Episode #6: How did I get so lucky to have such talented friends?? This week, it’s the remarkable Judy Blazer, who stopped by after a day of rehearsing for Michael John LaChiusa’s latest, Bernarda Alba, coming soon to the Mitzi Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center. Judy lends her comic genius to “It’ll Work for You,” a Jewish mother’s reaction to her composer son’s recent coming-out. (Can you guess who might have inspired this song?) I wrote music and lyrics for this one. After the song, Judy and I chat about Bernarda Alba as well as Judy’s mystery contribution to The Light in the Piazza. Recorded 1/12/06.

I’m thrilled to report that Judy will be among the special guest stars appearing with me at Birdland on February 13th. In the meantime, check out Judy’s tracks on these two recordings: Leonard Bernstein’s New York and Hello Again. Amazing! Take a minute to browse Judy’s impressive Amazon.com discography.