Hello, diva lovers! I'm writing to you from 60 Center Street, as I've been assigned to sit on a jury for the next few weeks. So, if I haven't responded to your e-mails as promptly as usual, that's my defense! . . . Anyway, let's get to the divas. . .

Hello, diva lovers! I'm writing to you from 60 Center Street, as I've been assigned to sit on a jury for the next few weeks. So, if I haven't responded to your e-mails as promptly as usual, that's my defense! . . . Anyway, let's get to the divas. . .

With Halloween approaching, October’s "Leading Men" — Jarrod Emick (The Boy From Oz), John Pizzarelli (Sinatra) and Welly Yang (The Wedding Banquet) — each have a bag of tricks, but they’re always a treat to behold.

With Halloween approaching, October’s "Leading Men" — Jarrod Emick (The Boy From Oz), John Pizzarelli (Sinatra) and Welly Yang (The Wedding Banquet) — each have a bag of tricks, but they’re always a treat to behold.

INTO THE WOODS Nonesuch 79686
Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods is back on Broadway, complete with a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. The same director, Lapine, is present; the material is pretty much the same, with some minor (but helpful) alterations.

INTO THE WOODS Nonesuch 79686
Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods is back on Broadway, complete with a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. The same director, Lapine, is present; the material is pretty much the same, with some minor (but helpful) alterations.

BABY REBORN
Although its Broadway run was relatively brief -- it opened in December 1993 and closed July 1984 -- Baby possessed one of my favorite scores of the eighties, and it was also the show that introduced me to the vocal delights of Liz Callaway (I think I drove my family crazy playing "I Want It All" too many times to count). So, I was thrilled when I learned that Jay Records was planning to reissue the recording on CD, and I'm happy to report that the single disc is now available in stores. The extremely hummable score boasted a cast that included, as mentioned, Miss Saigon's Callaway plus Beauty and the Beast's Beth Fowler, Footloose's Catherine Cox and Guys and Dolls' Martin Vidnovic. With music by David Shire and lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr., the musical was based on a story developed by Susan Yankowitz concerning the intertwining lives of three couples of various ages who were either trying to conceive or were surprised by a pregnancy. Highlights of the single disc include the opening number, "We Start Today"; Callaway's silky, belty tones on "The Story Goes On" and "The Ladies Singin' Their Song"; the show-stopping anthem "I Want It All," thrillingly sung by Callaway, Cox and Fowler; two charming duets between Callaway and Graff, "What Could Be Better?" and "Two People in Love"; and Fowler and Congdon's stirring look at their years of married life, "And What If We Had Loved Like That?" The CD also includes "Patterns," a song cut from the musical (it would eventually find its way into the hit Off-Broadway revue of Maltby & Shire tunes, Closer Than Ever), here sung gloriously by Beth Fowler.

BABY REBORN
Although its Broadway run was relatively brief -- it opened in December 1993 and closed July 1984 -- Baby possessed one of my favorite scores of the eighties, and it was also the show that introduced me to the vocal delights of Liz Callaway (I think I drove my family crazy playing "I Want It All" too many times to count). So, I was thrilled when I learned that Jay Records was planning to reissue the recording on CD, and I'm happy to report that the single disc is now available in stores. The extremely hummable score boasted a cast that included, as mentioned, Miss Saigon's Callaway plus Beauty and the Beast's Beth Fowler, Footloose's Catherine Cox and Guys and Dolls' Martin Vidnovic. With music by David Shire and lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr., the musical was based on a story developed by Susan Yankowitz concerning the intertwining lives of three couples of various ages who were either trying to conceive or were surprised by a pregnancy. Highlights of the single disc include the opening number, "We Start Today"; Callaway's silky, belty tones on "The Story Goes On" and "The Ladies Singin' Their Song"; the show-stopping anthem "I Want It All," thrillingly sung by Callaway, Cox and Fowler; two charming duets between Callaway and Graff, "What Could Be Better?" and "Two People in Love"; and Fowler and Congdon's stirring look at their years of married life, "And What If We Had Loved Like That?" The CD also includes "Patterns," a song cut from the musical (it would eventually find its way into the hit Off-Broadway revue of Maltby & Shire tunes, Closer Than Ever), here sung gloriously by Beth Fowler.

