Holiday Spectacular

One of the most enjoyable shows I've seen in a long time was The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, starring The Rockettes, at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. What a fabulous show! Although there were only 18 high-kicking Rockettes as compared to the 36 that you would see in New York, it couldn't have been a more polished or enjoyable performance.

Every number was outstanding, but "The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers," which was in the original 1933 show and remains today, was definitely a favorite, as was the Raggedy Ann number which ended in the ragdolls doing the splits. All 11 scenes were spectacular, ending with "The Living Nativity," which was in the original show as well.

Since Radio City took the "Christmas Spectacular" on the road in 1994, 62 million people have seen it. Usually, there are two scenes that are swapped out every two years; however, since the show is celebrating its 75th year, the producers really went all out, changing half the show.
I absolutely loved the Santa Claus ad infinitum number, "I'm There," that addressed the age-old conundrum: How can Santa Claus be every place at once? It was so much fun to watch...a real crowd pleaser!

The Rockettes were a marvel of synchronicity...rehearsed to perfection! The costumes were beautiful. Today's Rockettes must be between 5'6" and 5'10 1/2" tall...and two local Orange County women were among the group who made it through the tough auditioning process.
Karie Anne Seasock is a member of the Radio City ensemble who grew up in Garden Grove.
Amy Lenhardt, a graduate of Orange County High School of the Arts, joined the touring group three years ago, after competing with 500 dancers in Los Angeles.

Even though I loved taking those tap dancing and ballet classes when I was a child that resulted in recitals with pretty costumes, I know I would never have the discipline it takes to be a precision dancer like that. I so admire their talent and dedication. As Amy said when asked how reality matched up with her dream of being a Rockette, "I couldn't ask for more. The girls are wonderful. I've made lifelong friendships. I hope I can do it for 15 more years." I'd love to see it again next year!

As if seeing this matinee wasn't pleasure enough, we followed up with dinner at
Ruth's Chris Steak House...divine food. I got adventurous and tried the Venison with Blackberry Sauce. I know, you vegans are cringing right now...but I must say, it was most enjoyable.

A delightful way to celebrate our anniversary, which just happens to fall during the Christmas holiday.

And now I am contemplating whether or not to make any new year's resolutions on this eve.
Whatever you decide to do, have a happy and safe one.

Do you have a hero?

Four years ago, my cousins, Terry & Mary, adopted Joey (4) and Katie (2), the only parents these two children had ever known. This came after 14 years of fostering children who returned to their biological families or were adopted by others. They were never given the chance to adopt these children but felt the heart pangs of seeing them leave after being in their home sometimes for years.

By the way...Terry and Mary successfully reared two biological children of their own before entering into this selfless act of caring for others. I always thought them to be ideal parents, encouraging their children to venture out and pursue their passions without fear. Now, Joey and Katie are filling their lives with joy once again...and they even have a new grandchild to love as well.

Speaking of heroes, and I was, I heard recently that Sal Guerneri with whom I went to grade school and high school passed away recently. I don't know the details, but I recalled how Sal once rescued me as I was being bullied crossing the street to go to school when I was a child.
That qualifies for heroism in my book any day of the week. May his soul rest in peace.

The Greatest Gift

I always get a little melancholy around this time of year, missing my immediate family. I was looking at a picture of my brother, Charles, who died two weeks before his 16th birthday and feeling grateful that he was in my life for those first 13 years.

I attribute my relationships with Charles, my father, and grandfather to have set me off on a good course of appreciating men. Thank God I am married to a man who is secure enough in his masculinity to allow me to have male friends. Of course, they most often become "our" friends as well.

One of the best things that came out of my producing and co-hosting "The Talk Show" for three years is finding the National Kidney Foundation. A guest on one of our health segments told me about the Great Chefs of Orange County event. A few years later, I was honored to have co-chaired the benefit in memory of my brother who died of kidney disease. The benefit, which was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach, raised $40,000 for the charity. It was the first year we had a major sponsor in Evian. It was my privilege to have served on the NKF Board for three years.

Recently, some friends of ours invited us to a play, entitled "The God Committee" by Mark St. Germain at the Actors Co-op in Hollywood. This play was about a hospital which had one heart available, and the "committee" was to determine which lucky person would be the recipient.

Afterwards, there was an audience participation discussion about organ donation. A woman was there with her husband, whom she had given one of her kidneys. They answered questions from the audience and a heartfelt discussion of this important topic ensued.

I remember reading about the stunt lady who donated one of her kidneys to actor Ken Howard. She had been a friend of Linda and Ken's for years, Linda also being a former stunt woman.

In this season of gift giving...is there any more precious gift one can give. More good information can be found at http://www.organdonor.gov/ and http://www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org.

A Visit to the Desert

This past week, the weather was fantastic for this time of year. Late November can be iffy...by that I mean chilly. But, it was perfect tennis weather until the end of the week when the badly needed rain fell for one day and night.

Fortunately, we had done most of the things on our agenda before the rain storm hit toward the end of the week. After being so close for so many years, we finally visited The Living Desert. It was so interesting seeing giraffe, zebra, ostrich, and other animals roaming around. There was a very impressive train display...the longest model train trestle in the world. We took a walk through the botanical gardens. The whole experience would be great for kids.

