Who needs a valentine when there are divas in town? Or so read
the motto on my heart this past Saturday, when I spent the most
Hallmark of holidays in the company of two belting babes that
I've been worshipping since I first discovered that there was
an abundant cast album section at the town library. Two LPs
that I definitely paid overdue fines on were the Premiere American
Recording of “Evita”, which introduced me to the vocal
pyrotechnics of Patti LuPone, and the original off-Broadway
recording of “Little Shop of Horrors”, a glorious
showcase for the talents of Miss Ellen Greene. February 14 found
both gals performing on the stages of New York City and the
12 year old in me freaking out at my good fortune.
First up was LuPone…
Later in
the evening I finally got the chance to meet my not-so-new best
friend Greene in person after her second of two sold-out Joe's
Pub shows. Of course, I still believe that Greene should have
been 50 blocks north once again playing Audrey in “Little
Shop of Horrors”, but hell, I was just glad to see her
back in New York City again, push-up bra or not. |
Dressed
in a sexy slip of a black dress, Greene tore through a song
list of power-rock chick numbers that often brought her to the
brink of tears. The audience was just as moved and who could
blame them? Greene invests so much of herself in her music that
you can't help but go along for the journey.
The eclectic
show (titled Torch!) had Greene singing everything from Sarah
McLachlan, Paula Cole, Jane Sibbery and Christian Klikovits
(her musical director husband who contributed a killer tune
called "When Love Is Gone") to show tunes like "Never
Never Land," "We Kiss in the Shadows," "Continental
American" (a song her good friend Peter Allen wrote that's
used in The Boy from Oz), "Pirate Jenny" and her two
Little Shop of Horrors anthems, "Somewhere That's Green"
and "Suddenly Seymour." The first Little Shop song
she unbelievably dedicated to me. (I know! I'm still in shock.)
And during the second she asked the willing audience to sing
out the role of Seymour to her Audrey.
"Did
you sing with everyone?" Greene adorably asked me backstage
when we finally met face to face. Right! Like I would turn down
the chance to sing "Suddenly Seymour" with Ellen Greene!
Come back to Broadway, Miss Greene.
Pleeeeeeease?! |
