January 9
...serving up your daily dish.
A year ago, the 12 Miles West Theatre Company learned it was losing its lease in the basement of the Clairidge theater in Montclair. Last night, the theater celebrated its triumphant survival and christened its new home in Bloomfield with balloons, cake, champagne and a performance of "Tea for Three: Lady Bird, Pat & Betty" starring Elaine Bromka.
"The fact that you didn't have to pay a ticket tonight means that you have to listen to us all talk," joked Lenny Bart, the theater's artistic director.
A high point was a remark by Bloomfield mayor Raymond McCarthy. "We're thrilled about the fact that Montclair couldn't sustain..." he began, and then caught the eye of Montclair mayor Ed Remsen, sitting in the front row. Remsen made a gesture of magnanimous defeat, the audience laughed and McCarthy, who never finished his sentence, grinned broadly.
The brief intrusion of politics on the event was apt. The entertainment that followed, "Tea for Three," is a one-woman show about three first ladies, Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon and Betty Ford. Each monologue takes place just before the First Lady, about to be swept out of the White House by politics, prepares to welcome the incoming First Lady.
The performances by Bromka were brilliant and particularly spellbinding for those of us old enough to have lived through the Johnson, Nixon and Ford administrations.
12 Miles West's new home, the former Roberts Lost Picture Show, was a vaudeville theater in the 1930's. It will now host cultural institutions including Pushcart Players, Teatro Si, the New Jersey School of Dramatic Arts, Troupe of Vagabonds and Lunatic Fringe.
January 9, 2005 in Parties We Crashed | Permalink
What a great evening at 12 Miles West! Elaine was great and the group has a new home where they can flourish. We reluctantly lost 12 Miles West who became a victim of Montclair's real estate boom, but if Bloomfield comes after Yogi, I'll hunt down Mayor McCarthey.
Ed Remsen
Posted by: Ed Remsen | Jan 9, 2005 2:34:38 PM
It's wonderful seeing something like this in Bloomfield.
Posted by: Alison Meyer | Jan 9, 2005 10:54:43 PM
As one who was priviledged to be invited to the opening, this play is a MUST SEE!
Elaine Bromka did a marvelous performance. I was disappointed when it ended with Betty Ford. I wanted Rosalyn Carter and Barbara Bush and all the other ladies to appear!!
Posted by: Anne Prince | Jan 10, 2005 4:26:28 PM
