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My trip to New York City (8/2-3/08) was fabulous! I went by myself, though friend Robin met me there Sunday evening. I took a red-eye flight Friday night and got no sleep whatsoever! I arrived at JFK Saturday morning, took a bus through Brooklyn and into Manhattan, which dropped me off at Port Authority station. I found my hostel nearby and was able to drop off my backpack with the manager, who gave me my keys. I then headed over to the TKTS booth on 46th street to get a half price ticket for that afternoon's matinee of RENT. Thankfully they started selling at 9am that morning instead of the usual 10am. I got Orch Right, Row K seat 10. I already had tickets for the other three shows I was seeing, so now I was all set for the weekend. Even with the TKTS ticket, I decided to give the RENT ticket lottery a try, so I headed to the theatre. 
While waiting for the lottery to begin, I took pictures of the theatre and chatted with some fellow lottery patrons. The outside walls of the theatre are covered with farewell messages from fans of the show. I wrote mine under the cast poster.  I took pictures of some of the messages, but forgot to take one of my own. Duh! During the ticket lottery, the sky opened up and poured rain. Luckily we were under a large awning, so I didn't get wet. After about an hour or so it cleared up and was sunny the rest of the day. Of course, that means hot and humid in NY, so "Yuk!" I preferred the overcast and rain. At least there was a breeze then. I didn't win lotto, so when the rain started to let up I headed over to Port Authority, at the end of the block, and hung out there till it was time to go into the theatre for the show.
Both shows Saturday were excellent. Eden Espinosa was outstanding in RENT ! ... of course. I missed talking to her after the matinee though. Somehow she slipped out the far doors and I didn't see her. Thankfully I had another shot on Sunday night. I wish I could have seen RENT more than twice! It was so amazing! Great cast. There was a huge crowd that stayed for autographs after the matinee, and 4 actors stopped and signed for people, so I was able to get them to sign my program... Including Tracie Thoms who is now playing "Joanne". She also played the part in the movie version. She's awesome! And she and Eden work really well together. Between shows I went back to the hostel, cleaned up a bit and changed my shirt. It was fun waiting at the theatres before the shows, watching the people passing by, as well as observing theatre patrons. People with tickets lined up along the side walk waiting to be let into the theatre. Interesting. Of course, with the streets and sidewalks so narrow, where else are they going to wait. It's not like the larger LA theatres that have court yards or outdoor foyers.
I really liked the second act of Gypsy, Saturday night. Patti LuPone as Mama Rose, Laura Benanti, who played Louise/Gypsy, and Boyd Gaines as Herbie, were excellent! Well deserving of their three Tony awards. The first act was good too, but it's a lot of exposition and build up, while the girls grow up. Plus I had this kid's head right in the middle of my view. I was in the balcony, second row, and the view of the stage started right at the edge of the railing. This kid in front of me leaned forward the whole time, forcing me to lean side to side, back and forth, trying to see everything! At intermission, I moved up to some empty seats and had a great view for Act II.
Despite not getting any sleep on the plane Friday night, I managed to stay awake all day on Saturday. It took my head a bit of time to quiet down Saturday night, but I managed to sleep very well. Sunday was amazing! It was a sunny, blue sky day. The hostel I stayed at Saturday night was great. Only 4 rooms, with one owner/manager, who was really nice. He offered free internet access with two laptops. Sweet! I took a much needed shower Sunday morning then checked out of the hostel with two bags in tow. I didn't want to walk around the city any more than I had to, so I looked for someplace where I could hang out until my next show at 3pm. On 42nd street I found two movie theatres. Perfect. Get out of the sun and heat, and be entertained. I chose the one with "Brideshead Revisited". Emma Thompson. Always a good choice. It was a very good movie. That killed about 2 1/2 hours. I left the movie theatre and walked around some more, taking a few more pictures of Time Square. I kept eyeing the hot dog stands, thinking that would be a nice, cheap lunch. So in front of the Hilton Theatre, where I was to see Young Frankenstein at 3pm, I got a hot dog and water from a vender and sat on some steps to eat. Then I got into the advancing line of theatre goers waiting to get into the theatre. They let us in around 2:30, so I dropped off my backpack at the coat check desk, then got a program and stood in the lobby until we were allowed to go in. I was so excited just to open up the program and see Beth Leavel's picture and bio! She was so brilliant in The Drowsy Chaperone, when I saw it 3-4 years ago here in LA, before it went to Broadway. She stayed with that show throughout it's entire run on Broadway, winning a Tony award it's first season. It just closed in Dec '07. Then in July it was announced that she was taking over the role of "Frau Blucher" in Young Frankenstein. Andrea Martin, who originated the role in the production was leaving. Honestly, now that I've seen Beth in the role, I can't imagine anyone else playing this part. She is just the funniest, quirkiest, most outrageous performer. So larger than life, yet perfectly in character. She is the ultimate stage performer. Wow! 
