Tada: 'Top Ten' lifetime performances on Cookie's hit parade

Bette Midler makes the "Tops" list with her 
effervescent energy and expressive voice.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER
and archives

LAST BLOG, we revealed our "tops" lifetime list of plays and concerts. The prompt was a fantastic concert by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, which made our list.
We recalled a "Rat Pack" concert at the old Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, and  other greats who made our list: Patti Lupone, Mary Martin, Burt Bacharach, Yul Brynner, Angela Lansbury, Len Cariou. To make the list, we must be moved to tears by the genius before us!
HERE ARE others on my "Top Ten" list of concerts and performances (okay, I know it's more than 10; I can't cross anyone off my genius performers' list.) 

*Bette Middler at Caesar's in a torchy show of non-stop fun and emotion. She sang her heart out in standards such as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and fantastic ballads including "The Rose" and "Wind Beneath My Wings." She came on stage in a jazzy car on a 3-D video screen.  Her fabulous back-up singers, the Harlettes, were on stage, too.

Dustin Hoffman as Shylock in "The Merchant
of Venice" (Geraldine Page was Portia.) 

* IAN McKELLAN and Tim Curry, brilliant in "Amadeus" in New York. (McKellen as an aged Salieri sat quietly in chartacter in a wheelchair as the audience took its seats.) Peter Hall's brilliant production was laced with gorgeous 18th Century costumes and wigs.  The acting was top drawer.

*Dustin Hoffman in "The Merchant of Venice" in London, delivering a deeply moving performance. It didn't get great reviews, but it should have. Geraldine Page was a magnificent Portia.

Elton John gave us our money's worth and
more in his lavish, flashy Caesar's show. 

*"Death of a Salesman" -- of 15 performances, most memorable were the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Beijing, China, with the playwright directing. (That production makes my list.) No dry eyes at Linda's graveside eulogy on either continent.

Ian McKellan won the Oscar for his
nuanced performance in "Amadeus."

*THE ORIGINAL Broadway version of "Les Miserables." Stunning staging, rousing music, great story backed by memorable voices, beautiful costumes and strong acting.
*"Agnes of God" with Amanda Plummer. Saw it the same night as Indira Gandhi, who was assassinated the next month.
*Elton John, who tore up Caesar's with his lavish "Million Dollar Piano" production. A fabulous, dizzying, talented two hours with a genius in complete control of both his instruments -- his voice and the piano. Terrific arrangements with Caesar's usual "best in the country" musicians.
 *Childhood productions of "The King and I," "South Pacific" and "My Fair Lady."
 (If only I'd seen Judy Garland at the Palladium in London in 1963. I cherish the double album I inherited from my mother's collection.)

Cookie Meyers and Bruce Keller (Cookie and Keller)
on the town and about to dance cheek to cheek.

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett:
we'll see them twice more in 2015.

WHO KNOWS how many shows Tony Bennett has in him.  Years more, if the music gods deem.
Meanwhile, he's dipping from the fountain of youth, touring the world with his "Lady." We'll catch them often as we can -- in London at the Royal Albert Hall, and the Hollywood Bowl. Who knows, maybe we'll be invited to her wedding. She's asked Tony to sing! Psst: Have I mentioned I play a mean piano?

NEXT UP: Where is Cookie takes to the desert and finds a crazy camel farm with 276 critters, including a demure hedgehog. And we promise to get to those trains Down Under and beyond. Wherever we take you, we promise fun, humor and a sense of adventure for the new: food, scenery, hotels, cruising.   

CATCH US at lilianslast dance for updates on our novel,"Lilian's Last Dance," -- with our unique twist on exciting readings, workshops and more. This weekend, we're in Phoenix for readings and signings at the Ironwood Library and beyond.
"Lilian's Last Dance" is out in paperback, available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. We're on a national tour of readings and signings.  We're booking into the fall now and would be delighted to read for your book club or civic group. Contact us at: lilianslastdance@gmail.com 

Gaga, Bennett duo dazzle in fabulous New Year's Eve Vegas show

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga deliver wondrous performance

TOP LIFETIME SHOWS LINGER IN ARTS REVIEWER'S HEART, AS SHE SHAMELESSLY GOES GAGA 

LEGENDARY SINGER TONY BENNETT AND THE GIFTED LADY GAGA COLLABORATE TO THE DELIGHT OF A FULL HOUSE RECENTLY IN LAS VEGAS. OUR ARTFUL TEAM SAW THE SHOW, FOLLOWING THE "MODERN VINTAGE" COLLABORATION.  

