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This week, you might wish that you lived in Pennsylvania. (Even if it’s hot as hell in Philadelphia.) For The Keystone State, as it’s chummily called, considers Flag Day – June 14th – a state holiday. Plenty of Pennsylvanians have the day off from work. Even if you don’t have the entire day at your […]

So, after writing the scores to HELLO, DOLLY! in 1964 and MAME in 1966, what could Jerry Herman do for an encore? In 1967, when DOLLY was on course to becoming the longest-running musical in Broadway history, Herman announced that he’d tackle Jean Giraudoux’s fanciful comedy THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT. What? Both Dolly and Mame […]

These two brief stories are true. Walking down West 43rd Street last week, I saw a teenage boy and a teenage girl holding hands, swinging them back and forth, and loudly singing with great joy. Their song of choice was “I’d Do Anything” from OLIVER! Seven minutes later – and yes, I did check my watch to verify that so little time had passed – I […]

There have been knock-knock jokes, practical jokes and light-bulb jokes. But 60 years ago, the joke that was sweeping the country was the Tom Swifty. Never heard of it? Let your youth be your consolation. According to Wikipedia, “Tom Swiftys are named after the Tom Swift American adventure novels. The various authors would always describe […]

What does Chita Rivera not have in common with Jean Hersholt, Isabelle Stevenson and Irving G. Thalberg? She didn’t have to die to get an award named for her. Next week, choreographers and dancers will receive Chita Rivera Awards at the Skirball Center. It’ll be one of the two most notable events the legend will […]