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A Lesson from the Fantastic Valerie Harper: from Friendship to Family

Posted April 16th, 2010 in Celebrity, Friendship, New York, Reflections by Glenn Plaskin
Looped on Broadway

Looped on Broadway

This past Saturday night I had a real treat, sitting second row center at the Lyceum Theater, seeing the great Valerie Harper in her Broadway tour de force as Tallulah Bankhead in LOOPED, a riveting one-woman (and two man) production with Harper “nailing every last laugh with a professionalism that the real Bankhead would surely admire,” wrote the New York Times.

Sitting with my best friend (and lawyer), Michael Gordon, I was amazed by Valerie’s virtuoso performance, gut-wrenching and compelling from start to finish. Although backstage afterward with Michael and me, she confided that she was fighting a cold and that an onstage coughing spell was not in the script, you’d never know anything was wrong, as she marshaled her forces with hilarious “dahlings” sprinkled over countless jokes. Supporting her in every possible way is her fantastic manager-producer-husband Tony Cacciotti, who hospitably welcomed us backstage after the performance. back links check Valerie was dressed down in slacks and a baseball hat as she greeted her fans outside the theater.

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Isn’t there always a LINE in New York?!

Posted April 16th, 2010 in Celebrity, Humour, New York, Reflections by Glenn Plaskin

Another Problem Caused by Deforestation

Another Problem Caused by Deforestation

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The First Day Of Spring And A Puppy On The Way

Posted March 24th, 2010 in Katie, New Puppy, New York, Reflections by Glenn Plaskin

Looking outside the window today on this balmy first day of spring, I’m transfixed by the glittery surface of the Hudson River and the procession of boats up and down it. As I see all the dogs promenading up and down the tree-lined Esplanade, my mind is drifting back in time to all the fun my dog, Katie, and I had here, in Battery Park City.

Battery Park City

Battery Park City

Battery Park City, a little town built on water. For those who don’t know it, our neighborhood is tucked away at the southernmost tip of Manhattan, built on the land fill created when the World Trade Center was first constructed. The charm of the place is that it’s so hidden away, though impossible to leave once you’ve discovered it. Here there are playgrounds decorated with fanciful sculptures, playing fields brimming with Little Leaguers, expansive lawns for sunbathing, and plazas for outdoor concerts. I write all about it in the introduction of Katie Up and Down the Hall–in a section titled: Welcome to Battery Park City.

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