Hollywood Story; Kiss Me Kate (1)


Another

Hollywood story

from my celebrity memoir Three Stages. This was just prior to my 1964 exploratory Big Apple trip to get an agent lined up before making the big, permanent move.

“Before leaving for New York I had found out that the LA Civic was doing Kiss Me Kate that summer with Patrice Munsel. I wanted to get the role of ‘Hortensio’ the tenor of the three suitors for ‘Bianca’. So I wrote a letter to Mr. Lester [Ed Lester, LA Civic Producer] requesting to be considered for the part. Upon my return I got his reply in which he said he’d be glad to audition me but he intended to cast the role ‘in a more classic mold.’ A more classic mold?  What the hell was that supposed to mean, thinner? Taller? Okay, I’d give him both!

After the age of fifteen I was never fat but I did look a bit ‘chunky’. At the time of this exchange with Mr. Lester I was around one eighty with a thirty-three inch waist. I went on a high protein diet, started taking ballet and jazz dance classes and bought a pair of custom made low top boots that, without looking like lifts, gave me two more inches of height. By the time of the audition five weeks later I weighed in at one sixty-five and had a thirty-one inch waist. I put on my boots, sang the shit out of ‘Maria’, nearly deafening the pianist with the high note and made a strong impression on Edwin Lester.

He ran up onto the stage, told the pianist to take a break and sat down at the piano. I had no idea he could play but he was very good. We did several numbers from the show together. When we finished he shook my hand and said, ‘You have the role. Tell your agent to call my office.’

The clichés come to mind; Walking On Air, Delirious With Joy, you name it. I was extremely excited and proud that I had overcome whatever it was that I had overcome. I got the part. Wow!

A couple of weeks later rehearsals started and I was reunited with Ned Romero who was playing ‘Gremio’, the baritone in the trio of suitors. The cast included Robert Wright, in the Alfred Drake role opposite Miss Munsel, Elizabeth Allen as ‘Lois/Bianca’, the great character actor Allen Jenkins as one of the gangsters, the fabulous Virginia Capers as ‘Hattie’ the Maid and the amazing Avon Long as ‘Paul’. I was, as [my dad] Bish would have said, ‘walking in tall cotton’. …

Author Ben Bryant & Elizabeth Allen

Author Ben Bryant & Elizabeth Allen in “Kiss me Kate”

“… By now friendships had blossomed among the cast and one of mine was Virginia Capers. She was a large, buxom woman, full of life and good humor.

Virginia Capers

Virginia Capers

I particularly recall one night when she showed up at the theatre dressed to the nines and smelling like a flower bed. I commented on this and she said, ‘The Basie Band is in town and tonight I’m gonna get my ashes hauled!’ I’d never before heard this expression but the meaning was obvious.

Another unlikely friendship was with Carlton Johnson who was the dance captain. CJ was a fabulous dancer and a flirt. Though he was married with two kids he was also partial to his own gender and was constantly hitting on me. By now I had known enough gay guys to be comfortable with them and instead of being put off by his advances as I had in my first show, I was flattered. I finally made a deal with him. I told him that if I ever wanted to try sex with another man he would be the one. Of course that never happened but we had lots of fun goofing on the idea.”

Read more about Kiss Me Kate and other shows when you click here to get Three Stages.

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