And this is my back.
June 27th, 2009.
I got my nikyu brown belt today (it's like second-degree brown belt, the place I go to is really strict about black belts, you have to be 18 or older, and really, I've been going so long that I know that it doesn't matter what belt you are, it's how long you've done it and how much you know, so I really don't care)!
I had to get up before ten for the first time in a month. Bummer.
But yeah, the ceremony was at a park, which was kind of sucky because we had to sit on the grass, and I got grass stains on my uniform. :(
It was the first time I'd been promoted in like, three years, because every other year I've had an extra show that has nighttime rehearsals and I haven't been able to go to class right around the time of testing and promotions, so it was nice. I was glad. My friend got his black belt, so that was cool.
My teacher made me demonstrate, which I was totally unprepared for. He made me and my friend who got his black belt do flow techniques (basically, someone punches and the other person keeps them in control, doing different techniques, until they can't anymore), which I did ok on, although I wish I had known ahead of time that I would have to do stuff, because I just kept doing the same techniques over and over again.
And we broke boards also. The ones they use now are RIDICULOUSLY THIN. When I started, we had super-thick boards, now I was holding one to see how thin it was, and broke it with my hands without even trying, lol.
After everything was over, we had a potluck, and then my mom and I left at about 1:30.
Once we got home, I passed out and took a nap, and then woke up at 3:30 to shower and get ready. My getting-ready playlist consisted of Liza at the Palace, Ripley, David Brubeck, and Wale, so I was pretty damn happy, although I ended up running reeeeaaaallly late getting ready.
We left and got my friend Rhyan and left the city at about 5:10, and got to San Fran by 7:20.
My dad dropped us off a couple block off, so we had to walk a bit.
We get to the front of the theatre, and WHAT am I greeted with?
A POSTER ADVERTISING THAT KATHY GRIFFIN WILL BE DOING SHOWS THERE ON SEPTEMBER 5TH AND 6TH.
I AM SO GOING, EVEN THOUGH MY MOTHER HATES HER. HOLY SHIT FUCK YES.
So yeah, I saw that and flipped out and told Rhyan that he had to go with me, which he agreed to. :D
We got our tickets and went to our seats.
Now, the Davies Hall is built a little differently than some halls. They have "terrace seating", which are seats along the side and the back of the stage, above it. Our seats were on the second row on stage right, right along the edge, lined up right with the edge of the stage, so we weren't just looking at her back or even just her profile the whole time. We were probably about twenty feet away from her, so we got to be as close to her as someone sitting in the orchestra for thirty bucks a seat less, so that was nice, and there were only a couple when she was completely turned away from us for more than like, two seconds. I was really pleased with the seats.
And also, there was this adorable 20-something gay couple sitting next to us, they held hands the whole time. <3
The first half of the concert was just the symphony, but it was only a half and hour. They played three overtures, the one from "Girl Crazy", the one from a Rodgers and Hart show that's just completely slipping my mind right now, and then the one from "Candide", which I played in an orchestra a couple years ago, so that one was really interesting to listen to.
It's the San Fransisco Symphony, so of course they were fantastic. I was impressed right off the bad, because the first overture began with the 1st violins, 2nd violins, and violas all playing this really fast melody in complete unison, and holy crap, they were in COMPLETE unison. I've never heard a group of that size play so perfectly together before, oh man. They were really great.
Then intermission came, and I had to go to the bathroom not too badly, but I knew I'd regret it later if I didn't go then, so I went.
So I sit back down, and then I start to get really excited. Like, REALLY REALLY excited, as I'm finally beginning to realize that I'm going to see Bernadette Peters in the next five minutes.
The lights dim, and the orchestra starts playing an overture. I see some movement in the stage left wing, and I see a person. The movement caught my eye, so I kind of just looked off into the wing while listening to the overture (it wasn't an open wing, they were all doors that were closed, but the one farthest downstage was open, and I could see people from the neck down). Then, all of a sudden, I see hair. I see sparkle (she wore this dress). And I see boobs.
Holy crap, that's effing Bernadette Peters.
I can't see her face from the angle I was at, but I can see her from the neck down. She's moving around, looked like she was putting on earrings.
I grab Rhyan and whisper, “I can see her!!!” and motion toward the door. The people in front of me notice too and are looking as well.