"I call her "firefly" 'cause oh, my. She radiates moon glow. Wants none of that noon glow. She starts to glitter when the sun goes down 'Bout 8 p.m., it's mayhem........."
--from "Firefly," sung recently by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga to a standing ovation Las Vegas audience

If Cookie cries for joy, the concert
or play makes her "tops" list.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS
PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

IT WAS MOON GLOW, not mayhem when Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett charmed us at Planet Hollywod. Everything was in order.
SO MANY fantastic plays and concerts I've seen in my lucky life.
I started a "Top Ten" list about 30 years ago.  It changes as I see and evaluate several hundred shows each year.
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga's fabulous, flawless performance made the list.  When a show makes me cry for joy, it's in.

Tony Bennett, a frisky 88, still has the pipes, folks, and a sense of fun.
Here he twirls Lady Gaga around in a packed house at Axis Theater, Vegas.

Lady Gaga goes solo for several songs
with the best band a singer could have.

EACH SHOW on my list reminds me of how precious it is to be in the company of greatness. True genius touches one's life only on rare occasions. The greats remain in my heart and mind --so Tony and Gaga join stellar memories of:
* FRANK SINATRA crooning at the old Sands Hotel, with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., accompanied by Count Basie in the Copa Room.
* Mary Martin washing that man right out of her hair in "South Pacific" on Broadway. The audience wouldn't stop cheering.
* Patti Lupone as Mama Rose in Gypsy.  She stopped the show with a standing ovation for "Everything's Coming Up Roses."
*Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou taking their fifth curtain call in "Sweeney Todd," to cheers and thunderous applause.
NOW, ADD to my "tops" list the incomparable Tony Bennett and the sublime Lady Gaga.
Did I weep?  You bet.  Through nearly the entire concert.

Saying good-bye:  Bennett and Gaga leave the floor
at the Axis in Planet Hollywood, to raves and cheers.

Don't be wary at the 60-year age gap.  (Bennett is a spry and handsome 88 and Gaga is a sophisticated, flirty 28.)  The two are fast friends and exciting collaborators.
We've seen them twice since we reveled in their sold-out New Year's Eve show at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.  We bought tickets in March for their recent two-day gig at Planet Hollywood's Axis Theater, also in Las Vegas.
The show was stunning, an immediate "tops" on a list formed from more than 5,000 plays and concerts enjoyed in my lifetime.
THE BENNETT-GAGA show is
full of life and love. It's obvious the two love and respect one another's great gifts as they honor Duke Ellington, Cole Porter and Gershwin. Soulful phrasing, fabulous arrangements and the world's finest musicians make an irresistible combination.
Fabulous Indian fare in Bay Area bistro, click here
I FIRST heard of the unique collaboration in a New Yorker story. I'd seen Bennett and Gaga in separate concerts -- loved both for their style, flair and precision.  He asked her to record a duet on a favorite album, "Duets II," and in 2011, they recorded “Lady Is a Tramp” then a full album, "Cheek to Cheek," also the name of their ambitious tour.
 I love the collaboration. She keeps him youthful.  He adds to her elegance. Their arrangements are

Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Sinatra
in the Copa Room of the old Sands Hotel,
imploded to make room for the Venetian.

timeless.  If a CD can wear out, mine will soon.  "Cheek to Cheek" goes with us -- it's been to Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the Middle East since its top debut on Billboard's Hot 100.  I cried (of course) when it won a Grammy for best traditional pop vocals. I was thrilled to hear “But Beautiful,” "I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” and “I Won’t Dance” on this tour.
EACH ARTIST takes turns performing solo, so Lady Gaga can change into a half-dozen costumes.

While she's becoming a sultry blonde or sexy redhead, Bennett croons classics like “The Good Life,” “Sophisticated Lady,” “Sing You Sinners” and his signature "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."  Gaga sings jazz standards including “Bang Bang,” Billy Strayhorn's beautiful “Lush Life” and a bouncy “Firefly,” which Bennett joins. (BTW: Tony is happily married for years.) A crystal-studded curtain and fabulous orchestra set the show's glittery tone.