One of the things I always look forward to doing when visiting Palm Desert is the College of the Desert Street Fair on the weekends. The day after the storm was the only day I had to go shopping there, and the wind (which almost always follows the rain) was enough to send the vendors packing up as I arrived mid morning. The last time we visited in the spring, I found a beautiful piece of art in red stained glass that I had hoped to use in the set design of my latest play, House of Yes. It didn't work out for the set, but I was delighted to display it over the bar in our family room.

With all the shops on El Paseo (the equivalent of Beverly Hill's Rodeo Drive), I really didn't feel too deprived in skipping the fair this time around. However, we still couldn't resist stopping on the way home at the outlet stores in Cabazon. I was surprised to see more upscale stores since we last were there. St. John, Donna Karan, Ellen Tracy, Geoffrey Beane, Calvin Klein and others are there now as well as the usual anchors, Eddie Bauer, Dockers and Mikasa.
One could easily spend the entire day if you have the stamina going from store to store.

Gourmet cooking

Seeing all the Thanksgiving turkey dinner recipes this past week makes me realize how spoiled we've been over the years. Never had to cook a holiday dinner. Always go to my cousin's home. Bernie and Susan are perfect hosts.

Bernie was Art Director for Bon Appetit magazine for years. He got to sample a lot of the dishes shown in the magazine. Being creative to begin with, his meals are not only scrumptous, but the presentation is as attractive as anything you'd see in the magazine. We love his Italian sausage dressing! I usually bring my salmon ball appetizer w/crackers.

One of the best foodie things we've ever done is belong to a Gourmet Club. When we were newly married, I joined the American Association of University Women. We had groups of four couples. We'd rotate duty as hosts. The host couple came up with the menu and assigned the various dishes. The hosts usually prepared the entree and provided the drinks. Everyone kept track of their expenses, which we would divide at the end of the evening. Everyone had a copy of the entire menu. I can't imagine any one couple preparing the whole meal. The experience opened us up to a whole new array of ingredients and recipes.

The first year or two were devoted to different countries. It gave us a chance to share my Italian recipes. We made homemade lasagna noodles. One big lesson learned was when I doled out the recipe for "Braciola" or beef rolls. We had to completely rewrap it when the couple got there. My instructions left a lot to be desired. I'm in awe of how quickly Rachael Ray and Emeril turn out their cookbooks.

Two meals that stand out as real winners were China and England. The couple who shared their Chinese ancestor recipes included, Thousand Year Old Egg, Westlake Duck (which they deboned from the inside out), and Winter Melon Soup (which they served in a carved out melon). A Toast to Merry Ole England included Tenderloin of Beef Wellington, Yorkshire pudding (which is now in our repertoire) and Bibb Lettuce Five Crowns style.

A life well lived

Why are the most heartfelt things so tough to write about? A member of my extended family passed away this week. I loved Marjorie Schwartz.

When Susan Bernard joined our family by marrying my cousin, Bernie, it was a very happy time. The more I got to know Susan's mom, the more I wanted to be around her. She had such panache. She wrote a weekly article for the West Los Angeles area newspaper. When she and her family came to visit, we would later read about how much she liked our bbq ribs. When we were celebrating a special birthday or anniversary, we'd see our names in print then too.

I went to the theatre with Marjorie when she prepared to review a show. She would have loved the play I'm doing now... "Sideways, A Musical."

She supported me by coming to The Gardenia when I did my one-woman cabaret. We went together to her grandson Alex' third grade class when Susan asked me to sing "something Italian" when they were studying the arts of various countries. I sang, "That's Amore." So many memories. And when we'd get together to celebrate either of our birthdays, you could count on both of us wearing our favorite shades of purple/lavender.

I miss her fun jewelry, her shoes, her great stories about her parents' friends, George & Gracie Allen, Mary & Jack Benny.

I feel blessed to have spent time around this wonderful woman. In fact, the last time we were together was at a Mexican restaurant in Santa Monica where we saw Dick Van Dyke dining. He even helped Marjorie with the car door on the way out as he was leaving as the valet pulled up. Susan is preparing a special memorial to celebrate her mother's life. It will be interesting to hear what the Rabbi will say from all the input of her many friends and family.

A life well lived, leaving behind many who will miss Marjorie's joie de vivre.

Legendary Singer and Artist

Last week when I was waiting in the doctor's office for my annual exam, I picked up a copy of a magazine with Tony Bennett and Christina Aguilera on the cover. I always bring my own reading material with me just in case I have to wait anywhere I have an appointment...but then I invariably see one of the magazines displayed that I never get to read and curiosity gets the better of me and I read theirs; although, I don't think it's a good idea...because of germs, especially in a doctor's office.

In any event, in this instance, I had recently seen the duo perform on one of the award shows, and I was impressed with how the much-younger Christina held her own with the master. I haven't really followed her career, although I own almost every album/cd Tony has put out.
I like Christina's voice and admire her confidence in the way that she promotes herself.

The interesting thing about this article that talked almost exclusively about Tony, not only his singing, but his art work as well, are quotes from two talented persons. One is from Phil Ramone, who produced Tony's "Duets" cd. Phil mentioned that among musicians, Tony is admired and known for never performing a song exactly the same way twice. (If you're a singer, you can appreciate this with all the thousands of songs he has sung.) Phil states, "I think he's one of the ultimate artists in seeing life from a musical point of view. Whereas many performers need a crowd's response to spark a fresh idea, Tony completely comes from within himself."

Paul McCartney, on meeting Tony, "I was reminded that most of the great people are nice to be with, because they don't have anything to prove."

He's certainly one of my favorites. And congratulations to his son, Danny, for his vision in managing his father's career.