Can You Believe It, Darlings????????? She's Not A Little Girl Anymore!!!!!

                                           Today happens to be the birthday of that Legend Of The Musical Stage, Neva Small.  Now, most out there will know Neva from her 1971 turn as Chava in the film version of "Fiddler On The Roof," when she was a mere 19!  But Neva has trodding the boards since, well, birth...here she is, at age 11 (or thereabouts) with Barbara Cook and Arthur Hill in "Something More."  It was, of course, Bob Merrill, who tapped in to Neva's legendary status; at 14, she officially became a Legend when, in the 1967 musical, "Henry, Sweet Henry" (based on "The World Of Henry Orient"!!!!) she stopped the show with her heart rending rendition of "I Wonder How  It Is."  You can hear her on the 'Henry' CD!!!!!!!!!!

                                            Well, that was then, and this is now!!!!!!!!  Because today, Neva Small--oh my God, girls, I can hardly believe it!!!!--turns 60!!!!!!!  That is right , darlings, the big 6-0!!!!!!!!! And doesn't she look fabulous???????????????

                                              I saw Neva onstage some twenty years back in an historical Jewish folk revue called "The Golden Land;" her rendition of "Buy Cigarettes" I still remember!!!!!!!!  And I own her CD, "Not Quite An Ingenue," which you know I am going to listen to today, in honor of Neva!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                 And, remember this--Leonard Bernstein--that's right, Lenny!!!--was her godfather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                So, a Happy 60th Birthday to Neva Small!  She may not be a little girl any longer, but that youthful freshness has never quite left her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                  Holy smoke!  Holy cow! Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!