Palm Springs: A Special Show at The Purple Room

  

A couple of weekends ago I took a last-minute trip to Palm Springs to see Tommy Tune and Lucie Arnaz doing a talk at The Purple Room.  Although the show was sold out, I phoned the box office and left a message.  I let them know that I had toured with Tommy and Lucie in "My One and Only," and asked if there was any standing room available.  

Within a few minutes, I received a call back.  The woman was very helpful and friendly.  She told me that they do get cancelations, and she would let me know.  She called me back shortly, excited to tell me she had received one!  Thrilled, I grabbed the latest available table. ( It's a supper club.)  I paid for my show ticket over the phone.

I had to shower and dress in twenty minutes in order to leave by 2:00 p.m.  I fed the dogs early, put on some quick make-up, chose a vintage gown from my closet, and began the two and a half to three-hour drive.  With very little traffic, I was in downtown Palm Springs by 4:30 p.m.  

It was easy to park, and a quick walk to the entrance of The Purple Room.  The dinner was excellent.  I selected the steak and potato.  The green salad with berries was fantastic, and the raspberry moscato tasted expensive and divine.  I ordered a foamy cappuccino for dessert.  I really enjoyed the performance.  I ran into Tommy's partner, Peter, meandering through the tables before the show.  He invited me to come back to see them in the lobby after the curtain dropped.   It was emotional and special to chat with Master Tune for a few minutes.  "Stephenie!  You always just appear!" he exclaimed.   Tommy gifted each of us one of these gorgeous purple signed prints.  I cherish mine; his artwork is so poignant.  

I didn't have time to arrange a sitter for the dogs, so I made the reverse trip back home to the cottage.  Next time, I will stay up at the cabin.  It's on the way, and only an hour and a half from Palm Springs.  Now I know.  Palm Springs has wonderful history, it's filled with retired entertainers, and has a show business feel that I love.  The audience was very theatrical.  Can't wait to return...

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Carol Channing Obituary: Part One

Carol Channing died today. She was 97 years old, and lived a very full and vibrant life. I first met Carol when I was a Bluebell dancer in the Show "Hello Hollywood, Hello!" at the MGM Grand Hotel in Reno, Nevada. She came in as the first headliner, and boy was she spectacular! I fell in love with her: her vivacity, charm, humor, and stage presence. She was electric and youthful. I would stand in the bathroom during her act, listening to her on the speaker. I studied her vocal inflections, her timing on the laughs, and the rhythm of her skits. She was hysterical. One of my favorite numbers was when she did "Tap Your Troubles Away."  She performed it in flat Mary Jane style tap shoes with huge bows on the feet, like a little girl would wear.  It was so funny, and  never failed to get a laugh. She made her costume changes behind a flimsy partition on stage, while chatting enthusiastically to the audience as she changed her clothes. She was so amusing and entertaining, all of the time.

I used to see her poised on her float before she made her entrance. She always got there about twenty minutes before her cue. It had a staircase, and after someone helped her up at the top, she would stand there, wide eyed, looking around and listening. It was as if she was talking to someone. There was energy streaming out of her body; she must have been rehearsing. I used to wave at her from my Robot costume as she made her exit. One day she came up to me and asked, "What is your name?" "Stephenie," I replied. "Stephenie!" she practically shouted, enthusiastically. From then on, she would always stop on her way to the dressing room and say "Hi Stephenie," in that imitable voice of hers. She was so kind and friendly.  More about Carol Channing tomorrow.

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Following Your Soul's Plan

When I was a little girl, my dream was to be a professional dancer. I longed to perform on stage and in television and movies. I loved the Rockettes, and would eagerly watch them whenever they were on television. I imagined how exciting it would be to join their kick line. I wanted it so badly, I could taste it. I put my total and complete focus on achieving that goal.

As I spent my life training in the dance studio, I visualized my vision of being a professional dancer every night. I had a poster above my bed that read, "If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it." I would repeat those words to myself, consistently, before I went to sleep. It gave me the strength and creativity to overcome any obstacles. When I needed money to pay for all of the classes that were required to become an advanced dancer, I got work. Whether it was assisting my dance teachers, babysitting, and working as a mother's helper, I offered.  I would do anything: wash windows, walk dogs, clean ovens, fold laundry, you name it.  I found lots of jobs that I could do right in our own neighborhood.

When my mom couldn't drive me to the studio anymore, I saved up my money from working and bought myself a Yamahopper. Because it was technically a motorcycle, I had to get a motorcycle license, at age fifteen. I did well on the driving part of the test, but I failed the written section. (Three times.) I was mortified. I just couldn't visualize the situations that they described on paper, probably because I was so young. I had no driving experience. My need was to get from home to the dance studio, which was just several blocks. The fourth time I retook the test, I scored 100%. I was elated. The real reason I finally passed was that there were only three tests. I had memorized my mistakes on all of them. Thankfully, I could now drive legally.. .my transportation problem was solved. I also no longer had to walk to school. I was the only girl in high school who carried around a bright yellow motorcycle helmet, and rode a moped.

