And Speaking Of Things Plimpton!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           As stated, besides Shelley, whose birthday is celebrated today, there is also Martha Plimpton, a dramatic and comic actress of note, currently enthralling viewers, and, hopefully, raking n some bucks, in the TV series "Raising Hope."  Never before has White Trash been so funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            But Martha has all kinds of hidden talents, one, which she does not let out often, but when she does--WOW!!!!!!!--is her musicality!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  In the 2008-2009 revival of "Pal Joey" at the Roundabout, Stockard Channing had the best song in the score, "Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered," but it was Martha, in the role of Gladys Bumps, who stopped the evening with her rendition of "Zip!," and who walked off with the show, whenever she was within ten feet of the stage.  As I left the theater after the show, this couple--Theater Queens--spoke, in praise of Martha--"In twenty years, there is the next Mama Rose!"

                            Though, give me a chance to play it first, OK, Martha??????????????

                             Now, take a look at this photo from the 2011 Lincoln Center Philharmonic presentation of Sondheim's "Company." To whom does the eye go to, at once?  Martha, of course!   And not just because of the costume. Her dancing, her moves, her overall musicality just allow her to walk off with this number!

                              Here is the celebrated opening number in "Company."  Note how one cannot take
one's eyes from Martha; it is just impossible to do so!

                                May there be more musical theater in her future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!