On one of her many visits to the Paramount, Ann Richards asked me if she could go backstage to meet Bob Newhart.  Well that would be up to Bob…  Ann laughed at me and said, “Just tell him I am here, Ken.”

Bob, of course, wanted to see her.  They spent about 30 minutes laughing and sharing stories before Ann left.  The next – and last – time I saw Ann she was heading backstage to say hello to her friend David Sedaris.  Ann was a subscriber, donor and a friend.  I miss her.

I first met Ann Richards while I was in college.  She gave the keynote speech at my graduation when she was the Texas Treasurer.  I had no idea that our paths would cross again, but they did several more times.  She was a donor to the Austin Children’s Museum where I worked when I first came to Austin.  She was also very involved with Planned Parenthood where I worked before coming to the theater.   Each time I saw her I would stupidly find a way to remind her (again and again) that she spoke at my graduation.  She finally told me that I could stop telling her that because not only did she remember but “now you are old enough that it’s not really nice to remind me.”

This week Ann comes to the Paramount as a character created by Two and Half Men’s  Holland Taylor.  I can’ t wait to see her again.

If you have seen the movie Up then you know 78 year-old Carl Fredricksen who sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America.  The character, of course, is the voice and – surprisingly – the likeness of 81 year-old Ed Asner.

Mr. Asner was at the Paramount for his one-man theatrical performance as FDR.  It and he were amazing.  95 minutes with no intermission is quite a feat for any age  – 78, 81 or 12.  But to do so while captivating an audience ranging from age 12 to 81 is something that could only be done well by a 7-time Emmy and 5-time Golden Globe winner.

After the show Mr. Asner stayed to greet a few major donors to the theater and when he spotted me in the crowd he said, “Hey kid.  You’re the speech guy.  You were cute.  I was wondering how I was going to follow that act.”

So I am not quite sure if he thought I was cute (he flirted with all the ladies) or if he was referring to my speech…

Speaking of my speech.  I promised I would elaborate on the Katharine Hepburn story. 

In the fall of 1938 Katharine Hepburn’s friend, Phillip Barr, told her about a new play he was writing with her in mind.  She agreed to forgo a salary in favor of a percentage of the box office and put up a quarter of the production budget herself.  In 1938 that was something only a woman like Katharine Hepburn would attempt.  The play, Philadelphia Story, opened in New Haven and eventually made it to Broadway in 1939 for a year-long run.

Shrewdly, Hepburn acquired the film rights to the play and sold them to MGM for $250,000 stipulating, of course, that she play the lead.  The film was shot on a very tight 8 week schedule because Hepburn had also agreed to tour with the play.  On January 7, 1941 the stage version of The Philadelphia Story starring Katharine Hepburn, Van Heflin and Joseph Cotton played The Paramount Theatre before a packed house.  About the same time, she starred in the movie which played next door at the State Theater.  Now that is a feat…

A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Gladys Knight began her illustrious career as the lead vocalist of Gladys Knight & The Pips, with whom she recorded such hits as “Every Beat of My Heart,” “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” “If I Were Your Woman,” “Best Thing to Ever Happen to Me,” and the #1 smash “Midnight Train to Georgia.”   

The Pips are not coming.  But who cares.  It’s Gladys Knight at the Paramount.  What more could you want?

Before each show I get a quick report that gives a few details of the evening.  It includes a brief description of the show.  Here is the one for Gladys Knight  at the Paramount on 2/19/2011:

One of the most instantly recognizable and loved voices in music. Featuring performances of the classic songs from her latest album, Before Me. Gladys has said, “I love anything that gets me to the people” — and the Paramount is getting her to you! Backed by one of the largest bands to grace our stage.

OK.  How excited am I?

I have been looking forward to meeting Larry Miller and now I have to be out-of-town.  Rats.   Maybe you don’t recognize the name, but you’ll definitely know the face.  He’s been in over 100 movies and TV shows including Pretty Woman and Seinfeld.  Here’s a clip from an interview he did today on KVUE.

He plays the Paramount on Thursday.  I know it will be great.  Sad to miss…

Dear Friends of the Paramount and State Theatres,

It is with mixed emotions that I announce my intended future departure from the Austin Theatre Alliance due to a planned move to Dallas with my family in June of this year.

The opportunity to serve as Executive Director for the theatres has been an incredible one for me. I think it goes without saying how much I love this organization and the people involved. It was a very difficult decision.

I am very proud of what we have all accomplished together. I am particularly proud of the incredible staff and know that they are very capable of continued success moving forward. It is my sincere hope that my departure will not diminish what we have all accomplished or slow the current momentum of the organization. I hope rather that it might motivate all of us to remain committed to a mission that should always be greater than those involved.

As a Board Member of the League of Historic American Theatres, I am keenly aware of how precious the Paramount is for the city of Austin. So many other communities have long ago lost their treasured, historic theatre and with it a part of their cultural heritage. Over the years your commitment to save these historic landmarks has allowed them to remain vital pieces in the Austin arts scene.

Thanks to your generosity, we now serve over 200,000 patrons annually and bring arts education to nearly 20,000 local children. And while new skyscrapers downtown boast of being 30, 40 and even 50 stories high, the Paramount stands tall on Congress Avenue with thousands of stories of first dates, favorite shows and indelible memories. I know with your continued support, these historic venues will be here for Austin’s next generation and those beyond.

