Sally Kellerman. Many may remember her best for her Oscar nominated role as “Hot Lips Houlihan” in Robert Altman’s groundbreaking ensemble “M*A*S*H”; or perhaps for her comedic skills opposite Rodney Dangerfield in the still timely and hilarious “Back to School” or the recent Sylvester Stallone led inspirational drama “Reach Me”; or for her indelible husky voicing of countless tv commercials and animated films; or her indelible stage appearances; or, even her early television work in shows like “Bachelor Father”, “My Three Sons” and yes, the William Shatner starring pilot for “Star Trek”, or as recently as her 2014 Emmy nominated role as Constance Bingham in the award-winning soap “The Young and the Restless”. And of course, there are Kellerman’s unforgettable one woman cabaret performances where she belts out everything from torch songs to Sondheim to Bacharach. I could go on and on. But no matter what the medium or what the decade, it’s always nice to revisit the legend and the lady. And that’s exactly what we all have a chance to do on May 9th at the Saban Theatre for the 31st S.T.A.G.E. LA benefit for AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA). Joining a cast of luminaries like Carole Cook, Jimmy Darren, Robert Morse, Mary Jo Catlett, Nancy Dussault, Adam Wylie and Jake Simpson, Kellerman will bring her own patented song stylings to the event.
Under the direction of award-winning David Galligan, Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event – Los Angeles (STAGE LA) is back at it with its 31st annual star-studded gala to raise funds for APLA. Following the standing room only success of last year’s Hollywood themed, “Stage Goes to the Movies”, this year Galligan and first-time musical director Brad Ellis take to the footlights of Broadway with “To Broadway, From Hollywood….With Love”. A vibrant and exciting convergence of stage and screen, this promises to be a spectacular event highlighting many of the most memorable musical moments created for America’s Great White Way which were derived from Hollywood films.
So how does one get someone like Sally Kellerman on board for the STAGE LA event? Just start with David Galligan. As Kellerman explains, “Well, hey, David is such an artist! I saw this thing he did at a paint store. He did a beautiful gallery and, OMG, he did the most beautiful thing. He said he had never worked with video before, but he put these images on this wall and he had an opera singer there and the walls were all different shapes and sizes in this gallery. And when she sang ‘REEEEEDDDD’, all these walls turned bright red and then these beautiful images would come on, paintings from the camera onto this one white wall. It was so beautiful.” Having herself worked with Galligan some years earlier on a benefit with Stephanie Powers, “I always remembered he always knew where to put me, where I was going to be comfortable and able to sing and do what I do. He’s just great. I adore him. And I’m so happy to be a part of STAGE. I did one years ago and we reconnected about a year or six months ago. . . I’m delighted to be part of it.”
Given this year’s event theme, and in light of Kellerman’s own background and repertoire, the possibilities for her performance are endless. With thoughts of everything from lovely cool jazz to sizzling torch songs bandied about, Kellerman enthusiastically notes, “Oh my God! We’re trying to turn it into that! The keyboard guy feels that way and so does David and so does my Bob Epstein who I’ve worked with for 40 years or something . . . brilliant arranger, producer, writer…[laughing].” With that in mind, the collective decision is Sondheim. “I’m doing a Stephen Sondheim song and it’s almost killing me. [laughing] It’s a great song. It’s good but it’s a challenge. It’s so arrange-y. It’s high, and it’s too high and it’s too low and it’s too everything, but actually it’s coming along great. [laughing]”
But a performance at STAGE LA isn’t just walking on stage and singing a song. Not only for Kellerman, but for every performer in the show, each number is fully staged with lighting, choreography, orchestral arrangements and costumes. In Kellerman’s case, “David is already having great ideas for the staging, for the song. That’s what I mean that he just makes things so easy to get there. You think, ‘I’m finished. I can’t do this.’, and then he makes it easy.”
Involved with many charities, what makes STAGE LA so important to Kellerman is not only David Galligan’s involvement, but the boots on the ground work the money raised at the benefit brings. Citing Galligan as being “one of the early ones to do this before AIDS was even diagnosed as AIDS”, just last year alone, monies raised went for, among others, 140,000 bags of groceries, 2700 HIV tests, 58,000 hours of in-home health care. “Isn’t that something! I am honored to be involved with these guys with their hearts aligning.”
Although never having performed at the Saban, Kellerman has been there many times over the years enjoying everyone from The Who to Marianne Williamson and is now herself looking forward to playing this “great theatre” and jokingly agrees that the lush Art Deco design and acoustics are “[G]onna make me look good!”
In addition to the STAGE LA performance on May 9th, Kellerman is also keeping herself busy having wrapped up her 10-episode character arc on “The Young and the Restless” and now awaiting the Daytime Emmy Awards. “I loved the experience of doing a soap opera but it’s hell. [laughing] You have to be not only be a good actor, you have to be able to memorize and learn those five pages that they’re going to give you for the day, whatever. It’s unbelievable. But I got nominated for a guest appearance Daytime Emmy!” Now ensconced in the soap world, Kellerman was surprised to find “the soap community is so tight knit, the fans are so devoted.” Equally devoted are the sci-fi fans she meets year round at conventions and signing appearances for her work in the 1966 “Star Trek” pilot starring William Shatner, “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” “I go to all these signings and people come up and say, ‘You know, you were responsible for the success of the show!’ And I go, ‘You know, I always felt I was! [laughing]. What would it have been if I hadn’t been there?”
Of course, never far from her heart is her cabaret act, although she “never like[s] to think of it as a cabaret act. I just think of myself as a singer. And I’m singing May 1st right in Beverly Hills at the new Spaghettini & The Dave Koz Lounge. It’s a beautiful club run by a lot of really good people and they’ve asked me to sing. And if it goes well I’ll be there other nights.” Notable is that Sally Kellerman will be going head-to-head against “Avengers: Age of Ultron” that night. I think Sally can take ‘em.
“To Broadway, From Hollywood…With Love” takes place on May 9, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. at the Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California 90211. For more information or to purchase tickets go to www.stagela.com.
