Alison and Nat

We showed a video of Rusty performance from 1998 a show a couple of weeks ago at Moonwork. He skewered Steinman and led the 250 people there in "Brown Eyed Girl" from a screen on stage. He absolutely killed. And got a 10-minute standing O. So we figured we do it again this Saturday. He's still Moonwork's closer.

Mason, Greg, Kathy & James

I had the distinct pleasure of working with Rusty in New York in the mid 90's just performing and gigging around town at Moonwork, the Westbank Cafe and various other spaces. We shared Ann Arbor in common as well, (both my brother Jason and I graduated from there in the early 90's). I'm sure it's been said many times, but Rusty had the incredible and immediate ability of making you feel like you were a close friend with deep ties, from the minute he met you. This engaging charisma spilled over to his performances on stage, as he drew audiences quickly into his world in every situation. His ability to be deft and funny was only surpassed by his great skill as a musician. I was always amazed at how easy he made everything look, (the great ones always do). One of the funniest bits I've ever seen anyone do, was his tribute to Jeffrey Meier, (the kid who leaned over the side of the right field wall at Yankee Stadium to help Derk Jeter to a world series home run). He performed this brilliant song, the day after the event happened, like it was a polished bit that had been in his arsenal for years. I was always impressed by that and it's one of those things that I look back at often and chuckle to myself. Rusty was an incredible force in the NY performance community, a blend of humor, class, talent and midwestern nice, and I know that I will sorely miss him. His memory lives on his mark, indellible. Rusty, I'll miss you and all my love goes out to those that you left behind.

I knew Rusty from 3 years at Yale Drama School and the Yale Cabaret, where he showed the extraordinary ability to brighten any room he walked into. His irrepressive cheer and humor, coupled with a prodigious musical talent combined onto a personality which was at the same time dazzling and comfortable as a broken-in pair of loafers. He was a dear, loving soul and the completely unique niche he carved for himself at Yale and beyond bespeaks his uniqueness in trumpeting brass.

I just wanted to say that I, too, visit this site every day. I can't express what it means to me to read all the detailed, expressive, wonderful messages. It is so comforting.
The few times in my life I've visited a gravesite have been such bleak, empty experiences; thanks to Alison and Jamie, we have a beautiful, meaningful, even fun place to go to to be close to Rusty and keep honoring his memory.
I still can't believe he's gone. All the past years with Rusty have risen up in my heart and mind these days, and I find we're still working out our relationship, I'm just now making discoveries. Josh's speech at the memorial was a revelation to me, as was Johns, as were they all.
Through a strange twist of fate, Todd and I are getting to know Charlie Colin, the guy who wrote "Drops of Jupiter", which, if you hung out with Rusty in the last couple of years, you know was one Rusty's favorite songs. Actually, he was obsessed with that song. And when, a week ago, Charlie entered our life out here in LA, Todd said that he felt Rusty was still around, still talking to us. That, incredibly, the conversation isn't over.
He's brought US all together, hasn't he?

I go back to the guestbook everyday to see who else has put their remembrances of Rusty out for everyone to read. And not having been able to go to the memorial service on March 2, I'm glad to be able to read the transcripts of the speakers who were there.

I've come to realize that I only knew a small part of Rusty. I wish I had known him better. I'm really getting to know him through all of those here who spoke at the memorial and wrote in the guestbook.

I think Rusty made everyone feel like a close friend. There aren't many out there (maybe no one other than Rusty) who would continue a correspondence with someone they only knew for a few weeks doing a show at a summer stock theatre in Wisconsin. The correspondence lasted almost 18 years!

We shared a love of baseball (he for the Tigers, and me for the Brewers.) Through the years, I've sent him baseball programs from any game I went to. At first, he asked me for one, then I would just automatically get one for him.

He'd always keep me up to date on what he was doing, how Nat was doing in school, and what Alison was doing. He'd send me programs and sometimes cds.

I'm going to miss getting e-mailed updates from benjaminrm@aol.com!

Alison:
I don't know that you remember me, but I knew Rusty from the Free Show at the West Bank, back in what I've come to look at as The Golden Age--of what, I'm not sure. At any rate, I was terribly upset when I read about Rusty in the Times, and wish I could have been there to bask with his friends in the warmth of his memory. You and Nat are much in my thoughts.

