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STAGE STRUCK

from page 80

forming "an afterlife revue" of the
musical flops that condemned them
to musical theater purgatory, known
as the "Grave White Way."
From that first meeting, Raitt knew
the production had the capacity to be
spectacular. The musical opened in
May at the Hudson Backstage Theatre
in Hollywood. It was scheduled to
close in June, but was held over until
August, due to the production's popu-
larity and rave reviews from critics,
including reviewers from the Los
Angeles Times, Daily Variety and the
Hollywood Reporter.
The show even caught the attention of
some Off-Broadway theaters in New
York. Although the curtain recently fell
on the final California performance, there
is a buzz about the show that's ongoing.
"We know we're going to have a
future with it," said Raitt.
While The Grave White Way is possi-
bly Raitt's biggest and most successful
production endeavor, it is certainly not
his first. His credits include producing
concerts with talents such as Maureen
McGovern, John Raitt (no relation),
Amanda McBroom, Betty Garrett, Alan
Campbell, Jo Anne Worley, David
Garrison, Lillas White and Michele Lee.
Last year he produced an 80th birth-
day tribute to Broadway and TV star
Nanette Fabray. He recruited Bea Arthur,
Carol Burnett, Phyllis Diller, Florence
Henderson, Carl Reiner and Mary Tyler
Moore to pay homage to her.
As a producer of The Grave White
Way, Raitt was responsible for guiding
most aspects of the show, managing
not only the publicity and marketing
but the performers as well.
One of Raitt's marketing concepts
was to have a different celebrity guest
appear during each of the run's four
weekend performances.
Although Raitt is relatively new to
the theater world, his work at the
Pasadena Playhouse has provided him
with invaluable experience and expo-
sure. He is one of a select group of
individuals allowed to vote yearly for
recipients of the Ovation Award —
L.A.'s version of the Tony Awards.
As a voter, Rain gets invited to the per-
formances of more than 250 shows a
year. While he cannot accept all invita-
tions, Raitt — to say the least — is enjoy-
ing the life of an avid theatergoer. E

For more information about the
current season of shows at the
Pasadena Playhouse, call the
box office at (626) 356 7529,
or go to the Web site at
www.pasadenaplayhouse.org .

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KNOCK ON WOOD

from page 81

another, an Israeli friend of the author.
"My first and best reader always will
be my oldest child, Elle," says Lipson,
whose husband, Barry, is an ophthal-
mologist who was popular as a bar
and bat mitzvah DJ while he was
attending U-M.
"Although Sara (the main character)
speaks a lot like I did as a kid, I'm
realizing now that she's really modeled
after my daughter, who actually is the
model for the illustrations."
Lipson, the daughter of Barbara and
Lincoln Racey of West Bloomfield, grad-
uated from B'nai David Hebrew School
and was president of Aliyah BBG during
her years at West Bloomfield High
School. She communicates her commit-
ment to her religious heritage by teach-
ing a monthly "Traditions for Tots" pro-
gram at a Conservative synagogue in San
Diego and took the name of her pub-
lishing firm, Leba House, from her
Hebrew name.
"Susan has been writing all of her
life, and I think she gets that from her
father, who wrote the pharmacy news-
paper when he was a student at U-M
and continues to write funny poems on
special occasions," Barbara Racey says.
"She was always self-motivated, but we
did expose her to lots of books."
While Lipson says the book initially
expresses an attitude toward moving
that is opposite to her own, Barbara
Racey considers her daughter's move out
of state somewhat trying and looks for-
ward to all visits, including the upcom-
ing one essentially for business purposes.
"Although I have a lot of old friends
still in Michigan, I really believe that
moving has been beneficial to me,"
Lipson says. "Moving to another state
forces people to look at who they are
rather than who they're linked to.
That explains the tone of the book,
especially toward the end.
"I'm already working on a sequel to
Knock on Wood and a musical version of
it. I finished [the text for] a picture book
about another type of coping, and it's
being illustrated now I have files full of
things that I will work on after my kids
grow older and I have more time."

Susan Lipson will be ar two
Michigan Barnes & Noble stores
to sign her books — 7 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 23, at 6800
Orchard Lake Road, West
Bloomfield, (248) 626-6804,
and 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24, at
19221 Mack, Grosse Pointe,
(313) 884-5220. Books also
can be ordered through e-mail:
althea@san. rr. co m.

