Broadway director Jerry Zaks. Drama Desk Awards. Four Tonys. Nominated for Bette Midler’s “Hello, Dolly!” in 2017. How smart is he? When I rehearsed my instructed one particular-woman exhibit he yawned, “Forget it!” That’s how wise.
He’s to direct — each time that is — “The Audio Man” starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, with Warren Carlyle executing choreography. But when Earth shut months in the past, he was opening “Mrs. Doubtfire,” starring Rob McClure, at the Sondheim.
“In 50 years, I’ve never been instructed to stop doing the job. Quickly, the Broadway League mentioned, ‘Go dwelling.’ It’s a real shock. All the costumes, props, landscapes, wigs, makeup, backstage crew, notes, private stuff, everything’s locked up in the theater. We remain in touch, satisfy periodically and schmooze on Zoom.”
Everyone’s disappointed.
“The output is shut down. Glance, you simply cannot undo a person-to-person party. You cannot digitize theater. Some associates can get unemployment, but we’re in limbo. You can’t sign on for other acting jobs. And abruptly it all stopped.
“We experimented with out in Seattle in 2019, commenced rehearsals beginning of the yr, performed two weeks of tech and were in previews, and the writers were performing on it even just before Seattle.”
So what is Zaks executing to preserve sane?
“Home in my apartment. Watch videos. Go upstate to our household an hour absent just to consider to stay safe and sound. Remain alive. To preserve my hand in, I labored on an Actors Fund thing with Bryan Cranston and Sally Industry.
“All our unions — stagehands, orchestras, actors, administrators, output assistants — have to have to concur it is protected to arrive back again. Our producer speaks with them. But no one feels protected until there is a vaccine. Meanwhile, no visitors, streets vacant. Does not search like the town we know.”
Many Broadway theaters are previous, will several have to be redone?
“One matter not achievable is you can not transform the seating.”
Powering the scene
Apologies to Jerry Zaks, acting’s becoming fewer of a noble profession. Hotshots all itch to immediate, produce, or fall flat on their prat to be their individual bosses. Drew Barrymore has a business. So does Reese Witherspoon, Ben Stiller, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain. Dakota Johnson’s exec developing “Rodeo Queens,” an Amazon comedy collection. Following up, what? Rosanne Barr developing a sci-fi with Biden and Bolton?
Sticky fingers in the aisles
Latest theft? Groceries’ modest Häagen-Dazs Dixie cups. Disregarding ice-product sandwiches, pints, quarts, pops or bricks for the reason that as well major, far too cold to shove under your sweats and, anyhow, they could freeze some of your components off. These are the smallest mini size. Disappearing so fast into pockets, purses, pajamas that even Gristedes will not inventory them any longer.
Tchotchkes on the block
The late Marylou Whitney’s much considerably younger widower John Hendrickson very first met her at the Iditarod Trail Sled Doggy Race, when he was aide to Alaska’s governor. They given that gained the 2004 Belmont Stakes with her thoroughbred, Birdstone. And John now breeds racehorses, which is so substantially nicer than if your partner has a gas station.
They designed a basis for retired racehorses. He is now auctioning off her Jaguar (has only 28K miles on it), her jewels which have observed loads much more mileage, and crates of Valentino, Scaasi, and so forth. dresses, Hermès scarves, hats. A fund-raiser to build a clinical clinic for Saratoga’s backstretch staff. The auction website: MarylouWhitneyCollection.com/the-selection.
About the United states and NYC? I keep in mind what Glenn Near advised me her agent Kevin Huvane informed her when she was in this town and up for an Oscar. And that was:
“Don’t allow the f–kers get you down.”
Only in New York, young children, only in New York.