Thank you again for all that you have done to support me in this role and the theatres as a whole. I too leave with indelible memories.

Sincerely,

Ken A. Stein, Executive Director
Paramount & State Theatres

A week in New York was about 2 days more than I wanted to be there, but the snow and friends (old and new) made it enjoyable none the less.  Every January I head to New York for the annual Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference to see who and what is available for tour.  But this year I tacked on a couple of extra days to attend my first League of Historic American Theatres Board Meeting.

While in New York I got to tour the beautiful Hudson Theatre which – fully restored – serves as conference space for the Millennium Hotel.  It would be great to have it as an active Broadway house but at least it still stands in all its glory.  Interestingly enough both the Tonight Show and The Price Is Right premiered at the Hudson Theatre.

While in the Big Apple I got the chance to see Le Bete with David Hyde Pierce from Frasier and Joanna Lumley from Absolutely Fabulous - love  her!  The entire play is done in verse – quite the accomplishment and distraction at the same time.

Besides seeing Patsy “cheers” from Ab Fab, I also got to see the fantastic English Beat in my favorite NYC nite spot, the Highline Ballroom.  Where is the tenderness…  General Pubic / English Beat – same difference.

Playing Santa at the theatre’s holiday party for subscribers and donors isn’t easy.  Kids take this stuff seriously.  You have to be careful.  Parents -  I beg you - if your child tells me what they want for Christmas, give me a sign to let me know if it’s good with you.  I cannot be held responsible for tears on Christmas morning when the pony isn’t under the tree.  Unless you tell Santa otherwise,  the answer is gonna be yes.

However you celebrate the holidays, the Paramount Staff and I wish you good health and joy.

I think there was a book by that name that my sister read in High School.  It came to mind as I sat here on the floor in the attic of the State Theater.  Actually it’s not really the attic.  It’s the old projection booth.  And now it is my new office.  We moved some offices around to make room for new staff and somehow I landed here.  What does it say about me that my staff picked the spot farthest away from everything and everyone to be my office?

The State Theater was built in 1935 as primarily a movie palace.  Today it is partially closed, but it still houses our school of acting and a few offices – including mine.

We are working hard to reopen the State.  Fingers crossed…

So my staff wanted me to write something about our education and outreach programs at the theatres.  Afterall, the holidays are coming and we really do hope you are considering making a donation to the theatres.   My telling you about the wonderful things we do with children – like the 3,000 school children who came last week to see The Incredible Speediness of Julie Cavanaugh, a play that dealt with bullying, violence, peer pressure, learning disabilities and the struggle to fit in - should put you in the mood to consider a donation so we can do more things like that.   And that really  is what I should be writing about.  I should tell you about the 3rd graders at Hart Elementary who are right now working with professional teaching artists as part of our Literacy to Life program because what we are doing there really is giving children a voice.  I should.  I know I should because the work we do each year with over 20,000 kids is important.  But…

All I can think about right now is how much fun I had at Louis C. K. on Friday night and then again with John Oliver on Saturday night and how much fun I am going to have all this week with Jaston and Joe in A Tuna Christmas.

Louis C.K. was funny as shit.  I have no other way to put it.   He was oh so funny and oh so nasty and oh so damn over the line… and I loved every second of it.  I laughed so hard, the way I laugh has forever changed.

And then there is John Oliver from the Daily Show.   As my good friend Janis Pinnelli said,  “I thought John Stewart was the funny one.  I had no idea how funny John Oliver was.”

And now we have Jaston and Joe.  What can I say?  A few of the residents from Tuna, Texas stopped by to visit today.  The show opens Tuesday and runs through the Thanksgiving weekend…

We opened our 95th season with Omara Portuondo, sweetheart of the Buena Vista Social Club.  Now introduce that show from stage with Invisiline braces in your mouth and you’ll see why I need a little drink before I take the stage.   But what an amazing show it was.   Standing ovations and encore after encore after encore…

So here is what happened back stage…

Just before the show, I met Omara.  She is lovely.  Gorgeous.  Gracious.  And moments before she took the stage to sing for you, she made me sing to her.  That’s right.  Me… singing… to her.  She wanted the audience to join her in a chorus of Deep in the Heart of Texas, but she wasn’t sure if she knew the song well enough. 

“Would you sing it to me?” she asked.
“But I cannot sing.  Really.  I am terrible,” I replied.
“Please.  For me.”

So how could I resist?  I sang it for her, before she sang if for you.   Trust me when I tell you that you got the better end of that deal.

The stars at night, are big and bright,
deep in the heart of Texas,
The prairie sky is wide and high,
deep in the heart of Texas.
The sage in bloom is like perfume,
deep in the heart of Texas,
Reminds me of, the one I love,
deep in the heart of Texas.

The coyotes wail, along the trail,
deep in the heart of Texas,
The rabbits rush, around the brush,
deep in the heart of Texas.
The cowboys cry, “Ki-yip-pee-yi,”
deep in the heart of Texas,
The dogies bawl, and bawl and bawl,
deep in the heart of Texas.