LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Lainie Kazan: Broadway to Midway and Going Strong |
by Fay Jacobs |
Lainie Kazan, who's is appearing with her Trio at the 1776 Classic American Steakhouse Restaurant in Rehoboth's Midway Center through August 12, took a few minutes to talk with Fay Jacobs of Letters by phone recently. Ms. Kazan spoke from her room at Caesar's in Atlantic City where she was appearing prior to her engagement in Rehoboth Beach. Fay Jacobs: Will this be your first visit to Rehoboth Beach? Ms. Kazan: Well, I've just passed through before, and it looks so charming, I'm excited to be coming back for a few days. Fay Jacobs: Well, it is charming, and coming here from a large hotel stage like Caesar's to an intimate room like 1776, what will you do differently? Well, it's not all that different. I try to make the larger rooms more intimate. In a smaller setting I sing more like it's in my living room, take the energy down a little. But it's really similar. Fay Jacobs: You still have a busy concert schedule along with your movie and TV career, how do you have time to fit it all in? I'm not singing quite as much. I used to go away for three months at a time. Now I sing on weekends, maybe twice a month. I'm pretty sparing with my schedule. Fay Jacobs: Well then we're delighted that you've chosen Rehoboth. How would you characterize your music? Broadway, pop, jazz? Well, I'm leaning more toward jazz, my music has bent in that direction. It's what appeals to me, but I wouldn't say I'm a jazz purist. If I had to give you a label, I'd say I'm a jazz-pop artist. At 1776 I'll be singing material like...The Man that Got Away and (here, Lainie goes through lyrics, singing "I didn't know what time it was...." giving this interviewer a preview concert by phone, until she came up with the song title) and I Concentrate on You, among others... I do mostly torch songs, a little comedy....Both of my recent CD's are typical of my pop-jazz style, Body and Soul and In the Groove. I'll be singing some of that material. Fay Jacobs: You started on Broadway, understudying Streisand in Funny Girl. Did you go on often? Only twice. Both in one day! Fay Jacobs: And speaking of divas, tell us about the Merman tribute you participated in? I produced it along with Bette Midler, Madeline Kahn, Patti LuPone and Elaine Stritch. What fun we all had! It was called Doin' What Comes Naturally. It was a benefit for the Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York. I have a lot of very wonderful friends involved in that organization, and the AIDS Project LA. Fay Jacobs: Where you are a board member, right? Yes. I've lost numerous friends and loved ones to AIDS and I decided that I would do everything in my power to get involved in helping to fight it and help people. I recently did a benefit in L.A. with Sarah Brightman and we sang "Anything You Can Do" and it was hilarious. And it's rewarding to do benefit performances. Fay Jacobs: Besides your singing career, you've been very busy in the movies and on TV. I have to ask, when you played Aunt Frieda on The Nanny, did Fran Dresher really talk like that all the time? All the time. Really. And Rene (author's note: Rene Taylor who played Nanny Fine's mother) talked just like that too. So I just chimed in. They were wonderful to work with and we had a good time with it. I don't have any pronounced accent, but I acquired one working with them. Fay Jacobs: You have a movie coming out shortly? Two movies. First is The Crew with Burt Reynolds, Richard Dreyfuss and Jennifer Tilly. It's a comedy about four old mobsters who retire to Miami and get involved in the kidnapping of a woman who inherits a deli fortunethat's me. It's a caper movie. Disney produced it, and it's opening Aug. 25. Then, in November, the film What's Cooking is set for release. It's a serious film, with some humor about four American families at Thanksgiving timea Jewish family, black, Japanese and Hispanic. I play the Jewish matriarch. It was a terrific experience, working with Mercedes Ruehl, Juliana Margolis, Kyra Sedgewick, Joan Chen and Alfre Woodard. And it will be released in time for Thanksgiving 2000. Fay Jacobs: It's great timing. You'll be here in Rehoboth and we'll get a chance to hear you sing in person and then be able to see you at the movies. I hope I get to meet you when I get to town. Fay Jacobs: I'm looking forward to it. And lots of folks are looking forward to an evening at 1776. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us here at Letters. My pleasure. And I'm looking forward to reading your publication at the beach. Ms. Kazan and her Trio will perform at The Stage at 1776 through August 12. Tickets are $35. For reservations call 302-645-9355. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 10, No. 11, Aug. 11, 2000. |