Greg Jbara Discussion - ONLY- Page 8

[Mamie]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 5:51pm

Hello folks. My PC became deathly ill yesterday morning. I had to wait till late today before I could get a PC doctor out here to look at it. As a result, I missed the cam yesterday.

FYI Malki - I almost always watch the cam (except for Wed afternoons when I'm at work) but I don't usually post anything. I believe there's LOTS of fans of Greg's who watch his cam faithfully but don't go anywhere near BWW!

I thought this was interesting, so I copied it. It appeared on an old message board back in 1998. I would LOVE to have been in that audience and seen this Jbara performance! (The subject of the thread was bad audience behavior).

From: LovettsMom - view profile
Date: Fri, Sep 11 1998 12:00 am

I recall seeing a performance of FOREVER PLAID in New York City at Steve McGraw's with the cast (the second cast that had also been touring before coming to NYC and replacing the original cast) that had Gregory Jbara playing Smudge. It was a Sunday matinee and a busload of high school students had been brought in for this performance. It wasn't bad enough that they were 20 minutes late (for a sold-out performance) and the show had to be held up for close to a half hour, but once the show started they wouldn't shut up! It was terribly rude for the performers let alone annoying to the rest of the patrons.
After about a half an hour of the show had progressed, Greg Jbara actually stopped the show, stepped out of character (something I've never seen in any cast, but definitely called for) and literally read those kids the riot act. I think they got the message and were also embarassed to have been singled out and address in front of the rest of the audience. After the show resumed they behaved quite well and even gave the cast a "hooting" standing ovation for which the cast seemed to enjoy immensely. I always wondered where the supervision for this group was during the performance since the group of kids took up the entire upper level of the space and not one adult was in sight. What amazed us the most was that when the group entered they all looked so well-dressed and well bred. They were from either a prep school or a private school because they were all in school uniforms. But it all worked out in the end and they were invited by the cast to wait for them them change and they all had a chance to chat for a few minutes with them and get autographs and photos.

Updated On: 3/9/06 at 05:51 PM

[Malki5]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 6:58pm

Mamie,

I am very new to all of this (Greg, the webcam, BWW) but I get it now. I just thought that they would actually talk about Greg on the Love thread. Oh well! I belong to a few Hugh Jackman boards and although we do have OT threads, we mostly talk about Hugh. I realize now that BWW is different. Truth is, a lot of the discussions on the love thread make me feel VERY old. LOL

As for the story you posted. I would have loved to see Greg in something else and I can only imagine how bad those kids were for him to have gone out of character like that to reprimand them. One of the things I love about Greg as an actor is his ability to change his persona so completely and convincingly. What I love about him as a person is a whole other story.

[Mamie]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 8:12pm

What's really terrific about that story is that after he was forced to go out of character and lay it into them, they kept quiet and watched the show and were completely blown away by the performances. Then the same cast (that probably wanted to stone them earlier) then met with them after the show. I'll bet that more than a few life-long theatre fans were born that night!

As far as the other thread goes - you're right. They are very young and very much tied up with school and all the other priorities that come at that age. They started out as being 100% Greg fans and they only talked about Greg and the cam. Then gradually they started moving over to other members of the cast and then other people in other shows. Now more than 90% of the time is spent on school and other matters and Greg is usually only mentioned as an add-on at the end of the message. It doesn't mean they aren't real fans of his - it just means they also have about a million other priorities that get their attention. They just use that thread for talking to each other. I've lost interest in it myself. That's the main reason I love this thread. It's nothing but Greg news and chat!

Updated On: 3/9/06 at 08:12 PM

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 8:18pm

Mamie, thanks for sharing that old usenet (now google groups) post ... I remember reading that way back when and thinking "Yes! Go, Greg!" He really is the nicest guy ever, but at the same time, he's not going to let anyone get away with behavior like that if he can help it. That's just a great, classic story. I'm glad that person posted about it back in '98 and that it's now recorded

Malki, I'm 48 and understand what you're saying about the love thread and how so much of the discussion there is not about Greg ... but it's okay, they're mostly younger fans having fun. I started this thread so people who want to *just* discuss Greg would have a place to do so. Good to see it getting more use, thanks to you and Mamie! :)

[WesternSky2]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 8:21pm

That's a great story. Gotta love that man.