I sat 5th row, dead center for Young Frankenstein. OMG! It was amazing! Beth was so frickin' funny!! The show was good too. Nothing new from the movie really, except for the songs, which were quite clever. The script, as much as I can remember from the movie, was pretty much the same dialogue... same Mel Brooks jokes and humor. Megan Mullally, from "Will and Grace", played the Madeline Kahn role, "Elizabeth" the fiancé. She too was awesome! (I saw Megan's final performance with the production.) Beth's role was played by Cloris Leachman in the film, "Frau Blucher" the housekeeper. Beth's reaction to the running joke of horses naying every time someone said her name was hysterical. Beth has the most expressive face and perfect comic timing. She's a gorgeous 40-something woman, who is fearless in distorting her face and body into the most hilarious expressions and physical comedy. In this way, she's much like Joanna Lumbley of "Absolutely Fabulous". Brilliant, beautiful comediennes, the both of them!
Beth has a wonderful number, which introduces her character, called "He Vas My Boyfriend", in which she tells the newly arrived grandson of the famous Dr. Frankenstein, all about her relationship with the now deceased doctor. Too frelling funny! She was all over the stage doing the most hysterical stuff. In some ways, her blocking was reminiscent of the chair number Liza Minnelli does in Cabaret. LOL!! Thankfully, Beth was on stage for about 80% of the show. Woohoo! The woman sitting next to me was very chatty before the show and during intermission. She and her family live on Long Island, and she asked me where I was from. I told her LA, and that I was here to see Eden in Rent. She said, "I thought maybe she [Beth] was your friend, since you've been laughing and cheering for her so much." I explained that I'm a huge fan of Beth's as well, and happily came to this show when I found out she was in it. I had to explain a few production details to her a couple of times and she kept saying, "You must be a professional." LOL! At the end of the show, she said she understood my love of Beth, as she too enjoyed her performance.
After the show I went out the back doors and stood in line at the stage door. It was an organized line like they have for Wicked, here at the Pantages. While we waited for the actors to start coming out and down the line, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten my backpack at the coat check desk. I rushed over to the doors and they were locked, so I went to the "stage door" and inside there was someone at a desk who said they would call to ask someone to bring it down for me. At that moment a female usher came in with my backpack asking if this was mine. YES! Hallelujah! I thanked them and went back out to my original spot in line. Luckily Beth was the first principle actor to come out (a few ensemble actors came out before her). I was shaking with such excitement. I never did stage door at the Ahmanson, so I didn't meet her when she was here with Chaperone. When she came to me in line, I shamelessly gushed about how much I loved her work in Chaperone,  having seen it 4 times in LA. She marveled, "LA?! Wow." It was 4 years ago, after all. I told her how thrilled I was to find out that she was going to be in this production while I was here visiting. I even told her I had 5th row center and was shaking with excitement to see her perform again. "You're brilliant!" She was so overjoyed, thanking me for my "kind words. You're so sweet." After she signed my program I asked her for a picture, and she happily agreed. She was absolutely adorable! The young woman in line after me asked her how long her rehearsal period was before she started doing the show. Beth said less than 2 weeks. This was only her third week of performances. After Beth disappeared down the line, I waited a couple more minutes to see if Megan would come out. When she didn't, I left, because I had to meet Robin at the Nederlander Theatre for the evening performance of RENT.
Sunday night the show was even better and more energized than Saturday's matinee (not surprising). Eden has the most incredible stage presence. She comes on stage towards the end of Act I and just electrifies the theatre. She too is the ultimate stage performer as she is very animated, has a highly expressive face, and a huge voice. (Beth has an amazing voice as well, btw.) And of course, her entrance, as "Maureen", lends so well to her dynamic energy. "Maureen" arrives for her big protest performance on a motorcycle. She's been talked about throughout the whole first act, building up to this infamous performance art piece called "Over the Moon". I've see two other fine actresses do this number, and not to be biased or anything, but I think Eden's is the best rendition! She plays up the idea that "Maureen" isn't all that talented (she coughs at one point, almost tips over at another, has technical difficulties, etc), but highly enthusiastic... if a little egotistical... but lovable! LOL! Sexy, sassy, funny, quirky, dynamic, and fabulous. That's Eden's "Maureen". Hell, that's Eden! Only, unlike Maureen, Eden is exceptionally talented. 
