Robbie Rozelle: Welcome to Fynsworth Alley, Elaine. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.

Elaine Stritch: I'm thrilled to do it. The cd is cute as a bug. I think you did a wonderful job.

RR: We're very proud of it.

ES: Good.

RR: You're prepping your show, Elaine Stritch At Liberty, for it's San Francisco opening next week.

ES: Yes, that's right.

RR: Are you a fan of touring?

ES: I don't think there is such a thing as a "fan." I like to tour. It's hard work, but it's got it's compensations. It's change all the time, I love that. It's wonderful to open in different cities and get their response to your show, and see if it works in this city or that city. It's an exciting thing to do, to tour. The main reason that I'm doing it is because I feel obligated to take my show to as many people as I can. My show has turned out to be very influential in people's lives, it's had effects on them, and I think that's wonderful. Very gratifying.

RR: It's a fantastic show, I saw it in New York.

ES: I'm glad you enjoyed it.

RR: How do you keep the show and yourself fresh as you are touring it?

ES: Well, I don't have any problem keeping any of my performances in any of the shows I've ever done fresh. My attitude is that the people who are sitting out there Wednesday night weren't there Tuesday night, so they have to see the same energy, the same honesty, the same straight-forwardness, the same sense of entertainment that I had the night before. Because every night you go out there, you have to win over a whole new crowd of people. I like to give my best, so I don't have any problem keeping anything fresh.

RR: What was the most surprising outcome of doing your one-woman show?

ES: The surprise is the enormous success of it. I think the results of anything are always the results to me. I don't think about success in that way. I think about the process, and then whatever happens is a bonus.

RR: Most people reading this interview have seen your show-- and if not they should-- so I'm not going to bother with any of your back history, except for one thing. When did you decide that acting was what you wanted to do and how you wanted to spend your life?

ES: I don't think I thought about it in terms of spending my life doing it, but that's what it's turned out to be. I honestly can't answer that question. I don't know the exact moment. I know I have no idea why I wanted to become an actress. I have learned over the years, sort of, why I did... because I'm that kind of a dame. I love all the attributes to acting: I love the vitality, the excitement, the schedule, the timing of it, the fact that you work at different hours of the day and night. I started out talking to you about change. I love change, I just dig it. A new room, a new hotel, a new city, a new restaurant, a new theatre, a new bass player... I just love it all. I don't know why I became an actress, I really don't. There are a lot of funny answers to that. "To get a good table." When I don't know the answer seriously, I just can't tell you. It's just what I ended up being. It's kind of beginning to make sense to me, the more self-aware I become, who the hell I am. I think that happens to anyone, as they become older in life.

RR: Let's talk about Noel Coward for a moment... how did you first meet him?

ES: Well, honey, it's all in my show, so I think that's a little redundant, don't you? As you said to me before, very smartly, most people have seen it or should see it. I don't think I should tell stories to you that are in the show. I can tell you this: I spent two of the most exciting, gratifying... just inspirational years of my life with Noel Coward, in doing his show...

RR: Your role in Sail Away wasn't originally the romantic lead in the show...

ES: No it wasn't. When we were in Philadelphia, they combined the leading lady and the comedienne. It was a great step forward in musical comedy, because audiences were beginning to accept that a funny lady could fall in love. You know what I mean? Because in a musical comedy, most of the time, you have a romantic woman who sings very high, and a comedienne who sings (laughs) very low. And the romantic woman gets the guy. So in this, it was one of the first times in musical comedy that the leading lady was funny and the funny lady was the leading lady. It was terrific. You look back on all the old musicals, and you'll see a comedienne and a leading lady. Did you know that Sail Away was revived five years ago at Carnegie Hall? I played the same part forty years later...

RR: Yes! To love letters for you in the press. I was going to ask how it felt do it forty years later.

ES: Unbelievable! And the surprise was-- it wasn't a surprise to me, but it was a surprise to everybody because everyone's too old to play a part as far as the profession is concerned-- all they think about is age. But the beautiful part of it was, it turned out that a woman, 70, falling in love with a man, 50, turned out to be more exciting with Coward's script, than a woman, 35, falling in love with a guy, 20. It was such sophisticated dialogue, and Coward is so mature, you know, and so grown up. His comedy... it's not even comedy, he writes wit. Real wit, do you know what I'm talking about?

