Well, dear readers, we had the closing performance of Welcome to My World. Thankfully we had a pretty full theater and they were a very good audience. There were a few under tens there, and I would make ten or eleven the cut-off age for this show, frankly. Sami did a great job and took us home in high style. She’d asked me before the show if she could choose the audience member for the Frog number and I said yes. I knew it was going to be me and it was. It works better with someone who doesn’t know the show and who is surprised to be taken up – the more awkward the better, but it all worked out very well because knowing what she needs to have it be funny, I just gave it to her. The audience had fun during that. This past week (from last Sunday to now) has been the turning point for Sami – she just entered a whole new place and delivered the exact show I wanted – every song, every monologue, the timing, the heart – she got her laughs, she moved people to tears, and it was so gratifying and special to watch her take this difficult journey. I would hope it’s something she’ll remember forever.
I get very emotional at show closings, but this one even more so. I’ll genuinely miss it and I do hope we get to do it again at some point, even if just a few performances. There were lots of fun folks but the interesting thing about this performance was that there were a lot of folks there, including younger folks, that none of us knew. One mom and her eleven-year-old daughter had come from Orange County, having read about the show. The daughter said that it was like literally watching her life on stage. My pal Howard Green from Disney was there, as was my friend M’lisa MacLaren. Also, two people from the Pro-99 group that wants to save 99-seat theater – they really had a good time and it was great to have them there – plus we have a 99-seat theater joke in the show. There was also an old high school chum of mine there.
After the performance, the set was struck while we schmoozed with the audience. It’s going into storage so if we need it again, we have it. Then Sami, her mom, Alby, our stage manager Victoria, our producer Greer Geissman (her folks came to see it again) and I all went to Genghis Cohen for our celebration dinner. The food was, as always, incredible, and Sami and mom gave me a nice group photo, plus an incredible book of memories, beginning with the private reading, then the workshop, rehearsals for the production and the production – filled with wonderful photographs. I think I can link to it online – if so, I’ll post the link in tomorrow’s notes. Then I gave Sami her two presents. The first was my first working copy of the title song from Welcome to My World – the body of it is typed, but there are tons of pen changes to it, where you can see me smoothing it out, adding things, cutting things. Plus, at the bottom I’ve scribbled the idea of opening the show with the character doing the cell phone announcement, and there’s also a random line of dialogue at the bottom – that line is still in the show. She loved that. I never give working drafts to anyone and she loved the inscription. Then I gave her present number two, which was an original sketch by my pal and Disney art guy James Mulligan, who also did the cover for Red Gold. Well, she flipped out when she saw it. She’s now the proud owner of an original Mulligan but more importantly an original Mulligan of HER. Here it is.
So, this part of the journey is done and, as I said, I’ll sure miss it. Now it’s on to the Kritzerland show, then working on the new revue for next year. Here’s a photo from the show I didn’t want to share while it was running. Towards the end, she has a monologue about the teen idols of today and how they have no class or style, which leads her into talking about her love of old movies starring two people who had class and style in spades. She then begins the number, which is about Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly – Sami stopped the show nightly with it – it’s a big song and tap number. So, here she is with her favorites – they move too, on wheels.
Prior to the show, I’d gotten eight hours of sleep. I didn’t have much time to do anything before moseying on over to the theater. After dinner, I came home, answered e-mails, and finished the commentary, then read through it, cut it down a bit and I think it’s fine now.
Today, I really need to just do nothing and relax and get my head together for what’s coming up. There have been some irritants to deal with – it’s all fine, but it’s just, well, irritating. The real helper will be back on Thursday and that will be good, as there’s a ton of stuff we’ll need to do. So, I’ll eat, I’ll do a jog, I’ll have some telephonic calls, and then I just need to clear the old noggin’.
Tomorrow, it’s back in work mode. There’s some writing to do, meetings and meals, a work session for the Kritzerland show, and lots o’ other stuff.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, relax, eat, jog, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What is the most out of character thing you’ve ever done? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had such a nice closing performance.