That's great. The first time I saw her at 54 Below the man seated next to me at the table turned out to be a Linda groupie. He had hired out 54 Below for his retirement party and Linda was the entertainment. After his wife died he began just following Linda around from place to place and was very happy that she would greet him with a hug.
The first time I saw her, maybe because she had a new CD to sell, after the performance she just pulled up a chair at the end of the bar and was there for anyone who wanted her attention.
Didn't do that last week. Maybe because they had another show with another vocalist at 9:30.
Yes, 54 Below allows videos and they make a specific announcement from the stage, "54 Below does not allow flash photography." The performer can always overrule this, as was the case with Jeremy Jordan at his recent three week engagement.
Running a cabaret is a tough business. So many dates to fill. Chita Rivera was booked for two weeks last summer and about 10 days before she was to start it was announced that she was postponing her engagement. Probably due to health. So management is suddenly looking at two empty weeks with little time to fill them. I think allowing videos helps them to market the place. I know that it's an attraction to me.
I don't think that it is even noticed by many. I was further from the stage than usual but no one was sitting in front of me blocking Linda. I just push the record button and hold the phone/camera in one hand pointing at the stage. It makes no noise and gives off no light, at least that the performer can see. They don't darken the house lights as they do in a theater so there are no glowing dots in the dark.
But the first time a took a video there I wasn't very familiar with the camera. Matthew Morrison was the performer, but I felt like I hit the lottery when Kelli O'Hara showed up that night as his guest. The did "Say It Somehow" from Light in the Piazza. The camera was operating for about thirty seconds when someone tapped me on the shoulder and told me that my flash was on. Very embarrassing. I guess I turned off the flash and resumed the recording. I got a lot of mileage out of that video, minus the first 30 seconds, ultimately tweeting it to Kelli after she had made a comment about Matthew and herself liking to do that song together. She answered me and posted the video on her Twitter feed for public consumption.
Maybe someday I'll have enough going on in my life so that I won't get such a charge about getting some attention from a Broadway star.
Updated On: 3/17/20 at 01:50 PM
