Okay, finally ready to post about today. Was talking to Jamie who is excited for my stories, so warning I don't know if this one is as exciting, just a warning, but nontheless...
My sis and I lost lotto despite it seeming to be only 30 ppl there so we TKTSed and got row C of rear mezz. I sat in rear mezz the first time I saw the show and knew it wasn't too bad, had to reassure my sis...won't go into stories of her rushing to wait to get in and questioning if I knew where I was going despite me being there all the time...ulgh.
Ooh slightly amusing story where I ended up sitting next to this girl I used to be friends w/ at a camp we went to when I was 4 and she had my mom as her first grade teacher. Anywayz...
so yeah, Joanna's on vacation so Rachel de Benedet was Muriel, Julie Connors was Jolene and I think Jennifer Foote was on for Laura Marie Duncan...
I was actually tentative about Muriel being understudied b/c Joanna's such her own personality, ya know? But I actually really liked Rachel in the part. Laughed at the wig b/c I know how blonde her hair is. She actually has a really pretty voice, slightly higher and more soprano sounding than Joanna. And thank god, approached the character totally different, didn't try to be Jo, so I really liked that. Just looking much younger, she made her seem just more...innocent I think. And the whole concept was changed and almost even cuter b/c of the fact she seemed younger but ended up w/ Greg, and their scenes were just sweet. Reading now what Greg said about her kissing, perhaps should withdraw the innocent part, oh well. Ooh, and also not that there is much dancing for Muriel but in the few parts there were she really is a great dancer. I still adore Jo, but enjoyed seeing a different interpretation.
Julie also had a great voice, might say I even like her singing better than Sara's. She was certainly good, but I felt Sara is just so much more the part. Particularly noticed it in the dancing, Sara's just is as a whole crisper and me having seen this so much noticed a couple steps different. She was great for the few moments in speaking(flat, peaceful, flat...) but missed Sara's screams. I've said this before, but really wish I could see Rak do this part one day.
And all the rest were great as usual. Unfortunately, not much bloopersish things to report, only little thing is during "Nothing is Too Wonderful to be true," right after John unsuccessfully snaps and the stage turns back to Norbert and Sherie and Sherie starts to sing, she randomly had a big giggle in the middle of a line. Don't know if it just came or Norbie was doing something as the stage was turning, but that really was it.
Ooh, this isn't that important, prob shows how much I've seen the show, but in Like Zis Like Zat, after Muriel and Andre do the dance, Muriel says something like that's it for me or I'm done...so Rachel I think said I'm done and Greg looked at her and said "okay I'm done too" as he sat, and I coulda sworn that I've never heard that before and that's now what he usually says...it was pretty cutely said w/ the accent, but I dunno, bothered me that I couldn't think of what I think usually goes there, anyone know?
Ooh forgot one thing-GREAT AUDIENCE. Really, really into it, lotsa cheering, lotsa laughing, I was happy.
Stage door was pretty uncrowded today compared to what it usually is. Most of the ensemble rushes past me before I could even try to place their names, I really need to work on this...Norbie was out first, seemed in a bit of a rush, he kinda nodded at me though, wonder if that means he finally recognizes me...or I'm just doing what I always do at the show and decide Greg is winking at me and then when I see him after he asks where I was sitting and I realized I was def imagining the wink...
Anyway, backstory...my sis loves John Lithgow, perhaps not quite as much as Annie, but she's def one of those ppl who goes to shows for stars and pisses me off. She told me John stole the show. Don't get me wrong, I love John and his performance, but saying he stole the show is ridiculous. Ulgh. Oh, and she said Norbert isn't a good singer. What the hell does she know.
Anyway, back at the stage door, then John came out and started signing on the other side. My sis took my camera and took a pic of him on the other side, and then when he came over to my side I you know was watching him sign, talk to other ppl...this nice lady next to me told him it was her second time seeing the show and he asked which time was better and the first time she saw it(he didn't ask me my first 6 times...perhaps would have been a tad long, but still...totally j/k) so was watching him till he was next to me and I was able to give him Annie's message. Then he left, turned around and saw that my sis had run away as soon as he got close. ROTFL, she cracks me up.
Ooh, Julie came out and hugged and talked to friends. I was debating going up to her, know she wouldn't mind, but ulgh, didn't feel like it. Or...actually...I think as I was considering it...
Sherie magically walked out! (Kevin as usual said she wouldn't be...) There were maybe...6-8 of us here at this point and I did a double-take and said both in excitement and shock...Sherie? And she said oh hi and smiled and signed my poster and Kevin looked pretty shocked and he was like uhh or I lied and Sherie laughed and said I usually don't come out here or something and then as she was signing I mentioned that I'm really glad that her friends are okay. And she was like "oh, thank you! Were you one of the ones trying to help search?" And I was like "yeah, we watch the cam and I know some people spent a couple hours that day and I think we all kept checking those couple of sites." So she said yeah I mean they lost everything, but she's just so happy they're alive and I nodded and she told me to thank you all profusely, it really meant a lot to her.
(Very funny tidbit how she said well she has to go meet her girlfriend. As we were driving home, not important how we got there, but my sister thought when she said girlfriend, she meant real...girlfriend. Oy. I was like no she's married w/ a kid. She said hey it's broadway and I said that's more guys anyway and you think when ppl say girlfriend that's what they mean? Oy.)
Ooh, then Rachel came out and signed and I chatted with her a bit, very nice. and my new cat is cuddling w/ me so typing w/ one hand forgive me. greg came out maybe 5 ppl plus me and my sis when talking about his wensite he was like amanda youre on it right i was like yeah i think twice or three times(turned around to give my sis a im-not-obsessed look) oh another woman told him it was only her second time seeing it...hes like only? and she said well she(me) saw it 8 times lol...i was like nah don't compare to me im a weirdo(had to stop myself from saying whore...) and then we talked for like 10-15 minutesish, he met and talked to my sis who actually got words out...she stuttered quite a bit which i later laughed at her for...umm cant think of anything exciting to mention...ooh except the gfu shirt which was sweet and cool to see...and just funny essentially everytime he says bye to me he starts to say ill see you...pauses, then says err here again soon
and yeah my sis said he was really nice it was soo great he asked her a couple of questions so she had to talk and couldnt run away like she did w/ john....i love greg. and drs. and good audiences.
"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli
<---Tiny Violin! 
