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A VIEW FROM THE AUDIENCE
by Sidney Katz

Editor's note: A piece we recently published on the distinguished career of Eva Le Gallienne (written by Helen Sheehy, author of Eva Le Gallienne, Knopf) moved one reader to send us the following account of a magical performance and his abiding love of the theatre – both courtesy of Miss LeG.

[[Image, top right – an elderly couple, he balding, wearing bat wing collar and pinstripe suit; she in a print dress and little flower earings, pressing her face against his as if she has just kissed him on the cheek]]
[[image, center – a much younger woman dressed as Peter Pan, conical hat and ragged looking clothes; she holds a pan pipe]]
[[caption]] Eva Le Gallienne (left) in Peter Pan, 1928, and (above) with Sam Levene in The Royal Family, 1975. [[/caption]]

When I was 6 years old, my sister, who was all of fourteen, took me to see Ms. Le Gallienne in Peter Pan at her famous Civic Repertory Theatre on 14th St. That was a long time ago, and while I cannot remember what happened to me yesterday, I have total recall of that memorable day in my life. It began a love affair with the theatre that has lasted to this day.

Ms. Sheehy's article indicated that Ms. Le Gallienne was the first actress to fly out to the very edge of the balcony. I was in that very balcony, and I honestly felt that this performance was for me alone and Peter was flying only to me. I still remember my hands being sore from clapping so long and loud to revive Tinker Bell.

I was a child of the Depression, and there was no money to go to the theatre again until I was an adult. However, that experience stayed with me because as soon as I learned to read, I started reading plays voraciously. Many of them were beyond my understanding, but it did not matter, and I kept reading them.

Ms. Le Gallienne was also responsible for introducing me to the beauty of the spoken word. When we got our first radio, I was about 12, and she would appear on programs reading poetry and acting scenes from Shakespeare's plays. I often wonder if there are any recordings of those performances. They were priceless.

Fifty years later I saw her perform the role of Fanny Cavendish in The Royal Family, when she was about 75 years of age, and I found myself mesmerized again by her performance. It was an excellent production, beautifully acted by the entire cast, but she stood out. 

When I returned home after that performance, I simply had to write her and thank her for enriching my life so much through the years. A few days later I received the enclosed note from her which I will always treasure and which I would like to share with you.
[[Box]]
Dear Mr. Katz – Thank you for your very lovely letter which touched me deeply. I am happy that my work through the years has given you pleasure.

It looks as though The Royal Family will be at the Helen Hayes Theatre for quite a while. People seem to enjoy it enormously. You are right: it is a "perfect cast" – Miss [Rosemary] Harris is wonderful and Sam Levene is a joy as Oscar Wolfe – but, they are all good. Ellis Rabb did a splendid job as director. The notices have all been excellent. Only one thing you are wrong in: The stage at the old Civic was immense – I only flew out to the balcony because I thought it would give the children an extra thrill – and me too, incidentally. It was fun!

All the best to you in 1976 – and again my thanks – Eva Le Gallienne
[[/box]]

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NEW YORK CITY WEEKENDS
1999-2000 Metropolitan Opera Season
DELUXE, ESCORTED TOURS at the ESSEX HOUSE, PARK LANE HOTEL, LE PARKER MERIDIAN, & the MAYFLOWER

Prime Orchestra tickets, festive meals, transfers, tour director

OPENING NIGHT at the MET
September 25-28, 1999
Opening Night of the Metropolitan Opera: CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA (Zajick, Cura, Putilin) and PAGLIACCI (Villaroel, Domingo, Pons, Croft; Rizzi). New York City Opera: ARIODANT. Broadway: OKLAHOMA!

AUTUMN OPERA GALA
October 7-10, 1999
At the Met: AIDA (Voigt, Borodina, Armiliato, Putilin; Rizzi), OTELLO (Frittoli, Domingo, Morris; Levine), LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR (Rost, Lopard; Mackerras). Broadway: THE CIVIL WAR.

ITALIAN OPERA SPECTACULAR 
October 12-17, 1999
At the Met: OTELLO (Frittoli, Domingo, Morris: Levine), LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR (Rost, Lopardo; Mackerras), TOSCA (Holleque, Pavarotti, Pons; Oren), CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA (Zajick, O'Neill, Gavanelli) and PAGLIACCI (Villarroel, Domingo, Pons; Rizzi). NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC with Horacio Gutierrez, piano.

