well HelenB, that's an impressive list - it certainly DOES depend on where you live, AND where you 'hang around' (!) doesn't it?!? <P>tell us the harold wilson story?.....

Grace, meeting her in person might. . .er. . .dilute your enthusiasm.<P>HelenB, Eric Bruhn was, indeed, a very nice man. I was priviledged to work with him toward the end of his career.<BR><P>------------------<BR>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<BR>Jeffrey E. Salzberg, Lighting Designer<BR>Online portfolio, now including "This Day in Arts History":<BR><A HREF="http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg" TARGET=_blank>http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg</A> <P><BR>

WOW Helen!! Sounds like my wish list for meeting people!! I am not familiar with the counter tenor Michael Chance but I love Alfred Deller and his consort. I have Peter Pears on a recording with Joan Sutherland singing Handel's "Acis and Galatea" one of my alltime favorite operas.

Erik Bruhn! Yes, I have a Bruhn story. Our student company was doing Lichine's Graduation Ball and Mr. Bruhn was a friend of the director. He came to a rehearsal, was incredibly nice and told me to not walk "turned out". I was stunned that he even noticed. <P>DH

DavidH, did you blush?

I don't remember(maybe Lauren does)but when we had run finished the run through he was giving notes and he asked "Where's the tall boy?" My heart sunk and I was very nervous and that's when he offered the note about not walking turned out. I was relieved!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>meeting her in person might. . .er. . .dilute your enthusiasm. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>understood....did you work on one of her shows, jeff?<P>and davidH - isn't it rotten - but so true - that we always expect the worst, like when Bruhn said 'where's the tall boy?'! as you say, one is thrilled and even flattered just to recieve any comment from such a person.

Well, since everyone is telling these little stories - when I met Joan Sutherland she was already retired from the stage. She was in the audience because her husband Richard Bonyage was conducting. So I looked for her in the audience - you can't miss her. Then I happened to be invited to a reception during intermission and she was there. I asked her to sign my program - but since it was for another soprano she said she didn't like to sign another star's program that it would be overstepping courtesy to the other artist. But, she took pity on me - and signed the back cover of the program. I told her that she had given me a great deal of joy through the years - and she responded and said "and you have given me joy in hearing me sing." YEA!!!!!!

My sister-in-law met Joan Sutherland, and I know someone who met Karsavina! But if we start on People We Know Who Have Met People it might get a bit complicated, so I will say no more.<P>Grace asks about Harold Wilson. I can't believe anyone on a dance board really wants to know this, but I will tell you anyway. When my father was a young schoolmaster he taught French to Harold Wilson, who was brilliant at it. They always kept in touch, and this resulted in a private tour round the Houses of Parliament when I was 7 - I stood next to Big Ben (the bell) while it was striking eleven. I assure you it was very noisy!<P>20 years later, when Wilson was Prime Minister, I met him at a reception in Liverpool, and mentioned my father. He said "Ah, I got a letter from him last week". I was quite impressed, because presumably a Prime Minister gets rather a lot of letters, and has other things on his mind. He wasn't expecting me or anything - he just had a phenomenal memory.

thanks helen! <P>and basheva, re sutherland: "you can't miss her" i know exactly what you mean!<P>i remembered another little encounter, as i was thinking about the sad news that dancebooks is moving from it's sweet little cecil court shop....one night i was walking hurriedly through the little L-shaped alleyway that runs behind a theatre, right next door to leicester square tube station (the NEXT alleyway, or 'next to the next', to cecil court). as we were two women alone in a dark alleyway at night in london, our eyes immediately met, just for a moment....the beautiful catherine deneuve! (who presumably had just come out of the stagedoor) we both hurried on, but i was struck by the moment.<P>that reminds me, the same thing happened in the east end of london one morning, early, when i was heading for central school of ballet (which is near hatton garden diamond dealers....), and i passed on the footpath - no-one else around - elizabeth taylor! gorgeous eyes!<P>and i don't think i'll ever forget seeing a tired looking woman at the back of a bus queue outside selfridges on oxford street, in the early 80's, from my vantage point on the top deck of the bus. looking down, i recognised a face from the black & white ballet photographs of my childhood, even though ravaged by age and alcoholism...svetlana beriosova, of the beautiful cheekbones! immediately identifiable....later i discovered she taught at danceworks, just down that alleyway from the bus-stop, and i did her classes there.<P>i'm beginning to think it will sound like i must be imagining these things, since there are a few... but really, you just have to keep your eyes open, and as helen said, happen to be in the likely places...<p>[This message has been edited by grace (edited October 28, 2000).]

Grace-<BR>What were Berisova's classes like? I just love her on the Bell Telephone Hour video with Nureyev. Wow! is the first word that comes to mind!! <BR>DH

I had lunch with Katherine Hepburn and the Whiteheads. I shook hands with president and Betty Ford. There are others, but they're just rock and roll musicians.

'...there are others, but they're just rock and roll musicians.'<P>Maggie!! Wash your mouth with soap and water (or maybe your mouse hand). Don't you realise these worthies are demi-deities, at the very least?<P>'Spinal Tap' the spoof rock documentary has just been re-released over here and there was a radio piece where real rock musicians discussed the film. The general view was that it was nearly all true to life, but maybe a bit understated.

In 1972, when I was a callow design student, a group of us got comps (arranged by the school) to the original-cast revival of "Man of La Mancha" at the Vivian Beaumont in Lincoln Center. It was the most incredible show I'd ever seen and remains so still -- you can have your "Cats" and "Chorus Line" and "Madama Butterfly-with-a-helicopter".<P>After the show, we got to go backstage and meet the star, Richard Kiley, in his dressing room. He was very gracious and spent quite a bit of time talking to us. While we were chatting, the composers of his upcoming movie came in to say hello, so he introduced us to "Fred" and "Al"; it wasn't until after they'd left that we realised who they were.<P>So what do you <I>say</I> to Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe, anyway? "Look, I really don't think Eliza should have come back at the end of <I>My Fair Lady</I>. . . ."?<BR><P>------------------<BR>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<BR>Jeffrey E. Salzberg, Lighting Designer<BR>Online portfolio, now including "This Day in Arts History":<BR><A HREF="http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg" TARGET=_blank>http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg</A> <P><BR>

davidH, beriosova gave a nice class - 'dancey'. one thing i particularly remember was her setting an adage to commence with the back leg extended arabesque croisé a terre, but NOT what you americans call B+ (an attitude a terre) - her reasoning to the class - "you'll have plenty of time to stand around in the corps de ballet - so for now, be a ballerina!"