Okie, I wasn't feeliing well last night, but feel much better after sleeping 13 hours.
So last night was awesome--I took one of my best friends, we've been friends since we were 6--to Avenue Q. She's always been one of my most enthusiastic friends about bway--like I'd show her pics and stuff and she'd be like wow that's so cool that you know people and stuff, and it's really cool that she appreciates it b/c it's such a big part of my life now and to be able to share it w/ my friends here feels special. She was psyched, so I tried to give her the best experience I could think of. I was gonna take her to the DRS door after Q until I remembered there was no DRS evening show. Phooey. So after eating, figured I'd stop by Hairspray, she saw it w/ me and loved it, liked it even better than me. Thought I'd see if we could go backstage after, turns out they don't have Wed. evening shows either, but we got to backstage just there--she was in awe, it was so great. Permitted to take pictures, so I can't wait to show some of them to you guys--us w/ the big hairspray can, the view of the audience, a couple of props, me/us dancing on the stage(I know the You Can't Stop the Beat dance so I picked a pose from that).
It was so adorable, b/c like i said she was in awe, and she was even like wow it's cool being in Times Square and I was like you're so cute, you're like a little tourist, and she's like in a way she is, she never comes into the city the way I do, so it was fun, I almost felt like I was showing her my college campus. And as I knew she would, she loooved Ave Q. It's her new fav show(she hasn't seen much), but thought it was hysterical. We actually had been trying to get her to see it for a year, I just never wanted to pay full price for my 3rd time, we got a discount finally. I hadn't seen it in a year and a half so I was glad to, new cast was fine. Still a great show.
Stage doored after, again she was just like this is so cool. Brought out my silver sharpie I carried everywhere, she thought it looked so pretty on our playbills. She fell in love w/ Barrett Foa so we talked to him a bit and took a picture, she shook...again after was like that was so great, he was so nice, I was like yeah I told you I know he's really nice, and of course she's like he's so cute, and I told her I only laughed at her shaking b/c I used to be the same way, and did some imitations.
So yeah, she was like can we go to any other stage doors, it was so cute, so w/ no DRS I thought maybe Sweeney, see if we can catch my friend who's a standby before she left, maybe she'd take us back there but she just left. Figured while we were there, I'd try to get a picture w/ Patti. As I'm waiting, I saw Jeremy(Davis, swing from DRS) and I got pretty embarassed. He saw me, waved and smiled, and I started shaking my head embarassingly, kinda saying now you're seeing me at other stage doors, which caused him to laugh pretty hard. I also saw Rachel de Benect go in and I was like ha, I still see DRSers and then I saw the back of Laura go in and I was like oh yaay, my friend could meet her. So I missed Patti, was too short, and then the Sweeney clarinetist came out and my friend thought it was hysterical that I was hyperventilating and could not say a word.
I told her I could talk to cute actors but ask me to talk to a pit player and I freeze.
Also amusing, we were standing by the end of the barricade b/c I wasn't trying to get autographs anymore or anything, and Donna Lynne Champlain had friends right by us who she hugged, and assumed we were w/ them b/c she turns to us and says Hi and holds out her hand...we look at each other, no clue what to say and we were just like umm...hi, and she said oh are you w/ them? And I was like oh..no...but..you were great anyway! (I've seen sweeney before). It was pretty funny.
We also saw BSo at sweeney stage door, chatted for a bit. My friend started arguing at me that we had waited long enough, etc. but finally Michael Cerveris, Rachel and Laura came out. So Laura saw me and hugged me and I introduced her to my friend and Rachel smiled and said hi(can't imagine she doesn't know me now lol) and we chatted a bit and I said I think I'm embarassed you see me at the DRS door enough, now you're seeing me at others. Suppose that could have been to show I do see shows other than DRS...anyway, then we left to go home. My friend decided Laura was so sweet she was worth the wait, and couldn't get over how sweet she was, it was funny I was like no she really is this sweet, doesn't necessarily hug strangers, but yeah lol.
My friend decided there's no way she could be as obsessed as me, but she had a lot of fun and thinks it would be cool if whenever she came home for a break or whatever, if we could plan another show like tonight. I told her yeah maybe in March and then of course I'd hafta take her to DRS 
Like I said, it was really special for her to get so into it. And it was cool seeing DRS ppl at Sweeney, though I really, really hope it doesn't appear as I'm becoming a stalker, it was totally random, I swear!
"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