'Lilian's Last Dance' updates, tours, schedules, readings, reviews

WHO KNOWS how many shows Tony Bennett has in him.  Years more, if the music gods deem.

Meanwhile, he's dipping from the fountain of youth, touring the world with his "Lady." We'll catch them often as we can -- in London at the Royal Albert Hall, and the Hollywood Bowl. Who knows, maybe we'll be invited to her wedding. She's asked Tony to sing! Psst: Have I mentioned I play a mean piano?
WHO ELSE makes my top list of performances? That's the next "whereiscookie."

Cookie Meyers and Bruce Keller (Cookie and Keller)
on the town and about to dance cheek to cheek.

  

CATCH US at lilianslast dance for updates on our novel,"Lilian's Last Dance," -- with our unique twist on exciting readings, workshops and more. This weekend, we're in Phoenix for readings and signings at the Ironwood Library and beyond.
"Lilian's Last Dance" is out in paperback, available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. We're on a national tour of readings and signings.  We're booking into the fall now and would be delighted to read for your book club or civic group. Contact us at: lilianslastdance@gmail.com 
We'll continue our "cheek to cheek" revels, and we put the concerts back here, as you asked!
Thanks for giving us a shout out about what you like -- and what you don't!

A small New Zealand town turns tragedy into architectural triumph

NAPIER, NEW ZEALAND OFFERS ART DECO DELIGHTS IN A TOWN THAT GREW FROM RUBBLE

Napier is proud of its art deco design and buildings dating back to the 1930s after a 1931 earthquake leveled Napier.

Napier goes all out for holidays and festivals.

STORY BY CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

WHEN YOU first set eyes on the mid-sized town of Napier, New Zealand, you get a large feeling that "vintage" is in style all year.

You expect to see Gatsby stroll by, in a dapper suit, with a charleston girl at his side. A classic Packard turns the corner and its driver is dressed in vintage attire.

When the town's 1931 earthquake destroyed much of the city -- 7.8 on the Richer scale -- an enterprising city father supervised a rebuilding effort in quick time.

Napier is tucked neatly into lovely Hawkes Bay.  Behind the greenery
is a beautifully preserved town built in the art deco style of the 1930s. 

HE EMPLOYED the fashionable architecture of the day -- Spanish Mission and Prairie -- and drew inspiration from the popular Art Deco trend, too.   The "deco" style is characterized by precise and boldly delineated geometric shapes and strong colors, and that carries through in Napier's art-deco designed private homes, and big businesses such as the National Tobacco Company and Masonic Hotel.  The newspaper and a theater are "deco," too -- the Daily Telegraph, and the Municipal Theatre. 

DURING THE year, thousands of visitors revel in the 1930s atmosphere created in the heart of the city and spreading out to homes in the suburbs.  Thousands more make the city of 61,100 swell during an annual Art Deco festival in February.

Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett dazzle at Planet Hollywood, click here

WE LOVED the glitz and glamour of the musicians who greeted our ship, arriving in vintage autos and matching attire to play songs from the 1930s.

Napier is located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island.

 It calls itself "the Art Deco Capital of the World" and makes clever use of that moniker, promoting its annual festival with 200 events including outdoor concerts, vintage car parades, fashions shows, steam train rides, "Great Gatsby" picnics and more. This year's fest attracted 40,000 people worldwide.

Businesses in Napier, above, and nearby Hastings have
their art deco style of architecture preserved by government.

During the fest, event attendees don period clothing, drive vintage cars, sip champagne, picnic in elaborate style, attend elegant soiree's and stroll the architecturally distinct streets that make Napier unique. The popular Masonic Hotel suggests the colors of the day, with its deco lavender, pink and soft green.

Vintage autos and vintage dress greet ship passengers.

The festival was a two-day event in 1989 but has grown to a week-long extravaganza celebrating an era of sophistication and reflective of the "can do" spirit that rebuilt and improved the town nearly 84 years ago.

The Taieri Gorge train ride is one of New Zealand's most famous trips.

NEXT UP: We've promised a train story Down Under and so we finally deliver.
We cross Australia's vast expanses in a couple different fun and efficient trains, then take a gorgeous trip through New Zealand's Taieri Gorge.  All aboard! Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us Wednesdays at:
www.whereiscookie.com

Juhu Beach Club offers fine fare served with panache and Indian flair

Bay area Indian restaurant offers ambiance, art, films, family history, great fresh food

Artful touches abound in Juhu Beach Club in Oakland, named after a beautiful beach in the owner's ancestors' land, India.
In just months, Juhu has become known for its authentic, fresh India inspired menu in delightful surroundings. 

