Louis and Eartha Kitt after a showing of "Timbuktu"
Louis and I enjoyed seeing "Broadway" plays in the theaters in San Francisco. He had a young fan name John Chung who, when not working on the road with artists like Hiroshima, was an usher in the major theaters. John recognized Louis one night and, after that day, we never paid for another ticket again. John always made sure that we had complimentary tickets. We saw everything from "BeatleMania", "Annie" and "On A Clear Day" to "Jesus Christ - Superstar", "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Evita".
In 1979, we went to see the great Eartha Kitt in "Timbuktu", fresh from a run on Broadway. Ms. Kitt had done the play, returning to the Broadway in 1978 after being away from the stage for over two decades. She was nominated for a Tony for her role as Sahleem-La-Lume in the all-black version of "Kismet". She was her usual sultry sensational self. As always, John took us backstage after the show. Eartha Kitt took one look at Louis' eyes and snatched him away from me. She "purred" over him for the rest of the time we were in her dressing room. She made me take pictures of them, but I couldn't be in any of the photos. Here she is still in full stage make-up. I had to pour her hot tea and let her flirt with me husband in front of everyone. What could I say? Even divas like me know when they've been trumped. That's part of being a diva - knowing when to graciously assume the role of "sub-diva". It was an honor!