For the rest of the overture my face just doesn't move, I'm in such shock, just OMG BERNADETTE PETERS and everything. After a little bit she stops moving around and stands there, crossing and uncrossing her arms. I'm kind of leaning down to try and see her more, and Rhyan is too, and there's a chance she sees us, or that someone does, because the door shuts and I'm like, “Shit, now she thinks we're creepers,” lol, but then it opens again two seconds later, so idk what's up with that. Seriously, I've only ever been so excited and anxious as I was then two other times in my life, the first time I ever met a famous person I liked (Megan Mullally), and in the moments before Meryl Streep came out when I went to Regis and Kelly. It was insane. Then the overture's done and the lights change and the announcer goes, “Ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Bernadette Peters!” And she struts out, dancing across the floor, bowing, and everyone's going wild. She goes across to the other side of the stage and bows, turns up to both sides and the back of the terrace and motions to us, and then immediately goes into “Let Me Entertain You,” which is just fantastic, perfect show opener.
(and this is the point where I decide that I'm tired of writing in present tense, and I'm too lazy to go back and change everything I've written to past tense, so... yeah).
Afterward, she talked for a little bit, welcoming everyone, she made a cute joke about how during Gypsy, she was doing a quick costume change during that song, so she was putting on clothes while her on-stage daughter was talking them off. She talked about San Fran for a bit, and then was like, “Let's see, what else can we talk about? The real estate market is flat-lining. I know because I'm trying to sell my vacation home,” and then pauses and gets this sheepish little grin and says, “...not that I'd try to sell it on stage or anything”.
Then she turned away from the audience and went over to get a drink of water from the piano and goes, “And this is my back.” I'd read a couple of fan reviews of her concerts before, and apparently she's been making that joke for a long time, so I was kind of expecting it, but it was cute nonetheless. The she waved to the people in the center terrace, since they were in fact, not looking at her back, although they would be for most of the concert, lol, and goes, “How are you all up there?!” and everyone cheered and waved at her.
Then she goes and talked about Into The Woods and is like "There was this one song that Cinderalla sang that is just so beautiful, and I always wanted to sing, and I can now, because it's MY show," (it was really cute) and then sang, “No One Is Alone,” which was gorgeous.
Afterward, she immidiately went into “Nothing Like A Dame”, which was one of my absolute FAVORITES of the night. It was just so fun and so bold, very braudy and sexy and sassy.
During it, she went out into the audience and went up to a guy in the fourth aisle and started singing to him, down on her knees, right up in his face. As soon as she came up to him, though, and started singing to him, his arm had already been hanging in the aisle, and he slowly moved it so that it got to the point where his hand was literally right above her ass (in the air, not actually touching her), and I'm just like HOLY SHIT, IS HE REALLY GOING TO GRAB HER ASS?! And she kind of pauses and although I couldn't see her face, I could tell by the audience reaction that it was just a completely hysterical expression, after which he moved his arm back to his side and she kept singing to him, getting even closer in his face.
The guy was so stunned. He sat there with his hand over his mouth, totally just like OMG BERNADETTE PETERS SANG TO ME. Even once she was back on stage and finished the song and everyone was clapping, he didn't even applaud for a few seconds, he was still stunned (oh, god, can you even imagine, Bernadette Peters singing to you?!!? Shit, I would DIE). It was so funny.
But yeah, that part, and the song, and how she did it, and the choreography and everything was just so great, one of my favorites of the night.
And then, the lights change, she pulls her dress to the side, and she lies down on the piano and does, “Fever”. And, holy shit, it was amazing. She went ALL out, moving all over the piano. It was awesome, I love it.
(and this is when I realize that I'm now switching back and forth between past and present tense, and I really don't care. It's 2 AM.)
Some douchebag decided to take a picture right in the middle of it though, with the flash on. People suck. But of course, she kept going.
She then talked about how she was on Regis and Kelly a few days ago (I really wanted to just yell out I SAW YOU ON THAT!!, but I restrained) and told a little story that she told on there.
She then went straight into “Not A Day Goes By”, which really was just beautiful. I couldn't see her face all the time in this one, she directed a lot of it toward the left orchestra side, but I could tell that she was getting really into it just from her voice and the times I did see her face, and also the fact that right afterward, as she headed to the piano to grab a drink of water, she wiped a tear from her eye (I know there's the whole, “Well, she might have just been wiping sweat from her face or something,” but I was close enough, I could tell that she wasn't just wiping her face). This was one of two songs that got to me the most, and it was the absolute one that made me saddest.
