As a young boy I remember watching Romancing the Stone, The Jewel of the Nile, and Peggy Sue Got Married...my rememberence of this primarily because of Ms. Turner. Her voice, her wit, and her presence on the screen all gave me shivers every time I watched her. I forgot about her until one cold evening in March 2000 when I saw Ms. Turner in the one woman play "Tallulah." Her performance was beyond words as she portrayed Tallulah Bankhead to perfection. The way she spoke, the way she walked, and my God the way she lit a cigarette could make this gay boy turn straight. My infatutation with her has since grown...seeing her peformance Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf on broadway was a thrilling experience, and truly the best night of theatre in my life--ever! I wonder why more of her kind arent' being brought up...it's depressing in a way. She seems to be the last of her kind in so many ways-the final resemblance of the good old days of theatre and film-when being able to truly act and chew the scenery was enough. I love you Kathleen Turner!
Ok yes I admit the one really verifies my homosexuality. So the voice is going just a tad...but the truth behind her acting and her singing brings tears to my eyes. I have traveled more hours to see this woman perform than I have put into my own family visits. Her Mama Rose was unbelievable and her Annie in Annie Get Your Gun was perfection. But what I love most about Bernadette Peters is her honesty, her committment to creating something new each time she appears, and her integrity as an actress and a woman. I have met this amazing person three times and each time she has shown nothing but a generous talent full of life and love.
Ok there's no other voice as amazing and soothing as that of Karen Carpenter! Call me crazy but even as a trained singer I kill for those moments of a long car drive, train ride, etc when suddenly Karen's voice pops into my ears. The honesty and timbre of her voice automatically make me feel good...make me smile...and bring me out of any darkness I may be in. Hmmm maybe I should listen to some Carpenters. As an odd young child my fascination with the Carpenters came from seeing her life story aired on CBS (yes I still own the original copy taped on the VHS from the late 1980s). "Caught Between Goodbye and I love You..." is one of my favorites and some of the stuff released later that wasn't when she was alive is the best stuff. There will NEVER be another talen like hers. This is why my frustration becomes extreme at current singers who barely can move on the stage and take for granted everything they have...if only Karen were still here.
"Patty Duke...Nobody does it better!" As a 3rd grader I was best friends with a kid named Bobby who adored anything and everything from the 50's and 60's. He introduced me to a show called "Nick at Night." I adored Patty Duke from the first time I saw "The Patty Duke Show." I couldn't believe it when I saw her in "Valley of the Dolls" on Starz some years later and fell in love with that specific movie. To me her acting is way underrated...especially the later stuff. She's a strong woman...and by God as Neely O'Hara she is the ultimate diva! Meeting her in Illinois after a performance of "Love Letters" last year was truly a dream come true!!
If there were ever a man who could by his voice and physically be described as my ideal man...Peter Krause would be it! In Six Feet Under he was amazing and in all of his films his ease of character is astonishing...but more importantly to this boy...Peter Krause symbolizes the perfect husband for me!! From his voice, his total physical appearance, and his personality...he hits it home for me every single time! Marry me?
Ok so the character Ruth from Six Feet Under played by probably the BEST actress...is totally me! I related more to Ruth than anyone else and if I were to say I was a character in Six Feet Under (my favorite show of all time) I would definitely be Ruth Fisher!!!! Her surprising outbursts, her intelligence, her dry humor, her inability to deal with reality sometimes, her craziness, etc is ALL me!
Yes I save the best for last...Sharon Tate. This angel is a mystery to those of us who know and "love" her. Unfortunately most people know her as the victim of the Charles Manson family murders. Sadly this is primarily one of the only ways people know of her and become fascinated with her. I became fascinated with her after seeing her in "Valley of the Dolls." I couldn't understand her beauty...it didn't seem real but yet it did at the same time. I became fascinated with her even before I knew what happened to her. I have and will always adore Sharon Tate...for many personal reasons I will always pay tribute to her....
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