Amsterdam Avenue, 2:45 P,M

 Walked in the heat north to 96 street to pay my Spectrum bill. Passed the apartment house that I think Don McKay lived in. Felt regret. Who was Don McKay. He played Tony in the London company of West Side Story---this company was sent over in fall of 58, with an all American cast, and took London by storm. Four actors from the original cast---Chita Rivera, Ken LeRoy, Eddie Roll and Tony Mordente recreated their roles in this production. A few weeks before rehearsals began McKay replaced Larry Kert for a week in the Broadway production. I saw him that Saturday matinee and Maria was played that afternoon by Marlys Waters, who would be his co star in London. I remember that performance so well---I had seen Larry twice, and was not sure if McKay could be as good. He was stockier then Larry---I wondered whether he would collapse the fire escape when he climbed up to meet Maria. Or whether he could scale the fence at the end of act I. He was okay, but there was something tentative about his performance Then came the final scene in the play when Tony lies dying in Maria's arms. Something happened between the two of them---a "frightening chemistry" that was so intense and real. I was sitting in the front orchestra and could almost feel the heat and passion  they shared. Had they reached a new level? During the curtain calls, the conductor, Max Goberman, seemed to have tears in his eyes. He blew them kisses at the bow. Had something happened on stage to them that had never happened before? The intensity of McKay and Waters has stayed with me--I can feel it now.I

Mckay died about two years ago---several obituaries mentioned that he lived in a building around Amersterdam and 90th street, and that sometimes he sat on a bench outside that building  My God, I thought, when I read that, I could have easily encountered him on one of my walks that way. What a loss! I would have loved to talk to him, and have him tell me stories about being in WSS at that time. Apparently he had scrap books with a million pictures from the London production. I could see myself looking at them for hours. But of course it did not happen.

Late August 58--I was preparing for my junior year at Science---had just returned from camp Music Land on the Bard college campus, where a close friend of mine was dating a girl I liked very much. I remember that summer well. Will tell some tales about it later.

Real world: Must prepare for the biopsy I am scheduled to have on Monday, Not sure how I feel about it. A judgement call on the part of my surgeon. Well, might as well get it over with and move on to the next episode in my treatment.