MAY UPDATE - 2022

On May 4th, I gave a concert of Victorian Parlor Songs, entitled “Bannister Sings – The Butler Did It”, accompanied by Nancy Winston, at The Salmagundi Club, 147 Fifth Avenue, NYC.

“Trouble in Mind” stacked up a series of award nominations: on May 9th for 4 Tony Awards: “Best Revival of a Play”, Best Leading Actress in a Play (La Chanze), Best Featured Actor in a Play (Chuck Cooper) and Best Costumes (Emilio Sosa); and on May 16th, for 2 Drama Desk Awards - for Best Revival of a Play and Best Featured Actor (Chuck Cooper). On May 17th LaChanze won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play.

“Presence the Play” by William E. Jefferson, in which I played “Lucifer” recorded at Radio Waves Studios on August 10th 2021, produced by Sue Zizza. wins Two Gold Communicator Awards for Excellence in Writing and Editing, now available from Audible via Blackstone Publishing. (May 11th)

Because “The Gilded Age – Season Two" had no need of my presence until June 21st, a trip to London from May 10th seemed obvious, so that I could be present for HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee (The Platty Jooby, as it was called on line.).

In an echo from the past, “Muck and Brass” by Tom Clarke, a six-part mini-series, produced

by Central Independent Television, dating from 1982 was re-aired on UK’s Channel 8 and London Live. The show was about a thoroughly corrupt property developer in the British Midlands, played by Mel Smith. I was a smooth and slimy merchant banker called, aptly, Basil Bastedes.

APRIL UPDATE - 2022

Where did that month go?

On April 7th, the cast of Season Two of “The Gilded Age” assembled for a virtual read-through of episodes 4 and 5. Many interesting plot turns lie ahead.

I had weekly rehearsals with Nancy Winston for our Evening of Victorian Parlor Songs scheduled for The Coffee House at the Salmagundi Club on May 5th.

At the Tenebrae Service on Maundy Thursday, I did some readings for Marble Collegiate Church’s Music Director, my old friend, Kenneth Dake. It’s become a regular event depending on what I’m working on and where.

I was approached through this very website by Charles Kirsch, whose podcast interviews with theatre professionals now number over 100, and can be found as Broadway Babble on cbroadwaypodcast.podbean.com. The interview by zoom on April 20th was a delight: he’s very adept at drawing out people to talk about themselves, their careers, and the people they’ve worked with along the way. In our industry that may seem easy, but his interest and knowledge belies his 14 years, and I reckon that encourages his subjects to open up more than they might to jaded interviewers. His talk, for instance, with survivors of the original cast of “Applause” was fascinating and revealing, especially when it seemed that events backstage had intriguing parallels with the story of “All About Eve” on which the musical was based. Strongly recommended.

MARCH UPDATE - 2022

“Somersett” sadly did not win an Audie, but it was good for it to be nominated.

HBO/WarnerMedia already gave the go-ahead for a Second Season of “The Gilded Age” on February 14th. On the same day, March 21st, as the last episode of Season One aired, there was a virtual table-read of the first three episodes of Season Two. Shooting is due to start at the end of April.

Simon gladly accepted an offer to appear in episode 602 of “The Good Fight” (which stars his “employer” on “The Gilded Age”, Christine Baranski) as Judge Carl Gattis, for CBS/Paramount Plus, and because of a block-wide power cut in Brooklyn, came back to the studio another day to finish. Ironically, the “Gilded Age” episode that streamed that week was about Mr. Edison and his remarkable lightbulb.

At Radio Waves Studio, by chance in the building on 27th Street in Manhattan where Edison’s rival Nicola Tesla had a laboratory, he recorded some roles, including one in French, and the credits, for “Jules Verne – From the Earth to the Moon” by Eve Wolf, directed by Donald Sanders, a joint Anglo-French podcast for the Ensemble for the Romantic Century, (ERC).