Then she did “Mister Snow” from Carousel, which was very cute, and then “Some Enchanted Evening”, which was a great one. She changed all the pronouns to masculine, but I think she might have gone, “Herhis” (accidentally saying “her” and saying “his” really quickly), but I can't quite remember. It was fantastic, although at this point her voice got a little caught, she discreetly coughed to the side of the mic when she had a long pause.
She talked a little more, and said, “It's six bedrooms, five baths,” (in reference to her trying to sell her vacation house), and it was funny. She kind of talked less as she went through the concert.
Then she talked a little about a show she just did in Australia, and she did, “I Honestly Love You” as a really slow, emotional ballad, which I LOVED. It was just perfection. Her voice got a little messed up on this one too, she seemed to have something in her throat, but it didn't happen again after this song.
Then the lights drastically changed was all scary-like and everything, and she went into “Johanna”, which was FANTASTIC. She sounds fabulous, and the way she held some of the notes and sang them so loudly and powerfully sent chills down my spine.
She talked about Sondheim for a little bit, and then said that she loved him so much that she was going to sing nothing but his songs for the rest of the concert, which everyone cheered for, and I was happy about, because Sondheim = AMAZING, and Bernadette is just so good at his stuff (I WAS a little disappointed because I had been hoping she would do “Time Heals Everything”, but it was ok).
Then she went into “Children Will Listen”, which was another real emotional one, just fabulous. I saw her wipe a tear away again after this one as well. <3
At this point, I was super-excited, because the violins didn't play during “Children Will Listen”, so right after Johanna, they set up their music for the next song after that, and the writing was big enough so I could see what it was... “Being Alive”. The main one I wanted her to do SO badly.
Anyway, after Children Will Listen, she goes, “Now, I just couldn't end the concert without doing this one,” and she goes into, “Being Alive”. And I just died. I've always LOVED her rendition of this song, and getting to see her perform it live was just phenomenal. She puts so much emotion into it, and the way she does it is just so believable and true (although, one can't help but wonder how crazy it must be, or at least, how crazy it was a few years ago, to do that song after her husband died. I know she's an actress and blahblahblah, but really, you can only go so far, and just.... that must be or must have been one hell of a song to do). I just loved it, it was even more amazing that I had expected it to be. She got a standing ovation, bowed, left the stage, came back, everyone was still clapping, and finally she just starts going, “Sit, sit, sit, sit,” to everyone, and everyone laughed and sat down.
She then talked a bit about Gypsy as her musical director helped her put on a black jacket, about how much she had always wanted to play Mama Rose and how amazing of a journey it was, and then she just went straight into the lines right before “Rose's Turn”, which was just a total show-stopper. How she ever lost the Tony for her performance in Gypsy, I'll never know. God, it was just perfection.
Something weird happened though and idk if it was on purpose. She got to the “Why did I do it?” part, and she's going through, and she's doing fine until she gets where she's supposed to say “scrapbooks full of me in the background” - instead she said “thanks a lot and out with the garbage”. And I'm like, “...shit.” Like, what's she going to do now, she already said it. Then she just kind of said it like, four more times. Something like this (I don't know for sure, but if this isn't exactly how she said it, it's quite similar as to how she did): “Give 'em love and out with the garbage? What does it get ya?
One quick look and out with the garbage. All your life and what does it get ya? Thanks a lot and out with the garbage.” I don't know if this is something she's been doing, or she just messed up (which, I mean, I can understand of course, although I don't see how it could be that possible, she did the role for so long, although she might have just been really really into the song) and she added it all the extra times as if to make Rose seem extra-crazy, as opposed to just leaving it as it was and only saying “out with the garbage” just once more, making the fact that it was a mistake (if it was) much more noticeable. I don't really know. It didn't affect her delivery of the song or anything, it was still fantastic, it just confused me a little bit. She pulled it off fantastically either way, she didn't stumble over it or anything.
She got another standing ovation, went around bowing, motioning up to both sides and the back of the terrace, and then, when she had done all her bows and we were still clapping, went “sit, sit, sit,” to us again.
She ended on a beautiful note, talking about how her children's book came to be, thanking us for being a great audience before going down to the audience and walking in front of the stage to sing “Kramer's Song” (a song she wrote to go along with her children's book, “Kramer” being the name of her own dog), which was sweet and very beautiful, and then said, “Kiss your children and dogs goodnight, thank you!” as she walked back onstage and exited, which I thought was really sweet.
