Hey, Joan! Hey, Melissa! Why Didn't You Tell Me You Were In Town???????????????????

                                You know how my July started, girls???? In the wee hours  of this morning, I had this dream, where I auditioned for "Annie."  I was cast as Molly, (what we Theater Queens all know as the Danielle Brisebois role!!!!!!!!!!) the smallest and the youngest of the orphans, and I walked off with the show, whenever I was within ten feet of the stage!!!!!!!!!!  You damn well better believe it, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  But let's get back to yesterday.  Monsieur and I caught Bette Midler in "I'll Eat You Last," the one-woman show, directed by the wonderful Joe Mantello, where she plays the late Hollywood super-agent, Sue Mengers.

                                   This was the only day Monsieur could get a ticket, and our seats were on the left side, right up  against the wall.  But, with Bette seated stage center, on a couch, and not moving till the end, it did not matter.

                                     However, the drama began before the actual show did!  Because it turned out this was also the Closing Performance, and there are often lots of celebs gathered.  I was straining my head, trying to recognize some, and, also, to be recognized myself, darlings!!!!!!!!!  About ten minutes before the show goes up, guess who walks in, within full view, and take their center aisle seats on the other side of us????????   Joan Rivers, and her daughter, Melissa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      They both looked fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!  And the funny thing is, since we were in a theater, I was talking about Joan; how years ago, I saw her in "Broadway Bound," when she took  over for Linda Lavin in the role of the mother, how skeptical I was about it, but how wonderful she was.  No schtick, just a straight on characterization!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         I always loved Joan, but my respect for her rose enormously after that.  And now she and her daughter are icons, thanks to Reality TV???????????

                                         I mean, what could have been more perfect than seeing THIS show with these two?????????  It was a perfect match!!!!!!!!!  Just like Monsieur and moi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         But, Joan, you miserable tramp, you could have called me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!