Alison:
Hope you got my Bobcat sponsorship for Rusty.....guess I favor the kitty cats. Since I saw you guys at the birthday party last May, I lost touch with the day to day in your lives. So glad I saw you then.....reading the many, many sweet missives from all the folks who were touched by Mr. McGee, I'm in tears. I miss you. I miss Rusty. I always will. Sorry time and space have gotten us so far apart. I still recall with such fondness the Midnight Show at the West Bank in the late '80s....and it seems like yesterday. A la Recherche de Temps Perdue? Nope, just happy memories of people who touched me. Rusty is one among few with the power to be present at every touch of memory. He is a great influence on us all. Thanks, Rusty. Thank you, Alison. Thank you, Nat. God Bless and Happy Days.
Love from here,
Arthur Hanket (Stephanie Erb and Zoe Hanket, by proxy)

Dear Alison and Nat,
I am beside myself. I had no idea of what was going on. Know that my love, thoughts and prayers are with you now and always. It seems like yesterday that I was playing Hide go seek with Nat on the stage at the West Bank Cafe while Rand and Rusty had office meetings. Like yesterday that Rusty came running into the West Bank with Alison's new CD because he knew how much I had to have it! Like yesterday that we sat with our half pints of Rolling Rock and just chatted about nothing special. I first became endeared to Rusty when I heard "A New York Romance". I don't think there is any song that captures the real life craziness of dating in NY like that song does. Adding Alison's voice, just made it the best of the best in my eyes. Even today when I listen to it floods of memories come back to me about my life in NYC. What a gift he gave me! There is one imprint that Rusty created in my head and I cursed him out because of it, now I will smile fondly and remember with love. Whenever I am driving and have to look at my passenger
mirror I see "Objects may be closer then they appear to be."
Eddy Russini (WBC downstairs bartender.)

When I think of Rusty Magee I think of the biggest hearted man alive, playing music, welcoming the young Ken into the intimidating theater world of Brown...being generous with his spirit. Then he graced me with the honor of musically directing his then-baby "In The Beginning" which had me up and down I-95 to visit the auteur at Yale. We always had a pisser and those are some of the fondest most vivid memories I hold dear from College.

Our mutual friend Rob Krausz told me Rusty was sick last year. I had only seen Rusty once since 1990 (at a party where he parodied Tracy Chapman which is an event etched in my mind). I felt funny about re entering Rusty's world at this time but Rob talked me into calling Rusty late in December. Amazingly, Rusty's spirit was still in tact even though his body was not. Over the phone, same old Rusty. I left that call energized and I can only hope he did too.

A man like Rusty never really leaves us. There are too many memories and experiences and pearls of wisdom (in song and otherwise) that he left.

God bless you Alison and Nate (and the rest of the family) as you work through this. I am certain that Rusty's spirit is hovering over you and will lead you to a peaceful place filled with memories of his laughter and positivity.

I am glad I knew Rusty and will never forget his infectious personality and generosity.

The Manhattan New School, a.k.a. PS 290, published the following story in the February 28, 2003 issue of "MNS Newsflash":

REMEMBERING RUSTY
Rusty Magee, a beloved member of the Manhattan New School family, died last Sunday, the 16th of February, after battling cancer for several years. He was 47 years old.

During his years as an MNS parent, Rusty could be counted on to reduce perfectly respectable adults to helpless laughter, and incite children to antic shenanigans, perhaps because he seemed hardly a grownup himself, always up to some mischief. Rusty was the father of Nat, who graduated in 2001; and while Nat was an MNS kid, there was never a day when Rusty wasn't doing something to make our school a funnier, more musical, more dazzling place.

The man was a natural comedian, a truly gifted musician, and that's how he made his living, as an actor and composer, a standup comic and caberet performer. His professional accomplishments include writing and performing the music for Frank McCourt's "The Irish and How They Got That Way," a part in Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters," and a NY Outer Critics Circle Award." The list is long and impressive.

For us, though, he was Rusty, the man who looked good in any number of wigs. The man who let kids spray paint his head at the Fest With Zest. The guy who made up silly songs about principal Shelley Harwayne and got away with it, like this one, sung to the tune of Streisand's "People (Who Need People):" Shelley...nothing rhymes with Shelley...except smelly....), and a rousing "fight song" for MNS with lyrics as follows: "Manhattan New School/is such a cool school/ P.S. Two-Nine-Oh is the place to Go! Go! Go!" When you hear it, you too, will be convinced that the song needs resurrecting immediately.

He performed at many of our Almost-All-In the-Family benefit concerts, along with his wife, Alison. He was our first and funniest auctioneer. Bidders were choking with laughter and wiping away tears as they waved their paddles. He taught music and chorus to gangs of unruly fourth graders, whom he said nearly reduced HIM to tears. He played the piano at many of our graduations, reducing everyone to tears. Which is pretty much the state we're all in now, missing him.

Several parents are talking about ways to honor Rusty, which may include a music scholarship in his name, a contribution to his comedy troupe, Moonwork, or to the Lakota Wolf Preserve,in New Jersy, which was dear to his heart. Please visit Rusty's website, www.sweetappreciation.com to post a reminiscence or an anecdote or messages for Nat and Alison.