tonite a musical will open off-Broadway. it's calld "Henry & Mudge" & will unspool at Theater De Lys. I know the theater has another name these days but I'm a cranky old fart & prefer the name I first knew.
the musical is based on a series of childrens books by Cynthia Rylant. we met nearly 20 years ago in Kent. she was taking classes in the library school & I was working in the university library's special collections department. eventually we attaind her papers. while the department was preparing the exhibition "Maggie & Mudge & May: The Books & Manuscripts of Cynthia Rylant" we learnd she'd won the Newbery Medal.
in Gildzen at 50 Cynthia wrote: "Alex is brave, handsome, charming, scary, and dear." there's a great deal "between the lines" there. I esp remember Cynthia at the party I threw to mark Carmen Miranda's 80th birthday. Tom Beckett was there too. & Mark Jamison wrote abt it: "I haven't seen so much fruit in one place since the March on Washington."
Theater De Lys is across Christopher St from one of the Village's oldest gay bars -- Ty's. in my drinking days I probably put in more hours at that bar than at that theater. I fondly recall being at Ty's with Ira Joel Haber. when we left we walkd across the street & spottd Joe Brainard in a restaurant. IJH introducd me & even tho I saw him around town a few times that was the only time I ever had a conversation with Brainard.
I don't remember if Cynthia ever met Ira Joel on his visits to Kent. but I love how life meanders & people intersect. I'd like to be able to be in NYC for the opening of "Henry & Mudge." during intermission I'd run to Ty's for a club soda.
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