It was bitter cold in Toronto. That chilling, knife cutting moist kind - and when the wind started up, it was an almost unbearable pain on the face. It had been snowing for two days and now a windstorm had come up knocking temperatures down to -20 Celsius. And the roads all over cities and highways to the airports were a real mess. Traffic was almost at a standstill because of icy ruts and mounds.

I left my office at 3:00pm to catch a 5:30pm plane. The average time to the airport is less than 30 minutes but I missed the plane! We arrived at 5:40pm - almost three hours later! There was another plane that got to New York at 8:30pm, which meant I would miss almost an hour of PERESTROIKA, the second part of “Angels in America”.

I agonized about forgetting about the whole trip. What the hell was I doing going to New York in the middle of the most frigid and iciest month of the year. Ever New Yorkers don’t go to New York in January! But I needed a break. It had been a rough year. I had made a lot of arrangement with a lot of people. It can’t be this bad in New York, says I. So I finally got a plane that actually left on time, despite all the extra de-icing of planes, salting of airstrips and shovelling of growing hills of snow.

And I arrived at LaGuardia airport at 8:30pm on the dot. Now if I can only get a cab without waiting, I could be at the theatre before nine. I had already phoned my friends from Toronto and told them to go in without me and to leave my ticket with the doorman. There most have been a doorman three blocks LONG for cabs to Manhattan. And it was COLD, the same bloody cold I had hoped to escape. And to make matters worse, the attendant on duty was waving two cabs out of three to the next cabstand. Why not one and one? But all the dirty looks in the world could do nothing to stop him from pretending you weren’t there!

Anyway, two hours later the snow laden and icy streets as biting cold as Toronto I found myself in front of Walter Kerr Theatre. I thanked the driver for taking me via the scenic route although I didn’t see anything even with him he was driving next to slowly. He said he didn’t. I replied sarcastically “Yes I know!”

Well luckily I think PERESTROIKA was in three acts and once I had finally found somewhere to put my luggage until the end of the show, 10 minutes later I stood at the back since I stood in the fifth row centre and I couldn’t disturb the audience while the show was on. During the second intermission I looked for my friend and my seat. These seats were occupied by a rather formidable looking couple that were not going to move! I found out my friend standing at the other end of the lobby as he had trouble claiming his seat from the “Tristan & Isolde” couple. The ushers could do nothing so we both stood at the back for the rest of the show. It was an interesting piece of work, the part I saw, but I think MILLENIUM APPROACHES was much better written.

Then we WALKED to the New York Hilton because we couldn’t get a cab. Lance stayed long enough for a drink and then left. I didn’t mind because I ran into a bunch of film people head quartering at the Hilton for a conference. Mostly out of towners. New Yorkers wouldn’t be caught dead going out in that kind of weather. Chuck the pianist in the bar asked if I wanted to eat when he finished. I realized that I had not had lunch or supper and I was starved. Go to ABRUZZI RESTAURANT on 56th. The food is great. Maybe it's because my mother’s parents come from Abruzzi. The eggplant, veal picatta and salad are to die for!

The next morning I made my round of frustrating calls; everyone I knew had called and left messages, I had left New York before the storm started. No wonder every call I made from Toronto was an answering machine or voice mail.

I went down to the village and visited with ART D’LUGOFF who owns THE VILLAGE GATE, shopped around the village and met my friend, agent and manager JOHN REGNA later, it was still cold enough to freeze a monkey’s ass….Karen (she’s a doctor and one of the top 5 dermatologists in US & Canada) and I went on our way to enjoy the untouched 100 year old décor of the beautiful LYCEUM THEATRE.

THE NATIONAL ACTOR THEATRE started by and starring Tony Randall in Gogol’s classic THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, and also starring my buddy, LAINIE KAZAN. We met after the theatre and went to LA CIRQUE for some late night yapping and dinner. We all ended up at MICHAEL’S PUB to enjoy and visit with MEL TORME who was appearing there.

Sunday morning bright and early, I went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for mass and always up lifting visit, then joined BOB JONES, an announcer on WQEW Radio at P.J. CLARKE’S where we reminisced about the fun we had working with TONY BENNET, LIBERACE, LENA HORNE, ANNE MURRAY, BERNADETTE PETERS, PETER ALLAN and JULIE WILSON, among others. I’ve never been to P.J.’s at 11:00am. It’s always been 2am and place was filled with local colour types and showbiz luminaries, less lights and newcomers. It was peaceful and quiet.

Morning drifted into afternoon and I realized I was supposed to meet RAY CHARLES WHITE at his studio since he was going to photograph me. With all the world famous leaders, politicians and entertainers he’s met and photographed, he wants to take my photo? Needless to say, to be in the company of DAVID HOCKNEY, TONY BENNETT, and KISSINGER just to name a few, was a real honour. I can hardly wait to see the results. And insulted him by rushing. I was late meeting him and now I’m late to get to the Barrymore Theatre to see THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG starring HAL LINDEN who was a friend of mine BEFORE he came famous as BARNEY MILLER. I even knew him before he won the TONY as a Broadway Musical comedy star.

