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Richard Nixon's 100th Birthday Party

HARRY SHEARER AND ED NIXON

Only in Washington. Ed Nixon, Richard Nixon's younger brother, at the Mayflower Hotel bar with Harry Shearer, who portrays Nixon in a British television production, "Nixon's The One." Shot this after we attended Richard Nixon's 100th birthday party. A dear friend, Harry traveled to DC from Santa Monica to be my date for the occasion. It was a reunion of the Nixon Administration, or at least those who are still with us. Harry and I ended up in the Mayflower Bar with Nixon, Steve Bull, Steve's wife, former Navy Secretary John Lehman and others from that time. Oh, what a night. 

Fred Thompson and Harry Shearer, the only two professional actors at the dinner, "professional" being the relevant world. Fred's a long-time friend, and a sports fan, and so we talked RGIII. What he had to say will be on washingtonian.com tomorrow. 

Henry Kissinger at the pre-dinner cocktail party. Later, after he ended the conversation,  I asked him who he had been talking to. He said, "my former secretary." Kinda sweet. When I wanted to talk some more, he said, "walk with me." And I did, because it's one of the great "I'm in charge" lines. I then used it twice myself over the course of the evening. "Walk with me," and they did. 

"Head Case" Star Ali Wentworth, From The Q&A Cafe Archives

 

This was our very first Q&A Cafe at the new location of the Ritz Carlton Georgetown hotel, an elegant home for the show. For sure, patrons missed Nathans cozy back room, but given all, we were in a good place. At this point we cut the production schedule back from once a week to once a month. 

I'm a big fan of Ali's show "Head Case" on STARZ network. I continue to watch the reruns. Clever to the bone. And, as I say at the beginning of the interview, I treasure her witty cookbook, "The WASP Cookbook." She did it as a spoof but, seriously, some of the recipes are keepers. 

I'm always somewhat intimidated when interviewing genuinely funny people. I don't have that natural humor and the challenge is to find a stride that helps set up the funny person to be funny, while also doing a legit interview. That's what was going through my head as I talked with Ali. It's a fun interview. 

"This Is Spinal Tap" Interview on YouTube

 This is one of my favorites from The Q&A Cafe archives - the men of "Spinal Tap," Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer. I know Harry very well, and Chris and Michael sorta well. Thanks to Harry, we all cross paths from time to time. This interview had been a long-time coming. The guys were game, I just needed them to all be in Washington at the same time, which a "Spinal Tap Unplugged" concert made possible.

Enjoy the conversation. Also, it's a glimpse into the old location, Nathans. For long-timers of The Q&A Cafe, that will be sentimental.