Some Nice Monet, A Pinter Play, Perhaps a Piece of Opera

Leave it to me to turn my life into a mangled lyric from Stephen Sondheim’s "Company"…lol. What can I say? I ushered for a production of it in my impressionable youth and can practically sing the whole show.

First, the Monet – My friends Nineta and Artemis are taking Arts Markets this semester and their professor got them (and a few of their lucky friends) into Sotheby’s Impressionist Auction last night! It was beyond cool. There I was in my little black dress hobnobbing with people who sere spending millions on Renoirs, Magrittes and Monet, whose “Nympheas” started out bidding at 8 million pounds and sold for a whopping 16.5!

A Pinter Play – Donmar Warehouse’s final show of the season was Pinter’s “Betrayal.” We liked it, we didn’t love it. Not sure I’m a fan of Pinter’s. Odd dialogue, awkward pauses, etc. However the acting was very strong and the two male leads were quite the hotties with quite the pedigrees. Toby Stephens (you may know him as the villain in James Bond’s “Die Another Day”) is the son of Dame Maggie Smith (I was so tempted to ask him in the Q&A why his mom is so mean, but I held my tongue). Samuel West (you may remember him from Howard’s End) is the son of another English actress, Prunella Scales (from Fawlty Towers). Can we say talented gene pools.

A Piece of Opera - Speaking of Britain having talent, my latest reality show addiction was “Britain’s Got Talent” and our main man Paul Potts just won it this weekend. Unassuming mobile phone salesman by day, amazing tenor bringing people to tears with Nessun Dorma by night! (Check out Simon Cowell's huge grin at the end of audition). Though I would have also been happy had Connie Talbot won. No one sells “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” like this 6-year old!

Reality Check

Last Saturday – sitting on the edge of my seat in the beautiful Wyndham’s Theatre (think it’s the prettiest London venue I’ve seen) to see my Brideshead Revisited crush Anthony Andrews in Somerset Maugham’s “The Letter.” My friend Mary was over in London and we hit the half-price booth and scored great seats. Of course, me being me, we also stalked the stage door. True to London form, there was hardly anyone else there, save for a father and his son (who was all of about 12, a bit young if you ask me, for a play about murder and adultery, but I digress). Anthony came out in a crisp blue shirt and blazer, his blue eyes twinkling and was just the epitome of graciousness! Was very sweet chatting with the young boy and then we spoke briefly and he personalized my autograph: “To Gretchen, Bring Happiness” (or at least that’s what Mary I think it said, a bit hard to make out the handwriting)

This Saturday – sitting on the edge of my sofa watching the finales of reality shows “Any Dream Will Do” and “Grease Is the Word.” Yes, seriously. I’ve been watching “Dream” since catching it at the Winslows’ in Belgium way back when (remember the thwarted attempt to see Lloyd Weber’s castle in Ireland?). I came late to the party on “Grease” and only watched it sporadically. I’m now pleased to report that all of my favorites were the winners! Lee scored the role of Joseph (after an amazing showdown with runner-up Keith, who I also liked), and brought down the house in his final song. If anyone knows my type, they will know that Lee is right up there at the ‘top of the heap’ so to speak (even if he did flub some lyrics. Not sure how little town 'shoes' can melt away in NY, NY..lol). I think there will be more stage door stalking in the future. On Grease, I was really pulling for Susan and Danny (she from Ireland, he from South London). There’s no footage of their win yet, but here’s an early clip of them singing “Somewhere” from West Side Story. If anyone’s coming to London soon, you know what shows I’ll be recommending..lol.

Speaking of “Somewhere” – OMG, can we talk Ugly Betty finale which just aired here in London. Damn people, that was the mother of all season finales. Pass the Kleenex indeed! I loved all the show’s Broadway references, i.e. Angela Lansbury eating a pizza bagel before Sweeney Todd. Speaking of Broadway, I am so bummed I won’t be able to watch the Tony Awards tonight. Go Frank Langella, Go Raul Esparza and all other Frost/Nixon and Company-related nominees!

Ok, back to my essay.