I was walking in Central Park during one of my rare visits to the city. It was hot and I was in sour mood when a slight gentleman with a big smile passed by and greeted me warmly. I was caught off guard and responded with some off-hand remark. After a few steps my wife whispered "That was Will Smith!"
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Will Smith of "The Fresh Prince" and "Hitch" and other film fame? If yes, I would not call him "slight"...He is 6ft 1,5 in tall!
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I had a similar experience with Paul Giamatti coming out of Fairway in Red Hook. He had kids and wife along but I had been so moved by his performance in "The Iceman Cometh" that I couldn't resist letting him know. He had left it all on that stage. He smiled warmly. Don't think he bowed. And was off with the basket of groceries and his family.
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"No words spoken ..."
The quiet seemed to be an intentional trademark of her performing style. I recalled references to her as "Broadway's quiet lioness," as in this obituary:
http://deadline.com/2014/10/marian-seldes-broadways-quiet-lioness-is-dea...
I guess you really never know when it's OK to say hello to a star or celebrity and when it isn't. (I gather while they're eating is usually a no.) So how lovely you took that chance that day, and that her so warmly accepting your praise leads to an opportunity to honor her once again, and maybe even for some people who never saw her onstage to know about her.
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A bright note to end a week of inspiring Diary entries and your own less-than-inspiring work week. Enjoy a restorative and relaxing weekend Freddie.
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Hi Allen, thanks! It's been a delightful, escapist Diary week. But I hope I didn't give the impression that the work week was in any way uninteresting. It was (still is on this matter) grueling, and with the long weekend coming, but still the type of pressure that if it never happened, I'd never make a living. It's not the fun part of financial and tax work, the fun is using the goat's own laws to get money back into the coffers of people who need it. But it's how I keep eating (though way too much Haagen Dazs on the fly these days!), and why I get what I call the meager bucks - it's my job to worry so the person(s) whose money is at stake gets to worry less and know I'm here. Thanks again to the Diary for this joyous week, though it of course must be a mix of moods line New York itself is!
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Whoops. Spellcheck made me submit: "the fun is using the goat's own laws to get money back into the coffers of people who need it." I thought I'd typed "the govt's own laws" - "The Goat" is of course, another great Edward Albee play! (Did Spellcheck know the Diary item talked about Mr. Albee?)
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Thank you, Ms. Minichino, for your story.
My wife and I saw Paul Giamatti in the title role in "Hamlet" at the Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven about five years ago. A day or two after that, we saw him walking on the sidewalk near the Yale campus. My wife, with a big smile on her face, said, "Hello, Hamlet." He smiled back. No further words were needed.
And to Freddie: You got your wish for the Metropolitan Diary. This is now the official "Feel-Good-About-New-York Week." Five in a row!
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Absolutely!!! Maybe I'll press my luck and wonder aloud when they'll do an all theatre recap. There are so many Broadway Diary items that the Theater page followers would love, like this one and the "West Side Story" memory last week (and even the courageous item on the swindler who claimed to be Patti LuPone's dresser did honor the star in some ways!)
But now I don't recall from last year - is the print edition Diary "recap" on Monday, or is it Tuesday because of the holiday? New York Today of course takes off Memorial Day. So won't we need the Diary even more! :)
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Dean - I find it both fascinating and most appropriate that, in the relatively few comments in the section so far, from Red Hook to New Haven the gifted and versatile actor Paul Giamatti was saluted for the quality of his work.
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You paid an actress a lovely compliment Camille on busy Sixth Avenue (not in a restaurant or other more intimate setting), which it seems you made quite clear was all you wanted to do, and the actress responded graciously and was no doubt pleased to be recognized for her work. I do not believe you violated any “protocol” and have paid similar very brief compliments as well to men and women whose work I admire.
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That was indeed a special moment! And if I may ask, are you the very same Camille Minichino whose Periodic Table mysteries I enjoyed reading? Thank you for those, they were fun!
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Hi, Millie: This is a late reply, but my guess is that this author is the very same Camille Minichino. I tried to do some online research, and given the references to Fordham University and California, I would bet very good money that she’s the author of the Periodic Table Mysteries.
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Once classy lady to another. Good for both of you.
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