It was honestly one of the most phenomenal theatrical experiences of my life so far. I'm really not exaggerating when I say I'll never forget this date. I'm still on cloud nine, I'm so happy. It was just phenomenal. She's such a great performer, her voice is still fantastic, she's such a versatile performer, and one of the things I love most, she performs just so believably and true, so much so that you almost forget that she's performing, and you're not just listening to a friend talking about their woes. I really really really hope she goes back to Broadway someday (although it won't be the end of the world if she doesn't, her concerts are more than amazing).
Also, she did, several times, both during songs and in-between songs, made a point to direct her attention or even just turn toward the side terraces, which was really nice. There were a couple of times where she may have been looking at me, although of course I could be wrong (although, maybe not, because a lot of the time, especially during applause, I had a big dorky grin on my face and was sitting on the edge of my chair, whereas the rest of the people in my section just weren't, lol).
And, she's so goddamn hot. I want whatever blood she's drinking, man, if you told me she was 40 and I didn't already know her age, I would totally believe you. And DAMN, she's buff. But not in a gross way. Like, she would move in certain ways, I noticed especially in “Fever”, and I could see the muscles in her legs and arms, and just DAMN. And her ass is pretty much perfection, lol. She's so gorgeous irl.
So yeah. Me, being an indecisive crazy person, couldn't decide if I wanted to try and stagedoor, so Ryhan and I just kind of walked around the theatre for a bit (my dad had taken us, and the concert ended earlier than when we told him to pick us up, so we had time to kill anyway), and then finally my friend was just like, “Let's just go stagedoor,” so we did, and by that time there were more people there, which was good (I HATE being the first person at a stagedoor, especially when there's not legit set-up or anything, and there wasn't there). We had waited a few minutes when I saw her musical director come out with a bunch of people, and I didn't realize until I saw a flash of curly hair getting into a car that they were whisking Bernadette away. I really didn't care, I was only like .005% disappointed, lol, although now I am determined to meet her SOMEDAY, haha.
It was just amazing. A++++++ plus a squllion times infinity. I'm going to go to every single concert of hers that I can from now on. I'm SO happy I got to go. The ultimate highlight of my summer.
And I'm going to stop now, because I'm running out of ways to say how amazing it was. :)
I got my nikyu brown belt today (it's like second-degree brown belt, the place I go to is really strict about black belts, you have to be 18 or older, and really, I've been going so long that I know that it doesn't matter what belt you are, it's how long you've done it and how much you know, so I really don't care)!
I had to get up before ten for the first time in a month. Bummer.
But yeah, the ceremony was at a park, which was kind of sucky because we had to sit on the grass, and I got grass stains on my uniform. :(
It was the first time I'd been promoted in like, three years, because every other year I've had an extra show that has nighttime rehearsals and I haven't been able to go to class right around the time of testing and promotions, so it was nice. I was glad. My friend got his black belt, so that was cool.
My teacher made me demonstrate, which I was totally unprepared for. He made me and my friend who got his black belt do flow techniques (basically, someone punches and the other person keeps them in control, doing different techniques, until they can't anymore), which I did ok on, although I wish I had known ahead of time that I would have to do stuff, because I just kept doing the same techniques over and over again.
And we broke boards also. The ones they use now are RIDICULOUSLY THIN. When I started, we had super-thick boards, now I was holding one to see how thin it was, and broke it with my hands without even trying, lol.
After everything was over, we had a potluck, and then my mom and I left at about 1:30.
Once we got home, I passed out and took a nap, and then woke up at 3:30 to shower and get ready. My getting-ready playlist consisted of Liza at the Palace, Ripley, David Brubeck, and Wale, so I was pretty damn happy, although I ended up running reeeeaaaallly late getting ready.
We left and got my friend Rhyan and left the city at about 5:10, and got to San Fran by 7:20.
My dad dropped us off a couple block off, so we had to walk a bit.
We get to the front of the theatre, and WHAT am I greeted with?
A POSTER ADVERTISING THAT KATHY GRIFFIN WILL BE DOING SHOWS THERE ON SEPTEMBER 5TH AND 6TH.
I AM SO GOING, EVEN THOUGH MY MOTHER HATES HER. HOLY SHIT FUCK YES.
So yeah, I saw that and flipped out and told Rhyan that he had to go with me, which he agreed to. :D
We got our tickets and went to our seats.