BETTY BUCKLEY
Add Camille (Marguerite Gautier) to the list of vulnerable but determined women that Betty Buckley has brought to life throughout her award-winning career. In fact, Buckley not only brings her character to life, but it is during the Tony winner's moments on stage when the Hartford Stage Company's current production of Camino Real works best. One of the least accessible of Tennessee Williams plays, Camino Real is a dark adventure set somewhere between earth and hell while intermingling characters both real and fictional: the romantic poet Lord Byron; the infamous Italian lover Casanova; Cervantes' knight-errant Don Quixote de la Mancha; the aforementioned Camille, the consumptive courtesan from Alexandre Dumas' La Dame aux Camelias; and several others.

BETTY BUCKLEY
Add Camille (Marguerite Gautier) to the list of vulnerable but determined women that Betty Buckley has brought to life throughout her award-winning career. In fact, Buckley not only brings her character to life, but it is during the Tony winner's moments on stage when the Hartford Stage Company's current production of Camino Real works best. One of the least accessible of Tennessee Williams plays, Camino Real is a dark adventure set somewhere between earth and hell while intermingling characters both real and fictional: the romantic poet Lord Byron; the infamous Italian lover Casanova; Cervantes' knight-errant Don Quixote de la Mancha; the aforementioned Camille, the consumptive courtesan from Alexandre Dumas' La Dame aux Camelias; and several others.

This week's column discusses three British cast albums from the early 1950's

This week's column discusses three British cast albums from the early 1950's, the West End transfers of Harold Rome's Wish You Were Here and Lerner and Loewe's Paint Your Wagon, as well as Hugh Martin's written-for-London musical Love from Judy.

There’s nothing quite like the sound of applause in Carnegie Hall, especially when the hall is standing-room-only and the performer is one of Broadway’s leading talents. It’s a sound that echoes throughout the room, filling the famed auditorium with a feeling of excitement that is unparalleled in any other venue. Such was the case this past Friday night when Patti LuPone made her eagerly-awaited Carnegie Hall solo concert debut. Before the evening began, two representatives from GMHC (Gay Men’s Health Crisis) welcomed the audience and announced that the concert had raised a whopping $400,000 to benefit the organization. And, then, the truly magical evening began. Even the overture induced goose-bumps, as several of La LuPone’s “greatest hits” were woven together. This prelude commenced with strains of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” and “Meadowlark,” segueing into segments from “As Long As He Needs Me,” “Buenos Aires,” “Anything Goes” and then, just a quick, almost teasing touch of “As If We Never Said Goodbye,” before concluding with “Over the Rainbow,” a nod to another famed diva who triumphed at Carnegie Hall, the late Judy Garland. As this orchestral suite ended, the two doors on the left side of the stage opened, and out walked LuPone, dressed in a burst of purple silk. As the star of the benefit concert made her entrance, the audience jumped to its feet and serenaded the smiling diva with a rapturous, thunderclap of adoration.

There’s nothing quite like the sound of applause in Carnegie Hall, especially when the hall is standing-room-only and the performer is one of Broadway’s leading talents. It’s a sound that echoes throughout the room, filling the famed auditorium with a feeling of excitement that is unparalleled in any other venue. Such was the case this past Friday night when Patti LuPone made her eagerly-awaited Carnegie Hall solo concert debut. Before the evening began, two representatives from GMHC (Gay Men’s Health Crisis) welcomed the audience and announced that the concert had raised a whopping $400,000 to benefit the organization. And, then, the truly magical evening began. Even the overture induced goose-bumps, as several of La LuPone’s “greatest hits” were woven together. This prelude commenced with strains of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” and “Meadowlark,” segueing into segments from “As Long As He Needs Me,” “Buenos Aires,” “Anything Goes” and then, just a quick, almost teasing touch of “As If We Never Said Goodbye,” before concluding with “Over the Rainbow,” a nod to another famed diva who triumphed at Carnegie Hall, the late Judy Garland. As this orchestral suite ended, the two doors on the left side of the stage opened, and out walked LuPone, dressed in a burst of purple silk. As the star of the benefit concert made her entrance, the audience jumped to its feet and serenaded the smiling diva with a rapturous, thunderclap of adoration.

CD OF THE WEEK:
Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner's "Unsuspecting Hearts"
Okay, so for the past few weeks I've been anxiously awaiting a review copy of Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley's second duets album, "Unsuspecting Hearts." Yesterday, when it still hadn't arrived and I knew the recording was already in stores, I decided I'd go buy it at lunch time. And, just as I was about to leave the office, the UPS man arrived, and there it was! I've been listening to this beautiful work since then, and as much as I liked their first Varese Sarabande offering, "Duets," I think this disc is even more enjoyable. If the first overmixed the voices a bit, this recording allows each singing actress to display her unique vocal talents, and reminds the listener how well their voices and styles complement each other, first displayed in the much-too-short-lived Broadway musical Side Show.

