More on Laurence Rosenthal

I wrote a couple of days ago to wish Laurence Rosenthal a happy 100th birthday (the actual day was November 4th).

I got this very interesting note from Jeff Berkwits and asked to share it here:

Just read your blog post about Laurence Rosenthal, and your Martha’s Vineyard connection to him. Thought you might enjoy this little anecdote too:

A few years ago I interviewed him for The San Diego Jewish Journal about the premiere of a concert work he wrote, and he was telling me about his childhood growing up in the Detroit area in the 1920s and ’30s. His stories sounded weirdly familiar, as my mom grew up in that area too. So when I got off the phone with him I called my mom and she said, “Yeah, I went to school with a guy named Larry Rosenthal.” Got the name of the school, called him back, and it turns out the two of them were classmates at the same high school. Laurence then said that my mom would also remember James Lipton (host of the Actors Studio TV series), because they all went to school together. I asked her and she did, though she remembered him as Jimmy Lipton and had no idea he was the same guy. Small world!

Anyhow, just thought I would share with one of the few people in my circle who would even know who Laurence Rosenthal is! And best of all, my mom turns 100 this month too! 🙂

You can read more about the school at wikipedia. Very cool. And happy birthday to Jeff’s mom!