I've been thinking a bit about how many famous (or theatre-famous) people I have seen. Not all that many. I was at the Save Our Cities March on Washington. This was probably 1992 or maybe 1993. I saw David Dinkins (former mayor of NYC) and Mario Cuomo. My memories are fading though. I often tell myself that Jesse Jackson was there talking with them, but that's probably not the case and simply a false memory. Perhaps I journalled about it or emailed someone at the time, though email was still very much in its infancy then! I do remember going to a rally (with my mom) where Geraldine Ferraro was campaigning (this would have been 1984 before I could vote). I was at a convocation at Northwestern where Ruth Baden Ginsberg gave the keynote. That was pretty exciting, and I had a reasonably good view. I had a much more distant view of George H.W. Bush when he gave the commencement speech at University of Michigan in 1991, and his use of the platform as a campaign stop was appalling. I was supposed to be at an event where Bill Clinton was campaigning (for his first term) but he was losing his voice (this was right before the first big debate). Like all Democrats in Chicago, I had a few opportunities to go to Obama fundraisers (for only a few hundred dollars before he was the Democratic nominee and the price skyrocketed), but I passed. I don't exactly kick myself over this, but it would have been cool in retrospect. I did see Rahm Emanuel in the hallway of the Chicago Cultural Center, probably getting ready for one of the more expensive fundraisers.
Moving away from political figures, I won't dwell too much on musicians, as I have paid to see any number of bands. I suppose I could mention it if I saw them out of context, i.e. not on stage. I'm pretty sure I saw the members of Dee-light crossing Broadway near Strand Books in Manhattan, but a friend says I was imagining this. I did talk briefly to Dave Holland at the Chicago Jazz Showcase and I got Joshua Redman's autograph in Toronto when he was just starting out and only had one CD out. (I also got Neil Swainson's autograph at the Rex here in Toronto, but he may be a bit too obscure to count...) Similarly, I don't know if Skye Wallace will ever become really famous but I know her just a bit and have talked with her after a few shows.
I've probably mentioned this elsewhere, but I have seen a few well-known authors (mostly poets) give readings, and I usually managed to get a signed book. This list includes Paul Auster, Margaret Atwood, Jim Carroll (at a reading that Allen Ginsberg failed to show up for), Adrienne Rich (though that book was stolen!), Doris Lessing, Gwendolyn Brooks, Charles Simic, Haku Mahubuti, Michael Ondaatje and Susan Swan. I saw Timothy Findley give a talk, but he wasn't signing anything. Tim O'Brien gave a reading in Ann Arbor, though I don't believe I had him sign anything. I listened to Toni Morrison give the Tanner lecture at UM, which was pretty cool. The next day Amiri Baraka had some follow-up remarks. I mentioned that I saw Salman Rushdie in person twice, though he wasn't doing book signings out of obvious security concerns. I just saw Thomson Highway giving the last of his Massey Lecture series here in Toronto, and there was a book signing for Laughing with the Trickster, and I went ahead and bought the book and stood in line to have it signed. He was pretty affable, even taking photos with people in line. I just said something about how great the recent Stratford production of The Rez Sisters was, and then moved on.
In terms of public intellectuals, I saw Homi Bhaba and Jürgen Habermas speak.
I suppose theatre is where I have seen the most people that the general public is at least aware of. Probably Angela Lansbury (in Blithe Spirit at Mirvish) is the most famous, though Alan Alda isn't too far behind. (I saw him in a production of Jake's Women). Also, I saw Kevin Kline in a Shakespeare in Central Park production (probably Measure for Measure, but I might have to double-check). I saw John Mahoney at least once at Steppenwolf in Chicago, as well as John Malkovich (in a fairly forgettable play). I've seen Laurie Metcalfe in a few things (including Detroit at Steppenwolf and Three Tall Women on Broadway (in the production with Glenda Jackson!)). I managed to see F. Murray Abraham twice (once in Angels in America and also in The Merchant of Venice in Chicago). I saw Alfred Molina in Red on Broadway. Another notable Broadway sighting was Chita Rivera in Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Chicago got several key pre-Broadway try-outs, and I saw Spamalot with David Hyde Pierce, Tim Curry, and Hank Azaria. Hard to imagine ever surpassing that cast! In fact, I will probably pass on the Stratford version of Spamalot next summer because it could never measure up. We also saw Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth in The Addams Family. I think that's the only time I've seen Nathan Lane live, but I may be overlooking something. I saw Brian Dennehy in Krapp's Last Tape (Goodman in Chicago) and Waiting for Godot (Stratford).
In terms of Canadian performers, I saw Brian Bedford a few times at Stratford. I saw Martha Henry in The Tempest and also in Marjorie Prime at Coal Mine. I probably should have tried to see her in Three Tall Women, but it wasn't my highest priority that summer (compared to avoiding Covid). I've actually seen Eric Peterson in quite a few shows and on most of the main stages in town: Billy Bishop at Soulpepper, Detroit at Coal Mine, The Watershed at Tarragon, The Model Apartment up in North York and Uncle Vanya and Orphans for the Czar at Crow's Theatre. He certainly gets around!
I'm sure I'm forgetting a few encounters, but this gives a pretty good flavour of which celebrities I've managed to see, though in most cases this would have been at some distance.
No comments:
Post a Comment