The Newport Jazz Festival was about to launch its lineup in the spring of 2005. Danny Melnick was producing the festival for George Wein. As was typical, I had put together a wonderful champagne press breakfast at the beautiful Newport Casino to announce the summer’s lineup in early May.
About a week prior to the breakfast and the on-sale announcement, Danny called me. He was freaking out because he’d booked the great Michael Feinstein to open the festival and had instructed Michael’s agents to not also book him at the South Shore Music Circus or The Cape Cod Melody Tent. Both were competing venues and Danny felt strongly that any appearances, and especially those, within the 60 mile radius of the Casino would impact ticket sales.
Unfortunately, the agents didn’t seem to get that message and they booked Michael at both venues anyway!
Danny was livid.
I had already put together fancy press kits and was about to edit my trademark video press kits which I would send to the TV outlets throughout Rhode Island and Boston so that they could announce the lineup with clips of some of the bigger name artists.
Danny said, “I’m thinking of canceling Michael Feinstein but who do you think I should get?
I said, well, “I think you might try Eartha Kitt!”
Eartha was an artist with whom I’d worked at Scullers and I knew her to be a “press hound” and I was friends with her and her Los Angeles publicist. I also knew that she was performing in Stoneham, Massachusetts during the week of the press conference and that if we booked her, she would be very likely willing to come to Newport for the breakfast. She loved champagne!
Danny said “Wow! I love that idea!” Danny had seen her perform at Scullers and thought her show was dynamite.
I thought for sure she’d attract the “Bellevue Avenue” set in Newport itself since they were frequenters of the Cafe Carlyle in New York and surely thought she was the bomb.
But George and Joyce Wein were against it. They said, “She can’t possibly draw 3000 people! She plays the Carlyle and that’s only 120 seats!”
But Danny and I prevailed because I knew Eartha and Danny believed that Eartha would come to the Casino. And I also knew that we could garner a ton of press coverage with her booking. George and Joyce finally said okay, “let’s try it.”
So, I went to work! All the press kits had to be changed, the copy rewritten, everything! And I called Eartha’s publicist and she said, “Great! I’ll work with you!” So in a day or so, we’d gotten Eartha to agree to take a limo to Newport in time for the breakfast (it HAD to be white!). She came with her hair and makeup artist (who doted on her!) and she also agreed to a private interview with Associated Press Television and another station from Providence, RI.
At the end of the press announcements at the breakfast, Danny was at the podium and finally he said, “And now, we have a special surprise for all of you! Eartha Kitt is here to say a few words. Eartha, welcome to Newport!”
Eartha was wearing a lovely business suit and she looked elegant and walked up to the microphone and everyone immediately stood up, giving her a long standing ovation. The press was overwhelmed! The first thing Eartha said was, “I’m so glad to be here, back at the jazz festival again.”
Everyone was completely puzzled because she’d never before been in any of the lineups at the festival. Then she said, “I was here in 1954 as a dancer with the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra!” Everyone applauded again. No one had known this! Then she said she was so entranced to hear the great Billie Holiday sing at that first festival.
She said a few more things and did her famous Catwoman growl . . . grrrrrrr! More applause. Then she thanked everyone and left the podium to another standing ovation.
Finally, George Wein came back to the microphone, thanked Eartha for being there and said “Oh and thanks to Dunkin’ Donuts for the sponsorship for the Newport Folk Festival.” And he introduced one of the CEOs of Dunkin, John Luther to the crowd.
Suddenly, Eartha, who was standing on the side of the room with a glass of champagne, rushed back to the podium. She said, “Wait a minute!” And staring right at John Luther, she said, “Hmmmm. So you are the owner of Dunkin’ Donuts?”
Luther smiled and said, “Well I’m the current CEO . . .”
Eartha GROWLED! CATWOMAN was on the loose!
The crowd went wild.
Then Eartha said, “Well, I have a little story to tell you. When I was seventeen, I was working for the Katherine Dunham Dance Company in New York. They paid me $10 a week. $5 went to my rent and $5 went to Dunkin’ Donuts!” The crowd went nuts again!
The press printed this story, the radio and TV stations reported it and Earth did the interview with Associated Press Television. Luther was ecstatic! Sponsorship never looked so good!
The next morning, the tickets went on sale in Newport and at all Ticketmaster outlets but in Newport, the line was around the block.
Before long, the 3000 seats were sold out. Eartha was a huge hit!
On the night of her performance, George Wein said to me, “You know, you taught me something! I don’t have to spend $100,000 to sell out the Casino!” He thanked me with a small bonus check after the festival.