"Now, You Have To Understand, It's Highly Theatricalized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                            Those were the exact words Kelly Bishop spoke to her mother, just before the latter was about to see her daughter perform the role of Sheila in "A Chorus Line," at The Public Theatre, back in 1975.

                             Which leads me to wonder--are all our lives highly theatricalized?  Shakespreare said "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players."  Is that true?

                              Darlings, with me you better believe it!  My life is highly theatricalized, and I have had some great theatrical guides along the way.

                                Remember the dance sequence in 1953's "Lili," where she dream dances with the puppets along the road?  Well, if I were creating a theatricality for myself, it would go something like this--Me in the center, belting out a Broadway tune.  To my stage right would be Baayork Lee, as she is in the above photo, dressed as a balloon girl.  Upstage of me would be Shelley Plimpton singing "Frank Mills."  Stage left would be Trini Alvarado, at age 11, singing "Lullaby From Baby To Baby," from "Runaways." And, of course, front and center would be--who else? --Donna McKechnie performing "The Music And The Mirror."

                                 Of course, I have Bernadette as my spiritual guide.  But imagine the above.

                                 My life may sometimes seem routine, but it is always theatrical.  Many people say I am a theatrical person, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  And theater is all about ritual and continuity.

                                  Just look at that photo.  That is Michael Bennett staging.  Where do we see such staging today?  Nowhere!  Take a look at (if I can access it) Michele Lee's impassioned performance in the 1973 "Seesaw."  Where has the theatrical magic gone?

                                   Darlings, as long as I live and breathe, it will remain!

                                  As Michele Lee says in the song, "It's been one hell of a ride."

                               Here is Michele Lee at the 1974 TONY Awards.  This is theatrical magic!!!!!!!!!!!