[Malki5]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 8:52pm

Mamie, I don't doubt their love of Greg, etc. Who could not love the man? But, that's why I like this thread better. I love that there are others out there like me who want to talk about him.

Barb, I am a 38 year old mother of 5. My kids range in age from 4 1/2 to 16 1/2 so I am sometimes torn between the nursery world and the teen world. I have no problem with the discussions in the other thread other than the fact that I sometimes get lost. LOL! I find it funny that I like the same guy as all these kids, but one of the things I love most about him is that he is a great role model for kids of all ages. It was wonderful to be able to introduce my kids to a man like Greg. He is in the middle of helping my daughter with a school project and as usual is going above and beyond the call of duty. When I asked him to help out he was quick to say yes yet again proving what a sweetheart he is. I just don't want any of it to interfere with the rest of his busy life. As the Queen of multiple schedules I know what it means to say yes to too many things at the same time.

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 9:04pm

Don't ask me to try and find it, but months back, right here on BWW, I remember PB Ent posting a great Greg story that again illustrates what an amazing person he is. As I remember (and hope I recall accurately enough), PB had just seen a DRS show, and it was one of those performances where the cast were helping collect money for BCEFA after the show. Greg had a collection bucket at one door, which PB went out ... behind them came a woman who dropped in a sizeable donation (good thing!), but then she proceeded to ask for an autograph right there on the spot. According to PB, Greg was polite and charming, telling her that he would be more than happy to honor her request later at the stage door, after he was done with collecting funds. Well the woman became indignant and I guess left complaining. Like PB Ent said at the time, no one needs fans like her! And yeah! again for Greg, who wasn't about to cease collecting money for a good cause just to give someone an autograph.

Greg Jbara ROCKS! I've known it for years. Good to see new fans coming on board all the time!

So cool, Malki, that he is helping your daughter with a school project. Greg seems to be very good at juggling his schedule and knowing what he has time to fit in and what he doesn't. It doesn't surprise me that he would find the time to do that. Like you say, he really is a great role model!

[Mamie]

Posted: 3/10/06 at 8:47pm

Well, I guess you've seen them! The latest reviews for the updated cast of DRS are in and they're almost all very positive. Good news for the show! Even John Simon (who traditionally has never liked anybody except good looking girls) is calling Greg Jbara "irresistably winsome". (As if we didn't always know that!)
John Simon review for Bloomberg

[ohhoney_]

Posted: 3/11/06 at 6:14pm

in 4 weeks i will be in NYC, and it will be the night i see DRS/meet Greg.
I'm so excited!!! And nervous!!!

i'm a younger fan but i like to talk the greg talk too.
i'm an old soul. really. =)

[Malki5]

Posted: 3/11/06 at 7:12pm

Ohhoney, Yay on your trip to DRS and Greg!

Tomorrow, Shani (my daughter) and I are meeting Greg before the show to get a picture with him for her project. It seems a little crazy to go into the city just for a photo, but it is not the first time we are doing something like this. The summer she turned 7 (2 summers ago) she donated 11 inches of her hair. (She has gorgeous hair!). We go upstate for the summer but that day, after cutting it, we came into the city to get a picture with Hugh. (If i knew how to post a picture here I would show it to you). It made the experience even more special and prompted her to announce, on the way back upstate, that she wanted to grow her hair again so she can donate it again. She hasn't had her hait cut since then and already has about 8 inches to cut. They take 10 so we'll see how long it takes! Anyway, Greg is a doll for doing this for her.

[ohhoney_]

Posted: 3/11/06 at 8:29pm

That is lovely to hear. I sure wish I had artsy parents to turn me on to Broadway when I was little! It took me until GRADE nine to get into musical theatre...not the AGE of nine!

I kind of want to bring Greg something when I go. Maybe just a thank you note or something. I don't know.

