Malibu’s John Raitt was on the celebrity roster at the opening night of “Kiss Me, Kate” at the Shubert Theatre on Aug. 22, and the grand gala that followed at the St. Regis Hotel. The event was “too darn hot” as Raitt joined Blake Edwards, Carl Reiner, Sally Kirkland, Michael York, James Farentino and Jimmy Smits for an evening of song and celebration. It was a nostalgic night for theater lovers that also reunited Broadway vets Patricia Morison, who played the original role of Kate on Broadway, Ann Miller, who played Lois Lane in the MGM film, and James Whitmore.
The production, which features the toe-tapping tunes of Cole Porter, picked up five Tony Awards and opened to rave reviews. It’s not too late to catch Kate. They’ll be singing up a storm until Oct. 13. What else can you say but Wunderbar!
DA, DA, DA
Sherry Lansing, meantime, had her eyes and ears on the opera. Lansing joined pals Nancy Daly Riordan and Placido Domingo at the Russian-themed opening night gala for the L.A. Opera’s “Queen of Spades.” After a standing ovation, the black tie clan made its way to the Music Center Plaza, which was turned into a whimsical “winter palace” fit for a czar.
Once inside, 600 guests admired ice sculptures that had been artfully carved into Russia’s most famous landmarks, including the onion-domed St. Basil Cathedral. They roamed around sipping their Stolichnaya while enjoying background music provided by the Moscow Strings.
Among the minglers were Maximillian Schell, who directs the upcoming production of “Lohengrin,” heavy hitters Barbara and Marvin Davis as well as celebs Michael York, David Hyde Pierce and Diane Lane. The menu, but of course, was Russian in flavor. Celebrity chef Joaquim Splichal was on hand with platters of smoked salmon bilinis and savory beef stroganoff. After dinner, they danced till the midnight hour. Zdorovye!
THE STAGE IS SET
Pleasant diversions seem more welcome than ever these days, and theater and music lovers have lots to choose from. The racy production of “The Car Man,” an auto-erotic thriller, takes off at the Ahmanson through the end of the month, “Sa Ve En Rose” holds its magnifique world premiere at the Court Theater, “Spine” taps into the woes of well-to-do women at the Coast Playhouse, and due to overwhelming demand, the one and only Elvis Costello teams up with the Charles Mingus Orchestra at UCLA’s Royce Hall.
It might be a good time to just sit back, take a break and enjoy.