Richard Flitz:
CLASS OF 1960
Plainfield High SchoolClass of 1960
Plainfield, NJ
Richard's Story
Hi Guys:
It is hard to believe it has been almost 50 years. Are we really that old? Sometimes my body feels it but I think my brain froze at 40 something, if only the body was as good, all would be great. Five knee operations later and I find it hard to navigate stairs sometimes.
So much has happened over the past 49 years, I will try to put all in some kind of order.
Upsala, then on to Off-Broadway in OUR TOWN at The Circle in the Square Theatre in NYC. That was followed by a couple of movies,THE MIRACLE WORKER with Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke and one for the Canadian Broadcasting Company in the 1980's, SPINNER SPENCER. Spencer was a Toronto Maple Leaf hockey player who murdered his wife in Palm Beach, FL. I also sung Amahl in AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS, the Christmas opera by Menotti.
I was married for 16 years and have 2 kids Lisa, 39 and Erik, 37 and 6 grand kids. I have been divorced for 24 years and have been happily partnered for 17 years to Chris Carter.
I was the PR Director of 2 banks, one in NJ and the other in Palm Beach, FL. I was fortunate enough to retire at 42 and traveled through Europe. I did some runway modeling for Bloomies and print work for Saks 5th Ave.
I was Resident Stage Director for the New Jersey Lyric Opera for 3 years and did CARMEN, RIGOLETTO, TOSCA, MADAME BUTTERFLY and LA BOHEME. Through this venue I was fortunate to meet and be able call my good friends many members of the METROPOLITAN OPERA in NYC. My very special friends were Renata Tebaldi, the greatest lyric spinto soprano of the post WWII generation, Joan Sutherland and Justino Diaz who was spectacular as Anthony in ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA. This was the world premier and the inaugural performance that opened the new Met in September, 1966 with Leyontine Price. Harry Theyard was an incredible tenor from New Orleans. I met Harry at the MET and worked with him in both NJ and with the Plam Beach Opera. The Palm Beach TOSCA was a huge success. I was able in this performance renew an old friendship with Teresa Kubiak, a South Orange resident who was also a soprano mainstay at the Met for many years. Franco Corelli, Mirella Freni were both wonderful and incredibly talented people. Oh, my son's god-father is the internationally known pianist Van Cliburn. The last opera I was involved in was in 1987, but I still look forward going to the Met each trip to NYC. I love to listen or watch my opera cds and dvds as often as I can.
Besides my great love of opera, I was in about 75 shows ( musicals, comedies and dramas.) From CABERET to COMPANY and SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER to DEATHTRAP and a lot inbetween. I toured in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR ( with Marc Shaiman of HAIRSPRAY fame,) actually I gave him his start in musical theater back in the mid 70's when he was a prodigy at 13 years old. Touring productions of GODSPELL, 2 of WEST SIDE STORY (once as Tony) passed the time. The longest tour was one to England for OKLAHOMA in 1987. I also directed the first production of APPLAUSE after it left Broadway and about a dozen other musicals.
I had a condo in Palm Beach for 10 years, then in 1993 moved to Amelia Island, FL, where Chris and I bought a run down 1856 antibellum mansion. We totally restored it ourselves, refinishing over 10,000 sq ft of heart pine, cher...Expand for more
ry and mahagony, replumped 6 baths hung over 300 rolls of wallpaper and relandscaped almost an acre. We opened The Ameila Island Wililams House Bed and Breakfast in 6 months. Two years later we bought the 1880's home next door and refurbished that. We were fortunate to be named " One of the Top Ten Inns of the Year" in 1994 by COUNTRY INNS magazine and subsequently Top Inn in the US by THE LONDON TIMES, USA TODAY and One of the Top Inns in the US by NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER. We were featured on the Travel Channel, CNN, PBS - Inn Country USA and were in a special about GHOSTS. Yes we had 4 ghosts, I have a picture of one and had seen her twice. We sold the inn in 2002 and moved to Ponte Vedre Beach, FL, for 2 years then to our home now in Bowling Green, KY.
We are only an hour north of Nashville, so if any of you are traveling our way please let me know. We love Nashville and would love to have you visit. We have not been to NYC in years but of course we will be in NJ in Nov 2009.
I can't wait to see all of you again. How many of us guys still have brown hair, gray hair or no hair. I guess that is one of the things that happen, well it sure is a hell of a lot better than the alternative. Please drop me a line when you get a chance.. I try to get on the computer for a little each day... Here's to seeing all of you again. Happy travels, and most of all good health.....
Dick P.S. The picture of Sallie one of our ghosts is in my picture gallery.
The one person from my past who I'd most like to see again is Renata Tebaldi, because she died in 2004 and begged us to come visit her for her 70th in Italy and we could not because of committments at the Inn. We both wish we had gotten an innsitter and gone..
all these guestions from the Wizard --- What teacher would I love to see again...That is easy Virginia Mixer and Rita Cramer.
If I won $100 million, I'd give at least a million of it to Hospice some to the new arts center in Bowling Green KY, some to the Metropolitan Opera then spend the rest on helping friends, relatives and enjoy the rest of it ourselves..
My current age is 67 next week. When I was 12, I thought that people my age now would be not as active as I am. I was so completely WRONG.
My best friend would tell you I'm faithful , honest and a ture friend, but people who don't know me very well would probably describe me as Hopefully a nice guy.
Jeans,tee shirts,bathing suit in the summer and when necessary a jacket and sometimes a tie.
I share my home with my partner Chris and our Golden Retriever, Charlie, which I find incredible.
Top Bed and Breakfast in the United States. Best Director for the show APPLAUSE and a few others.
In 10 years, I hope to be alive. I'm going to get there by hopefully staying healthy and driving carefully.
WOW, My oldest friend was Lyle Crane , who graduated with us. Saddly, he passed away this past October. My other best friend is Tina Taylor who lives in Plainfield. We have been friends now for almost 40 years. She and I did many shows together. Next would be Van Cliburn, the pianist, friends for 45 years. . But my best friend is my partner Chris Carter . We have been together now for 17 years.
Listen to opera, Broadway shows, watch TV, have a vodka sour,have a stimulating conversation or read
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