After going back to bed for a while at about 5:30 a.m., it occurred to me that since imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, it could be that the gasping ladies in my blog about the Stephen Sondheim birthday bash last night are trying to emulate Elaine Stritch's shtick. If so, they missed the mark. She is the alpha and omega of this style of performing.
It is the same thing that happened with Edith Evans, who did the definitive Lady Bracknell in the first film version of The Importance of Being Earnest Ever since then, everyone has tried to outdo her rendition of the phrase 'A handbag?????'. No one ever has. She and Elaine would make a great pair.
Judy Dench wisely avoided comparison by sort of muttering the phrase in the more recent film version.
Read on below-
About Me
- Herbert Burtis
- Sandisfield, MA, United States
- I have given my blog the name of my first ancestor, Pietro Cesare Alberti, who came to these shores in 1635. He was the first Italian-American. I have had an international career as a pianist, organist, and harpsichordist. As a vocal teacher I have taught at Harvard University and Smith College as well as having a studio in New York City. I now have a vocal studio in Chicago.I have performed throughout the United States and in Denmark, Germany, Austria, France. Barbados, St. Vincent, Trinidad,Tobago, and Bermuda. I made my Carnegie Hall debut in 1967 and have appeared numerous times in Carnegie Recital Hall, Weill Hall, and Steinway Hall. As Director of the Ferris Burtis Music Foundation, my mission is to help young classical musicians in their education and careers. For twenty years I was the voice teacher for Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. Seven of my students have sung at the Met, I may be reached at roodhill@verizon.net. www.hburtis.com http://ferrisburtisfoundation.blogspot.com http://albertitalks.blogspot.com