04/29/2010 12:00 am
Culture
Liz Smith: Keeping Up With Elaine Stritch
Also from Our Liz: Bette Midler takes it off … And the latest in thrills.
Elaine Stritch © Robin Platzer/Twin Images
Well, on May 3, the influential and controversial U.S. Congressman Barney Frank will be the play’s honored guest in a "Talk Out Mondays" performance after the show.
I know and admire Congressman Frank, a guy who has overcome every obstacle to be "out" and gay and yet instrumental and humane in making the nation’s laws. He is just great!
Maybe you don’t care but "The Temperamentals" has won two Lortel award nominations, a Drama League Award for actor Michael Urie, and two Outer Critics Circle awards, plus being named the outstanding new off-Broadway play.
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MOST OF us have in our libraries exciting novels from the Fort Worth fiction maven Sandra Brown. Come May 4, Sandra’s handsome son, Ryan Brown, will bring out his own novel, Play Dead.
This one is a refreshing take on the Texas "national" sport, football, and the sinister underworld of vampires and zombies. When I first read it, I thought, "What a combo idea for a movie," and sure enough, there’s big LaLa Land interest in Ryan’s first fiction.
It has received a starred review in Publishers Weekly and Ryan will be taking part in a zombie-themed book signing in May with the multi-Bram Stoker Award winner, Jonathan Maberry. He also has two short stories being published – one in an anthology titled First Thrills and in another called Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror.
I’ll be greeting both Sandra and Ryan at the Literacy Partners black-tie gala in Lincoln Center on May 10.
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Contrary to popular belief, clothes does not make a man, or a woman. Often, some sequined women could benefit from a less flashy touch, while men with a pink tie or shirt could be just as manly as if they wore a starched white tie. As for Miss Stritch, her attire fits the stage persona when she sings the lyrics of Noel Coward and others. I recently watched a gorgeous Spanish singer, Pasion Vega, interpret tangos wearing white tie. It was for the lyrics; later she changed to various gowns, also for the lyrics. The tangos would not have had the same effect as art, had she performed them wearing gowns.
I can see why you could be turned off by someone who crossdresses offstage, as Diane Keaton does. To me, she looks ridiculous, a parody; and that could diminish any appreciation I may have for her talent. As for Miss Stritch, I’m sorry to hear she doesn’t want to sing on stage anymore. Some composers and performers are inseparable. She’s inseparable from Coward and Cole Porter.
First, let me make one thing clear: I’m not trying to influence your opinion; you speak with such conviction. On the other hand, I’ve never seen a male flamenco or tap dancer, wearing heels, who looked like a sissy while dancing. As for female skirts, should the Catholic Pope and his underlings change their dresses for pants? By the way, I may be with you on that one; it is so medieval and pretentious. In desert countries, men wear loose white gowns because they are practical; they keep away the heat and reflect the sun. Also, it’s a cultural thing; as such, I believe it merits respect.
When I consider that we’re living in the 21st Century, what people wear is so irrelevant and not a factor in their personal worth, as long as decorum is observed. By "decorum" I don’t mean "gender specific ", but "decent cover of the private parts of the human body, as not to offend society."
You’re parsing words. You are reaching in terms of coming up with examples to counter my opinion, when I made it very clear from my first post what I was referring to. I am not talking about religious sects who wear gowns, ethnic groups who may have clothing options that run counter to what we "Americans" are use to. I am talking specifically about women wearing shirts and ties as a man does, I find that inappropriate and not feminine. Just as a man who would choose to wear high heels or a dress (as women do) is likewise inappropriate and not masculine.
I’m all for political correctness, but not when it runs amok. It should be okay to define aspects of life as feminine or masculine and not constantly have to view the world as a combination of the two. For indeed they are separate.
There are some men that walk around in sequin dresses and look gorgeous. Clooney would make a dandy female impersonator––he’s got that doe-like look about him–-sometimes. Dietrich made a name for herself in a suit, tie and top hat to boot; "Strichie" looks great in same.
Message to whomever is in charge of the radio segments. When you click on play, you get last week’s segment.
I wonder why we care what Elaine is wearing. She excels in what she does. Katherine Hepburn apparently didn’t own a dress and it was ok. She made pants for women totally acceptable. I think we tend to get caught up in triviality way too much. Let people wear what they want unless their dress habits become unacceptable in terms of too much nudity.
Eye of the beholder explains much, and avoiding light of day.
Wow…there is such a difference between a woman wearing a suit (and tie) and a man in drag. Who was more sexy and divine than Dietrich in her tux? If anything, a woman in somewhat masculine attire often becomes a stronger feminine object.
A lovely lady in a suit can be hot. A man in a dress is a drag queen. That can be hot, too, if you want a drag queen. But the woman/suit thing is more interesting.