My friends Jim Brochu and Steve Schalchlin are currently in New York, appearing in their musical play, The Big Voice: God or Merman? It's at the Actors' Temple Theatre and it's probably quite wonderful. I haven't seen it but it's won a lot of awards and Jim and Steve are brilliant and I even got an e-mail from a reader of this weblog who went to see it strictly because he recognized Jim's name from previous mentions on this weblog. This reader is a self-admitted homophobe and didn't realize until he got there that the play was about two gay men who sing a lot about their relationship. But he stayed for it and enjoyed it, and that's probably the best review Jim and Steve will ever get.
While in Manhattan, they're keeping a running video diary, excerpts of which are posted on Steve's weblog. They're all interesting and worth your attention but I'll direct you especially to this installment, which finds them taking a tour of Al Hirschfeld's studio. Jim gets overcome by emotion, which is not all that unusual. I mean, Jim cries if you tell him the swallows will be a little late getting back to Capistrano. But it's all quite honest and fascinating and I kinda know how he feels. I had the honor of sitting for a caricature by Mr. Hirschfeld back in 1992 and spent a thrilling afternoon with him in that studio. There's something invigorating about just being in a room where so much great creativity has taken place. You also leave with little NINAs all over your clothes and in your hair.