Press Releases

July 21, 2003
Act Two For Veteran Television Host Jane Pauley

Stage and Singing Debut for One of America's Most Recognizable Newswomen at Southampton College

Contact:
Patricia Conway
(631) 287 8313
Fax: (631) 283 4081

Jane Pauley, who began her first career in journalism in her hometown of Indianapolis in 1972, has embarked on what may be perhaps a new professional pursuit: the stage.

Pauley, best known for anchoring Dateline NBC for the past 15 years, played the associate to famed essayist Roger Rosenblatt's promotional peddlar in "Rules for Aging: The Musical" at Southampton College's Avram Theater this past Saturday night. The musical, a highlight of the nationally renowned 28th annual Southampton College Writers Conference, is based on the words and wisdom of Rosenblatt's best-selling book, an indispensable guide for people who wish to age successfully.

Presented as a self-help lecture to the 100 or so participants in the Writers Conference seated front and center and a sellout audience of ticketholders, the show featured Rosenblatt and Pauley trying to sell his book's humorous advice to the delight of the packed theater. Dubbed "a one person play for two persons," the musical included duets by Rosenblatt and Pauley, including "Rules For Aging," "It Doesn't Matter," "Never Think on Vacation," a catchy little ditty that had the audience singing along, and a solo by Pauley where she belted out "I'm the Wittiest Gal in Town." The pair also parodied several country and western songs.

The duo were accompanied on piano by Peter Weissman, M.D., an endocrinologist, who also made his professional debut composing the songs for the musical. Weissman would occasionally play off cue, eliciting odd glances from Rosenblatt and Pauley, and in turn, causing the audience to erupt in laughter. The three together presented the debut performance as an evening of smart, humorous, high-order entertainment with future plans to bring the show to Manhattan.

Pauley ended her tenure for Dateline NBC in May 2003. She also anchored "Time & Again," the retrospective news program on MSNBC from July 1996-2001, and co-anchored the "Today" show (1976?89) with Tom Brokaw and Bryant Gumbel. She is married to Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau with whom she has three children.

Rosenblatt is University Professor of Writing at Southampton College of Long Island University. He is a winner of a Robert F. Kennedy Book Prize, a Peabody Award, an Emmy, and two George Polk awards and writes essays for Time magazine and for "The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer." Rosenblatt's latest book is "Anything Can Happen: Notes on My Inadequate Life and Yours."

The 28th annual Southampton College Writers Conference, fast becoming recognized as one of the finest events of its kind in the country, continues until July 27. Faculty and lecturers include Rosenblatt, Frank McCourt, Billy Collins, Kaylie Jones, Annette Gordon-Reed, Peter Matthiessen, Amy Tan, Clark Blaise, Joe Pintauro, Matt Klam, Bharati Mukhrejee, Melissa Bank, Walter Mosley, Bruce Jay Friedman, Marie Howe. Trudeau designed special prints of the conference poster and opened the conference.