seems to be major internet buzz abt the meeting of the Golden Girl & Mr. Wainwright. since I introduced them let me add a bit to the story.
it was 1999 & I was producing the first pop concert in the history of the Santa Fe Opera as a benefit for the AIDS charity on whose board I servd. Bea Arthur was emcee & Rufus Wainwright one of the performers. at a party the nite before the concert I introduced the pair. Rufus immediately mentiond his song "California" which includes the line abt Bea Arthur being his "grandma." from the look on her face it was obvious she was taken aback. but I don't recall her uttering the line which apparently Rufus now tells. nor did she walk away from him.
in fact she came to like him when he did something sweet. she was staying alone at a guest house near the opera & was feeling isolated. Rufus was in a suite at a b & b in town. when he learnd of her plight he gave up his suite -- taking a small single room.
I wdn't mention any of this -- letting Rufus get away with his swell story. but some of the comments left by readers were so mean I decided to tell what I saw.
it was 1999 & I was producing the first pop concert in the history of the Santa Fe Opera as a benefit for the AIDS charity on whose board I servd. Bea Arthur was emcee & Rufus Wainwright one of the performers. at a party the nite before the concert I introduced the pair. Rufus immediately mentiond his song "California" which includes the line abt Bea Arthur being his "grandma." from the look on her face it was obvious she was taken aback. but I don't recall her uttering the line which apparently Rufus now tells. nor did she walk away from him.
in fact she came to like him when he did something sweet. she was staying alone at a guest house near the opera & was feeling isolated. Rufus was in a suite at a b & b in town. when he learnd of her plight he gave up his suite -- taking a small single room.
I wdn't mention any of this -- letting Rufus get away with his swell story. but some of the comments left by readers were so mean I decided to tell what I saw.
1 comment:
she was gay or certainly bi herself. There is an anonymous interview in boz hadleigh's book on musical stars, and it's obviously bea arthur. She sat behind me at the original production of how I learned to drive and snored through the whole play.
Post a Comment