Elaine Stritch: Simplicity, Intimacy, Inspiration!
I came across the name Elaine Stritch on the DVD My Favorite Broadway Leading Ladies. She sang one song, Ladies Who Lunch by Stephen Sondheim, and I was SOLD!
My search for inspirational music led quickly back to Elaine Stritch, and I discovered she was much more than just a leading lady. I typed One Woman Show in the search box for YouTube, and there she was in two hours, twenty five minutes, and fifteen seconds of intimacy, simplicity, perfection. I didn’t move, I didn’t breathe.
Elaine Stritch, a tiny lady on a huge stage, wearing a simple white shirt and shoes, nothing else. She would occasionally sit on a bar chair, tell her story, share her music and memories. For me, it was like two and a half hours of magic.
The opening of the show is my favorite part, There’s No Business Like Show Business, remains forever carved into my memory. I only regret not having been there to see her performance Live.
What a show! What a woman!
What am I talking about?
See for yourself!
http://bit.ly/1kzWoNp
I saw this show live on Broadway and it was amazing. I read an article about it that said James Levine went to the show 14 times. So I felt in good company, after all it was the rave of Broadway at the time. It was so well done. Nothing but her onstage with a stool and a little pit combo. It was a master class in song interpretation. One of the most impactful performances I’ve ever seen. I had never heard of her before that, so it totally caught me off guard. The show was sold out in a theater of around 1,800 I think.