esrosedotblog

ANOTHER ROLE MODEL

They just opened a new edition of Gypsy on Broadway with great success.

Patty Lupone.

But the thing that caught my eye is that it was directed by Arthur Laurents who wrote the original libretto in 1959 and directed another revival in 1974, winning a Tony each time.

It would seem that he has a good chance of another Tony this year. It got a great NYTimes review.

The thing I noticed immediately is that Laurents is 90 years old!

He is not the first to do this trick.

The prolific director George Abbott worked into his 100th years.

Abbott was something special and so is Laurents who, I should point out, was openly gay before a lot of the rest of us were.

Never mind that he was in the theater. It is still difficult there. How many theater guys do you think are in the closet still today?

Think hundreds.

Anyway, I like to see this stuff.

I don't know why I set 90 as a goal.

I think that it is actually a bit modest. Many people live to 90 and beyond. I had three aunts who did it so the odds are genetically better for me.

Of course, if I don't make it I won't be disappointed. I won't know that I didn't make it, will I?

Labels: coming of age, life