Great Moments in New York Theater -- Moon Over Buffalo

I’m so glad we had this time together…

Who among us does not know that melody? Who did not spend part of their life growing up with it? I don’t care if you were a kid or an adult when The Carol Burnett Show made its’ debut on television, if you were alive while it was running, that song, that show, that lady was a part of your life. For some lucky people who were born after the show went off the air, it is a part of their life too. Thank God for re runs, syndication, videos, dvds and Youtube.

I grew up watching Carol Burnett. She has never not been on my radar. The tv show, her movies, her record albums (Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall was a major part of my teenage years)… everything about the legendary and genius artist has always enthralled me. My adoration of the lady, though, is nothing when compared to that of my beloved husband. She is one of his idols. The others, to be clear about his good taste, are Danny Kaye and Albert Finney.

As a boy, Pat would lie to his parents every Monday night; he would tell them he had taken a nap after school so that he could stay up past his bedtime to watch The Carol Burnett Show. He worships the woman.

When we read that Miss Burnett would be appearing on Broadway in a new comedy, alongside the absolutely irreplaceable Philip Bosco, we were so excited. I think we bought our tickets the moment that they went on sale. It was bound to be a huge hit. After all, it was being written by Ken Ludwig, who had penned Lend Me a Tenor (another of our favourites). Alongside Burnett and Bosco were Jane Connell and Randy Graff, women and talents that we both loved. And the storyline involved a Lunt-Fontanne type couple doing Cyrano de Bergerac and Private Lives in rep (both of these are particularly dear to my Pat). Oh yeah, this was going to be a great night of theater.

I am not sure how many people who read this blog are aware of a little movie called Moon Over Broadway. It is a documentary that tells the story of the creation of this production. It is uncompromising in its’ quest to show us the real truth behind the production of a Broadway play; not everyone comes off looking so good. So – the backstage problems with this show are publically documented. There is nothing for me to say about that. Or about the reviews for the show which, if memory serves, were somewhat tepid.

None of that mattered, though. The play was a hit because everyone in New York (and some out of towners who came in just for this play) wanted to see the legendary Carol Burnett on the Broadway stage. So it was the ticket to get.

What I remember most about the play isn’t how extraordinary Carol Burnett was; or Philip Bosco, or Jane Connell or Randy Graff (and, for the record, they WERE extraordinary – how they didn’t all waste away from the physical action of the play alone is a mystery). What I remember most about the play isn’t the beautiful set or the breathtaking Bob Mackie costumes. What I remember most about the play isn’t the belly laughs, not only from us but, from the entire theater full of people. Oh, I do remember all of this. It was one special night in the theater. But no.

What I remember most about the play was Christmas.

It was like watching a child on Christmas morning, sitting beside my Pat, watching him react to seeing his childhood, his lifelong idol performing live. It was. It truly was like Christmas. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were sparkling with tears of joy. His face hurt from smiling and his sides, from laughing. He was happier, sitting in that seat, in that theater, than he has been many other days in his life. Only one thing would have made him even happier than watching Carol Burnett…

Meeting Carol Burnett.

During the run of Moon Over Buffalo, I sent a letter round to the legend, telling her about The Sweater Book and telling her that Bob Mackie had already posed for it; wouldn’t she? Please?

The story behind the photo shoot that followed because of the lady’s gracious acceptance of my invitation to be in the book has been told in the past. I no longer tell it. I’m saving it for my memoir. I will, though, show you this – the best thing (in my life) to come out of Moon Over Buffalo being produced on Broadway: