Tonight I read “Pamela’s First Musical” to my daughter at bedtime. As an avid theater goer in NYC, I loved its writer, Wendy Wasserstein. She died from cancer in 2006 and it was way too early to take her from this world.
When I was a young girl, I read and saw all her plays, from “Uncommon Women and Others” on PBS to “The Heidi Chronicles” and “The Sisters Rosensweig” on Broadway. I also loved “Isn’t It Romantic?” and “An American Daughter”. I also saw her last play at Lincoln Center, “Third” about a middle-aged professor. Her plays spoke to me as a Jewish young girl, trying to figure out what I wanted to do, living alone in the Big Apple. I heard her speak in college and later, right before she died, at a Hadassah conference. She was a feminist, a true inspiration and my heroine.
She really loved the theater. In 1996, she published “Pamela’s First Musical,” a children’s book about introducing her niece to the theater. My sister and I were just discussing this book today so it was funny that Olivia pulled it out when we got home.
The story revolves around a suburban girl, probably from Westchester like us, whose eccentric Aunt Louise celebrates her niece’s ninth birthday by taking her to lunch at the Russian Tea Room and a Broadway matinee. It is her first theater experience and I could totally relate to the gittiness and excitement she feels entering the theater, when the velvet curtain goes up and the performers come out. Wasserstein brings the musical to life in the pages of this short book. She brings forth the story’s drama and pizazz so much that you feel Pamela’s passion for the play. She also alludes to real-life Broadway writers, directors, costumers and producers. And her Aunt Louise is amazing – a fashion designer who goes, “Oooooh, dahling”. I love it when Olivia reads this line in the book with her own inflection.
When my daughter was 4, I took her to see her first musical, “Mary Poppins.” We both got dressed up. She wore silver glitter shoes. Brian drove us into the city right into the heart of Times Square and dropped us off at the New Amsterdam Theater. We went to the box office to collect our tickets which I had bought several months prior and marched down the lush carpet to hand out tickets to the usher. I had bought the least expensive tickets so our usher showed us to the top row of the theater. When the curtain rose, she leaned forward to take it all in. She took a deep breath and thoroughly enjoyed the singing, dancing, vibrant sets, costumes and live orchestra. During intermission, we went into the lobby for a snack and to people-watch. She became my partner in crime. At that moment, I knew I would have a Pamela of my own. I may not be the aunt, but Aunt Amy and I can share the duties.
Hi! I'm visiting from MBC. Great blog.
Auntie says let's both of us take her to something soon! Nice entry Hols.