Originally Posted by
Albator
"what are you trying to do to me?" she shouted on the other end of the phone. Are you trying to destroy my career? Where are my hits?"
I was taken by surprise. "Your tubes? Well, Diana, I said, all those songs are your hits. They're all number one. I haven't used anything but his songs that people like. To me, all your songs are extraordinary. »
"I don't care. Where are my hits? My HITS?! »
"Diana, I'm like your audience, and these are the songs I'd like to hear you sing. I also thought it would be great if there were more theatrical moments... "I continued to stand up for what I had created. I said how much I thought it was exactly the kind of show that everyone involved wanted. She kept repeating, "Can you hear me? Where are my hits? My HITS?! »
"Diana, I'm like your audience, and these are the songs I'd like to hear you sing. I also thought it would be great if there were more theatrical moments... "I continued to stand up for what I had created. I said how much I thought it was exactly the kind of show that everyone involved wanted. She kept repeating, "Can you hear me? Where are my hits? My TUBES?! »
"You want to make a list with me because you never told me which songs should be in the show, I suggested. I thought you'd like my choice."
"No," she said. I'm not doing that show. We'll discuss it when I come to L.A."
She shut up and handed the phone to her manager. "Miss Ross said, 'Tell him to fire all the dancers. Then we'll see what her idea is." " Sadly, I told the dancers that the show was over. I felt responsible because they had lost their contracts and money. But they were just as confused as I was when we hugged and kissed and left the studio. I wondered why I hadn't been fired, since it was my fault. Then I remembered that I was under a pay or play contract, which meant that Miss Ross had to pay me whether I finished the job or not. I sensed that our future conversation would be about whether she would get her money's worth or whether she would simply bear the loss.
The next night, I invited the recently fired dancers to dinner at my house to commiserate. They were very disappointed, as was I. It seemed important that we be together and support each other. After dinner, we decided to watch the video that had been sent to Diana. Oh, my God! When we watched it, we quickly understood what had aroused her anger. It's hard to say what was most shocking in the video that was sent to her. There was a ballad, sung in playback by one of the singers in the foreground of the image in the
Diana's place. Fortuitously, at the back of the picture, two dancers were practicing dance steps that they had to perform with Diana in other sequences of the show. They took turns playing Diana's part while they danced together. They looked like they were doing some kind of gay erotic ballet. So, yeah, it looked ridiculous, especially if you didn't know it was a mistake. And how could she know it wasn't choreographed that way? And that wasn't all.
The dancers thought the camera had stopped filming. In a moment of innocent levity, several of them put on a huge afro wig and did an impression of Diane. They added to it by calling themselves "Miss Ross", the golden rule they had to follow. One of the dancers imitated Diana's stage character in a Saturday Night Live-like sketch singing Touch Me in the Morning!
Obviously, Miss Ross did not perceive any humour in this sequence. Maybe she wasn't the type to laugh at herself. Unfortunately, I was never able to ask her that question.
I was paid the contract salary without having choreographed a single moment of Diana's tour. In fact, I was also fired. I was sad that I didn't have the opportunity to create what could have been a fantastic evening and perhaps could have brought Miss Ross back into the contemporary world. We'll never know.
I've been looking for that video for years. I can't find it. Shit.
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