Thursday, March 6, 2014. Another cold, grey day in early March in New York with the weatherman predicting (slightly) warmer temperatures in the next few days. This coming Sunday we turn the clocks ahead, preparing for Springtime.
![]() | ![]() | | Fern Mallis and Bisilia Bokoko, Spanish Global Brand Ambassador for the Liceu Barcelona Opera House. | ![]() | ![]() |
It was Wednesday and it was the Michael’s lunch. A mob scene. At table one, the Bonnie Fuller and Gerry Byrne gang. This week: Michelle Fine-Smith, advertising director of Penske Media; PR guru Norah Lawlor, hairstylist to the stars Louis Licari; Lisa Lockwood of WWD, Albie Hecht of Headline News, Katie O’Reilly of Macy’s; Faye Stein and Stephanie Wener of VH1; Valerie Bruce of BBC America, Jenny Fleiss of Rent The Runway. Right next door to them, Jesse Kornbluth with Paige Peterson. And next to them that Texas boy, the Mayah of Michael’s Joe Armstrong with another Texas boy Don Carleton, executive director of the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at U Texas. And next to them: mega entertainment lawyer Alan Grubman with mega-hedge fund owner Daniel Loeb. And next to them, Jack Kliger with Glenn Horowitz; and across the aisle from them Rosanna Scotto of Fox 5 News with Maury Rogoff.
Moving around the room: PR consultant Judy Agisim with Fern Mallis and Bisilia Bokoko, Spanish Global Brand Ambassador based here in New York for the Liceu Barcelona Opera House; Barbaralee Diamondstein-Spielvogel with Hildy Kuryk, Director of Communications for Vogue; Jay Sures of United Talent with Elizabeth Vargas; Cliff Sobel, US Ambassador to Brazil; Joan Jakobson with Loraine Boyle; more Texas, Becca Thrash and friends; Harold Ford Jr; Barry Frey; producer Beverly Camhe, Andrew Stein, and next door to him, DPC with Rikki Klieman; Diane Clehane with Liz Kaplow, marketing communications exec; Scott Singerwith Maureen Reidy; Alice Mayhew with Kati Marton; Wednesday Martin and Suri Kasirer with Lisa Linden of Linden, Alschuler & Kaplan PR; Henry Schleiff, President of the Discovery Channel with Ed Bleier; Mickey Ateyeh with Carlos Falchi. And there you have a good picture, although I’ve missed dozens more.
Then, last night, a real only-in-New York night. The New York Philharmonic held its annual Spring Gala with presentation of a staged production of Stephen Sondheim’s 1979 Award-winning musical thriller Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Starring Bass-baritone Bryn Terfel in the title role, and Emma Thompson who was making her New York stage debut portraying Mrs. Lovett , the Philharmonic orchestra was conducted by Alan Gilbert, and directed by Lonny Price.
Those are the facts but hardly the picture. Avery Fisher Hall was packed to the rafters for this very special event. Terfel and Thompson were supported by a brilliant cast including Christian Borle (who recently starred in the Encores! production of the Neil Simon/Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh musical adaption of Patrick Dennis’“Little Me”); Jay Armstrong Johnson, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Kyle Breen, Erin Mackey.
Maestro Gilbert recalled (in the program notes) seeing the original production: “The music totally captivated me right away but I was particularly fascinated because the story was so outré– I was amazed that such a macabre subject matter could be musical theater material.”
The subject matter briefly is a tale of revenge where Sweeney (played brilliantly by Bryn Terfel) plots with Mrs. Lovett (Emma Thompson) in a gruesome revenge for having served a 15 year term in a penal colony on trumped up charges. Sweeney, a tonsorial expert with a razor, murders his victims and Mrs. Lovettbakes pies with the remains of Sweeney’s victims.
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