I believe that  determination is the main factor in realizing your dreams. Now, when I want to achieve something, I always visualize the end result. "Press on, Baby, press on," my dance partner Fred Boothe used to tell me. I always went after what I wanted,  career wise. I felt something inside of me that I couldn't deny. I loved the people that I met in dance class. I felt such a strong connection to them. We had the same passion, and it gave us the same joy.  I admired the stars, the directors, and the choreographers. They were doing what I wanted to do, and I never lost sight of that vision.

 I was watching a show with Oprah Winfrey and Gary Zukov on Youtube recently. They were explaining that when the personality aligns with the soul, you become unstoppable. We all see this when people's careers seem to take off, and they achieve enormous success. What we don't see is the years of training, discipline, and preparation that led up to it.       

Taking Class: Part Two

 I really enjoyed the tap classes that Maurice Hines taught on Saturday and Sunday. He worked us hard! It was two straight hours of nonstop dancing. His assistant, Shaun Baker, taught the warm up. It was thorough and clear. I found it easy to follow, but it was not easy. You needed to have a strong tap base to know the vocabulary. His sounds were crisp and clean.

Maurice led us across the floor. We danced two by two. It was really fun. He used a lot of Janet Jackson music and other great songs from that era. Maurice breaks things down well, and he demonstrates so beautifully.  He is such an excellent dancer. I like the way he builds the class. Some of the steps Shaun taught us in the warm up, then we did them again across the floor, and then a third time in the combination. That's a great way to teach, because it builds confidence, technique, and understanding.

Many of the tap steps were combined with Jazz and Latin. There were a lot of fast rhythms. Some of it I wasn't sure I could still do, but somehow my body went on automatic, and I could. I just focused hard on hearing the sounds in my head.  I'm not sure if it was wise to do all of the wings and other more advanced steps on my replaced hips, but they felt fine. I wasn't in any pain afterwards, just exhausted and thirsty.

I was totally wiped out after the second day of class. I felt more relaxed and comfortable with the learning process, though. I kind of knew what to expect, and told myself to go with the flow. If you panic, your mind freezes, and it's hard to pick up. The second combination was also really fun and enjoyable. It was a fantastic weekend of excellent classes. I'm glad I hung on to my tap shoes, and didn't give them to the Goodwill!    

Taking Class: Part One

This is a post I started writing a few days ago. Tomorrow I'll write about how the classes went, and what I learned. Boy did I step out of my comfort zone! This photo is from the European Tour of "42nd Street", and was taken many years ago when we were with the show in Germany. 

Saturday morning I woke up, excited about a workshop I had signed up for with Maurice Hines. He is in town teaching two classes at Debbie Allen's dance studio in Los Angeles. I registered on line, and started researching Maurice through Google. I already had heard a lot about him, since some of my close friends had danced in the shows that he had choreographed. I found some wonderful interviews and excerpts from his nightclub act on line. In addition to being an exceptional dancer, he is also quite an entertainer, singer,  and storyteller. It was fun to hear him talk about the early days when he was a young boy, tapping with his brother, Gregory Hines. They studied with the famous tap master, Henry Le Tang.

I used to take classes regularly from Henry Le Tang when I was dancing in shows  in Las Vegas. The first time was when I was working at the Stardust. The second time was when I did Sugar Babies with Mickey Rooney and Juliet Prowse and the Desert Inn. I really looked forward to those classes. They were the highlight of my day.  Henry choreographed the movie The Cotton Club, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The lighting is exquisite. Gregory and Maurice are so impressive in their dances and scenes. I still watch their dancing in that film over and over. It's remarkable. The costumes, sets, and details are magnificent. It's a real period piece. Every detail is so authentic...it's just pure art. You can really see Henry's stamp of individuality on the work, since he directly experienced the Cotton Club. It shows. You can hear it in the music, the sounds of the taps, and in the tempos. Henry is the real thing.

When I used to take his class, Maurice Sr. (Gregory and Maurice's  father,) was always there, sitting on the bench by the window. He was very kind, warm, and encouraging. He had a very rich, deep voice. I always chatted with him before heading in to the dance studio to tap with Henry. In those days, classes were tiny. I was often the only person in the class. Henry's work was very intricate, and there weren't many trained tap dancers who took Henry's tap class in Las Vegas. I think it's because it was so advanced. You needed to have a very solid tap base. Most of them were showgirls, and specialized in ballet and jazz.  Henry rented out the studio space for auditions and for rehearsals. I took advantage of training with him. I soaked up as much as I could, and practiced like crazy. I would drill all of his routines  between numbers and costume changes while I was at work. When he went to Paris to set Black and Blue, Henry had me teach all of his classes. Training always pays off in some way. It was such an honor.

I've been watching interviews and clips on Maurice and his brother Gregory on Youtube. I can't wait to meet Maurice. I know I'm going to like him. He's got great charisma, and is so elegant and charming. I hope I will be able to pick up the choreography. I'm a little nervous, since I'm not sure how much I can do since having the hip replacement surgery. The other night, I watched some videos of Gregory teaching master classes, to practice. I was having trouble seeing what he was doing, and everything seemed so fast! When I was a young dancer, I picked up so quickly. Gregory and Henry hired me for the movie Tap, which Henry choreographed. At this age it's more challenging. I'll just try to stay relaxed and focused.