Backstage Babble Celebrates Joe Allen Restaurant

Since 1965, Joe Allen’s Restaurant has been a meeting place for actors, theater staffs and fans. Allen himself died in 2021, but the industry institution lives on. It’s widely known for walls filled with posters of Broadway flops, beginning with 1965’s Kelly (Eddie Lawrence/Moose Charlip) about a bus boy who jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge on a dare – and lived. The show opened and closed on the same night.To some performers, a place on the walls is a badge of honor. They’ve paid their dues. Heather MacRae tells us she requests sitting under hers. Tonight we hear songs from 13 of these shows, almost all from an original cast member or writer.

Michael Kubala, Brenda Braxton

Michael Kubala offers “A Broadway Musical” from the show of the same name. (Charles Strouse/ Lee Adams) He recalls having to step in at the last minute, singing a first verse with lyric, the others, unremembered, as “la-las.” “Speakeasy” (Legs Diamond– Peter Allen) is performed by Brenda Braxton. “It was so sad. We all knew to save our paychecks.” Their opening night party pianist was a young Harry Connick, Jr. Braxton sings with glossy, expressive polish.

From High Fidelity (Tom Kitt/Amanda Green) we hear performer/lyricist Amanda Green with “I Slept With Someone (Who Handled Kurt Cobain’s Intervention).” The path to production was surprisingly easy, but the musical had only 18 previews and 13 performances. “Rags to riches to rags,” Green quips. Personification of a groupie is vividly disgruntled.

Amanda Green, Anita Gillette

“I’ll Never Go There Anymore” from Kelly, is one of the very few songs that survived a show. It’s lovely. Anita Gillette who originated the role 60, count’m, 60 years ago, delivers a deeply wistful rendition. “A boy…” she sings. “I once knew,” Lavine helpfully adds. “Yes, I know,” Gillette says. “I was taking a pause.” The thespian is beloved.

1991’s short lived Nick and Nora (Charles Strouse/Richard Maltby, Jr.) based on The Thin Man films, ran 71 previews, 9 performances. An abashed Arthur Laurents told Josie De Guzman that he only got involved to help a friend. When he had to fire her, there were tears in his eyes. The first line of its New York Times review was, “It isn’t as bad as you’ve heard.” De Guzman gives us a game “Boom Chicka Boom” with appropriate shimmies. She’s adorable. Apparently Barry Bostwick suggested they hold the closing night party at Joe Allen’s. Laurents never talked to him again.

Jose De Guzman, Martin Vidnovic

Martin Vidnovic, a regular in Kirsch shows, provides lengthy backstory – showing off Greek pronunciation – to “Penelope’s Hand.” ( Home Sweet Homer– Mitch Leigh/Charles Burr & Forman Brown) “Only in Manhattan”(Jackie Mason’s Laughing Room Only – Doug Katsaros) yes, it was a musical, is performed by Robert Creighton. Deemed “the Gentile tap dancer” by Mason, Creighton also won a $5 bet by coming up with a joke for the play at which the audience laughed.

Robert Creighton

On video, Alan Menken introduces “Long Past Dreaming” from one of his “passion projects,” Leap of Faith. (Alan Menken/Glenn Slater) Lucia Gianetta played the mother whose son is cured by its con man evangelist. The ballad is appealing. The vocalist has a fine voice – if occasionally stressed – but, like many theater actors, doesn’t look once at the audience.

Alan Menken, Lucia Gianetta

Michael Korie, lyricist of 2015’s Doctor Zhivago (Lucy Simon/Michael Korie) tells us the show took eight years to get to Broadway. The production moved into a big house here and “got bombastic,” Korie says. “Des McAnuff (director) )does everything big.” Zhivago played 26 previews and 23 performances, but has a life internationally, even now. Its star, Tam Muto sings “Yuri’s Decision.” This is a leading man. Emotion resonates. Zhivago was the last poster to go up at Joe Allen’s.

Tam Muto, Michael Korie

“Here’s Where I Belong” from the show of the same name (Robert Waldman/ Alfred Uhry) is the musicalization of John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. Co-book writer Terrence McNally asked that his name be removed from the credits prior to opening night – when it also closed. Heather MacRae appeared as love interest, Abra. The actress developed a relationship with leading man Walter McGinn who introduced her to Joe Allen’s. Vocal is tender, but this performer also never looks at us.  Michael Lavine ably duets.

Michael Lavine, Heather McRae

Beth Fowler and Jack Witham met and were married during 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (Leonard Bernstein/Alan Jay Lerner). The piece had 13 previews and seven performances. At Kennedy Center, choreographer George Faison objected to dancers looking like dancers. ”Jack, Beth, come out and show them,” Fowler recalls one eyebrow raised. The show was then 3 ½ hours long. “I had such a crush on Lenny…” “Take Care of This House”- whose lyrics volubly echo today – is performed by Elena Shaddow in beautiful operatic soprano, a bit too much.

Beth Fowler and Jack Witham, Elena Shaddow

From Marilyn: An American Fable (Jeanne Napoli and Doug Frank), Willy Falk performs an overblown “You Are So Beyond” as Monroe’s biggest fan. The show had multiple writers, producers, and directors finally giving up the ghost December 1983 after 17 performances. Hands in his pockets diminished ardor.

Willy Falk, Jim Walton

Jim Walton played Merrily We Roll Along‘s original Franklin Shepard in 1981. The Stephen Sondheim musical, with a cast almost exclusively of teenagers and young adults, ran 44 previews, 16 performances. Director Sonia Friedman’s latest interpretation is a runaway Broadway hit. Age drops instantly away as Walton sings “Our Time,” chest forward, eyes scrunching closed with “on the brink,” wrapped in anticipation, sharing – every sentiment believable.

The Company

Host Charles Kirsch is increasingly more at home onstage. Quips come as easily as the flow of impressive, often erudite knowledge. Participants and audience alike are grateful for and respect his showcasing the past. A single caveat: The young man has yet and needs to find a way to curb verbose stories of some performers.

As always Michael Lavine is mercurially adept with varied vocalists and lends himself to several duets.

Photos by Maryann Lopinto
Opening: Charles Kirsch

Backstage Babble Celebrates Joe Allen Restaurant
Host/Writer – Charles Kirsch
MD/Piano – Michael Lavine

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254 West 54th Street

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About Alix Cohen (1922 Articles)
Alix Cohen is the recipient of ten New York Press Club Awards for work published on this venue. Her writing history began with poetry, segued into lyrics and took a commercial detour while holding executive positions in product development, merchandising, and design. A cultural sponge, she now turns her diverse personal and professional background to authoring pieces about culture/the arts with particular interest in artists/performers and entrepreneurs. Theater, music, art/design are lifelong areas of study and passion. She is a voting member of Drama Desk and Drama League. Alix’s professional experience in women’s fashion fuels writing in that area. Besides Woman Around Town, the journalist writes for Cabaret Scenes, Broadway World, TheaterLife, and Theater Pizzazz. Additional pieces have been published by The New York Post, The National Observer’s Playground Magazine, Pasadena Magazine, Times Square Chronicles, and ifashionnetwork. She lives in Manhattan. Of course.