Who is going to N2N tonight? — Page 2

Certainly an electric night tonight. Superb performances by all the performers...you could sense the energy they all had. Even part of the music box bounced into the audience as it flew in pieces after Dan threw it on the floor in Act 2. The emotions in the last few scenes were clearly evident amongst the cast members and the audience members as well.

A very heart-warming speech at the end by Kitt & Yorkey too.

By the way, I noticed in the Playbill tonight that Asa Somers has rejoined N2N. He played the Doctors at Second Stage and is now understudying the roles on Broadway. Does anybody know when he returned? Did he at all go on over the past few weeks? It would have been kind of neat that with the exception of Aaron Tveit, the other 5/6 of the Off Broadway cast would be reunited.

ljay - Is the usher you're speaking of the one who sort of looks like Phylicia Rashad? If so, I agree. I told her she looked like Phylicia once and she came and talked to me at intermission and filled me in on her long history at the theatre and the gossip on the crazies who were in the audience. She was amazing.

Her name is Marjorie, and she is by far my favorite usher in all of NY. An absolutely wonderful, kind, lady. She loves her job (and this show) and is very strict about theater etiquette.

Updated On: 7/19/10 at 01:52 AM

I also felt that tonight's show was wonderful, and it also made me reconsider my notions about the show. On previous viewings, I felt the show seemed focused around Alice Ripley's character. Tonight, Brian D'Arcy James and Jennifer Damiano really matched Ripley in terms of energy, intensity, and commitment to the role. More than ever before, the show really seemed to be about the family rather than about Diana. As such, my prior reservations about the accuracy of the details of the mental illness depicted seem irrelevant, because the show doesn't seem to be about the mental illness anymore, but about the struggles of the family.

Jennifer Damiano in particular gave a performance of a complexity and richness of characterization that I don't remember from the previous performances I attended; many of her line readings and character choices were completely different than before, and for the better. Brian D'Arcy James brought a depth of character I don't remember having seen by him or J Robert Spencer at previous outings -- the first act closer, "A Light in the Dark," was stunning, as was "I've Been" just a few minutes before.

Adam Chanler-Berat and Louis Hobson also seem to have enriched their performances. I had not seen Kyle Dean Massey before, but he did a fine job (although his "I'm Alive" is literally more grounded than Tveit's -- I don't know if it was he or Equity that decided that swinging out over the edge of the upper levels of the stage wasn't something he should be doing).

Here is the stage door scoop. There were a huge number of people waiting (I'd say probably 200). People came out pretty quickly, which to me meant that there was a celebration happening elsewhere that they were all attending after the stage door. Tom Kitt, Brian Yorkey, Louis Hobson, Brian D'Arcy James, Kyle Dean Massey, and I believe all of the understudies (which was nice of them) tried to sign for every single person who wanted their autograph. Jennifer Damiano and Adam Chanler-Berat came out together, and I think they just worked towards the right then took off without circling around to get the leftward group.

Alice Ripley came out last and started at one end and made her usual very slow progress. Her assistant passed out slips of paper asking people not to request personal photos because she had to go somewhere (undoubtedly the cast party), but no one made an announcement and I'm not sure the slips got distributed to everyone -- she didn't give them to individual people but gave them out in a pile and had people pass them along. At any rate, people started asking for photos after a few minutes, including the people she had already done, and she complied. After about 20 - 30 people, she stopped signing because her pen wasn't working -- a couple of people had asked her to sign their hand, and I think the oil on the skin messed up the pen. When she got the new pen, she didn't pick up where she left off but skipped over to another area. Then she just seemed to be completely skipping around, hugging some people and posing with them but then flitting to another area (in retrospect, because she knew those people). Then she abruptly turned around and went back into the stage door.

Everyone was kind of confused. No one made an announcement, she didn't wave to the crowd, say anything, or otherwise acknowledge the other 150 people waiting. Eventually it became clear that she wasn't coming back out, the security guy re-emerged and confirmed that she wasn't coming out, he collected a few gifts for her, and the fans drifted away.

