Debra Monk, playing Big Mama in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” opens at the Richard Rodgers Jan. 17. She says:
“I say I’m a New Yorker because I’ve lived here since 1975. I grew up in Virginia and Maryland, but I’m not for stoops and bushes. I love the city. This city. I feel safe in New York. My countryside’s Central Park.
“This part was director Rob Ashford’s gift to me. He thought I could do it. Here I am ready to retire . . . I’m joking . . . but getting older and maybe needed something like this at this time . . . anyway, he offers it to me. With gorgeous luscious Scarlett Johansson, he figured enough star power so I could fit in.”
This half-a-century-old drama’s still relevant today?
“It’s about tolerance. True love. Legacy, Families continuing. Having children. Gratitude. Acceptance. Loss. Money. Power play. Things very current. Things we need to remember today.
“Am I nervous? Sure. Always. Every time you’re onstage you’re nervous. I saw the play years ago, but I never did Tennessee Williams before. Others claim, ‘My God, it’s the best words you’ll ever say. Poetry. Glorious.’ We’re in rehearsal now, which is hard, but you get to love one another. We formed a family in the rehearsal room. We look into one another’s eyes.
“Scarlett’s a wonderful actress. Fabulous. Perfect. Exciting. I’d buy a ticket just to see her. She was a kid in the business. Been around awhile. A fourth-generation New Yorker, she’s passionate, smart, funny, honest, works really hard and loves the cast.
“Here’s what a pro she is. Last night, onstage, her stunningly made beautiful yellow dress zipper broke. Middle of her scene, she walks off and grabs another antique prop dress nobody wears. The zipper jammed halfway, and she couldn’t close the rest, yet she did her lines. Never missed a beat. While onstage, I just walked over and quietly zipped her up.
“Tough gutsy gal. She’s a pro.”
LIZA, playing herself on NBC’s “Smash,” filmed her part right here in the city yesterday . . . Jeff Daniels of “The Newsroom”: “When the Golden Globes nominated me, my dog got excited and peed on the floor. If I win, I’ll have to train the dog.” . . . More Golden Globes: Nominees all get freebie L’Oréal hair, makeup and nail stuff . . . From London’s Sunday Express: “US Hurtling Towards Edge of Calamitous Financial Cliff.” That from economically busted not-so-Great Britain.
SOCIALITE Jill Spalding’s Christmas party had socialites. Between Leonard Lauder, Richard Meier and Sotheby’s chairman was Beth Rudin DeWoody who, Dec. 26, adds another name — Beth Rudin DeWoody Zahedi. Her father was Lew Rudin of the real estate Rudins, and she’s in the art world. He’s Firooz Zahedi of Iranian descent whose family was close to the Shah, whose background is Andy Warhol and who’s in the photographic world. Wedding’s in Florida. Private. Just family. Honeymoon’s Aspen. They’re friends 20 years since he first photographed her. Considering I was only there 15 minutes, that’s all I learned.
BEN Stiller’s Red Hour Films is producing an animated comedy Web series continuing his 2001 airheaded Derek Zoolander role. About Jerry Stiller, CapitalOne’s spokesman, whom TV can’t seem to silence as he shouts words like “bupkis,” Ben says:
“My father keeps going. He’ll be in this series reprising his original Maury role. But we’re not giving him extra money just because he’s my father.”
Neither Stiller’s financially deprived. Next year Ben, who’s out in “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” which he also directed, wore a coat softer than Jennifer Lopez’s behind.
ANOTHER newie out next year is Brooklyn’s Liev Schreiber playing a Brooklyn shomrim. “That’s a volunteer Hasidic cop in Williamsburg,” he told me, which I already knew. His character sports ringlets and, when I saw him, a full beard, which he’s since shaved. Also jeans and yellow rubber-soled shoes, which I doubt baseball-wielding Orthodox Jews wear.
Sofia Vergara’s in it. Also director John Turturro playing a gigolo turned onto it by Woody Allen playing a bookstore owner. Woody’s wardrobe, I didn’t check. As we’ve seen, in person he’s usually sartorially splendid.
SO this patient who had surgery is now out of Mount Sinai, home, well, recuperating and OK. So his internist phones to tell the wife to come into the office for a post-op visit. She says, “But he’s fine now. Over it all. He’s healing and feeling great.” The doctor persists. She has no need, doesn’t know why but, per his request, comes into the office. They chat. Amiably. Generally. About nothing special. She leaves. He sends her a bill.
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.