Arts :: Arts And Culture
Razzle Dazzle by Scott Kearnan
Arts EditorWednesday Mar 4, 2009The steps are all in place, the sequins are off the shelf and the spotlight is once more shining brightly on one of film and television’s few living legends.
"My whole life is show business," says Mitzi Gaynor. It’s a fair statement: this, after all, is the effervescent triple-threat who first gained fame by starring in a string of renowned movie musicals: Anything Goes, There’s No Business Like Show Business and her Golden Globe-nominated turn in South Pacific, to name just a few. Then there was the series of smash, Emmy-winning television specials throughout the 1960s and 70s that ingrained her persona - a combination of old-fashioned razzle with gorgeous, leggy dazzle - indelibly into pop culture. On top of all that was a stint in Vegas, a long history of concert performances, and even a turn as a columnist for The Hollywood Reporter.
Now 77, Gaynor shows no signs of slowing down. She’s visiting Boston on Mar. 7 to be honored with the ninth annual Lifetime Achievement Award by Boston Youth Moves. The organization will honor Gaynor at Swellegance, a swank yearly gala that raises funds for the non-profit, which offers pre-professional training programs and scholarship opportunities for Boston area teens looking to pursue dance as a professional career and personal motivator.
Gaynor spoke with Bay Windows about her reflections on showbiz, her new one-woman show, and her love for the gay community. Revealed is a woman with the same riotous sense of humor that has served her so well over the years.
First off, we look forward to seeing you in Boston for Swellegance.
Oh, I love Boston. I’ve played Cohasset, the north shore, the south shore. I’ve been practically everywhere over there. I love the whole area, the audience and the people. They’re so full of life. You know, they call Cohasset "the Irish Riviera." ... I love playing Cohasset. It’s fun. They sell more booze at the bar in Cohasset than practically anywhere else in the U.S. I usually play in the summer time there, under the tent. It gets hot so we’ll go out there and have a little nip.
I have a little Irish in me myself, me lassy.
Oh, you’re darling. My husband, Jack Bean, was Irish. Double Irish. Triple Irish!
Before we get side-tracked, tell me about your one-woman show, Mitzi Gaynor: Razzle Dazzle! My Life Behind the Sequins.
This is kind of my return to showbiz. My husband was ill for quite a while [before he passed away], so I put Mitzi Gaynor away for quite a while. Oh, he was my everything: he was my boss ... well, he thought he was my boss ... my manager, my producer. He did everything in the world for me. He was my life, and his life was building Mitzi Gaynor. I had been in films and stage before [meeting him], but he honed me and gave me the confidence. ... Anyhow, after mourning for two years I decided it was time to go back to work. ... It [the show] is kind of my life. How I got started in show business, the people I’ve known and the songs that mean so much to me.
How does it feel to be performing for the first time since his passing?
Truthfully, it should be more scary than it is. ... I’m president of The Professional Dancers Society, and we have two events: the Fall Ball - get it? - and the Spring Luncheon. I introduce, and carry on, and do strange and wondrous things. So that’s what I had been doing as far as shows, and if I hadn’t been able to do that I probably wouldn’t feel as comfortable as I do now. But my whole life is show business. I started when I was 13. Of course, I lied and said I was 16. I’m still paying for those three years now. Everyone thinks I’m older than I am, but I can’t do anything about it. ... Is this too much? All this talking about me?
I went to Cohasset, and this man picked us up in a limousine: me, my husband, and Tommy [a stylist], the power behind the hairdryer. You’ve heard of the power behind the throne? Tommy was the power behind the hairdryer. Of course not! I want to talk about you.
Well of course. It’s not as though you’re talking to your Aunt Lilly. And how is the weather out there? I’ve never played that area in the wintertime. Ethel Merman was in a show Happy Hunting - this was about three centuries ago - and I flew up from New York in the wintertime. The only time I was there in the wintertime. I went to Cohasset, and this man picked us up in a limousine: me, my husband, and Tommy [a stylist], the power behind the hairdryer. You’ve heard of the power behind the throne? Tommy was the power behind the hairdryer. We get in the car and there’s this lovely man driving... I see some flower petals on the floor and he says, "Well, we had a funeral this morning." Oh my God, my first time in the Boston area and I’m in a funeral car. ... Oh, but I’m really looking forward to Saturday. I’m going to get a chance to meet Richard Gere! You must have seen Chicago. He’s always so fabulous.
Applause from you is no light praise!
Oh, bless your heart.
Well, not many performers have had your longevity. How have you managed it?
I think it’s because of the background I’ve had, the training. ... A lot of people don’t get a chance to study and have the background. I’ve worked with sprained ankles and a back out of place, broken fingers and toes, and of course, the show must go on! The show must always go on, because the producer doesn’t want to give back the money. ... That’s why they call me Rita Rehearsal.
You have a new documentary airing on PBS, Mitzi Gaynor - Razzle Dazzle! The Special Years. It’s fascinating to see the roster of names you’ve worked with: Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers, Frank Sinatra, to name just a few. Do you realize that you’re among the people who shaped American entertainment?
That is so kind of you to say. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Ethel Merman was one of my best girlfriends; she was like my older sister. ... Dan Dailey, I could barely stand up next to him... Betty Grable, Frank Sinatra, Donald O’Connor... I was such a fan [of these stars].
What do you personally consider your greatest success and your greatest regret in show business?
Getting to do South Pacific, and singing from Georgy Girl at the Academy Awards. That’s what got me started on the idea of doing television. And of course the specials, The Mitzi Gaynor Show. Isn’t that clever? Irving Berlin once told me, "It’s a clever title. No one else can do that!" ... As for regrets, I’m sure I’ve had a few... but I’m still here, I’m happy. And I’m looking forward to the new show and the future. I know that Jack is, too. He’s saying, "Yummy, move your buns." He called me Yummy, and I called him Daddy. Isn’t that just too much?
Not at all! So sweet. I want to leave you with a question about being gay in the entertainment industry. Today, there are many entertainers who are comfortable being out, but I’m wondering... in the days when you worked so much in the industry, how did you perceive the atmosphere for gay people?
It was kind of a hush-hush thing. But for me, I’ve always been with gay people all my life. It makes no difference to me, and I wish to God we’d all finally get to that point. Maybe it’ll happen in my lifetime. I certainly hope so. So many of my friends and dancers were from the gay community. To me, it’s the most important community of my life. For example, you come to my house at a party; I might have one or two civilians there, but everyone else will be gay people! There’s the talent, the charm, the beauty, the humor. It’s so joyous to have gay friends. ... I mean it. How about that? You’re actually talking to an actress who means what she’s saying.
Mitzi Gaynor will be honored on March 7 at "Swellegance," a fundraising gala for Boston Youth Moves. Richard Gere will also be honored. Individual tickets are $175. 6:30 p.m. at Westin Copley Place, 10 Huntington Ave., Boston. For more info or to purchase tickets, visit bostonyouthmoves.org or call 617.523.1355. For more info on Mitzi Gaynor, her one-woman show, or her new documentary, visit missmitzigaynor.com.
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