Enter Laughing (So Long, 174th Street)
September 29, 2007
Just got
home from the York Theatre's staged reading of a
favorite of mine, So Long, 174th Street. They changed
the name back to Enter Laughing, the book on which
the play, then the musical was based. It was a very
exciting performance, not the least of which was that
Joe Stein, the book writer was in the audience.
Needless to say, I had a ball. What a funny book and
terrific score.... every song is a specialty number.
I saw the original production in 1976 with Robert
Morse, Loni Ackerman, Barbara Lang and George S.
Irving. Tonight, part of the excitement, and one of
the real reasons I came was that George S. Irving was
back to reprise his classic Butler's Song. A moment I
will always cherish from the original. He looked not
a moment older and killed with every word he spoke,
and a few that were unspoken. What an original, what
a pro! It is times like this one is proud to be in
the business. Thank you George for your
inspiration.