phew!!! i'm back. ok, so the chitty car...damn that car! so i don't know if there was a thread about this anywhere else...i'm too tired to look...so if you know what happened skip this part, but if you want all the gory details, read on. (ps - totally started entrance applause by myself...there was maybe a smattering of applause...very disappointing, especially considering people were clapping like mad during the overture.) so, right before the car gets fixed, there's an announcement that there's been some techincal difficulties but it should be fixed soon. this takes maybe 10, 15 minutes. the show continues. when chitty floats, there's no raft. Raúl and Erin adlib and are like "Oh! Look! We're floating! This is a car that can float on water! Look at us float!" etc, etc. I find it funny, becuase I know what's actually supposed to happen. Something funky happens with the ship too. it was wierd. so after that, the vulgarian backdrop doesn't come down. we just see the car sitting there in the dark for a good 30 seconds before the curtain comes down. another technical difficulty announcement, and they decide to take an early intermission and start again where we left off (right before grandpa gets abducted.) this is when we wait almost an hour. everyone starts getting really really mad. no one came out to entertain us (chip later explained it was because they all thought the show would eventually be cancelled and they didn't want to be on stage when THAT announcement was made! understandably.) so finally, the show gets going again. they finish act one...the car magically flies with no wings. it looked really wierd. they finish the act and take a five minute break to set up for act two. act 2 runs smoothly (mostly because there is no car!) when the car has to fly again, again, there are no wings. instead of raúl saying "stand back from the propellers" he just is like "stand around...and stand there...and celebrate!" when the car flies (with no wings) Erin and Raúl flap their arms like wings. We all found it highly amusing, since everyone had basically figured it out that there were actually supposed to be wings (i became the chitty expert in my section...the people sitting all around me were asking me all these questions...it was funny.)
i decided to try my luck at the stage door, convinced that either no one would come out, or they wouldn't sign. (it was pretty clear by curtain call that everyone was exhausted.) well, i am GLAD that i went, because Raúl graced us with his presence! we had a nice (10 second) chat, I got a picture, and i'm going to send him my flea market picture for him to sign. weeeee! i also FINALLY snagged Robert Sella! Of all the (FIVE!!!) times i've seen it, he's always snuck out!!! but i managed to catch him as he was trying to sneak away, and got a picture with him. he is the SWEETEST (well, 2nd, i'm a little biased of the kitten!) man ever! sooo nice. We joked around about the car breaking down...he seemed so happy when i was like whatever i've seen this show so many times, i'm not here for the car, it's just a cool story to tell and i'll be back! he laughed. Erin came out too, so did Chip. Kevin and Jan skipped out...and Philip Bosco I have never seen once! But everyone was really nice even though it was laaaate! Raúl seemed genuinely shocked that people would stay around after to get his autographed...once again, that modesty!! it was awesome. PHEW. that was a long post.
ps - also saw Sweeney this afternoon (the Chit and Sweeney...what a combination!!!) it was AWESOME. totally loved it. sat in front of IDIOTS though. one girl complained about the set, saying why did they have to use the coffin as a table, it was discracting because she couldn't believe it was a table. use your imagination!! geez. she was also confused about why the "dead people were still walking around if they were dead." honestly, why do people like that go to the theatre if they can't appreciate it at ALL? i don't get it. but YAY for Chitty and Sweeney love!! (don't have any Sweeney stage door stories, had to book it over to the Hilton to get my student rush.)
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