#17: Show Time
To continue my narrative: I had just delivered my welcoming speech, which went over about as well as you’d expect a speech telling people to turn off their phones and that the john’s in the basement would. I walked back my seat, gritted my teeth, and braced myself for the ordeal. It promised to be a long two hours.
The lights came up on the first scene. I had seen bits of the opening several times, but it was crisper now and tighter and everyone was wearing colorful costumes and remembering their lines. They moved smoothly through the opening two songs and the entrance of the two leading men, Fanshawe and Hughes. They sang their duet and did a quick little dance that was really sweet and funny. Hughes flirted with the innkeeper’s daughter, Cherry, and sang his solo along with another cute dance with the two of them. It was charming.
Then came the second scene. Julia (the prettiest and the richest girl in town) and the three female ensemble members came out dressed in their going-to-church finery. The costumes were stunning, the girls were gorgeous, and I had to haul my jaw off the floor. Julia sang her song beautifully and the ensemble sang their wonderful backup harmonies. They were amazing and delightful and endearing. I was amazed—not to mention delighted and endeared.
The show went on like that, building pleasure upon pleasure, the first act ending in a glorious ballad for Julia and Fanshawe with soaring harmonies and a romantic dance.
By intermission you could tell the show was going to be a hit. Of course I had never doubted that it would be. How could it not be a hit with such a funny script, such clever lyrics, and such tuneful songs—not to mention an amazing cast and a crack production team? Right from the start anyone could see it was going to be a hit; it was an absolute certainty.
I rushed to the bar, guzzled a glass of wine, then spent the interval talking to friends and well-wishers.
I knew that the second act was going to be no problem. Unlike a lot of musicals that suffer from second act trouble, my show had a second act that couldn’t fail. It included a huge, rousing chorus number, a sword fight (who doesn’t like a sword fight?), tender loves scenes, and a ridiculously happy ending.
What I didn’t count on was the audience reaction to Sir William, who first comes on in the second act. The moment he stepped on the stage he was the audience favorite. Everyone who talked to me afterwards said, “Sir William was my favorite!” Everyone who wrote me said, “Sir William was my favorite!” Jeez, people, can’t you be more creative than that? He wasn’t the only thing in the show, you know! Sheesh.
Following the tying up of all the loose plot ends and getting everyone married off, the show wrapped up to thunderous applause. The cast took their bows, motioned to the pianists on their left, and motioned to the members of the production team in the lighting booth. I thought they would then motion to me and I would wave at everyone from my seat. Or maybe I would stand up and wave. I hadn’t decided yet.
But they never motioned to me at all.
Then something happened that I hadn’t expected. Jay, who played Hughes (aka the footman), walked back to where I was sitting and, against my wishes, not to mention my better judgment, hauled me up to the front of the theater. As the audience applauded I stood there grinning like an idiot, not having the vaguest idea what I was supposed to do once I was up there. Logan, standing to my right, was trying to get me to bow. Finally, to make it plain, he started to bow (see photo). So I started to bow and then the rest of the front row started to bow and then the rest of the cast bowed in what must have been the least coordinated bow the theater has ever seen. I hope it looked endearingly goofy and not just inane.
From there I retreated to the back of the hall where everyone congratulated me on their way out. It felt like being in the reception line at a wedding. But I was pleased that everyone had had such fun, which had been my goal from the start.
Afterwards, I went out with friends and talked about the show and about old times and got home far too late and slept in far too late and soon it was time to do it all again.
