The night that I almost Didn't see the Great Comet

I wasn't going to do two blog posts this weekend but with everything that has happened in the past week, I want people to know what I think of this show. If one person goes to see it I will feel that i have accomplished something.

This Broadway season has been ridiculous! So many amazing shows have opened this year. One job that I would not have wanted this year..... Tony Voter. Seriously folks, I cannot even imagine how difficult their job was.

My best friend of over 25 years texted me to inform me that there were tickets available. They were premium seats. I was not paying $400.

I almost did not see Great Comet. . .

After an annoying meeting at work I made a decision. I would go to the Imperial. I would see if they had any seats. If they did not, I would go across the street to see Come from Away again, or I would see A Dolls House.

Guess what????

Duh. I got the LAST SEAT IN THE HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I arrived at the box office the associate looked less than thrilled to see me. I asked if there was anything left for that night. She said there was one seat and pointed out where Josh would be. I found that odd, and I was slightly offended because while I was excited to see Josh, that was not the only reason that I was seeing the show. I decided to get the ticket. I asked if people were being kind to them in the box office. She said no, patrons were being awful. Seriously folks, be nicer to the box office and house staff.

So, I got THE LAST TICKET IN THE THEATRE!!!As I walked back to my office I chose to get a gift for the box office.

I just wanted them to know that some people are truly thankful for what they do. I went to the box office to drop off the flowers and the staff looked confused. I told them that the person that I had spoken to earlier seemed to not be having a great day and I wanted to thank them. I know from my job working WITH box office managers and staff that these people are not treated very well.

One thing you should know about me, I'm not a huge fan of actors intermingling with the audience. Remember that episode of Gilmore Girls where Rory and Lorelai are watching the performance at Miss Patty's and all of the kids come into the audience to perform Magic to do? Yeah....this one That's normally my reaction.

This night, everything was different. I settled in to be transported to Moscow. I even got a dumpling!

Before the show started the very kind couple sitting next to me said "that's Lin"

Yup, it was. . . . I would be experiencing this amazing show at the same time as Lin Manuel Miranda. I would later learn that Leslie Odom Jr. Was in the house with his lovely wife, Oak was in the house, AND Laverne Cox was also in the house. (45th street was a real joy when the theatre emptied)

The show started and I was glued. I was surrounded by some of the most incredible orchestrations that I have ever heard. This production happens all around you. The performers are everywhere, and so are the musicians. The First time that I heard Grace McLean belt out "Welcome to Moscow" I think I knew I was in for a ride, and I was very willing to enjoy it.

Denee Benton actually glows on stage. I realize that you are not supposed to leave a theatre humming the lighting design, but the moment that was created by Bradley King at the end of "No One Else" Is truly the most beautiful lighting that I have ever seen. She is standing on stage glowing amongst the stars. it was breathtaking.
So many moments stand out in the show, It's just so impossible to take it all in. It's constantly moving, constantly changing. Once you settle in to a scene, and you are instantly transported.

At the end of act 1 all I could say was Wow. Yes, out loud.

As Act 2 started I realized that I hadn't listened to act 2 much. I listen to music on my commute to work. Since Comet is a longer soundtrack, I don't think I had ever listened to the entirety of Act 2. That might explain why during Sonya Alone I just wanted to reach out and hug Brittain Ashford. My heart still aches every time I listen to it.

Having not listened to all of Act 2, I had never experienced the final scene. If I didn't love Josh Groban before, and yes... I'm an admitted Grobanite, I loved him more after this scene.

So much happens in this show, it's impossible to put into words. The beauty on stage, the talent of every single person performing. It's overwhelming.

My lesson to you all, theatre doesn't last forever. Not every show is going to run for years at a time. Some choices were made by producers, and whether those were the right choices or not i will never say. Yes, I have strong opinions about what was done. But that is not what this blog is about.

If you cannot get to New York to see Comet, find a show to see locally. Support the ENTIRE production.

Before I saw Come From Away (Because it needs come context)

During that "week of Shows" in June I saw Come From Away. I want to give you a bit of background on me before I saw this show, and what lead up to it, so that you understand why so much of what I say about the show is so emotionally driven.

How did I hear about Come From Away

I follow a number of blogs and one of them is OnStage. I enjoy the opinions of others, and blogging is a great place for that. Well, April of 2016 I read this As I read the article now, I realize that I probably should not have been as angry about it as I was in April of 2016. But when I read this, I was angry.

I was not in New York on 9/11. I was in North Carolina. I had never felt so alone in my life, and yet I was embraced by the people that were around me at the time. All of us were away from home, we were nomads working a summer Shakespeare Festival. I had also never heard this story of Gander. I was intrigued.

In April of 2016 when I read this article I was angry. I was angry because I have heard so many people say "you weren't in New York, so you did not experience 9/11" I will NEVER diminish what it must have been like that day in New York. I will never even try and imagine it.

Okay, so we have established..... the blog post made me angry. So, as soon as I read that post I wanted to know more. I read up on the show, I saw where it was, how it was doing. I found out more about Gander, and I made plans to see this show early. I was actually planning to see it during previews on Presidents Day weekend. My friend and coworker, a fellow theatre junkie like myself, decided to make a weekend of it. We had been trying to do this for years and never had. She knew someone in the show, I wanted to see it, and we had a long weekend. So, we decided we would see it.

Why Previews didn't happen

President's Day Weekend previews did not happen. Not only because plans fell through, but because I lost that Friend on January 16th. The day that we should have been sitting in the Schoenfeld, I was watching her memorial service via a facebook live feed.

But here is the thing, in the sadness and loss, I had actually forgotten about us making those plans. I forgot until I was actually in New York. I was working out of our New York office. I had been listening to the soundtrack, and of course to Jenn Colella. For some reason, the name started to ring a bell. I looked at her bio and I saw that Jenn had been in Chaplin. Cristin LOVED Chaplin. She's actually possibly the only person that I know that saw Chaplin.

I spoke with a coworker about this, and we found this picture on Cristin's Facebook:

Immediately so many things came back to me. How much Cristin admired Jenn. How she had worked with her on a show at the York Theatre, how she had gone to see so many of her shows. I hate that I couldn't see this with Cristin.

I made a couple of decisions there and then.
1. If there is a performer that I know Cristin admired, not only will I find a way to see their shows, I will be sure to thank them for bringing so much joy to her life.
2. If there is a performance that touches me, I will make sure that the performer receives a note as to how much their performance touched me.

So, that's my BCFA post. I hope that when you read my post about my reactions to the show, this will make sense.

Oh yeah, see come from away! you won't regret it.