On August 23, 1968 I stepped off the plane in New York newly arriving from Chicago and by 1:30 the following day I found myself walking through the doors of the Biltmore Theatre to see my first Broadway show.
I was the guest of my best high school friend and now travel companion Pete, and by about 5:00 that same afternoon he and I had experienced HAIR, (one does not just SEE HAIR, it has to be experienced).
In fact, we had such choice seats (and you will learn why in the next paragraph) that when the leading character, I believe it was Gerome Ragni, who was also one of the show’s creators, swung out over the audience on a rope, as he was swinging back toward the stage, he suddenly landed squarely on the back of my seat where I found myself looking straight up his leg. “Mr. Smith Goes to Broadway,” and what a way to begin.
Peter’s uncle Harry was our host, and almost like someone you might encounter in a movie, he was not your typical uncle figure.
For starters, and for a young person enamored with the siren call of professional theatre, this one fact was more than enough; he had just won the Tony Award for producing the landmark musical Halleluiah, Baby starring Leslie Uggams.
Success here set the stage for a career that would be known for establishing a formula for bringing major revivals of musical classics back to contemporary audiences.
I believe strongly that the revival movement that dominates Broadway today was given a leg up by the vision of this unique talent.
From No, No Nanette with Ruby Keeler and Irene with Debbie Reynolds to his final musical, Sugar Babies with Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller, ‘Uncle Harry’ was a major player in this world that I had only dreamed about since first experiencing the magic of musical theater as a young actor.
His co-host, and our guide was a gifted composer and would play, quite literally, an integral part in the long range success Harry would enjoy in his sadly, all too short career. We remain friends to this day.
For a brief period in time, we were “of” the theatre not simply spectators from the outside.
You simply can’t review our itinerary and not draw the same conclusion.
We saw what the theatre insiders saw, (except that we did have the best seats in the house, one of the ‘perks’ in knowing a Broadway producer) ate where they ate, embraced all that is ‘their’ New York.
From experiencing openings with entertainment editors/reviewers in a small, darkened and smoke filled cabaret in Greenwich Village to encountering two Oscar winning actors plying their trade on its streets, Broadway and its environs was home.
Over the next few weeds, I’ll drop a few names, highlight events, and share a few special memories – all in the spirit of theatre tradition. I hope you will stay with me, for it was a window on a new world not opened to many, then and now.
Remember, there is always an opening night in this, not your ordinary small town.
