Deborah Kerr, 1921-2007

Actress Deborah Kerr died Tuesday at the age of 86, according to her agent. I know she never directly worked with Audrey Hepburn, but I feel that she is definitely worth remembering because she was in the same class of actors as Audrey and they did end up having quite a lot in common, actually. Deborah was a refined European woman known for her poise and modesty, like Audrey. They were both dubbed by Marni Nixon, Deborah in The King and I, and Audrey in My Fair Lady. Both women dreamed of being ballerinas and looked up to dancer Margot Fonteyn as their idol as children, and both grew too tall to ever become prima ballerinas. The two were even pitted against each other at the Oscars in 1954, Deborah being nominated for her career-altering performance in From Here to Eternity, and Audrey for her breakthrough performance in Roman Holiday. Audrey won, as we all know, but there were obviously no hard feelings when Deborah went to meet Audrey backstage during the run of Ondine (above left). If you would like to learn more about Deborah Kerr, the L.A. Times wrote a beautiful three-page memorial to her, which you can read here.

Audrey Hepburn is still hip

In the midst of Paris Fashion Week and all the new collections coming out for fall 2007, it's nice to hear that Audrey Hepburn is still alive and well on the catwalks. In spite (or because?) of Gap's usage of her last year, women everywhere still aspire to her cigarette trousers, little black dresses, large glasses, and all around aura of sophistication and class. Bend Weekly has an article discussing Audrey's lasting power in the world of fashion and even provide a checklist to make sure you have all the Audrey essentials in your closet. Remember, Holly Golightly had a small, bare closet in her flat, but she still managed to always look smashing. If she can do it, you can do it.

Also of interest is the fact that Marni Nixon, the singer who dubbed about 95% of Audrey's vocals in My Fair Lady, is onstage in New York in a new revival of the show as Mrs. Higgins. She doesn't sing in this show, but most reviewers have been noting that it's refreshing to see her onstage for once, as opposed to always being stashed in the wings. You can read more about the new show here.

Breakfast Dinner at Tiffany's

While it's not technically dinner at Tiffany's, from February 26 to March 25, you can have a swank dinner while watching Breakfast at Tiffany's at Foreign Cinema in San Franciso. Foreign Cinema is a pretty well-known (and well-regarded) restaurant in San Francisco, and I've always wanted to give them a try. Now I have the perfect excuse. ;) If you're interested in trying this yourself and will be in the Bay area during this time, please note that you must make reservations! You can do so on the website, or by calling (415) 648-7600 after 11 am. It looks like it'll be loads of fun. I only hope I can keep from crying into my dinner!

My Fair Lady is getting yet another Broadway revival, this time as a "semi-staged" production running for four days, March 7-10. What's interesting about this production is that Marni Nixon, the woman who secretly dubbed about 90% of Audrey Hepburn's vocals in the film, is set to play Mrs. Higgins, Henry Higgins's mother. The article of course mentions her dubbing history, and they also manage to misspell Audrey's last name. Absolutely mindboggling. If you're interested in attending any of these shows or would like to know more, simply click here. Opening night will be a black tie benefit.

Last up today is some very sad news. For many years Audrey and Sophia Loren were near neighbors in Switzerland and close friends. Both women suffered from multiple miscarriages before finally having children, and they bonded over this issue and the stresses of a high profile life in general. Sophia's husband, director/producer Carlo Ponti, has died at the age of 94. He produced the 1955 epic War and Peace, in which Audrey starred as Natasha Rostov. Ponti and Loren went through a lot to be together and stay together, which makes his death doubly sad. If you'd like to read more about him and his enduring relationship with Sophia, go here.