LEONORA from Brazil, who is a program director of the UNITED NATIONS, had agreed to meet me at the theatre and I took a cab from Ray Charles’ Delancy St. studio in the village to the theatre arriving about 30 seconds before the show started.

How do I get these cab drivers who say, when you’ve told him your late, “Now let me see, I wonder how traffic is up 6th Ave or should I cross at 33rd And then proceed to turn into every tied up street between 14th and 46th And give you a running commentary on how all the bad drivers are making me late! I finally told him how I didn’t need a professional mourner to help make me late and would he please shut up and stop making exuses!”

The play was great. Hal was at his best and LINDA LAVIN & MICHAEL LEARNED helped make the threesome on of the best ensemble acting groups I’ve seen on stage in a long time! WE joined Hal and his ever-loving, ever-lively, ever-friendly wife Frances for dinner at the new RUTH CHRIS STEAKHOUSE. It was new tome, although they had locations all over the U.S and a few outside of North America. It was a real treat but I must remind Hal and Frances that they had the best steak in the world at CARMEN’S STEAK HOUSE in Toronto. (One of my clients of course!)

When we finished dinner around 9:00pm, Lenora took me to a Brazilian restaurant on east 46th for a private party. I must have had a good time; I don’t remember much except that I tripped several times well I tried to do my version of the samba. And that in spite of the cold, there were about 10 Brazilians who walked me back to my hotel and we all sang “Brazil”. I’ll swear we were in tune even though the Hilton doorman was holding his ears as we sang “farewell” instead of “Brazil” just outside the Hilton entrance.

Well, Monday arrived much to early with a call from JULIE WILSON who was doing a FT. Lauderdale gig responding to my message on her TAS. Being really old friends, we quickly made a date to see BLOOD BROTHERS on January 27 (when I had to return to New York for one day for a meeting with my union) ASSOCIATION OF THEATRE MANAGERS AND PRESS AGENTS. I’m the Union Steward for Canada.

PETULA CLARK, another close buddy, had called me in Toronto and told me she would be on holiday during my stay in New York. The next day I was notified about the meeting on the 27th. I will also see SHAUN & DAVID CASSIDY who co-stars with Petula in “Brothers” with whom I worked separately when they were doing solo gigs on the concert/arena circuit.

LEONORA had invited us to lunch at the UNITED NATIONS and I was really looking forward to that. I had heard so much about the food, sculpture and painting that only delegates and their guests get to see. “Us” was myself and my buddies ROSEMARY (POSY) CHISHOLM FIECH and her husband BILL FIECH. They are a fascinating couple that are very wealthy and have homes all around the world. He is on practically on every Board of Directors in New York and all point’s north southwest and east. She is known world wide, as MAHARAJAS giving her palaces to live in, in India, she use to be a reporter and is now preparing a book about that period of her life, etc. They are both very much involved in the theatre and give great dinner parties. The headliners from the clubs and theatre are always in attendance at Billy & Posy’s. I never come to New York without seeing them but they spend more than half the year traveling.

Anyway the security at the UN was heavier than at international airports, but Leonora is obviously well respected and got us through without much checking. We had lunch at the DELEGATES dining room where the menu reflects at least 20 member countries and the menu is completely changed every day. We had table #1. I was impressed. Posy and Bill took it for granted. The meal was wonderful and it was a joy to have fresh foods from around the world all on the same day. After lunch, Leonora took us around he building at every alcove; niche and display area was a mass of most incredible sculpture and art. All were gifts from the very large number of member countries. It was mind blasting.

Tony Bennet called and we went to the studio of ENRICO DONATI, a very famous painter who has a private studio on Central Park South. Another mind boggling experience.

I made the mistake of saying “I love your stuff”. I seen several of them hanging in Posy and Bill’s apartment. He never forgave me for calling his art “stuff” I’ve never used that word before.

Tony Bennet had a wonderful gift for me. A water colour painting he did of FRANK SINATRA which when I looked at it back in Toronto, I was loathe to give to EMI CAPITOL to promote the DUETS album on which Tony and Frank do a stop-the-show rendition of “New York, New York”

My buddy G.M. LEONARD SOLLOWAY had arranged my tickets to Neil Simon’s new play LAUGHTER ON THE 23rd FLOOR. So Leonora and I went to see it after having a bite at the RUSSIAN TEA ROOM where I ran into another close friend, EARTHA KITT, who had just returned from a month long gig in Germany. What an amazing person she is! We enjoyed LAUGHTER but Leonora wanted to know why I wasn’t going backstage. “Every show we go to, you always know one of the leads?” Well, I guess I ruined my image. I didn’t know anyone in the cast!

We finished the night off with a visit to PEACOCK ALLEY, a lat night hangout in the WALDORF ASTORIA HOTEL. The next morning I got up at the ungodly hour of 6:30am to catch my plane to Toronto. The weather was sunshine, dry cold and everything was on time!

When I got off the plane, I realized that this as the first trip ever to New York City that I hadn’t taken the time to see a good porno film!!