Some of my favorite fun Eden moments are in La Vie Boheme. "Mark" starts this song as a mock funeral for the bohemian way of life (in reaction to "Benny's" statement that "Bohemia is dead.") Several of the guys stand up on their chairs and hold hands in solemn respect. Eden, as "Maureen", takes one of the guy's hands and starts "wailing", while using her other hand to fling "tears" from her eyes. You have to see it to get exactly what I mean, but it is hilarious! Then when "Mark" sings "on this Christmas Eve, as we celebrate the birth..." Eden stands up on her chair, motions an imaginary pregnant stomach on herself, does this squat move, gives a grunt as in "giving birth", and pop! - out with an imaginary baby in her arms, doing the most convincing baby cry you'll every hear... from an adult. LOL! I died laughing. Again, you have to see and hear it to truly appreciate. I've heard her "baby cry" on the "Brooklyn" cd (a show she did on Broadway a few years ago, playing the title character). It was thrilling to hear her do it live. LOL! Boy did she dance up a storm in this number. The cast is obviously having a blast doing this show. Lots of love going around. The second act is more serious in tone, with Maureen and Joanne breaking up several times, yet always making up somehow. They're tempestuous relationship is depicted in the song, "Take Me or Leave Me", and Eden and Tracie Thoms ("Joanne") were even more hot Sunday night than they were during the Saturday matinee. More interactive and playful. Their duet together ROCKED THE HOUSE! Throughout the show these two play off of each other so well. Maureen's dynamic, flirtatious, artistic energy contrasting with Joanne's steady, no-nonsense lawyer. Tracie had only been doing the show with this cast for a week by the time I saw it. She replaced a long time "Joanne" actress, Merle, who got another gig before the show closed, so they brought Tracie in for the last month. Tracie has never done the show on stage before, like Eden. They both had auditioned for it many times over the years. Tracie finally got her shot with the film, and then Eden got her shot this summer when they called last spring asking her to be in the final Broadway cast. Fortunately for Tracie, she's now also getting her chance to do the stage show - and play the original version of Joanne. They changed her up a bit for the film. 
Anyhoo, the cast overall was outstanding. Even Robin loved the show, and she wasn't a big RENT fan going in. She'd seen it in years past, but never got into it. This time, however, she said there was something about this presentation, and her own willingness to be open-minded going into the experience, that she finally got what everyone's been cheering about. She was deeply moved by the show. And of course, she too appreciated Eden's performance, as she's followed her work for a couple of years now, herself.
We caught up with Eden after the show and she seemed quite pleased to see us, remembering Robin from when we saw her in Flora the Red Menace. I asked her to sign my program, explaining that RENT was now my very first Broadway show. I thanked her for being the reason for getting me there. She was touched and said, "Well, I just hope you liked it." At that point I realized that I hadn't said a word about her performance. Robin and I both assured her that we loved it. We loved her and the cast. She said they were having a great time, and I said that it was obvious. She thanked us for coming, we said our good-byes and left. After some dinner at an Irish pub (Yum!) and a lovely walk to Robin's hotel, I took a short 2 hour nap before leaving for the subway that would take me to a bus that would take me to the LGA airport. Thus began what ended up being a 14 and a half hour long travel excursion, from hotel in NYC to my apartment in LA. UGH! Needless to say, when I arrived home I crashed! And THAT is my glorious weekend in NYC!! If you managed to read this whole thing... BLESS YOU! I hope it all makes sense. It's been my way of logging my experience so I don't forget the important details. They may not mean much to anyone else, but they mean the world to me. This was an incredible adventure I wouldn't have missed for anything. ~S *Mon, 9/8/08 RENT closed on Broadway yesterday, 9/7/08: 
What an amazing musical! It's so sad now to think it's over. I'm listening to the cast album right now and crying. I've been suppressing all my history and emotional connections to this show... especially the OBC recording. It was such a revelation to see and hear a MUSICAL with gay people as principle characters. I saw the show 10 years ago and obsessed about the recording. It was around the time I was coming out, so it really meant a great deal to me at that time. I didn't really reflect back on all that till today. I've been so focused on Eden and her involvement in the show that it distracted me from what impact the show itself had on me in years past. It will always be an important, inspiring show to me.
I can't believe I was actually there, seeing it on Broadway... in the theatre that has housed it since the original cast. Wow! It blows my mind to think what everyone experienced yesterday. *sniff* ~S |
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