Many happy returns to the peerless Miss Peggy Lee, who joined us - in the almost comically unlikely form of Norma Deloris Egstrom in Jamestown, North Dakota - on this day in 1920. I don't know about you, but I never had a math teacher quite like this...
I love early footage of Lee, when you can still see the country girl who hardscrabbled her way to the top, starting as a diner waitress, working tacky nitespots, and barnstorming with big bands, before she fully morphs - and eventually ossifies - into the Great Lady of the American Songbook. Here she's just barely contained by the teacher drag, grooving subtly as she slinks her way through "I Don't Know Enough About You" under the watchful and clearly admiring gaze of her collaborator (and husband, the most successful by far of her four mostly calamitous pairings), Dave Barbour.
Earlier this year I read Is That All There Is?, James Gavin's searching and informative look at what he calls her "Strange Life," and it's clear that Lee was as vastly unhappy as she was enormously talented, and that by the end her indomitable professional life was achieved at the cost of any semblance of normality. She was spoiled, narcissistic, self-indulgent, temperamental to a degree undreamt-of even in operatic circles (and that's saying something), and generally probably not, in long stretches, all that much fun to be around.
Here, though - well, no need to worry about the future; this girl is still somebody I'd like to know a lot about...
A one of a kind talent regardless of her shortcomings. I'm anxious to see what Todd Haynes will do with the upcoming bio starring Reese Witherspoon. I'm cautiously optimistic although I don't see Reese, love her though I do, as that good of a fit. Her voice and general presence is so different from Lee's-I'm thinking Charlize Theron is closer to the mark. Usually I'm against casting actors who can't sing in musicals, even biographies, and Reese can carry a tune but if they don't use Peggy's vocals, which are inimitable, what's the point of doing the film?
ReplyDeleteI never could with this one. I'm not a fan of diva antics. I've never felt that big talent excused anyone from bad behavior.
ReplyDeleteI know plenty of hugely talented people who do their thing while managing to be kind, generous, and professional. I've watched friends sing their faces off on Broadway stages, bring down the house, gracefully greet fans, then hop in the minivan and drive home to spouses, housework, and kids.
We like our divas to be spoiled, narcissistic, self-indulgent and temperamental, with mostly calamitous pairings, surely? I love La Lee, and I think I'd forgive her most things just to hear her sing... Jx
ReplyDeleteI've always wondered what the allure of her was. I can see the tease here, but as a guy with a background in musical theater, I always thought she sounded drunk, and didn't care much for that as a permanent feature.
ReplyDeleteWell, in her defense, sometimes she probably was drunk, although apparently she was more a pill kind of gal. It's definitely not a theatre voice (as anyone who saw the ill-fated "Peg" would attest), but of it's kind, if it's something you like, it tends to be something you like a lot.
DeleteAs is soon often the case, I'm with Bill and Jon. There are artists - wonderful ones - who are paragons of stability and huge joys to work with. But there are also the Sacred Monsters, and attention must be paid. I've worked with both and can admire both. But while a world with only Beverly Sillses, Thomas Hampsons, and Tyne Dalys (to name three great and good ones I can testify for first-hand) would still be very wonderful, it can't be denied that the Dalidas and Judys and God help us even the Miss Rosses add that Little Something Extra.
ReplyDeleteThe ones I can't abide are those whose talents are outstripped by the own particular craziness - ones I've had the first-hand "joy" to experience might include Miss Battle or the late and unlamented Mr. Robbins (even the "West Side Story" dances can't excuse his very specific brand of shittery.
As for Lee, she was a magic-maker, and, to use a phrase that I can only hear in my Mother's voice, "her own worst enemy." Most of her craziness just made her miserable; although she was often apparently also pretty trying to be around, she doesn't seem to have been actively nasty like Kathleen and old Jerome.
I loved the Time magazine headline on the occasion of the lovely Kathleen's sacking from the New York Met for upsetting everybody - "Battle Fatigue"... Jx
DeleteShe's a pip. I'll just leave it at that...
DeleteAnd for all I said, I forgive Judy everything. And Stritch some. And if I thought on it, I'd come up with quite a few more I'd let get away with murder.
DeleteNow, please write a book called, Sacred Monsters because it's a fabulous turn of phrase.
Oh, God - Stritch. The only thing that made her possible was that, at least after she got sober, she admitted what an utter impossibility she'd been (and often remained). With someone like Leslie Uggams (by all accounts a joy), the sad thing is that she never had a really huge, defining, "Dolly" kind of role; with Stritch, the miracle is that she ever got hired, until suddenly one day she was, in her way, indispensable.
DeleteAnother diva for whom I would forgive anything! Jx
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