La La Land

Week 81: Los Angeles, CA

The culture shock of coming to LA after San Francisco was mitigated somewhat by the long, eight hour drive down the coast which I took with friends Lenny and Tim. I had never seen the magnificent scenery of this part of California, and while it was quite a long day it was well worth it.
The twisting trail of Highway 1, with sheer cliffs towering over the Pacific, was breathtaking. We drove through Big Sur, stopping briefly for lunch, and then made our way south, past San Simeon and Hearst Castle, and then joined Highway 101, marveling at the landscape of rolling hills covered in parched, yellow grass with the occasional bright green vineyard cutting through them. Pulling into LA for the first time for me was a sort of tingly experience, passing the Hollywood Bowl and traversing famous streets like Sunset, Santa Monica, Hollywood and Vine. I am sharing a condo in West Hollywood, a great area, and the place itself is a sprawling, loft style apartment on a charming residential street. I leased my very first rental car, a little white Cobalt, and am learning to shuttle myself around LA, boldly braving the freeways to and from the Ahmanson Theatre downtown!

Our venue here in LA is part of Center Theatre Group, a complex of three venues including the Ahmanson, the Mark Taper Forum and the Kirk Douglas Theatre--all part of the Los Angeles Music Center-- and reminds me very much of Lincoln Center in New York.
It's the top of the line for theatre in LA and what an exciting thing it is to be the featured offering for nine whole weeks. To describe our opening here as a triumph would not be an exaggeration. The audience was ecstatic, the celebrity guest list included such luminaries as Michael York, Laurence Fishburne, Betty White, Olympic champion figure skater Scott Hamilton, Loni Anderson, Kevin Neelon, Anthony LaPaglia, and on and on. It's quite something to be on stage and to see so many famous faces smiling up at one from the audience. At our curtain call, Eric Idle and John DuPrez joined us on stage to give their thanks and to express the inspiring story of how they came to see a show at the Ahmanson while conceiving "Spamalot" and determined that one day they would see their creation on the stage there. Their dream came true, in spades, and what an honor to be a part of all that. The opening party was held on the roof of the Standard Hotel, a swanky, hip open air bar with an illuminated pool, odd round water beds to lounge upon, and a glorious panoramic view of the LA skyline. As I was leaving the theatre in my party duds, I came smack dab into Eric Idle and his wife Tanya, chatting with Billy Crystal and his wife Janice. To my shock and delight, Mr. Crystal came right up to me, shook my hand stoutly and said, "You were terrific." Eric leaned in and seconded it. I felt like I was dreaming. Does it get better than these two comic geniuses?
Such acknowledgement is priceless to an aspiring performer. The party brought more opportunities to meet great people, and I had a delightful encounter with comedienne Joanne Worley, during which we posed for this photo. I also got to be reunited with Richard Chamberlain, our beloved "Mr. C.," who is in LA for a performance at the Hollywood Bowl. What a pleasure to see him again! What can I say? The opening was such a happy occasion, crowned the next day by nearly unanimous raves in the press. We can look forward to a highly successful run here.




I must say, I did not expect to take to the LA lifestyle as pleasantly as I have this first week. I always had an idea that LA was rather plastic, image conscious and fake. And there is that element. But it is also a fascinating city of diverse neighborhoods, amazing architecture, glorious warm and sunny weather every day, and an energy distinctly its own. I am getting used to the driving and enjoying my Hollywood neighborhood. I have not ventured further than the theatre all week, just becoming familiar with the way everything works here. But I plan to really see LA during the next two months, and experience all it has to offer. Thanks for coming along for the ride--put on your sunglasses and roll the top down!