RR: I do.

ES: You do. I really think you do. That's a very important thing for you to know, that I could play the same part forty years later and make it work.

RR: Sail Away played Broadway, and then moved to London, which is the cast album Fynsworth Alley has issued.

ES: Which is better than the American one, so I'm glad you issued it. It really is.

RR: Were there any structural changes in the show?

ES: No, it went exactly as it was. There's one number missing from the cd that you put out.

RR: "The Little One's ABC's..."

ES: Yes. I don't know why they cut that song.

RR: Do you find London audiences much different from American ones?

ES: No, I do not think that audiences are different any place. I think they are human beings, and if you do a good show they will react to it. Silly little things like the name of streets, and proper names need to be explained to them. But, no I do not think audiences differ.

RR: How do you feel a Coward score compares to, say, a Sondheim score?

ES: I don't think there is any comparison. I think they are totally individualistic. They carry their own talent, and dance to their own drummer. The only thing they have in common is they are both great. That they have in common.

RR: You are justly celebrated for your way with a line, particularly a comic one. What is your approach to comedy?

ES: I don't have an approach to comedy, I just am funny. I don't know why. I'm comfortable with humor, and where it comes from, I don't know. My father and mother were extremely funny people, and had real wit, real senses of humor.

RR: I know that D. A. Pennebaker has been working on a documentary of you. When is that due for release?

ES: They are working on it at HBO. I would think probably Christmas or the first of the year.

RR: Has the show, Elaine Stritch At Liberty, itself been filmed?

ES: Yes, they did it for DVD in London.

RR: What are your thoughts of the current state of Broadway versus the Golden Age of 1950-1970?

ES: Well, I don't know who called it the "golden age." It was an exciting age, but I don't know who puts those labels on everything. The wonderful thing I always think of is George S. Kaufman's expression about Broadway. He called it "fabulous invalid." Yeah... isn't that funny? It's in good shape now. It's in good shape, and it always will be, I hope. No, I don't even hope. I know that nothing will ever replace the live theatre. As far as the difference between then and now, it hasn't gotten better, it hasn't gotten worse. It's just gotten different. It's ok with me. I think it has it's time when it's better than other times. I like the fact that the straight play is gathering strength on Broadway, instead of just all musicals. I think that's a mistake. It encourages young playwrights, and there are a lot more straight plays on Broadway then there were ten years ago. What we have to work on now are original musicals. But you know, an original talent will shoot up, like Sondheim, hopefully... soon... ASAP.

RR: You have nothing left to prove, obviously...

ES: Oh yes I do. Oh yes I do. There's many, many things I want to do. Many things I want to prove to myself, that I want to accomplish.

RR: Would you be willing to take on a new Broadway musical?

ES: Why not?

RR: I'm speaking mostly of William Finn's The Royal Family of Broadway.

ES: Oh, it wasn't a good script. It's a wonderful idea. What made you think of that?

RR: I know you were involved with the workshops, and I'm very partial to the score.

ES: Yeah. It just wasn't a very good book. I had a great song. That was terrific. I hope "The Royal Family" is done someday, because I think it would make a wonderful musical. They didn't get down to the core of what the theatre's all about. It wasn't done well at all... God! It was AWFUL! Did you see it? The workshop? It was dreadful! Absolutely dreadful. The songs are good.

RR: Are there any other stops left on your tour?

ES: No, this is the end of it here.

RR: How do you feel about people calling you "legend" and "theatre royalty?"

ES: I don't care what they call me. As long as they call me. My attitude towards that is, "good or bad, as long as they mention my name." That keeps you in the public's eye. I don't care if they call me a legend or not. It's probably meant as a compliment, and it's perfectly alright with me. I don't have any quarrel with those titles.

RR: My final question for you is if you could sum up the Sail Away experience in one word, what would it be?

ES: (thinks) Joyful.

RR: I think that's a great word.

ES: It is. It's my favorite word. Anything to do with Noel is my favorite anything of all time.

RR: I thank you for your time.

ES: And I thank you... it was lovely, sweetie pie.