CD OF THE WEEK:
Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner's "Unsuspecting Hearts"
Okay, so for the past few weeks I've been anxiously awaiting a review copy of Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley's second duets album, "Unsuspecting Hearts." Yesterday, when it still hadn't arrived and I knew the recording was already in stores, I decided I'd go buy it at lunch time. And, just as I was about to leave the office, the UPS man arrived, and there it was! I've been listening to this beautiful work since then, and as much as I liked their first Varèse Sarabande offering, "Duets," I think this disc is even more enjoyable. If the first overmixed the voices a bit, this recording allows each singing actress to display her unique vocal talents, and reminds the listener how well their voices and styles complement each other, first displayed in the much-too-short-lived Broadway musical Side Show.

BARBARA COOK
Last week I discussed the Barbara Cook newsletter, and what follows are several quotes from an interesting interview WQEW's Jonathan Schwartz conducted with the Broadway and cabaret star in November 1998. The interview was held just one week before Cook's sensational return to the Carnegie Hall stage.

BARBARA COOK
Last week I discussed the Barbara Cook newsletter, and what follows are several quotes from an interesting interview WQEW's Jonathan Schwartz conducted with the Broadway and cabaret star in November 1998. The interview was held just one week before Cook's sensational return to the Carnegie Hall stage.

BETTY BUCKLEY
It's always a treat to speak with Betty Buckley, the woman New York Magazine recently dubbed "the voice of Broadway," and I'm happy to report that there's much happening on the BB front. In fact, the award-winning actress will release two solo albums in the next few months: The first is an all-new recording titled "Heart to Heart," a concert act she debuted this past June at a PAWS/LA benefit at U.C.L.A.'s Freud Playhouse Theatre. (PAWS is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the quality of life of those living with HIV/AIDS by empowering them to care for their beloved pets.) The studio recording will feature all songs previously unrecorded by Buckley, and it looks likely that the two tunes Ms. B sings in Camino Real will also be featured on the CD, which will be the first disk released on Buckley's new label, KO Records. You may not know that Buckley (with music director Lynn Shankel and composer John Gromada) composed the music for the second tune she sings in Camino Real, which is entitled "The Violets in the Mountain"; the first tune is titled "Bide A While," and both feature lyrics by Tennessee Williams. Boasting lyrics by Williams, "Heart to Heart" should be quite an arty and beautiful album . . . The second KO Records release is one that will excite Buckley fans who have been desperately trying to obtain a copy of her first solo recording, which was simply titled "Betty Buckley" and released on the now-defunct Rizzoli Records label. This recording -- featuring several tunes penned by Buckley herself -- may also feature bonus tracks, songs from BB's live concert at St. Bartholomew's Church in 1984 previously unreleased. So, those who already own the recording (featuring thrilling vocal work) may want to purchase it again. Stay tuned for more information on that front . . . And, there's still another recording in the works. Buckley will fly to Los Angeles to record a duet with the Grammy-winning Johnny Mathis for his forthcoming Broadway CD. Produced by Jay Landers (whose latest credit is Barbra Streisand's new release) and Broadway's Richard Jay Alexander, the recording will boast a Buckley/Mathis duet of Ragtime's "Our Children." It's another dream come true for Buckley, who while growing up adored the suave crooner's work . . . If all that weren't enough, Buckley has several concert dates lined up this month: She'll perform at the South Street Theater in Morristown, New Jersey, this weekend. Then, on October 9, Buckley will be backed by a full symphony orchestra when she tells stories through song at the Tilles Center in Greenvale, New York. That evening will feature the former Cats star dressed to the nines in an ESCADA dress for this special evening. Buckley will also be headed to Hawaii for a concert on October 12 and then a bit of a well-deserved rest. Champaign/Urbana, Illinois is the next stop on the concert tour on October 22 and 23: for a master class at the Foellinger Great Hall and a concert at the Krannert Center. The Sangamon Auditorium at the University of Illinois in Springfield, Illinois, follows on October 24, and then on the 27th Buckley will perform at an Alzheimer's Benefit at the Waldorf Astoria . . . And, of course, the multi-talented actress continues to star in the Hartford Stage Company's production of Camino Real through October 10 (a November highlight: the BRAVO documentary profiling Buckley's stellar career will air on November 1) . . . That's one busy diva!