Back from the GRAMMYS!!!
What I did, what I ate, and what I wore
Hi Friends,
I’m…….back! I didn’t bring home a GRAMMY, but boy, did I have fun!
Here’s a recap of my trip. Note: there are many photos, so if my letter appears cut off in your inbox, click on "View entire message" and you’ll be able to view the entire post in your email app.
THURSDAY, FEB 1
Dan, Nicholas, and I flew to Los Angeles- we were delayed 2 hours because our plane had a broken light bulb. But our spirits were high when we checked into the Hotel Figueroa- a friend of mine recommended we stay downtown near the Crypto.com Arena where the GRAMMYs were being held, which ended up being a VERY wise move. (Thanks, Rick!) We ate dinner in the bar area- it was a festive atmosphere with many fellow nominees. Everyone was so happy- including me! I didn’t take a photo, but I had some delicious “Cauliflower Bites with smokey honey sriracha, scallions & roasted sesame seeds, served with house-made ranch.” Yum!
FRIDAY, FEB 2
My dear friend Michael Kerker invited us to the ASCAP Grammy Brunch at the Four Seasons Hotel. I got to hang out with so many fun people, including Paul Williams and Patti Austin. I’ve had the great pleasure of working with them, and adore and worship them both!
After brunch, Dan and I toured the Grammy Museum. On the top floor of the museum is the Ray Charles Terrace. When I was 8, my parents took Ann and me to our first live concert: Ray Charles at the Westbury Music Fair. I love this quote.
For dinner, we went to our favorite LA restaurant, The Ivy- home of my all-time favorite cocktail, The Ivy Gimlet! (Vodka, simple syrup, lime juice and fresh mint)
SATURDAY, FEB 3
After brunch at the hotel (and a very nice avocado toast,) I spent much of the day in Ubers getting my hair and makeup done for the big Nominee Reception. (Not something I often do, but I figured, “when at the Grammys… “ The reception was held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, and it was packed. When I arrived, I was instructed to go upstairs and pick up my nominee medallion and then get in line to have my official nominee photo taken. One of the best parts about this night (and that long line) was talking with other nominees from different categories and genres. Everyone was so nice.
FYI There was a huge buffet at the reception, but I didn’t eat anything because I was afraid of messing up my white suit!
SUNDAY, FEB 4
GAME DAY! The day started early, with hair and makeup at 8:45AM. At 11:30AM, I left for the Red Carpet- about a 10-minute walk from my hotel. It hadn’t started raining yet, but the wind was howling and it was cold!
When I finished walking the Red Carpet, the rain had started- fortunately, they had people with umbrellas to walk us over to the Peacock Theatre, where the Premiere Ceremony had just started. There was no assigned seating, but I found Dan and Nicholas who had saved me a seat. Everyone was handed this program when they walked in.
My category, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, was about halfway through the program. I won’t lie- even though I knew I was a longshot to win, my heart started to pound when Rufus Wainwright introduced the category. Sitting between Dan and Nicholas, we held hands and held our breath. “And the GRAMMY goes to L…..aufey!” (a very talented young singer from Iceland.) My dear pal, Jason Graae, who was my date for the 1984 Tony Awards, posted this on Facebook- I couldn’t love it more!
We took a little break to get some food between the Premiere Ceremony and the Primetime Ceremony. By this point it was pouring, and the only place we could find to sit down was Yard House. It was the first time I’ve ever worn an evening gown to a sports bar. The occasion called for Chicken Nachos!
It was now raining horizontally when we walked back to Crypto.com Arena, and there were long lines to get in- it was wild seeing so many glamorous people soaked to the bone. Finally, we got to our seats for the big show. And what a show it was! I’d never been to the Grammy Awards before and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. My favorite moments were Tracey Chapman, and Billy Joel. (I left to go to the bathroom at one point but wasn’t allowed back in when Joni Mitchell sang- I was heartbroken to miss her, but I did get to see her acceptance speech when she won the GRAMMY for Best Folk Album at the Premiere Ceremony- that was pretty thrilling.)
It was also super fun to catch a glimpse of Taylor Swift as she was entering, and to see my fellow nominees, Michaela Diamond (Parade) and Annaleigh Ashford (Sweeney Todd) during a commercial break.
When the show ended, it was officially a monsoon outside. With all the flash flood warnings, we decided to skip the after-party and have dinner at the hotel. And boy, was I happy our hotel was just a 5-minute walk away! We had a cozy Italian meal at Sparrow (with an outstanding Artichoke and Parmigiano salad) and toasted the incredible trip we had shared as a family.
When we got back to our room, I called my sister. We had been texting all weekend and throughout the Primetime broadcast, but it was the first time we had spoken. It was so good to hear her voice. Ann was my champion during this whole journey, and even though she was in Tucson, I felt like we had been through this together. I went to bed feeling very grateful.
And now I’m home
Despite the crazy rain, our flight back was only a half hour late! Oliver was VERY happy to see us.
I still can’t quite believe this all happened. I felt like Cinderella at the Ball. And though I’ve always felt a part of the theatre community, now I feel like part of the music community, too. And that’s a really nice feeling.
Thank you for all your emails and messages of support over the last few months. My heart is so full of you!
xoxo Liz
PS For enquiring minds who want to know: my red suit is by Cinq à Sept; my white suit is an Ungaro capelet, with pants by Alice and Olivia, and a cami from Club Monaco; and my blue gown is by Chiari Boni. And I was my own stylist.😀
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You did it all in style, along with your wonderful, loving, presence, that is seen in photos with friends, with the Industry, with everyone. What a well deserved nomination, and a well deserved evening of "LIFE!!!"
You're always a winner in my book! I hope you are solidly on the Grammys' radar now and will pick up your much deserved recognition in the near future.