To all of you who were thinking of me today, you're all so sweet. Gosh, I had an absolute blast - so, so wonderful to see "The Adam" again in all his glory, and so beautifully surreal to be there for this.
Posted elsewhere, but I'll stick it here, too:
Well. Wow. I arrived at the Today Show in time to hear Adam and Anthony doing a soundcheck for What You Own - thrilling to walk down the block and hear those beautiful voices getting closer and closer. Before embarking upon the block-long line, I stopped for a minute to watch them sing, and let me tell you - the only thing worse than an insane RENThead is the MOTHER of an insane RENThead. This woman gave my friend and I such attitude about being there, because she thought we were cutting the line - we had no intention of doing so, I wanted to see. Way to kill my elated state, lady.
Anyway. I was on the back side of the stage, but very close, so I can't complain much. The performances were beautiful. It was kind of astounding, really - I was too young to experience this all the first time around, so this sort of "second generation" wave of RENT-mania... it's nice to be there for it, even if people aren't totally sane. I mean, crazy people singing La Vie Boheme isn't really what I need at 7 a.m., but whatever, it made them happy. However, there was this one girl who was trying so desperately to get Adam's attention that I thought she was going to tumble over the barricade - hysterical. She was so over-zealous, I just wanted to hide.
Everyone looks incredible (as does the poster art!); they all look so young and happy. Idina, for those concerned, sounds rested and very, very good. I've never truly seen Anthony sing before, save for a few lines on the film set, so this was a great, long-anticipated first. Jesse and Tracie kicked ass on their solos (Wilson did Jesse's in the park, also did very well). And Adam... Adam... looks phenomenal. You all can see the pictures. And, he sounds as great as ever - even at 8:30 in the morning.
The cast signed so many autographs after the performance, and it was extremely kind of them to be so patient. My side of the stage caught Adam and Idina, and you can all imagine how thrilled I was about the former. It was a total pleasure just to get to say hi, which meant a ton after so many months.
Watching the cast together again was incredible; to see that bond that's clearly so integral to the movie, and the fact that it's surely turned out well.
Migrated to Bryant Park, braved the crazy heat. The cast rehearsed a bit for the 100 or so people that were there - it was really sweet and intimate; the crazy fans were there, but at least there weren't a zillion of them. Until today, I've never experienced "true" RENTheads before - I don't think I fully realized how squealy, screaming and... kind of scary they are - I'm so shy, so it sort of catches me off guard. I just stood in my spot to the side of the front section, smiling away, videotaping. I suppose we share a love for the show, but... I just don't really see the point in expressing is *quite* the way they do. I don't particularly want to badmouth, so honestly, whatever floats the proverbial boat. The fans are what keep the show going, so it's probably kind of wrong to disparage the way they express it, even though I do wish more of them acted like they had brains.
The performance gave me chills. By the time they came out, the crowd was big enough to get a "HOLY SH*T!" from Adam, who looked totally stunned. And even amidst the insanity, there was a certain warm, fuzzy feeling about being there - being a part of this. The cast has a way of making the fans feel involved, and important. Once they came out on stage, people swarmed the area right in front of the stage where they weren't supposed to be, but they were pretty out of control. I went to the area where the actors were signing autographs, but the crowd was so deep that it was virtually impossible to get near any of them - eventually it seemed like the security had just had it with this all and got them the hell out of there. A bit disappointing, I guess, since this all is so out of control, but it made me a lot more thankful that I went this morning - got to see who I wanted most to see.
A final note to anyone who is expecting some sort of media from me - a few tecnical glitches came my way. My iPod seems to have overheated, and of course did so in the middle of Seasons of Love. So, I am audio-less. And the iPod is still behaving VERY strangely... I'm so sorry to anyone to whom I promised an audio recording. Hopefully I'll be able to post my photos tomorrow... I'm still experiencing some computer mishaps. I took more at the Today show, though most are at a funny angle. I ran out of space on my camera at Bryant Park, but I'm SURE pictures of that have surfaced absolutely everywhere.
So, yes. All-in-all, a fantastic day, total once-in-a-lifetime experience. Anthony, if you're reading this, thank you to you and the entire cast for being so wonderful and committed, and for giving a truly kick-ass performance today. You all are incredible. This was all absolutely worth waking up at five in the morning, and braving the heat. I was in the Nederlander box office tonight, tagging along with some friends who were picking up tickets. I had one of those odd moments again; it's so... real.
I have about half an hour of video footage, but getting it digitized and computer-ready is still in question.
And Adam's shirt? No comment.
A work of art is an invitation to love.
Updated On: 8/5/05 at 09:56 PM