  

Honoring ancestors is part of the charm at Juhu Beach Club.
Here, owner Preeti Mistry's mother, watches over in a photo.
Sari-clad aunties keep an eye on the place in vintage photos.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS
PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

PREETI MISTRY has a name as mysterious and poetic as her restaurant, Juhu Beach Club in Oakland, California.
Named after one of India's most famous, exotic and beautiful beaches, Juhu Beach Club is in Oakland, not Mumbai.
Its nearest large body of water is San Francisco Bay, not the Arabian Sea.
But it is the real deal for those of us who have acquired a taste for fine, fresh Indian fare.
Mistry and her partner, Ann Madeau, have

Preety Mistry and Ann Madeau, married partners, are proud
of the Juhu Beach Club's exposure and reputation, garnered
in less than two years since the Bay Area restaurant debuted.
It has a reputation for excellence and changing specials.

transformed an ordinary neighborhood building into an artful, appealing restaurant with some of the best Indian fare the Bay Area has to offer.
Their following is growing since opening less than a year ago. It's no wonder. Excellence is the sacred byword for the energetic Mistry, 37.
MISTRY IS no stranger to the food business, nor to the ambition and hard work necessary to make a restaurant successful.
Born in London to an Indian mother and father from Uganda (dad's a doctor; mum's a chemist), Mistry grew up in a driven, creative and demanding household.  She acquired a taste for Indian movies and fine food and the beach of her mother's homeland lingered in her mind. Perhaps her London birth influenced her path toward international culinary art.  London is one of the world's great food-loving cities, and it lured Mistry back to its famed chef school, Le Cordon Bleu. She and Ann moved back to a favorite city, San Francisco, in 2004, and started a catering company called Saffron Hill.
SINCE TODDLER days, Mistry remembers a fondness for the spicy, fragrant food of her ancestors -- flavorful curries, sweet and tangy sauces and chutneys, slow braised meats and chicken and the distinctive blend of spices and herbs that gives Indian food its appeal.
Million Dollar Quartet offers top Vegas show, click left.

Turmeric, saffron, tamarind and pepper, cilantro, cumin and ginger greet the nostrils as one enters Juhu Beach Club. Succulent chicken, beef and shrimp dishes are offered and there's plenty for the vegetarian. The papadums and flavorful pickled cabbage are divine. Everything is fresh as a spring morning, from Preeti's pretty fare to paisley and pink walls.
PLANTS, movie posters and vintage family photos welcome the guest. A beverage is offered immediately -- all in the time honored tradition of Indian hospitality. The place is also immaculate, as if dusted by fairies.  Regular showings of Indian movies enhance the "Bollywood" cache.
Guests peruse the menu, choosing a coconut curry or Bombay sandwich while sipping a mango mimosa, masala chai or old-fashioned shandy.  A small, sophisticated and reasonably priced wine and beer list plus daily changing cocktails provide something for every taste.

RAISED IN Orlando, Toledo and Pittsburg, with family trips to Mumbai, Preeti describes herself as a "in certain ways, a typical American kid with professional parents, travel and exposure."  Her loving but strict parents made no secret of their high standards for their daughter, who had to sort out her sexuality with traditional upbringing and expectations.
Mistry met her banker partner and international traveler Ann Madeau in Ohio.  Following Madeau's career, they moved to London and Mistry began serious study as a chef.
THEY MARRIED and honeymooned on an alluringly remote Mexican island where they sought out and found delicious food. The Bay Area with its openness and diversity drew them back to that part of the world.

Christene "Cookie" Meyers, left, meets and interviews Juhu Beach Club
owner Pretti Mistry during a recent Bay Area visit. 

The two complement one another, completing thoughts and anticipating one another's needs.
They collaborated as they organized the restaurant, with Ann designing the interior and Preeti developing the menu.
 MISTRY'S broad, international cheffing experience also includes a stint at San Francisco's respected de Young museum store and cafe.
The menu was crafted by locally based Bon Appetit Management Company, and, like Juhu Beach Club, features tasty seasonal dishes created with local ingredients from small family farms and producers.
With her movie-poster smile, Preeti says, "Eating well in a relaxing, pleasant environment -- and enjoying all aspects of it -- are part of the good life."