Now, the Davies Hall is built a little differently than some halls. They have "terrace seating", which are seats along the side and the back of the stage, above it. Our seats were on the second row on stage right, right along the edge, lined up right with the edge of the stage, so we weren't just looking at her back or even just her profile the whole time. We were probably about twenty feet away from her, so we got to be as close to her as someone sitting in the orchestra for thirty bucks a seat less, so that was nice, and there were only a couple when she was completely turned away from us for more than like, two seconds. I was really pleased with the seats.
And also, there was this adorable 20-something gay couple sitting next to us, they held hands the whole time. <3
The first half of the concert was just the symphony, but it was only a half and hour. They played three overtures, the one from "Girl Crazy", the one from a Rodgers and Hart show that's just completely slipping my mind right now, and then the one from "Candide", which I played in an orchestra a couple years ago, so that one was really interesting to listen to.
It's the San Fransisco Symphony, so of course they were fantastic. I was impressed right off the bad, because the first overture began with the 1st violins, 2nd violins, and violas all playing this really fast melody in complete unison, and holy crap, they were in COMPLETE unison. I've never heard a group of that size play so perfectly together before, oh man. They were really great.
Then intermission came, and I had to go to the bathroom not too badly, but I knew I'd regret it later if I didn't go then, so I went.
So I sit back down, and then I start to get really excited. Like, REALLY REALLY excited, as I'm finally beginning to realize that I'm going to see Bernadette Peters in the next five minutes.
The lights dim, and the orchestra starts playing an overture. I see some movement in the stage left wing, and I see a person. The movement caught my eye, so I kind of just looked off into the wing while listening to the overture (it wasn't an open wing, they were all doors that were closed, but the one farthest downstage was open, and I could see people from the neck down). Then, all of a sudden, I see hair. I see sparkle (she wore this dress). And I see boobs.
Holy crap, that's effing Bernadette Peters.
I can't see her face from the angle I was at, but I can see her from the neck down. She's moving around, looked like she was putting on earrings.
I grab Rhyan and whisper, “I can see her!!!” and motion toward the door. The people in front of me notice too and are looking as well.
For the rest of the overture my face just doesn't move, I'm in such shock, just OMG BERNADETTE PETERS and everything. After a little bit she stops moving around and stands there, crossing and uncrossing her arms. I'm kind of leaning down to try and see her more, and Rhyan is too, and there's a chance she sees us, or that someone does, because the door shuts and I'm like, “Shit, now she thinks we're creepers,” lol, but then it opens again two seconds later, so idk what's up with that. Seriously, I've only ever been so excited and anxious as I was then two other times in my life, the first time I ever met a famous person I liked (Megan Mullally), and in the moments before Meryl Streep came out when I went to Regis and Kelly. It was insane. Then the overture's done and the lights change and the announcer goes, “Ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Bernadette Peters!” And she struts out, dancing across the floor, bowing, and everyone's going wild. She goes across to the other side of the stage and bows, turns up to both sides and the back of the terrace and motions to us, and then immediately goes into “Let Me Entertain You,” which is just fantastic, perfect show opener.
(and this is the point where I decide that I'm tired of writing in present tense, and I'm too lazy to go back and change everything I've written to past tense, so... yeah).
Afterward, she talked for a little bit, welcoming everyone, she made a cute joke about how during Gypsy, she was doing a quick costume change during that song, so she was putting on clothes while her on-stage daughter was talking them off. She talked about San Fran for a bit, and then was like, “Let's see, what else can we talk about? The real estate market is flat-lining. I know because I'm trying to sell my vacation home,” and then pauses and gets this sheepish little grin and says, “...not that I'd try to sell it on stage or anything”.
Then she turned away from the audience and went over to get a drink of water from the piano and goes, “And this is my back.” I'd read a couple of fan reviews of her concerts before, and apparently she's been making that joke for a long time, so I was kind of expecting it, but it was cute nonetheless. The she waved to the people in the center terrace, since they were in fact, not looking at her back, although they would be for most of the concert, lol, and goes, “How are you all up there?!” and everyone cheered and waved at her.
Then she goes and talked about Into The Woods and is like "There was this one song that Cinderalla sang that is just so beautiful, and I always wanted to sing, and I can now, because it's MY show," (it was really cute) and then sang, “No One Is Alone,” which was gorgeous.
Afterward, she immidiately went into “Nothing Like A Dame”, which was one of my absolute FAVORITES of the night. It was just so fun and so bold, very braudy and sexy and sassy.
