph of Clark Gable.
Streisand’s name came up a third (and last) time during Audra McDonald’s time on stage. Initially afraid the singing legend didn’t like her, McDonald wove a hilarious tale about her many encounters with the diva that left her terrified, until the inimitable Zoe Caldwell, a co-star in Master Class, told her never to cow to anyone. The story had a happy ending when she finally found out that Streisand does like and admire her talents. Currently starring in the ABC-TV drama, Private Practice, McDonald bemoaned the early morning hours required for filming, saying she recently had a call to report to the set by 4:48 a.m. Although other women are envious that she gets to kiss heartthrob Taye Diggs, McDonald said because she is good friends with his wife (Wicked star Idina Menzel), getting up close and personal has been weird. “It’s like kissing your brother,” she laughed.
McDonald, looking sexy in a black dress, came across as the fun, slightly mischievous friend you would love to hang out with. She was accepted into Julliard as an opera major and continued to frustrate her teachers by sneaking off to do musicals during the summer when students were expected to perform at classical festivals. She recently sang at a benefit for Bill Cosby and joked that her song choice, “Along Came Bill,” from Showboat, was not the wisest, but she soldiered on through her performance. (The lyrics include, “You’d meet him on the street and never notice him”). More than likely, McDonald in a playful mood knew exactly what she was doing when she serenaded the humor king with that tune.
The evening saved the best for last with Broadway’s grand dame, Betty Buckley. She now lives an hour west of Ft. Worth and flew to New York just for the Actors Fund benefit. These days she raises horses and competes in “cutting” competitions where the rider must separate a cow from a herd. A long way from Sunset Boulevard!
Buckley closed the evening with a beautiful rendition of “Serenity” from the musical Triumph of Love. At the end, she tossed aside the microphone, her still amazing and powerful voice not needing any amplification to deliver the heartfelt lyrics: “Serenity, serenity, a haven where I could hide. I found it at last…”
It must be said, that for the many actors and actresses who seek out the services of the Actors Fund, they indeed do find that serenity. The organization helps, not only actors, but also all professionals in performing arts and entertainment. The Fund is a safety net providing programs and services for those who are in need, crisis, or transition. For more information on the Actors Fund and The Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative, go to www.actorsfund.org.