CATCH US here Wednesdays for fun food, travel, cruising and hotel tips, at www.whereiscookie.com
For concerts, plays, books and adventure and tours with our novel, 
"Lilian's Last Dance," check out: www.lilianslastdance.com on weekends.
Remember, carpe diem.  So explore, learn and live!
Click here to follow our new novel 'Lilian's Last Dance'

  

   

Take to the Las Vegas sky on the High Roller wheel

Enormous spokes of the High Roller in Las Vegas make it the world's largest wheel.

UNIQUE FERRIS WHEEL TAKES YOU ON A HIGH RIDE ABOVE THE VEGAS STRIP

(in the privacy of your own little container, so eat, drink and be merry -- it's a half-hour heavenly high)

Giant columns support the High Roller, as tourists walk beneath to admire.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS
PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER


WE WERE SOARING -- up, up and away high over Las Vegas.
We were aboard the High Roller and loving every minute.  In a city that's already way over the top, the High Roller kicks the concept of entertainment up one more notch.
WE SAW beyond the glitter and lights to the landscape Bugsy Seigel saw when he built the first motel on what is now the famous Las Vegas Strip. Cactus, trees and the hills that beckoned Bugsy are still there, albeit a bit farther from the center of the action.

Cookie toasts the day from her pod.

The High Roller is gorgeous at night.

Workers load up the bar car for a party inside the pod.

Back in Bugsy's day, in the 1930s, the showy gambler, entrepreneur, visionary -- and possible gangster -- saw promise in the cactus, scrub brush and desert sand.

Tourists enjoy taking selfies at the top of the city aboard the
High Roller.  A recorded count-down announces the high point.

The spectacular High Roller delivers the razzle dazzle he imagined, giving viewers an opportunity to enjoy the Las Vegas skyline from 500-plus feet.  The bonus is being able to see beyond the tinsel, flash and glitter that draws us all to Vegas.
Located just off the Linq with its extraordinary complex of shops, restaurants and fun open arcade, the High Roller opened only a year ago.  It's celebrating its first anniversary with style, attracting many return visitors from near and far (including the two of us!)
WE'RE VETERAN Vegas visitors, always looking for something new.  We've photographed the Roller at night -- admiring its glitter -- and hope to board a nighttime pod soon. This daytime trip introduced us to Las Vegas residents and tourists, friends for the half-hour spin on the High Roller.

Families like to book it during the day.
 Elton John, new plays and theater Down Under
 Revelers and gamblers book it for sunset or evening. Newlyweds book it for a romantic but quick wedding or a fun reception. Our pod had only two other couples -- as many as 12 or 15 can be easily accommodated. Night time riders have fuller pods.
THERE ARE two cars for serious drinkers -- your own bartender and full bar service are available and the ticket is a bit more expensive (expect to pay $25 to $35 a person, but look for promotions and discount coupons.)  It's only a half-hour ride and we found our little cocktail purchased before

Cookie and Keller: top of the world
Las Vegas style, in their pod aboard
the beautifully built High Roller.

boarding at the "Wheelhouse" was sufficient for the quick spin.

The London Eye is a wee bit smaller
than the High Roller in Las Vegas. 

A RECORDED commentary accompanies the ride and as we listened to tidbits about the founding of the city, we walked back and forth from the right to left sides of our cubicle. That way, we saw most of the valley and all of the down town.

Our view of the wheel from the nearby Flamingo Hotel.

 High Roller is 550 feet tall with a 520-foot diameter, making the giant Ferris wheel hard to miss on the famed Las Vegas Strip.
THE BIG WHEEL began construction in 2011 and opened to customers in March 2014 as the world's tallest observation wheel, a few feet taller than the London Eye, which also offers bird's eye views. It's background, though, is Westminster Abbey and the Parliament Buildings.

TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN:  Coming up next we  
explore the trains of Australia and New Zealand. Take a fun ride with us and remember to explore, learn and live.  Check us out Wednesdays at: www.whereiscookie.com
And look for lively arts stories and updates on our national book tour for "Lilian's Last Dance," at: www.lilianslastdance.com

Elton John, new plays and theater Down Under