In honor of the opening today of perhaps the least-anticipated (and certainly, as it stands, least necessary) film of recent years, The Women, I thought we might enjoy seeing Miss Luce's epic of love, loss, and laughter in Gotham high society reduced to its most primal themes, courtesy of Mr. Sondheim.
I won't lie to you: Elaine Stritch frightens me. I've seen her perform this half-a-dozen times, at various benefits, galas, and dos around town back in my palmy days, and every time (a) she nailed it as completely as she does here and (b) she did something different with it.
That ain't easy, kids; not any easier than playing angry, scared, drunk, and vulnerable when you are very likely one or more them at any given time...
YES! She is a bit firghtening. Awesomely talented but with a certain crazed intensity.
ReplyDelete"Maybe if I take my hat off I can do it." Who hasn't used that line???
ReplyDeleteStrichy is also a staunch Catholic. There's a fascinating series of interviews with her on YouTube, conducted by a meticulously coiffed and wardrobed Catholic priest (his cashmere pullover matches his eyes), for a proposed TV series about Catholics in entertainment.
ReplyDeleteThe guy is, of course, obstensibly straight and celibate, but his demeanor just...well, SCREAMS "gay." He's interviewing Elaine Stritch, for heaven's sake! And his knowledge of musical theater trivia is tres impressive. Anyway, at one point in the interview, Strichy fixes him with her gimlet eye, and says, "You've been around the block, haven't you father?"
Stritchie has yelled at me twice (so far) and they were two of the most frighteningly divine moments of my life.
ReplyDeleteI worship her...from a safe distance.