Diva-licious Lessons...

This week's confessions & lessons come from the subterranean...the basement...the very bowels of New York City.
That's a good thing, and an even better place. Because every aspiring diva should be doing their homework at 54 Below, the City's hotspot for cabaret loving theatre folk in the gloriously designed basement of Studio 54. 
Last night, a Master Class in fabulousness took place, with Professor Ann Hampton Callaway at the lectern. 
Oh, how much I have to learn...how far I have to go...
Admittedly, I am a little biased. When I started Austin Cabaret Theatre over 14 years ago, the first call I made was to Ann. I already knew her through a mutual friend, and got to work with her at The Invisible Theatre in Tucson. Ann opened our very first ACT show, in our very first season, and "put us on the map," as it were.
"I'm finally doing it, Ann--I'm starting my own theatre. And if I'm starting one, I'm starting with the best. You're the best."
"I'll be there. You just tell me when," was her immediate response.
I've known Ann nearly twenty years. We were both 12. But I digress...
She has graced the Austin Cabaret stage many times--both as a solo artist and with her sister, Liz.
But she has graced my life continually. 
Here are just a few of the lessons La Callaway has shown me:

1)  There is no law that says elegance and outrageous humor can't coexist. When I'm with Ann, I literally laugh so hard--and continuously--that my abdominals ache for days after. 
2)  Treat everyone with respect. From a less-than-helpful clerk to the fan who is hanging on a little too long.
3)  If you're going to take on the moniker of "Diva," then for heaven's sake, be one.

...and probably most important of all...have an unparalleled, unbelievable, indisputable TALENT to back it up. That's where some wanna-be divas fall short. 
The term "Diva" gets a bad rap these days. Many people equate it with being difficult, having outrageous demands, or even being a bitch. True, "diva" can be used to describe those behaviors and then some. But my divas--many of which you'll be hearing about in future blogs--are the rare breed that make everyone, especially me, want to be a better (and more fabulous) person.
That's my Ann.
Don't miss her in "Turning Points," her new show, playing through this week at 54 Below. You'll thank me--and make sure you thank her afterward. A true Diva loves that.