Amy After

Here's a picture of Amy

outside on the starry patio of

the historic El Cid nightclub

in Silverlake, a stone's throw from

downtown Hollywood, on Sunset Boulevard.

 

This is my second photo of Amy unmasked

as it were,

as I have posted many photos of Amy,

as many know,

in her mime makeup,

as she performs frequently as a mime on

the stages of Hollywood. In this

one she is even further unmasked

than in my original unmasked

photo of her, in which she

wore her strawberry-blonde wig.

 

She is a woman

of many talents, and many mysteries,

and on this night, as the second act in the

tremendously entertaining and dimensional

Lolita LeVay Cabaret and Sideshow Extravaganza

(which also featured several very sexy

burlesque dancers, who did enticing strip-tease

routines, but not vulgar ones where they get naked

and parade around, but old-fashioned ones,

in the great tradition of genuine burlesque, in which

they dance sensuously

to great music, slowly removing a costume

till they are mostly naked, though not entirely,

for seconds before taking flight), as well as

an escape artist, a guy who did a bullwhip routine

with a very beautiful woman (photos to come),

a fire-eater, and much more, Amy appeared onstage

and sang beautifully - quite like Annie Hall in

the movie of the same name (who sang one of

my favorite songs, "Seems Like Old Times," which

I am going to suggest that Amy learn) - and

rapped in funny Italian, and juggled flawlessly

as if it's the easiest thing in the world to do,

both bowling pins, and a ball on an umbrella.

 

After the show I came out on the moon-dappled

patio, and Amy called out, in an Italian accent,

"Zol-lo," as it is an Italian name, after all,

though we were originally Zlotnick on Ellis Island

in the first years of the 20th century,

and I sat down with her and a wonderful friend,

and we toasted our good fortune

to be alive at this particular juncture of

history, and to reflect on the fabled past of

Hollywood, the Hollywood of Chaplin and

Keaton and Valentino (the latter of which is

buried in a crypt just a few blocks from the club),

and also on the future of Hollywood, a future

that will certainly embrace and celebrate

Amy

as I can think of few better movies

than one starring Amy about

a beautiful young woman

who is often a silent mime

but when you finally see her without her mask

you find out she sings like an angel

with elegance and grace,

and is even more lovely without her

mask as she is

with it.

 

Done