WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Here are what visitors to the 'Bea Arthur in the lime light' web site are saying about the show:

To read my own personal story of meeting Bea, click on personal experiences on the left.

I was amazed to discover your wonderful Web site dedicated to my icon Bea Arthur. When she came to South Africa recently, I went to see her three times. After the first time, I knew that I was hooked . I simply became addicted to her performance and had to return again and again. It still wasn't enough.

The show had a suave and sophisticated edge to it, and I loved the intimate, simple feel of the set. A chair, a piano...and dear old Billy. They all gelled perfectly with Ms Arthur. At times it felt like she was performing for a group of friends in her own lounge. What a show, what a lady, what a night! I'll always remember each riveting performance.


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What a night, what another night. I went twice, sat in the third row and well, what can I say. It was everything I expected and more. Ms Arthur is a consummate performer, I knew she would be funny and witty and acerbic, but wow was I blown away by the intensity of her performance, especially the serious stuff. She is the ultimate torch song singer and her delivery of "Pirate Jenny" was awesome. I loved the changed that she made to the show from the Broadway disc, an example being the replacement of "Bosom Buddies" with "If He walked Into My Life". The later was so moving and heart wrenching that I could feel the audience holding their breathes! Also a treat were the few jokes and anecdotes that were not on the disc. The story of Mae West and a few other throw away lines that were brilliant. To top it all, I waited back stage, and spoke to her. She was an absolute lady, friendly and warm. I requested that I take a photo (mainly for your benefit) and she not only obliged, but suggested that we take two encase the first does not come out. Now being a seasoned STAR fucker, I have waited beside many stage doors and never have I met such a lady. Viva Bea!!! I have included the photo for you.

David


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As soon as I caught wind that Bea was appearing in Toronto this passed November.....I knew nothing short of dying would keep me me from making the trip from Tennessee to Toronto to see her. I hadn't learned of her US tour the previous year till after the fact so this would probably be my last opportunity to see the divine "Ms. B", after she was nearing 80. We made the trip by car if you'll believe it....having spent a few days with friends in NYC for Thanksgiving....we drove up to Niagara Falls and experienced the falls with a heavy snowfall...it was awesome!!

We got into Toronto all siked for the show but managed to take in the local sights the day prior like the Casa Loma as well as the shops along the famous Yonge St . ( the longest damn street in the world if you ask me !!! ) We hailed a cab, yet again in a heavy snowfall, an hour before the show and arrived at the famous Elgin & Winter Garden Theater just in time for the show.....there was definitely an electricity in the audience......made up of mostly gay couples and eccentric older men and women.

I had already knew what to expect having already gotten a copy of the CD of the show weeks prior but it didn't matter.....she walked out with no great introduction and the audience went wild.....there stood this women who had been a large strand in the fabric of all our lives......before us in her ever demanding presence !!

As far as I was concerned, she could have just stood there all night blowing her nose not saying a word and it would have still been magic to us......poor Bea was suffering from a nasty cold. The show was filled with some great story telling....and classic old song gems..........there was a few stories that didn't appear on the CD ....so they were pleasant surprises.

I would have loved to have waited the freezing cold to catch her exiting the theater that night but I am getting older and the need to scream for a celebrities all too brief attention has long passed......I may have walked away with no pictures or Signed programs but I did get to keep some wonderful memories of seeing one of the greatest living legends of Theater & Television .....what a night!!!


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I first met Bea in July of 2001 while she was traveling with her one woman show at that time called "And Then There's Bea" it was in Columbus Ohio and after her show i went backstage thanks to the help of a very nice usherette She was so very kind and friendly asking me and my cousin who i took with me how the ride was and how we liked the show I was afraid at that time to ask her for a picture but after seeing the camera she said do you guys want a picture sure no trouble at all. I then went on to see her in Indiana, New York, and most recently in Canada. Before the show in Canada i had spoke to Bea's people about doing an interview with her so after the show when i went into meet her again after being buzzed up by Billy Goldenberg himself because Bea was not doing autographs that night, she said she it felt like she already knew me and she was very gracious and took another picture with me and my cousin Since then i have spoken with her on the phone and conducted the interview and I find her to be one of the kindest most talented ladies on the planet In the words of Leslie Nielsen who I have recently interviewed she is just a professional talent she can act she can sing and she can probably play an instrument. Bea is the best.


