MORE PHOTOS!

Through her performances, Laura has met a of wonderful people who have either come to her show, or she's come to theirs and visited afterward.  Here are photos of a few of those friendly visits...
 

World-renowned model and Dallas Morning News Fashion Dallas columnist Jan Strimple and her husband were ringside for the maiden voyage of "My Ship Has Sailed" at the Ruby Room.  Laura is 5'10", and this is one of the few times she's actually felt short!

Laura with studio ace Gordon Nicol, owner of Scotch Productions in Dallas.  Gordon produced a live audio demo of "My Ship Has Sailed" for us.  He's holding an early demo CD of four songs that Laura and Brian cut during rehearsals (future valuable collector's item!  Click here for samples!)
 
 

HEROES AND FRIENDS!

Laura with one of her greatest musical idols, "The Stradivarius Voice," Maureen McGovern: the best female vocalist in the world today.  This was taken at a reception following Ms McGovern's concert with solo piano in Irving that featured excerpts from her latest CD, "A Long and Winding Road."  It includes her favorite songs of the 1960s-'70s.  Laura's husband Pat got front row center tickets because Laura considers watching Maureen McGovern sing from 10 feet away to be worth more than any master class in singing you could pay for.  Maureen was back in town a few months later with a full symphony at the Eisemann Center, but Pat didn't find out about it until the day before the show, so Laura had to settle for third row. 

Laura at the Column theatre awards with the hilarious (and extremely nice in real life) Michael Urie of "Ugly Betty"...

...and at the Column theatre awards with Stephanie D'Abruzzo of "Avenue Q".  You might have also seen her as the patient in the musical episode of "Scrubs."  Both of them were hilarious during the awards show and wonderful in person. 

Stephanie even turned out to be a fan of Laura's husband Pat, since she and her husband are pop culture nuts and had "Hollywood Hi-Fi," his CD of hilariously bizarre celebrity singers.  Stephanie was thrilled when Pat gave her a copy of the book, and Pat was thrilled that a star he admired actually knew who he was and was a fan of his.  Writers don't get that very often.

Laura, Pat and the greatest female country singer in the world, Lacy J. Dalton.  Pat has been playing her records for people for years and turning them into fellow fans, just as he did to Laura.  She is one of the all-time great voices.  Nobody puts so much honest emotion into a lyric.  If you've never heard her, now's the time to start.  Check out her latest CD, "The Last Wild Place."  But we warn you: all those young pop-country twinkies will never sound as good to you again after you've heard the real deal.

Laura with husband Pat Reeder (right) and Frank Gorshin, backstage at the Majestic Theater after a performance of Mr. Gorshin's amazing tribute to George Burns, "Say Goodnight, Gracie."  It was a perfect evening, since Pat and Laura have played George Burns and Gracie Allen themselves in various stage productions, Pat is a comedy historian who actually saw the real George Burns perform live, and Mr. Gorshin is an idol of Pat's whose show "The Copycats" helped inspire him to go into radio doing character voices (Pat even included his "Batman"-era 45, "The Riddler," in his book, "Hollywood Hi-Fi").  On top of all that, it was Laura's birthday.  And no, we're not telling which one.
(Update: Sadly, Mr. Gorshin passed away in May, 2005.  We'll always remember his kindness to us and treasure the photo he gave us.  Our sincere condolences to his lovely wife, who took this picture.)
 

Laura with the great Dallas native actress, Irma P. Hall, at the Women In Film gala honoring her for her brilliant work in so many movies and TV shows, including "Soul Food," "A Family Thing," "The Ladykillers," and one of Laura and Pat's all-time favorites, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."  Ms Hall is as nice as she is talented: she stayed around long after the ceremony, answering questions and dispensing wisdom one-to-one.  Laura's favorite quote: she said her grandmother taught her that life is like a vase, and the people you meet fill your vase with flowers.  But when you get to a certain age, your vase is full, and it's time to start emptying it and filling other people's.  She said she's been blessed to have such a full vase that she now tries to help young people fill their vases.  She certainly helped fill a lot of people's vases that night.  What a wonderful lady! 

Laura with pal Matt Wilson duing a break at one of his appearances at the Iron Cactus in downtown Dallas.  Matt was on Broadway and toured the US in "Movin' Out," essentially playing Billy Joel.  He was the guy leading the onstage band, singing and replicating all those eye-popping Billy Joel piano parts.  But Matt is far more than an astounding facsimile of the Piano Man.  He is also a terrific singer, pianist and songwriter in his own right.  Learn more about him at his website, sample his great new CD, "Revolving Door," and catch one of his live gigs.  Be sure to sit near an exit in case the piano catches on fire, particularly during his ivory-pounding solo-Steinway rendition of "Whole Lotta Love." 

PHOTOS FROM THE TV SHOOT

As promised, here are a few behind-the-scenes shots from the DCTV special of "My Ship Has Sailed."  These are Pat's photos from the interview segments shot in the private room at Django.  They are for all the people who keep asking what it's like to have a camera stuck in your face and to try to talk to it as if it's your Aunt Tilly.  Well, it looks a lot like this...

Finally, this is just a candid photo of Laura in front of the piano between shots.
It's here because Pat really likes it.