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Sunday
was one of those cool white-gray stormy-looking, damp but not
raining, overcast autumn days here in New York. The
trees in the local Carl Schurz Park have not turned much although
the Park is beginning to show signs of the sparseness of Mother
Nature during the coming months. Will this be another autumn,
like last year’s, where there is very little colorful
foliage?
Over by the dog runs of the Park there were oranges and yellows flashing
because some neighbors were staging a Halloween Party for dogs. It’s
ridiculous (I mean, we are) but funny and people were having a good
time getting into it. And the dogs were very patient.
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Signs
of autumn
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I
went to a brunch over at Elaine's that was organized by Bobby
Zarem to promote the upcoming new production premiere
at the Metropolitan Opera of “La Juive,” an opera that
has not been performed here for many many years.
Brooke Duchin roped me into it. I’m also not one of
those almost religiously devoted opera fans like the Duchins and
Mr. Zarem. I’ve seen few operas in my life and am familiar
with only the popular ones. In other words an opera ignoramus. I
love the music however, so I couldn’t resist since the point
is to get the word out.
This production is the talk of the opera world. It debuts on Thursday,
November 6, 2003 and according to the Met’s
web site you can see for yourself what’s available for
the big night. The balcony’s sold out and so are the central
and side parterres, so get with it if you don’t want to miss
this historic evening.
The brunch was also, I think, a promotion for a film of an opera
that Sidney Lumet directed. It was interesting to
see what a Sunday brunch crowd would look like at Elaine's which
is rightfully famous for keeping far earlier (as in, far later) hours.
Nevertheless, Elaine Herself was there, of course, sitting at table,
taking it all in with her sharp eye for the ironic.
There was a wide screen TV set up in the back of the room, showing
a documentary on the making of Mr. Lumet’s film. On camera, Neil
Shicoff, who sings a leading role in the upcoming Met production,
sang a 9 minute aria. Mr. Shicoff has a big solid and hauntingly
beautiful baritone voice. Someone told me he was there (“he
looks a lot younger in real life ...”).
I’d brought my camera along for one such moment (does he really?)
so I went looking for a man who looked like the guy on the TV screen
but younger. I soon found him (he did look younger but was still
grey haired and grey bearded like the guy on screen) but every time
I snapped the picture (he was talking to friends) his mouth was open
or his eyes closed.
Patrick McMullan’s man Farrell was
there, so maybe another day.
I got myself some scrambled eggs and a croissant and sat down with
Brooke (Hayward), Judy Auchincloss, Maria Janis and
a woman named Kiki Kiser. I’d met Ms. Kiser
years ago at a Sunday brunch also, at Jean Howard’s
in Beverly Hills. Ms. Kiser owned at the time, a famous house out
there — built by Cedric Gibbons, the MGM production
designer, for his bride, a movie star named Dolores del Rio.
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The
Gibbons house in Santa Monica
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Maria hadn’t
met Kiki before so when I introduced them, I told Maria about Kiki’s
house, thinking Maria, who grew up out there and whose father was Gary
Cooper, might know of it. Not only did she know of it,
but Cedric Gibbons was her great-uncle, her maternal grandmother’s
brother, and her godfather.
“ So you know about the secret staircase,” Kiki said to Maria.
“ I used to play on them when my mother took me to visit,” Maria
said.
After the Gibbons, Van Johnson owned the house.
He made a lot of decorative changes to the interior (which was very
minimal art moderne design). Kiki, who lived there with
her husband at the time, Tony Kiser, had to take
everything out and restore it to its original loveliness.
Then Maria told us that Cedric also had a brother named Elliot who
married Irene, the famous MGM designer. They didn't
have such a hot marriage. Elliot wanted to be a writer and ... well,
don’t we all? Irene, who was the stronger personality and “name” was
the successful one. However, Irene drank and later killed committed
suicide.
Then Maria said to Kiki something like "They're still there." ????
Kiki said, I know, believe me, I know. I felt it."
Felt what? I asked “what are you talking about?”
Then Kiki said, “well you know, the house is haunted." I
couldn't figure out if she meant Dolores del Rio or Cedric Gibbons,
but one of them. I think Cedric.
Kiki said it was a “good ghost.” Maria understood. Maria
is very well educated in the field of parapsychology, it turned out.
Something along those lines — more than just a passing interest.
Hmmm.
Kiki Kiser’s interest in architecture, it turns out, is also
professional. She is editor-in-chief of an architectural website
called Arcspace.com which to you and me is: http://arcspace.com.
That was lunch. I walked home looking for symbols, signs of autumn. |
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87th
and First Avenue
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Gracie
Square looking towards the East River
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