I'm a little torn about what Alice should have done (besides had someone announce the no photos policy ahead of time, and not taken pictures with people when they asked). It would have been nice if she had thanked everyone else for coming and said a few words, but I wonder if some of the fans would have reacted badly to her trying to leave without signing and if it would have ended up very uncomfortable. Maybe it was better that she just disappeared before people had the chance to react. (Although I should add that no one had anything remotely approaching a meltdown once it was clear that Alice wasn't coming back -- actually, there was very little reaction, with people just drifting away. Just like with the surprisingly good audience behavior during the show, maybe people wouldn't have acted up if she had announced she wasn't going to be able to sign for everyone.)

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Updated On: 7/19/10 at 03:25 AM

Of course, I do not know what Alice's take was on the situation, but I got the sense it was more of a time issue than anything else. Shortly before she started skipping around, she said something along the lines of she was only going to sign her last name because it was faster (and she didn't say it in a way that sounded like she was trying to draw out laughs).

She was in a difficult position. She didn't come out until about 50 minutes after the show ended. Although the other folks spent a lot of time at the stage door, by the time she came out, they had all left. She probably spent about 15 minutes signing before leaving, so it's not as if she signed for 3 people then took off.

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Updated On: 7/19/10 at 08:32 AM

I simply cannot believe that someone is going to complain about a cast member's stage door behavior AGAIN. Just be happy she came out and signed for anyone. She is not obligated to do that, nor are they obligated to make any sort of announcement about when she is "done." There is nothing to be "torn" about. This sort of entitled behavior is incredible.

Unbelievable.

Why couldn't they have had the security at the stagedoor just announce there were no pictures? Way more efficient with a large crowd than slips of paper that were probably ignored and left all over the sidewalk.

I ran down from the mezz and tried to watch the curtain calls from the back of the orchestra, but had to fight off a very nasty usher to get there. Seriously, woman, get a life.

Wow. She was doing her job. If I were in her position, I would have assumed you were a psychotic fan trying to rush the stage and stopped you too. I'm sure the ushers were warned to expect the worst based on past experience with Alice Ripley fans. And "get a life"? Those sure are fighting words coming from someone so obsessed with a musical they had to run downstairs to get a better view of the speeches.

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I was there last night too and it was unforgettable. Alice's voice sounded better than it has all summer (at least the times I've seen it this summer). I was very pleased that, with a few exceptions, the audience did not insist on applauding every number and therefore disrupting the flow of the show. I expected a huge applause after "So Anyway" and I was pleased that it flowed right into "I Am the One (Reprise)". Brian d'Arcy James was perfection. I didn't think anyone could top Bobby Spencer for me, but wow, Brian is incredible and heartbreaking!

Curtain speeches were great. I just got to meet Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt this past week, so it was fun to see them up there. Touching speeches, too.

As for the usher (Marjorie), earlier this summer, she approached me at intermission and asked me if I wanted to move down closer. She moved me down to 3rd row center orchestra on the aisle. It was perfection.

Who's going to see Marin and Jason? I probably will in a few weeks or so!

You're right, it wasn't necessary for you to be that nasty towards the usher.

She was just doing her job to create a safe environment for the entire audience. You were in the wrong for your actions, not her.

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Well, now you're changing your story. Before, you said you "ran down from the mezz" and had to "fight off" an usher. That's quite different from what you just described.

I wrote that very quickly last night and I can see how that might sound like I was in combat in the back of the orchestra. It was not like that.

She came up to me, definitely was in my personal space and was kept loudly trying to make me leave. I explained the situation and she let me stay. She was just rude, that was all.

dave1606, just relax, everybody blows things out of proportions on this site

Who goes to the stage door without their own sharpie?
Can't wait to see the new photos on the doors.

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