During it, she went out into the audience and went up to a guy in the fourth aisle and started singing to him, down on her knees, right up in his face. As soon as she came up to him, though, and started singing to him, his arm had already been hanging in the aisle, and he slowly moved it so that it got to the point where his hand was literally right above her ass (in the air, not actually touching her), and I'm just like HOLY SHIT, IS HE REALLY GOING TO GRAB HER ASS?! And she kind of pauses and although I couldn't see her face, I could tell by the audience reaction that it was just a completely hysterical expression, after which he moved his arm back to his side and she kept singing to him, getting even closer in his face.
The guy was so stunned. He sat there with his hand over his mouth, totally just like OMG BERNADETTE PETERS SANG TO ME. Even once she was back on stage and finished the song and everyone was clapping, he didn't even applaud for a few seconds, he was still stunned (oh, god, can you even imagine, Bernadette Peters singing to you?!!? Shit, I would DIE). It was so funny.
But yeah, that part, and the song, and how she did it, and the choreography and everything was just so great, one of my favorites of the night.
And then, the lights change, she pulls her dress to the side, and she lies down on the piano and does, “Fever”. And, holy shit, it was amazing. She went ALL out, moving all over the piano. It was awesome, I love it.
(and this is when I realize that I'm now switching back and forth between past and present tense, and I really don't care. It's 2 AM.)
Some douchebag decided to take a picture right in the middle of it though, with the flash on. People suck. But of course, she kept going.
She then talked about how she was on Regis and Kelly a few days ago (I really wanted to just yell out I SAW YOU ON THAT!!, but I restrained) and told a little story that she told on there.
She then went straight into “Not A Day Goes By”, which really was just beautiful. I couldn't see her face all the time in this one, she directed a lot of it toward the left orchestra side, but I could tell that she was getting really into it just from her voice and the times I did see her face, and also the fact that right afterward, as she headed to the piano to grab a drink of water, she wiped a tear from her eye (I know there's the whole, “Well, she might have just been wiping sweat from her face or something,” but I was close enough, I could tell that she wasn't just wiping her face). This was one of two songs that got to me the most, and it was the absolute one that made me saddest.
Then she did “Mister Snow” from Carousel, which was very cute, and then “Some Enchanted Evening”, which was a great one. She changed all the pronouns to masculine, but I think she might have gone, “Herhis” (accidentally saying “her” and saying “his” really quickly), but I can't quite remember. It was fantastic, although at this point her voice got a little caught, she discreetly coughed to the side of the mic when she had a long pause.
She talked a little more, and said, “It's six bedrooms, five baths,” (in reference to her trying to sell her vacation house), and it was funny. She kind of talked less as she went through the concert.
Then she talked a little about a show she just did in Australia, and she did, “I Honestly Love You” as a really slow, emotional ballad, which I LOVED. It was just perfection. Her voice got a little messed up on this one too, she seemed to have something in her throat, but it didn't happen again after this song.
Then the lights drastically changed was all scary-like and everything, and she went into “Johanna”, which was FANTASTIC. She sounds fabulous, and the way she held some of the notes and sang them so loudly and powerfully sent chills down my spine.
She talked about Sondheim for a little bit, and then said that she loved him so much that she was going to sing nothing but his songs for the rest of the concert, which everyone cheered for, and I was happy about, because Sondheim = AMAZING, and Bernadette is just so good at his stuff (I WAS a little disappointed because I had been hoping she would do “Time Heals Everything”, but it was ok).
Then she went into “Children Will Listen”, which was another real emotional one, just fabulous. I saw her wipe a tear away again after this one as well. <3
At this point, I was super-excited, because the violins didn't play during “Children Will Listen”, so right after Johanna, they set up their music for the next song after that, and the writing was big enough so I could see what it was... “Being Alive”. The main one I wanted her to do SO badly.
Anyway, after Children Will Listen, she goes, “Now, I just couldn't end the concert without doing this one,” and she goes into, “Being Alive”. And I just died. I've always LOVED her rendition of this song, and getting to see her perform it live was just phenomenal. She puts so much emotion into it, and the way she does it is just so believable and true (although, one can't help but wonder how crazy it must be, or at least, how crazy it was a few years ago, to do that song after her husband died. I know she's an actress and blahblahblah, but really, you can only go so far, and just.... that must be or must have been one hell of a song to do). I just loved it, it was even more amazing that I had expected it to be. She got a standing ovation, bowed, left the stage, came back, everyone was still clapping, and finally she just starts going, “Sit, sit, sit, sit,” to everyone, and everyone laughed and sat down.
