RSL in "Born Yesterday" One Mo' Time
My husband has wanted to see "Born Yesterday" since he came home to find me and flywoman lying post-coitally in my living room having been exposed to the sexy awesomeness that is Robert Sean Leonard. (To clarify, we didn't have sex with each other! Although I think we both regretted not kidnapping RSL). Also he wanted to see the play. I wasn't so sure I wanted to see it again, but hey, RSL! So we went on Saturday and sat in the orchestera, stage right, audience left.
The play has changed a great deal since I first saw it right before opening night. The performances have more nuance and the characters are more filled out. RSL makes the character of Paul much more three-dimensional, and his scenes with Nina Arianda have been restaged to show that he is SO IN LOVE with her. She feels that the moment has passed after their first kiss in Act One. The first time, that kiss came out of nowhere, but they've restaged it so there is a real build-up between Paul and Billie and ASDFGHJKL...
Also our seat angle pointed us directly at RSL, who spends a lot of the play stage right.
Afterwards, the spouse decided he wanted to wait by the stage door (beforehand he didn't want to). When RSL came out, in a stretched out t-shirt and jeans, he was in a great mood. I had deliberately moved us to the first area he goes to--I haven't stood there twice for nothing--and he began chatting with the fans and signing tickets and programs. He more or less acknowledged the "I love you on House" squeals with a small smile. My husband said, "You were great!" and he looked up and said, "Thanks!" enthusiastically. I think he brightened because we weren't fangirls (or at least we didn't look like fan girls). "I wish you could stay in New York!" I said. He looked straight at me with this huge smile that made my knees go weak and responded, "I wish I could, too!" I'm pretty sure I was hallucinating but it seemed like we made some sort of real connection in that moment. Every time I think about it I get hot and bothered. The memory of those brown eyes and thick eyebrows and smile...guh...
No pics, because I didn't think we were gong to go to the stage door, dammit. We stayed for Jim Belushi coming out the door, but weren't interested and left.
This morning my husband remarked, "I'm more of a Hilson than ever." OMG OMG OMG OMG.
* For those that don't know, stage right, stage center, and stage left are the parts of the stage when you are facing the audience. Audience left is the other way around.