LifeSoFarLaRue

When I was in my early twenties, one of the first Halloween parties I ever attended in NYC was in Greenwich Village at the apartment of my agent at the time, a funny, friendly woman named Francie Hidden.  Everyone (mostly her clients and a few of her neighbors) was told to come as a celebrity. Because I had access to a black pleated skirt and a curly black wig (supplied by a girl friend at the time) I chose to go as Annette Funicello.  I bought a Mickey Mouse sweatshirt, some stick-on lettering (to spell Annette just below the neck) and borrowed a pair of Mickey Mouse ears from a neighbor who had just returned from Disneyland.   Then to complete the picture, a pair of inflated balloons (Annette had a rather large bosum). Putting it all together, (with mascara and lipstick) I looked quite a lot like her except for one thing...….so I got out the black liquid shoe polish and darkened my moustache.   It was a hit!

2015 was the year that Broadway Cares brought out the Barbra Streisand Christmas ornament.  It, of course, was to commemorate her star making performance playing Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl." Ray Stark had planned a biopic on the life of his mother-in-law, Fanny Brice with Isobel Lennart to pen the screenplay.  Upon completion, it fell into the hands of Mary Martin who suggested it was better suited to a stage musical. Stark discussed the possibilities with Producer David Merrick who suggested it be written by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim.   Sondheim turned it down feeling Martin was all wrong for the project and insisted the role should be played by a "jewish girl."  And Martin bowed out gracefully. Eventually, the show was written with music by Julie Styne and lyrics by Bob Merrill.   Jerome Robbins was brought into the project to direct.  Initially, Ann Bancroft was to play Fanny and then Eydie Gorme was contacted.  She would only take the rol...

The  final look at this series of villains is not a statuette at all but rather a picture frame, I picked up at the Disney Store in Manhattan.   It features all of the villains although the photo inside is not a villain at all but rather a lovely friend and neighbor or ours from our country house in Warwick, New York. Her name is Lore Frey and I miss her and love her, madly.  (Almost villainously)