LINCOLN CENTER SPLASH
October 16-20, 1999
New York City Opera: LA BOHEME. NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC with Horacio Gutierrez, piano. At the Met: TOSCA (Holleque, Pavarotti, Pons; Oren), CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA (Zajick, O'Neill, Gananelli) and PAGLIACCI (Villarroel, Domingo, Pons; Rizzi)

OPERA STARS in NEW YORK CITY
October 21-24, 1999
At the Met: TOSCA (Holleque, Pavarotti; Oren), CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA (Zajick, O'Neill, Gavanelli) and PAGLIACCI (Villarroel, Domingo, Pons; Rizzi). NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC with Glenn Dicterow, violin.

MUSICAL MELANGE in NEW YORK
October 28-31, 1999
At the Met: NOZZE DI FIGARO (Hong, Evans, Graham, Croft, Furlanetto; de Waart), TOSCA (Holleque, Pavarotti; Oren). NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC concert.

RICHARD TUCKER GALA
November 12-15, 1999
RICHARD TUCKER GALA CONCERT: Placido Domingo, Master of Ceremonies, with outstanding international artists. At the Met: MEFISTOFELE (Fuleghina, Leech, Ramey; Elder), NOZZE DI FIGARO (Hong, Guyer, Donose, Croft, Furlanetto; de Waart).

FESTIVE OPERA MEDLEY
December 9-12, 1999
At the Met: ELISIR D'AMORE (Gheroghiu, Alagna, Hvorostovsky, Nucci; Pido), NOZZE DI FIGARO (Roocroft, Bonney, Mentzer, Skovhus, D'Arcangelo; de Waart), TRISTAN UND ISOLDE (Eaglen, Dalayman, Heppner; Levine).

MILLENNIUM CELEBRATION
December 29, 1999-January 2, 2000
At the Met: RIGOLETTO (Jo, Livengood, Alvarez, Gavanelli, Hawlata; Jurowski), MILLENNIUM GALA and Champagne Supper at the Metropolitan Opera, THE GREAT GATSBY (Upshaw, Graham Hunt, Hadley, Baker, Croft, Fink; Levine).

WINTER OPERA GALA 
February 3-6, 2000
At the Met: DI WALKUERE (Polaski, Voigt, Schwarz, Elming, Morris; Levine), LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN (Swenson, Mentzer, Shicoff, Terfel; Levine), ROSENKAVALIER (Fleming, Graham, Murphy, Neill, Ketelsen, Hawlata; Levine). NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC concert.

WINTER OPERA BREAK
February 24-27, 2000
At the Met: CENERENTOLA (Larmore, Gimenez, Corbelli, Alaimo, Relyea; Campanella), THE MERRY WIDOW (von Stade, Norberg-Schulz, Domingo; Davis), MADAMA BUTTERFLY (Crider, Larin, Shimell; Rudel), MEFISTOFELE (Guleghina, Ramey; Elder).

MUSICAL MEDLEY in NEW YORK
March 16-19, 2000
New York City Opera: PORGY AND BESS. NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC (Gergiev with Leif Ove Andsnes, piano). At the Met: BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA (Ganassi, Schade, Hampson; Campanella), THE MERRY WIDO (von Stade, Uecker, Domingo; Davis). 

WELCOME SPRING in NEW YORK
April 6-9, 2000
At the Met: BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA (Hanslowe, Schade, Braun; Campanella), PELLEAS ET MELISANDE (Upshaw, Denize, Croft, White, Lloyd; Levine), LA BOHEME (Vaduva, Arteta, Lopardo, Keenlyside; Armiliato). NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC (Masur conducts the ST. JOHN PASSION (Schreier, Hagegard).


[[images: color photo of Pavarotti; color photo of Metropolitan Opera House]]

DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN
April 24-30, 2000 and May 1-7, 2000
At the Metropolitan Opera with casts to include Polaski/Eaglen, Voigt, Radvanovsky, Hong, Schwarz/Palmer, Svenden, Elming/Domingo, Anderson/Neumann, Langridge, Clark/Petersen, Morris, Wlaschiha/Fink.

METROPOLITAN OPERA GALA
May 10-12, 2000
CARNEGIE HALL: METROPOLITAN OPERA ORCHESTRA, with Sylvia McNair, soprano. At the Met: METROPOLITAN OPERA CONCERT to feature Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti.

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