Bette, Bets, and Jets!!!

In an ongoing effort to scour the earth for fabulous entertainment to bring to YOU, I've just returned from Sin City!
(ok, it was really my birthday trip, BUT...I did manage to squeeze in a couple meetings, and some excellent shows)

HOWEVER...before I delve into all of that...don't forget that we are presenting...

THE TONY AWARD WINNING BROADWAY SHOW,
ELAINE STRITCH...AT LIBERTY!
That's right--you don't have to go to New York and pay those big ticket prices. You get to see it here, in our intimate showroom at The Mansion at Judges' Hill, home of Austin Cabaret Theatre! Tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity are only $79, and that includes a scrumptious dinner!!!
(and how about the DIVINE portrait from Kathy Womack?!?! Limited edition prints will be available at the show, signed by both Womack and Stritch!)
You can download an order form to mail in by clicking the icon above/right, or call me directly at (512) BUY-ACTS.
Call now for the best seating!!!


Ok...Viva Las Vegas--
Opening with "I Knew You Were Waiting For Me" was perfect for the much anticipated (well, by ME, anyway...) reunion concert of Donny & Marie.
Yes, Osmond.
The show was everything and more I could have wanted. The good parts were really good, and the bad parts were even better.
My favorite part of the show was the unintentionally hysterical moment, when during his Stevie Wonder tribute, Donny Osmond--the whitest man on the planet--sang the immortal phrase "Looking back on when I was a little nappy-headed boy..."
Now I ask you. Did no producer, director, dancer, or musician ever stop rehearsal and say, "Ummm, Donny...???"
I nearly wet my chair then fell off it. It seems, however, that I was the lone member of the sold-out crowd who found the hilarity in it.
They both looked fantastic, and are headed to the Flamingo Hilton this fall for an extended run. Who knows, maybe ACT will be next...?


Of course, how can you do Vegas and not go to the "grand-daddy" of all Vegas shows, Jubilee?!
It's the last of a dying breed...the gorgeous showgirls, over-the-top sets, enormous headdresses, and more feathers than even MY closet...what's not to love?
I mean, for goodness sake, they even sink the Titanic on stage.
My friend and ACT National Board member Jody Jackson (Miss Jackson if you're nasty...) had a total melt-down after the show which resulted in her shouting the now-immortal words, "If I see one more skinny bitch in a tight dress and high heels I'm going to knock her down!!!"
This phrase, naturally, was repeated often...though with less venom.


An OUTRAGEOUSLY good time was had at Bette Midler, The Showgirl Must Go On!
Classic Bette; bawdy, gaudy, and naughty!
Plus, her unbelievable skill of going from camp to heartfelt in the blink of an eye.
She is the entertainer's entertainer.
She'll be there in 6-week rotations with Elton John, and Cher...
or, as Bette puts it, "the trifecta of gay entertainment!"


I also caught the Cirque du Soliel show LOVE, featuring the music of the Beatles.
Gorgeous, as all their shows are.


Lunch with my friend Michael LaFleur--a fabulous director, artistic coordinator, producer, and all-around good guy was another high point. You thought I had stories??? He's the bomb. He shared a very funny story about running into Ms. Stritch on the street in NY.
He is hoping to come in for her show--he'll tell it to you!


I also squeezed in a meeting with Rene Ruiz, of Toxic Audio...plans are in the works for their Spring appearance at ACT! They are amazing!!! They just closed their critically-acclaimed Vegas show, and we got to catch one of the final performances.
In a word, brilliant!


Birthday dinner at Le Cirque (our favorite)...

A helicopter ride around the city...

Playing slots and "Moo Cow" (don't ask)...

A great time was had by all!


Ok, you know the drill...I've babbled on enough...time for YOU to POST A COMMENT below.

Do that right after you call me and order your tickets for Elaine Stritch!

XOXO
Stuart

Hello, Friends!
Ok, before I get to some great news and interesting (I hope) sightings, I NEED YOUR HELP!
HELP! HELP! HELP!
I've mentioned before that--while I'm thrilled ACT is so highly regarded--I no longer want to be "Austin's best kept secret."
Marketing dollars are few, however. So...
Please do me a favor...Send this blog out to everyone you know who enjoys GREAT entertainment, because that's what Austin Cabaret Theatre provides. If each of you sent this out to just TWO friends (and they told two friends, and they told two friends...am I the only one old enough to remember that commercial? anyway...), we could do more with your help than any marketing budget could.
And when you have LEGENDARY DIVAS like ELAINE STRITCH coming in her TONY AWARD WINNING BROADWAY SHOW...well, what's not to like???
Ok...on to the dish--
I just got back from Los Angeles...it was great to be home, and although I got to have some fun (like going to Disneyland for my annual birthday pilgrimage), there was some work, too!
I took in a concert reading at the Festival for New Musicals called DANCE WITH ME, starring Jai Rodriguez, of Queer Eye fame. It was terrific to see him again, and we had some time to catch up after the show...Yes, we have been trying to get him to Austin Cabaret Theatre for a while. His voice is gorgeous, kids. But the best part was this show really shows off his acting chops. He brought tears to my eyes with his portrayal of a young Desi Arnaz. Also at the show was his Queer Eye companion (and host of the new hit How To Look Good Naked) Carson Kressley...who said to me...
"Have we met before? You look really familiar." Sadly, I was the only one of the two of us who found the irony in that statement.
I also took in a new play at Pasadena Playhouse: Looped, which stars Valerie Harper as Tallulah Bankhead. She was FIERCE, and the play is riotous.
Last but not least, I urge you again to get the word out--forward this blog, and then POST A COMMENT BELOW so I know you were here! Thoughts? Ideas? Acts you'd like to see at ACT?
And call for your tickets to Elaine Stritch...At Liberty! (see the blog posted below, or click above for order form!). You can also call me directly for tickets, at 512-BUY-ACTS.
You SERIOUSLY don't want to miss this one...
Kiss-Kiss!
Stuart