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A THEATREGOER'S NOTEBOOK by Kathy Henderson [[image: color headshot photo of Margaret Whiting]] Whiting's Dream. When she was about ten years old, Margaret Whiting sang a song for Johnny Mercer, the lyricist who wrote "Hooray for Hollywood" and "Too Marvelous for Words" with her father, Richard. "My mother wanted to know if I should take singing lessons," Whiting recalls. "Johnny listened to me and said, 'I've got two words of advice - grow up.' In other words, I should take it easy and give myself time to develop. And he was right." Whiting went on to become one of the first artists signed by Mercer when he founded Capital Records, and she's now featured in Dream, a new musical based on the lyrics of her friend and mentor. In tribute to the man who won four Oscars (with 17 nominations) for songs like "Moon River" and "The Days of Wine and Roses," the show ends with an Academy Awards section, but the settings also include Mercer's native Savannah, the Rainbow Room and the Hollywood Canteen during World War II. "This is the time for Mercer," Whiting believes. "I'm hearing more of his songs done by cabaret singers than ever before. He was a poet, and his words touch people of all ages." As the president of the Johnny Mercer Foundation, Whiting devotes much of her free time to making grants to charities and individual artists. "We pick two or three young songwriters and give them money for a concert of their works," she explains. "Johnny used to reach out to people like Burt Bacharach and Jim Webb, and it's great to continue what he loved to do." [[image: black and white headshot photo of Faith Prince]] HAVE FAITH When you've had a megadose of critical acclaim, as Faith Prince did five seasons ago for her Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, how do you keep your equilibrium? "Very gingerly," says Prince, now starring as Anna in the hit revival of The King and I. Recalling her string of awards and her appearance on the front page of the Times with co-star Nathan Lane, she reflects, "That was the kind of situation that happens once in a performer's life. It was a wacky time that led to a lot of growth." After Guys and Dolls, Prince made two unsuccessful attempts at starring in TV sitcoms, and she and her musician husband, Larry Lunetta, had a son, Henry, who turns two this month. "I'm so happy to be back in New York," she confesses. "You know, it never entered my mind to play this part, but it's a joy every night. I couldn't be happier." Ironically, Prince's return to the East Coast also resulted in a recurring role as the press secretary's girlfriend in the N.Y.-based comedy series "Spin City." "A sitcom is the best middle ground between theatre and film because you have an audience," says Prince, "but nothing fulfills my soul like being onstage eight times a week." On days off, Prince and Lunetta head upstate with Henry to their cottage on Putnam Lake. "A bunch of us artists bought bungalows in this blue-collar community and started our own little colony," Prince says. "We love to cook and fish and go antiquing and have big parties. It's great to have that other world." 20 [[end page]] [[start page]] [[advertisement]] [[image: color photo of BMW viewed from front, parked on fallen yellow leaves, behind it an allée of trees with interlocking branches]] THE NEW 6-CYLINDER 23 © 1997 BMW of North America, Inc. The BMW name and logo are registered trademarks. For information 1-800-334-4BMW. Or http://www.bmwusa.com MOMENTS OF FREEDOM WILL NEVER BE GIVEN TO YOU. YOU MUST TAKE THEM. An open top to open your mind. An impassioned, 2.8-liter power plant to liberate your soul. And physics-defying agility to inspire awe. To drive the new Z3 is to feel 110%, certifiably free. Now instead of pursuing happiness, you can catch it. [[image: BMW marque]] The Ultimate Driving Machine® [[/advertisement]]