Updated October 2007 WHAT A YEAR!
Winter and Spring of 2007 involved lots of travel, but before we took off we had time to go to a Mao Mag shindig in downtown Manhattan where we bumped into Deborah Harry, Miss Guy of The Toilet Boys and Perfidia.
There were other attractive, always-willing-to-be-photographed NYC hipsters on the scene as well.
Then it was off to work for the third time at the thriving Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C. We performed “The Passion of the Crawford” for several weeks (read The Washington Post review here), and the Crawford extravaganza was also the theatre’s annual gala. At the gala party after the performance we encountered these fun people, including the Associate Producing Director Serge Seiden, second from left. My maid John Epperson, far left, was the only one not dressed up, of course!
Back in the dressing room we found Steve Cuiffo, far right, my D.C. co-star, still in his wig and stage glasses. Next to him is Brandee, the theatre’s whiz of a wardrobe supervisor. Then there’s young Lucas, the backstage slave, and on the far right, my wig guy…er, gal, Vickie Vox.
From D.C. we were off to San Francisco to do the show for the second time, with yet another co-star, Stephen Pell.
New friend Hans Kline (in the white shirt) brought his friend, San Francisco-based reportage photographer Cate Gaffney to take these photos onstage (including some of the still and video footage used in the live performance) and in the dressing room.
In San Francisco we stayed in a charming house in the Upper Terrace neighborhood that we had often admired on previous visits.
It had a terrace with a grand panoramas of the San Francisco Bay.
However, our San Francisco stay was cut short by a crisis in the family of my Mississippi-born maid. We made a last-minute trip to Dixieland and my maid photographed his great grandmother’s house standing on a bleak hill that used to be covered with trees.
Comparing the San Francisco vista with the Mississippi view proves that we really do run the gamut at www.lypsinka.com!
Back in bustling New York City, we went to the American Ballet Theatre reunion - my maid worked there during Baryshnikov’s reign as artistic director - and took this photo onstage at the Metropolitan Opera House. Some of the former ABT dancers we can spot are Cynthia Harvey, Martine Van Hamel and Hilda Morales.
At the excellent soiree afterwards we took this photo of wild, partying dance monsters (from left to right) Kelly Hughes, Brian Adams, Elaine Kudo, Cynthia Harvey, Amy Rose, Carla Stallings, Pam Booth Bjerknes, and behind Carla, partially seen and in profile, is the ever-handsome Ricardo Bustamante who lives in San Francisco.
Below the enormous and dramatic Marc Chagall murals, my maid caught up with his old friends Jay Larkin, Lisa de Ribere and Suzie Goldman at the party on the Grand Parterre of the Metropolitan Opera House.
In July we had a family visit in NYC. We took in “The Drowsy Chaperone” starring our friend John Glover and Joanne Worley. John and Ms. Worley graciously posed with my maid’s mother, youngest niece Sigrid Wise, and sister Kay.
After the fine summer, with vacations in East Hampton and Vermont, we found ourselves back in the hurly-burly of throbbing Manhattan, onstage at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre. The Majestic is where “Phantom of the Opera” has been playing for about 20 years. But on September 18, 2007, it was turned over to friends of the late, great, and much beloved lyricist Betty Comden for a memorial tribute. In the audience were Marilyn Horne, Sidney Lumet, Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Tommy Tune, Tyne Daly, Celeste Holm and several hundred others. Onstage were Lauren Bacall, Elaine Stritch, Leslie Uggams, Phyllis Newman and myself.
Behind the scenes I hobnobbed with Christine Ebersole. Little Edie meets Big Lypsinka!
Lucie Arnaz wore one of Judy Canova’s cast-offs. Or maybe it was one of her mother’s hillbilly outfits from “I Love Lucy!”
Barbara Cook reminisced backstage in what was her co-star Robert Preston’s dressing room during the run of “The Music Man” 50 years ago!
At the after party at Lee Mindel’s fantastic Chelsea penthouse I encountered old pals Scott Wittman, Marc Shaiman and The Marvelous Marilyn Maye!
Who knows what the rest of 2007 will bring? Stay tuned! Same Lyp-time, same Lyp-channel!
Early 2007
Oh, My Lord, That Was 2006!
Dressing Rooms and Other Naughty Places
Oh, My Lord, That Was 2005!
Spring Sprang Sprung 2005
2004's Big Bang
Summer Magic
Moving On
What Do Legends Become?
What Becomes a Legend Most?
Tammy And The Lyp
Hollywood Screwballs
Caged and boxed celebrities
early 2000 antics
me and my infamous friends
fashion, fun and fanatacism
Chillin' with Puff Lyppy
Lypsinka and Faye Dunaway tete-a-tete at the 25th anniversary screening of "Chinatown".
At the premiere screening of "Scandalous Me: The Jacqueline Susann Story."
