Meet photographer to the stars Benson
“None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
My good friends Gigi Benson of Seguin, Texas, and her famous husband, the Scottish pride and joy Harry Benson, asked me out recently to celebrate his receiving the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Infinity Award.
Harry is the well-loved and respected photographer to Queen Elizabeth of England — and to another queen, me Liz!
Who could imagine, back in the Dark Ages, when Harry took me along because he was training his lens on Helen Gurley Brown and Iris Love as they swam with dolphins in New York’s Aquarium, that Harry would become so famous!
Just last week I went with Gigi, Harry and Iris downtown to the Chelsea Piers to salute Harry!
Harry has come so far that nobody can believe he is not “all-business” when it comes to taking pictures. But he isn’t. He likes to fake it, keep it light and pretend he isn’t even focusing because he has such fun. No, it’s Gigi who is “all-business.” She takes care of all of Harry’s fame and fortune. She keeps his appointments and manages his awards and keeps up with their grown-up daughters and grandchildren.
Harry pretends he doesn’t know from “business.” He says things like, “I’m just having a good time! But I mind my manners when it comes to the Queen of England.”
These days when all the peons like to think of themselves as “photographers” because they can take selfies, Harry just shrugs. He has clicked Elizabeth Taylor and every other great star. And he was there photographing The Beatles. He has taken thousands of pictures of them over the years!
Harry is rich and famous — and you and I are not. And what’s more, we don’t have Texan Gigi Benson minding our money and our next big paying appoint- ment.
At the Chelsea Piers dinner and awards, I found myself kissed by the star Tommy Lee Jones, who foolishly asked, “Do you remember me?”
I was seated with some of my favorite people — Jean and Dan Rather, John Loring, who has saved Tiffany and Co. from the Donald Trump Tower, the Cycladic art collector and very rich man Leonard Cohen and his Kentucky-born beautiful wife Allison, the theater maven Mr. Nederlander, and I am sure there were others I didn’t see.
Chelsea Piers is a mysterious place. Try to get out of there, after whatever!
Meantime, Harry, I was thrilled when your great photo of me appeared onscreen.
IT LOOKS like a lot of money and effort have been poured into the new Broadway production of “Anastasia,” which is based on the animated film of some years ago. With its enormous, colorful, fast-moving screen backdrops and lush costumes, it is dazzling to look at. And this thing really moves! The Broadhurst Theatre was packed to the rafters on a Saturday afternoon matinee and it was packed with “Anastasia” fans who cheered and applauded every number they recognized from the movie — and the new ones they didn’t, too. There was many a happily weepy eye as the cast took their final bows,
The two leads — amnesiac Anastasia (Christy Altomare) and her initially greedy beau/ teacher Dimitri (Derek Klena) are mighty attractive and talented. But the show’s true honors fall to Mary Beth Peil as the tormentedby-imposters Dowager Empress and her lively lady-in-waiting (Caroline O’Connor). Even if you think you don’t care much about whether or not Anastasia really is who she thinks she is — the last of the assassinated Romanovs — you will want to see the performances of Peil and O’Connor. One tragic and elegant; one comic and rousing. Both, superb.