The Best Night of My Life... So Far
'Kay, so now that I'm all settled in and everything, I have time to tell you about my awesome Anthony Rapp encounter.
So me and my mom got to the Nederlander, and the line was winding 'round the whole building. No that that really matters, as the seating is assigned. But anyway. We got in and everything's just like it was last time, but there's a new electricity in the air. We wait. And then, just like that, Adam Pascal comes on stage. It's almost odd how suddenly and casually he comes on, but of course, that's how Roger's supposed to come on, and they're not going to change it. It just makes it kind of harder to believe this is THE Adam Pascal. And just as suddenly, Anthony Rapp walks on. Again, I am surprised by how unsurprised I am. He looks exactly the way he does in almost every picture, movie and bootleg I've seen him in, and his voice sounds the same, too. I guess subconsciously I had expected him to be slightly different, or at least have something to help me realize that this is actually HIM, LIVE, and not another movie.
Anyway, the show is awesome. I alternate between softly crying, laughing too loud, and just staring the whole show. Anthony alternates between being funny, being heartbreaking, and just being awesomely talented the whole show. So did the rest of the cast, I guess, but as sadly fangirl as it is to say, I wasn't paying much attention to them.
Once the show is over, I'm torn. I already see people running out, clutching playbills and books ready for the cast to sign. Any fears my mom had had about not being about to find the stage door quickly evaporate. I know I should be running too, to get a good place, but the cast is still there bowing and I feel the need to keep clapping, to show my appreciation. Also, I want to see Anthony do his claps. I wait, standing up, in the aisle, until finally he does his three claps, his little appreciation thing to Jonathan Larson, and I bolt out the door.
When I get there, it's arlready crowded. I try a few different places before I finally get a decent place behind a couple people who are behind the cast's getaway car type thing. I stand there squished between a seasoned renthead, who is talking to her friend about the good old days of Rent, and two teenybopper fangirls, who can't wait to get him to sign their Hello Kitty stationary. The first person to come out is Anthony. I can't believe he's this close! He slowly starts signing people's programs and such. He makes his way around. He's very strategic about it, he waits 'till he's signed everything in one place before moving on. The fangirls behind me are screeching. My mom is telling me to shove my book out there (she's convinced he's going to be very touched that I brought my hardback edition of his book instead of just a program). The renthead infront of me tells me 'Don't worry, I'll make sure he signs your book when he comes around.' This calms me down. It doesn't do much for my mom.
Finally he comes to my corner. I shove my book out there, and after a bit he takes it (HE TAKES IT!:D). He opens it, signs it, and looks around. He can't remember whose it was. Gently I take it, and tell him 'Thank you so much!'. He smiles, nods and moves on. I debate waiting, taking out a playbill and trying to get the other cast members to sign it. At this point though, I can barely breath. I gently push myself out of the crowd, and put the book up to my face. I feel like I'm about to cry. Of course I don't, not with hundreds of strangers and my mom there. We head back to the hotel, where my dad is waiting for a report. He's still bugging me now about the fact that I made eye contact with him ('YOUR EYES ACTUALLY MET!').
The next day we took a long walk in Central Park and went to see Avenue Q. It was nice, even though my dad thought Avenue Q was basically porn. I went around smiling all day. The next day we went home.
So me and my mom got to the Nederlander, and the line was winding 'round the whole building. No that that really matters, as the seating is assigned. But anyway. We got in and everything's just like it was last time, but there's a new electricity in the air. We wait. And then, just like that, Adam Pascal comes on stage. It's almost odd how suddenly and casually he comes on, but of course, that's how Roger's supposed to come on, and they're not going to change it. It just makes it kind of harder to believe this is THE Adam Pascal. And just as suddenly, Anthony Rapp walks on. Again, I am surprised by how unsurprised I am. He looks exactly the way he does in almost every picture, movie and bootleg I've seen him in, and his voice sounds the same, too. I guess subconsciously I had expected him to be slightly different, or at least have something to help me realize that this is actually HIM, LIVE, and not another movie.
Anyway, the show is awesome. I alternate between softly crying, laughing too loud, and just staring the whole show. Anthony alternates between being funny, being heartbreaking, and just being awesomely talented the whole show. So did the rest of the cast, I guess, but as sadly fangirl as it is to say, I wasn't paying much attention to them.
Once the show is over, I'm torn. I already see people running out, clutching playbills and books ready for the cast to sign. Any fears my mom had had about not being about to find the stage door quickly evaporate. I know I should be running too, to get a good place, but the cast is still there bowing and I feel the need to keep clapping, to show my appreciation. Also, I want to see Anthony do his claps. I wait, standing up, in the aisle, until finally he does his three claps, his little appreciation thing to Jonathan Larson, and I bolt out the door.
When I get there, it's arlready crowded. I try a few different places before I finally get a decent place behind a couple people who are behind the cast's getaway car type thing. I stand there squished between a seasoned renthead, who is talking to her friend about the good old days of Rent, and two teenybopper fangirls, who can't wait to get him to sign their Hello Kitty stationary. The first person to come out is Anthony. I can't believe he's this close! He slowly starts signing people's programs and such. He makes his way around. He's very strategic about it, he waits 'till he's signed everything in one place before moving on. The fangirls behind me are screeching. My mom is telling me to shove my book out there (she's convinced he's going to be very touched that I brought my hardback edition of his book instead of just a program). The renthead infront of me tells me 'Don't worry, I'll make sure he signs your book when he comes around.' This calms me down. It doesn't do much for my mom.
Finally he comes to my corner. I shove my book out there, and after a bit he takes it (HE TAKES IT!:D). He opens it, signs it, and looks around. He can't remember whose it was. Gently I take it, and tell him 'Thank you so much!'. He smiles, nods and moves on. I debate waiting, taking out a playbill and trying to get the other cast members to sign it. At this point though, I can barely breath. I gently push myself out of the crowd, and put the book up to my face. I feel like I'm about to cry. Of course I don't, not with hundreds of strangers and my mom there. We head back to the hotel, where my dad is waiting for a report. He's still bugging me now about the fact that I made eye contact with him ('YOUR EYES ACTUALLY MET!').
The next day we took a long walk in Central Park and went to see Avenue Q. It was nice, even though my dad thought Avenue Q was basically porn. I went around smiling all day. The next day we went home.