[Malki5]

Posted: 3/11/06 at 8:39pm

Thanks! Although I never thought of myself as artsy, I just like the theater. Shani's first show was Beauty and the Beast (last year). One of my son's went to his first show for his 5th birthday. It was on a one man show (more like a concert) on Broadway. Mandy Patinkin. Yossi, my son, sat quietly throughout the 2 hour show except when he fell asleep and started snoring. He turns 14 this week and has now seen about half a dozen more Broadway shows (including DRS, twice) and countless shows in a Summerstock theater we go to upstate. The 2 of us are going to see Phantom on the 21st as part of his birthday present. Oh, yeah, he and i were also at last year's Tonys, which is why we wanted to see DRS in the first place.]

As for bringing Greg something, I felt the same way when he gave us our tour. I baked him cookies. I am baking again tonight so maybe I will bring him something tomorrow, although I am not sure if he is really a nosher or not. One thing I am pretty sure of though is that he will appreciate anything you bring him.

[ohhoney_]

Posted: 3/11/06 at 8:42pm

I was thinking baking, too. Baking is sort of what I'm known for in "these parts" hehe. Infact I am baking cookies to a stage manager friend of mine/Joanna Gleason look-a-like as a thank you for seating me & my best friend for free at her latest show!

Hmm. Now I have 4 weeks to guess what baked goods Gregory Jbara enjoys!

[Malki5]

Posted: 3/11/06 at 8:44pm

Well, last time I gave him linzer tarts. Tonight I am baking mini-Crumb cakes and mini Amaretto cakes so maybe I can give him one of each.

[ohhoney_]

Posted: 3/11/06 at 8:49pm

Nice.

He seems like a lemon square kind of guy.

[Mamie]

Posted: 3/11/06 at 8:53pm

Last time I saw him I gave him a shirt that I'm sure was WAY too big for him. (He said that Julie liked to wear it!) Anyway - if you two just keep on fattening him up then he'll be able to wear it!

[Malki5]

Posted: 3/11/06 at 9:01pm

We'll do our best! Although I think he is perfect the way he is.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 3/12/06 at 1:25pm

Though he probably has enough monkeys

He definitely does appreciate everything though. I was really happy when I went back for the first time in like 6 months, to see my pencil nicely sitting right on his desk with all his other smaller, less pretty pens and pencils

[BluCat500]

Posted: 3/12/06 at 2:13pm

He enjoys chocolate and peanut butter together.

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 3/12/06 at 2:27pm

The chocolate/peanut butter combo love is something Greg and I have in common. Have a bag of Reeses' minis right here by my computer. :)

Greg's favorite ice cream flavor is peanut butter and chocolate.
Greg's favorite candy is peanut butter cup.
He's listed his favorite pie as peanut butter pie with hot fudge from Virgil's BBQ.

I'm sure he eats other desserty type treats, but yeah ... can't go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate!


Peanut Butter and Chocolate on Greg's Birthday Cam

[Malki5]

Posted: 3/12/06 at 3:50pm

Oh, well! He will have to settle for Crumb cake and Ameretto Cake. Once again he has proven what an amazing man he is. We got a gorgeous picture of Greg with my daughter Shani this afternoon. What a sweetie!

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 3/12/06 at 3:56pm

Malki, sounds positively delicious! I bet Greg will love it. A sweet tooth cannot survive on peanut butter and chocolate alone, after all.

[Dre2387]

Posted: 3/12/06 at 5:28pm

Malki, your daughter's adorable! what sort of project is this for?

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 3/12/06 at 6:14pm

Dre, isn't she though?

What's funny is, before Malki emailed me those pictures today, I had ... honest ... thought to myself, "I wish I had a new photo to post in 'Friends of André'!" :) So, Malki ... again, thanks!

(Because, ya know, it's been like three days! lol)

[Mamie]

Posted: 3/12/06 at 6:54pm

Oh Malki - she's a darling! (How could Greg possibly say no to a request from her? lol)

I'm interested in the project she's working on too. Can you tell us a little bit about it?