Did you know that Rex Harrison was flatulent? And that he blasted through Julie Andrews' (left) touching moment in the final act of "My Fair Lady" on Broadway with a "rat-a-tat-tat' unscripted barrage? She described Rex as "a windy gentleman." By this time the audience at "Backstage at the Geffen" on Monday night was laughing hysterically. This was one of the stage surprises on a night when "outstanding leaders in the artistic community" revealed some of their prized private reminiscences on and backstage.
Julie and Dick Van Dyke (below) were honorary co-chairs of the evening and Dick was no slouch either, as he recalled jumping on Carol Burnett's body onstage in "Same Time Next Year." Dick introduced Julie as "the greatest lady who ever graced any stage." Others who appeared and reminisced included Roma Downey, one-time star of the Geffen's "A Picasso," who told of her experience in "Arms and the Man" with Glynis Johns, Rex Harrison and Stewart Granger -- and recalled Johns' own stage "direction." Bruce Vilanch, a writer on many of Gil Cates' Oscar shows, spoke about the difficulty of focusing the TV cameras on a non-censorable part of Dolly Parton's anatomy. Sharon Lawrence and Dana Delany told of their experiences on the Geffen's and B'way stages and "Desperate Housewives."
Anjelica Huston introduced honoree Annette Bening who ironically would have been back on the Geffen stage at this time in "The Female of the Species" -- en route to N.Y. -- but decided to bow out and return at a later date -- in something else? She told of her beginnings onstage at the Old Globe in San Diego and her current pitch for arts funding. Director Julie Taymor related the emotion of viewing "The Lion King" in Johannesburg. Honoree Bob Iger said 45 million people have, to date, seen the show. Young players Ashley Brown, who is currently starring on B'way in "Mary Poppins," and Sierra Boggess (also in N.Y. with "The Little Mermaid") brought cheers from the seasoned L.A. audience with their solos, duet and trio with an ever-young Dick Van Dyke.
The Geffen's producing director Gil Cates expressed gratitude to the Disney company for its participation in the wonderful evening which toasted theater. Iger's plane winged Brown and Boggess to L.A. after their Saturday night performances ion Broadway and brought them back in time for tonight's shows. Cates also thanked Iger for "keeping this city working" -- referring, no doubt, to Iger's participation in the DGA and WGA negotiations. Cates also thanked the Gala's chair, Pamela Robinson Hollander, and the Geffen's chairman Frank Mancuso and wife Faye, happily reporting that the evening raised $600,000. But more importantly, it also raised more awareness of the many youthful programs at the ambitious Geffen. P.S. Julie Taymor remains in L.A. to raise funds for her next feature film.
