Philadelphia Style Magazine - Martin Short feature - Holiday 2015
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Transcript of Philadelphia Style Magazine - Martin Short feature - Holiday 2015
phillystylemag.comNICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS, LLC
Martin Short commands the stage at the Academy of Music 159th Anniversary Concert and Ball
the MUSICMAN
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EMartin Short, guest artist at the Academy of Music’s 159th Anniversary Concert and Ball,
talks about his latest projects and his lifelong love of the symphony.
BY KRISTIN DETTERLINE
96 PHILLYSTYLEMAG.COM
NOTHING SHORT of
WONDERFUL
A symphonic music lover since childhood, Martin
Short brings showbiz razzle-dazzle to the
Academy Concert and Ball.
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98 PHILLYSTYLEMAG.COM
When you think of Martin
Short, a few things come
to mind. There is the
image of the sombrero-
wearing actor riding a
horse in the desert with
fellow funnymen Chevy Chase and Steve Martin in
Three Amigos. There are the Saturday Night Live char-
acters he brought to life, like bespectacled celebrity
interviewer Jiminy Glick and Wheel of Fortune super-
fan Ed Grimley. Broadway enthusiasts will remember
his Tony Award–winning turn as the lead in Little Me.
And anyone who even occasionally catches a late-
night talk show will recall at least one of his countless
appearances opposite Carson, Letterman, Fallon,
Kimmel, and the rest. Yet the common thread run-
ning through these defi ning performances—besides
Short’s effortless comedic skill—may be something
so subtle you didn’t even notice it: his voice.
“I’ll be at the airport, wearing sunglasses and a
hat, and just ask someone for a newspaper, and
The Academy of Music opened on
January 26, 1857, and is the oldest
opera house in the United States
that’s still used for its original
purpose. Known as “The Grand Old
Lady of Locust Street,” the venue,
designated a National Historic
Landmark in 1963 and owned
by The Philadelphia Orchestra
Association, remains Philadelphia’s
consummate hostess to this day. The
fi rst Concert and Ball was held in
1957 on the 100th anniversary of the
Academy’s opening—an event that
Adele Schaeffer, chairman of the
Academy’s board of trustees, recalls
fondly. “I went to the fi rst one with
my parents,” she says. “Generation
after generation, people attend. It’s a
family legacy event.”
The Academy Ball is the primary
event supporting the building’s
preservation projects, and not
surprisingly, upkeep on the Grand
Old Lady is endless. Over the years,
the ballroom has been renovated (its
design was inspired by the Hall of
Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles),
the 5,000-pound crystal chandelier
(PICTURED) was sent to France to
be cleaned, and some exterior
surfaces have been replaced. But
the Herculean fundraising efforts
are worth it, says Schaeffer. “We
have hosted US presidents and
international dignitaries. In the
future, we will continue to be home
to captivating performances and
world premieres.”
“I’m very aware of why I’m here—to entertain and to work with the
symphony, not apart from the symphony.” —MARTIN SHORT
heads will turn around because people recognize
my voice,” says Short, who mentions that he recently
had a layover at Philadelphia International Airport.
“It’s kind of fascinating…. It’s something about the
pattern of voice and the use of phrasing.”
To suggest that Short is best known for his elocution
is certainly not meant to downplay his incredible
achievements. For four decades, he has embodied
the sort of showbiz razzle-dazzle that hardly exists
in Hollywood today. He acts. He sings. He dances.
He has starred in Broadway musicals and one-man
shows. He writes and produces. In 2014 he became
a New York Times best-selling author for his memoir,
I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend.
Short’s singular showmanship means he’s guar-
anteed to command the stage when he appears
as the special guest artist at the Academy of Music
159th Anniversary Concert and Ball on January
23. Philadelphia’s only white-tie gala, the Academy
Ball, now in its 59th year, has become one of the
most successful fundraising events in the coun-
Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads The Philadelphia Orchestra. LEFT,
FROM TOP: Al Pacino; violinist Simone Porter; Jill Scott.
STRINGS ATTACHED
Take a behind-the-scenes look at the Academy of Music.
BY KRISTIN DETTERLINE
try thanks in part to its guest artists over the past
decade, an impressive list that includes Sting, Billy
Joel, Hugh Jackman, Diana Krall, and Yo-Yo Ma.
Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, attended in
2007. Last year Al Pacino dazzled with a monologue
from Shakespeare’s Richard III and poetry by E.E.