She then talked a bit about Gypsy as her musical director helped her put on a black jacket, about how much she had always wanted to play Mama Rose and how amazing of a journey it was, and then she just went straight into the lines right before “Rose's Turn”, which was just a total show-stopper. How she ever lost the Tony for her performance in Gypsy, I'll never know. God, it was just perfection.
Something weird happened though and idk if it was on purpose. She got to the “Why did I do it?” part, and she's going through, and she's doing fine until she gets where she's supposed to say “scrapbooks full of me in the background” - instead she said “thanks a lot and out with the garbage”. And I'm like, “...shit.” Like, what's she going to do now, she already said it. Then she just kind of said it like, four more times. Something like this (I don't know for sure, but if this isn't exactly how she said it, it's quite similar as to how she did): “Give 'em love and out with the garbage? What does it get ya?
One quick look and out with the garbage. All your life and what does it get ya? Thanks a lot and out with the garbage.” I don't know if this is something she's been doing, or she just messed up (which, I mean, I can understand of course, although I don't see how it could be that possible, she did the role for so long, although she might have just been really really into the song) and she added it all the extra times as if to make Rose seem extra-crazy, as opposed to just leaving it as it was and only saying “out with the garbage” just once more, making the fact that it was a mistake (if it was) much more noticeable. I don't really know. It didn't affect her delivery of the song or anything, it was still fantastic, it just confused me a little bit. She pulled it off fantastically either way, she didn't stumble over it or anything.
She got another standing ovation, went around bowing, motioning up to both sides and the back of the terrace, and then, when she had done all her bows and we were still clapping, went “sit, sit, sit,” to us again.
She ended on a beautiful note, talking about how her children's book came to be, thanking us for being a great audience before going down to the audience and walking in front of the stage to sing “Kramer's Song” (a song she wrote to go along with her children's book, “Kramer” being the name of her own dog), which was sweet and very beautiful, and then said, “Kiss your children and dogs goodnight, thank you!” as she walked back onstage and exited, which I thought was really sweet.
It was honestly one of the most phenomenal theatrical experiences of my life so far. I'm really not exaggerating when I say I'll never forget this date. I'm still on cloud nine, I'm so happy. It was just phenomenal. She's such a great performer, her voice is still fantastic, she's such a versatile performer, and one of the things I love most, she performs just so believably and true, so much so that you almost forget that she's performing, and you're not just listening to a friend talking about their woes. I really really really hope she goes back to Broadway someday (although it won't be the end of the world if she doesn't, her concerts are more than amazing).
Also, she did, several times, both during songs and in-between songs, made a point to direct her attention or even just turn toward the side terraces, which was really nice. There were a couple of times where she may have been looking at me, although of course I could be wrong (although, maybe not, because a lot of the time, especially during applause, I had a big dorky grin on my face and was sitting on the edge of my chair, whereas the rest of the people in my section just weren't, lol).
And, she's so goddamn hot. I want whatever blood she's drinking, man, if you told me she was 40 and I didn't already know her age, I would totally believe you. And DAMN, she's buff. But not in a gross way. Like, she would move in certain ways, I noticed especially in “Fever”, and I could see the muscles in her legs and arms, and just DAMN. And her ass is pretty much perfection, lol. She's so gorgeous irl.
So yeah. Me, being an indecisive crazy person, couldn't decide if I wanted to try and stagedoor, so Ryhan and I just kind of walked around the theatre for a bit (my dad had taken us, and the concert ended earlier than when we told him to pick us up, so we had time to kill anyway), and then finally my friend was just like, “Let's just go stagedoor,” so we did, and by that time there were more people there, which was good (I HATE being the first person at a stagedoor, especially when there's not legit set-up or anything, and there wasn't there). We had waited a few minutes when I saw her musical director come out with a bunch of people, and I didn't realize until I saw a flash of curly hair getting into a car that they were whisking Bernadette away. I really didn't care, I was only like .005% disappointed, lol, although now I am determined to meet her SOMEDAY, haha.
It was just amazing. A++++++ plus a squllion times infinity. I'm going to go to every single concert of hers that I can from now on. I'm SO happy I got to go. The ultimate highlight of my summer.
And I'm going to stop now, because I'm running out of ways to say how amazing it was. :)