As Long As We Are On A Catholic Theme, Girls!!!!!!!!

Occasionally, Catholicism and Theater Queenship do mix! And the most famous of these combinations happened the night of November 16, 1959 (just two days before my fifth birthday, loves!!!!!) when "The Sound Of Music" opened on Broadway at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre!!!!!!!

Now, you all read my postings, sometime back, concerning the Broadway children, where I was sad to discover that one of them, Marilyn Rogers (the original Brigitta) passed away in 2010, at the age of 63!!!!!!!!!! Naturally, I had thought all the adults in the show had passed on--and for the most part, I was right-- but lo and behold! what did I recently discover that just this past January 24, one surviving adult--and a TONY winner to boot--from the show had passed on.

That was Patricia Neway, the original Mother Abbess, who thrilled audiences every night, with her literally shattering rendition of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain."

My late friend, David Semonin (who will have been gone two years, come Saturday!!!!) was old enough--or young enough, as the case may be--to have experienced this, first hand. He told me how thrilling it was. Patricia and Mary (Martin) stood towards Center, Patricia sang the song, and as she hit that final note, holding it forever, on "dream", the music built, and Mary slowly reached behind her to remove her veil, and walk towards the Reverend Mother, as the curtain came down!!!!! What a finish!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know something of this myself, for, in the 1998 revival, with Rebecca Luker (Maria) and Patti Conohour (Mother Abbess), the same staging was used, though the chandeliers did not quite shatter, as they would with Patricia!!!!!!!!!

She went on to win a TONY for this performance, and was long beloved to a generation of older, and even more vicious, Opera Queens!!!!!!!!

Miss Neway was 92, and long out of the public eye, so it is not surprising her departure caught me by surprise; I imagined she had been gone before this.

But no matter, another Legend Of The Musical Stage has left us!!!!!!
Thank God for Goddard Lieberson. Thanks to him, so many of these classic audio moments are preserved on Columbia Original Cast recordings, many of which he produced.

So, in memory of Patricia Neway, I am calling on all Theater Queens out there, when you have a chance, to play your "Sound OF Music" Broadway Cast Album. When you get to "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," crank up the volume, and let it rip; to hell with the neighbors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who wants to hear their crap, anyway; especially if it is NOT Broadway????????????

Follow every rainbow, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!