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Kevin,

Unfortunately i did not get the privilege to meet the awesome, wonderful Ms.Bea Arthur.
But here is my review anyway.

Bea' s show was hilarious! She looked wonderful, but her ankle was hurt 9from falling into the orchestra pit)
Bea hit every note in her songs and the laughter was frequent. Her language and stories were gut busting. Bea certainly can tell a joke.

I loved her 'Nuns story' joke. About the nun who gets in the car (a man) and the cab driver tells the nun about how he always wanted oral sex performed by a nun!

and the cab driver pulls over to the side of the road and introduces himself as John(i believe that was his name) and the nun says ' oh by the way, my names Dave and I am going to a costume party!"

I loved that joke. I wanted to meet Bea soooooo bad... but i had to leave right after the show for an engagement.

So bad for me!

Billy Goldenberg was superb at the piano.

When Bea left the stage for her curtain call, every one gave her an ovation (of COURSE!) and when she said ' this time I am not going to sing I am still here!"

i never wanted her to leave! I wanted to stay and talk with her forever, if i would have had the chance believe you me i would have! LOL!

Sincerely,
ashley


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11.12.02

hi kevin, robbie told me me to send you this re bea in sydney last week hen we went to the nida theatre at kensington to see the bea arthur show started off very funny the lamb recipe story was very funny and the pia zadora in the "diary of anne frank" story was very funny she sangs bits of 17 songs "What Can You Get a Nudist for Her Birthday?" without a break for an hour and half. i could have listened all night bruno had met billy goldenburg the night before while volunteering at the "grand ball" and asked us to come backstage at bea show the next night. i thought he was pretty good on stage as well a little big like a edna everage madge clone lots of eye rolling next time i will look up on google the rest of the performers and ended the show with "Man on the Moon" from Mame. so we waited backstage after the show with a lone usherette guarding the door . she said she had seen the show 6 times but most of the references went over her head. she was also uncomfortable about terrorists I told her it is highly unlikely that terrorists would pick the bea arthur in kensington to gas everybody. and then she said did i see the stalker? i said yes. there was a youngish bald man in the front row trying to throw a letter on the stage asking bea out then he jumped on the stage and tried to get through that way . and apparently he had been stalking her in the us. anyway usherette left her post and went and saw billy who was wiping brown slap off his mug who had worked on duel and change of habit and queen of the stardust ballroom which they are putting on in london with maureen stapledon again, he also did "duel" and "change of habit" with mary tyler moore isn't that wacky so we chatted about that for a while then he said do you want to see bea i said sure. so we went in and she was by herself and had changed out of the sparkly black stage number into a white cotton shirt. i thought she looked really good she was very thin and still had the remains of a very good facelift and then bruno said he had tried to get an autograph at the ball the night before... then we said we liked the show etc and she said thank you i said it"s funny you were talking about charles pierce in the show as i brought along a picture of you and him " i gave her the picture and she said "i look like a fucking witch" i made no response as i thought it was rhetorical. then she said i still missed him know and had i seen his shows i said no just some docos and torch song trilogy. then just just chitchatted about the choice of songs for the show and what a minx billy is. then i wound it up because she and prefaced with a "we are running late for dinner bit of business" i said i liked you closing with the "moon is a lady" number that always cracked me up. why didn't you talk about mame the movie. bea said what and leaned forward [i remembered ko, nucio and lyn all said her hearing is a bit off] so i said louder but not shouting

NO I MEANT MAME THE MOVIE WITH LUCILLE BALL. then i felt a chill as she stared at me that black eye stare from the golden girls and said "i hate that movie". so bruno and i just thanked her and billy for the show and exited. they were really both charming and didn't try and boot us out at all. anyway it was a blast i laughed myself sick outside the theatre we walked by the stalker still waiting on the pavement.

okay about that stalker front row second seat extreme left from the audience side. he kept trying to flick a letter onto the stage when she was doing the man in moon number, i don't think her or billy actually saw the letter as they were walking into the curtains when it landed. then about 30 secs later the stalker jumped up and ran in the curtains but i think he had left it too late as he came back again and left the theatre. then the lone usherette who was defending the stage door with her torch said 'this guy was american and he had followed previous bea show i think in the states before and that he was still lurking around' she of course was correct because half an hour later when we had come out of the dressing rooms onto the pavement he was still outside the front entrance, about 5 ft 7 nondescript maybe 30 ish and balding.

Best Regards
jon

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