Every day is opening night.

Mrs. Cellophane

I’ve been to a lot of galas, and for the most part, they are a blur of Veuve Clicquot and white tablecloths. The galas that stand out to me, though, are the ones that honor the greats in our whirling dervish of a business. Last Sunday, Joel Grey and Jeanine Tesori were the honorees at the Encompass New Opera Gala. Their mere presence was more than enough to elevate the night to memorable, but when Bebe Neuwirth took the stage to sing “Mr. Cellophane” from Chicago, I became dizzy with excitement. Bebe has played three different roles in the Chicago Broadway revival, and now can say she has played her fourth, as the lovable Amos Hart. Her performance had a charm and vivacity only matched by Mr. Grey himself.