I’ve posted this photo before and I want to share it again.
Because it is important to remember, that even when you become an adult, and you are trying to navigate adult relationships, and maybe even nab a husband like this poor character … inside, you are still an anxious geeky teenager, yearning for acceptance.
It is not a comfortable truth, but it is a truth nonetheless.
Playing this part (Miss Krumholtz in How to Succeed in Business) was hilarious for me, because my God, she is so vulnerable. But also so brave. Putting on a brave smile over the SHRIEKING NEUROSES beneath.
In a humorous side note, my friend Mitchell played my boss. We had very little to do with each other onstage, but of course we made up a whole story that he was sexually harassing me on a daily basis, chasing me around the office, and while Miss Krumholtz was perhaps horrified, because she just wants a husband dammit, and she is a true lady, not a slut in any way – she also endured it because … maybe it means that her boss ‘likes’ her?
No, Krummy, I don’t think so.
But I don’t want to shatter her dreams. I mean, look at her face.
Awww, what a great Miss Krumholtz.
My high school put this on as the musical – junior year, I think? One of my friends was in the chorus of ladies for the Paris Original scene.
The dress for it – I think the Theater teacher designed it – was wonderfully hideous. So all these poor women had been duped, like the Emperor’s New Clothes, into believing how UNIQUE and SPECIAL the dress was, and how UNIQUE and SPECIAL they were. And then more and more “clones” of the dress start showing up at the party. Hahahaha.
I don’t remember much from the story – it was, after all, well over 20 years ago – but I remember that scene, and those ugly dresses.
Ricki – Ha!!! That’s exactly what happened in this production too – the dresses were these explosions of pink taffeta with ORANGE decorations on them – I think they were strapless and then had big pouffy bubble skirts – and one by one we all burst forth into the party, all proud of our “Paris original” – before all hell broke loose.
So funny!!
Ah, what a wonderful picture! I saw How to Succeed several years back on Broadway and it was wonderful. Certainly one of the highlights of that particular trip.
“Ours” where white and sort of sheath-dress like with big bold stripes of fuchsia and turquoise and I think some sequins. (Yes, it was 1986).
I can still picture those darn dresses in my mind, 23 years later. Win for the theater teacher!
ricki – totally! That is quite a compliment to her design!
This is what makes you so brilliant. The fact that you and Mitchell had an entire life before the play even began shows how brave you are.
LOVE it!
Alex – ha! Yeah, we had a whole story going! He was such a sleazebag!
I am happy to say I never smiled like that before or since. It was merely for the show that that horrible grimace masquerading as a smile came over my face