Cummings. But what all of these dynamic artists
share is a passion for orchestral music.
“I’m very aware of why I’m here,” says Short,
who has also appeared with the Boston Pops and the
Portland Symphony Orchestra. “I’m here to enter-
tain and to work with the symphony, not apart from
the symphony.”
Short’s keen awareness of the collaborative
spirit of the concert—and, in a larger sense, of sym-
phonic music—comes from his parents. He grew up
in a small town outside Toronto, where his mother
was concertmistress with the Hamilton Symphony
Orchestra and his father was its president. Short
recalls watching his mother “practice five hours a
day during the season” and, even more impressive,
attending his first concert. “I was 5 years old the first
time I went to the symphony,” he says. “I couldn’t get
over this incredible sound that was happening live,
not from speakers or a phonograph. The symphony
has a really special place in my heart.”
The respect is mutual. “To work with a performer
of his caliber, who will share comedy, song, and dance
with us, will create a truly memorable evening,” says
Philadelphia Orchestra conductor Yannick Nézet-
Séguin, now in his fourth year of conducting the
anniversary concert. “When his performance versa-
tility combines with the outstanding musicianship of
The Philadelphia Orchestra, we will create electric-
ity on the stage.”
Short hopes to bring that same electricity to his
new projects in 2016. He is readying a TV series with
a sketch/variety feel (on which he’ll be both a writer
and performer) that joins NBC’s prime-time lineup
in the spring. He will also go out on the road with
actor, musician, and friend Steve Martin in their
show An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your
Life, a mix of music and comedy.
Short says it’s the breadth of his work that inspires
him these days. “When you’re starting out, the moti-
vation is to pay the rent,” he says. “It’s trickier when
you reach a point in your career where you don’t
have to worry about that. It can put even more pres-
sure on you. My job is constantly exhilarating, but
what enhances that is the variety of things.”
While Short won’t disclose the details of the
Academy performance, he hints that the concert
may include some banter with Nézet-Séguin and
perhaps even the score to Three Amigos. He mentions
getting the audience involved and interacting with
the orchestra: “This will be a very loose, fun eve-
ning…. You want to pull the audience in. I want to
make the concert feel like a party.” PS
GALA GLAMOUR!
As the year’s ultimate see-and-be-
seen society event, the Academy Ball
is a veritable fashion extravaganza.
But for local designers and retailers,
it’s not just about helping attendees
find the perfect dress. It’s also about
ensuring that none of Philly’s most
fashionable ladies show up in the
same gown. Quelle horreur!
Mary Dougherty, owner of Philly’s
Nicole Miller shops, has dressed at
least 60 women for the Academy Ball,
including Midge Rendell and Sharon
Pinkenson, and she has it down to a
science. “Because we privately own
and operate the two Nicole Miller
Philadelphia stores, we track every
gown women buy for the event. We
will only sell one style of a dress for
the Academy Ball or any major event
in the city—even high school prom.”
The sales staff at the Main Line’s
Saks Fifth Avenue take the same
approach. “If one of our clients
chooses something for the ball, the
first thing we do is ask the buyers how
many of those gowns were purchased
by Saks and other retailers,” says
Annette Malandra, director of the Fifth
Avenue Club. “We let the client know
about other retailers and the cities
that have the gown. If there is more
than one dress in Saks, we transfer
the dress to the West Coast until after
the ball.” Some of the most favored
designers over the years have included
J. Mendel, Oscar de la Renta, and
Carolina Herrera.
But some ladies aren’t willing to
take any chances and instead choose
to have a gown handmade for them
by a custom dressmaker, such as Irina
Sigal. “We have designed all types of
gowns using every type of fabric you
can think of,” Sigal says.
But don’t wait too long. According
to Dougherty, some women start
shopping for next year’s gown the day
after the ball: “Sometimes when you
find the perfect gown, you have to
jump on the opportunity.”
The Academy Ball promises Philadelphia fashion at its finest. BY MARNI PRICHARD MANKO
TOP: Sisters Nicole and Gina Longo arrive, followed by Merrill Lynch’s Steve Sader.ABOVE: Scenes from the Academy Ball: Samuel M.V. Hamilton III, Suzette Strayer, Samantha Ohren, and Crawford Hamilton. LEFT: John Paz and Rachel Moore, wearing a gorgeous Oscar de la Renta gown.