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Some background!:
So on Sunday, November 16th, A TALE OF TWO CITIES, the musical, was slated to close (announced on November 4, election night: a double defeat for me!), and I was lucky enough to be visited a college that day in the city. So I quickly purchased a ticket on election night: Row H, seat 4! So that weekend I had a retreat (no cell phones, no computers/etc.) which left on Thursday night. On Friday evening, the shows producers announced the show was closing THAT Sunday, the 9th. I was "devastated" in a slight use of the word when I came back Sunday afternoon to an email that said "REQUEST FOR REFUND FOR 'TALE.'"
So I had bothered my parents enough about seeing TALE that I figured I might as well see something else that day, since I have no idea when I'll next be in NYC. So I decided for GYPSY, for several reasons: 1) Patti LuPone does not ever disappoint, and secondly, I did enjoy it the first time I saw it, and lastly, because I love Leigh Ann Larkin! And also, it was the same time as Tale, and same running time so it was just a nice substitute.
So I saw the show, great seat (Row E, seat 4 !), had Patti stare at me a few times while singing/etc.! Great time. There was 3 people in the front row who were utterly distracting though. Now I know the theatre can sometimes be an emotional place, but when you are driven to dislike a character, when is it acceptable to run down the aisle crying as soon as intermission starts -- drama queen (and it was a boy). This has a point to my story though!!!
So after the show, I was waiting for my parents (since no one was going to see ATOTC with me!) and they were late so I unexpectedly decided to stagedoor. Out first was suprisingly EMMA ZAKS. Some may remember Emma because of her dad's connections to the B'way World, being in that he's a very well-known director (Jerry Zaks), from her Broadway career, or from of course, the MTV Reality show: "LEGALLY BLONDE: The Musical: THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT ELLE WOODS." Anyway, those THREE same people and Mr. Drama over there decided to yell Emma Zaks and hogged her the entire time, in which she then said she had to go, so no one else got an autograph or anything from her. Granted, she is nothing more than a chorus girl in this one, but it would have been nice to meet her.
Secondly out was Ms. LEIGH ANN LARKIN, and you guessed it: these people hogged most of her time too, but a small girl or her mother asked if she could get a picture, so Leigh Ann did luckily go around to everyone, especially after we were all waiting in the cold! I got entirely blocked by a large middle aged woman...I'm in no way short, rather on the tall end, so I was standing in a second row of people, but this woman just put her playbill on top of mine. So then I luckily swung around the other side and told Leigh Ann she was my favourite part of the show and she seemed speechless
. She really is terriffic in it, and I'm sure that's something she/no one else in the show gets to hear, considering this is called "PATTI LuPONE GYPSY"! She really is awesome and so kind!So I was ready to go when those kids yelled "HERE COMES PATTI!" So I wasn't going to leave when the star was out. Patti LuPone...oh Patti. They attempted to hog Ms. LuPone's time, but she replied snarkily that she doesn't sign the apples and something else, which I kind of liked! So she came over to my side after quickly signing everyones, and I got blocked by the same woman again, as I should have expected, but then this other lady decided to block me out too! It was this whole of middle aged women against me? I don't know! Anyway, they attempted to hug Patti, and Patti said something along the lines of "Oh hun, that's a big no-no," and her bodyguard came over! I was thinking two things at that point: Thankyou Patti for shutting up those kids and now these middle aged women who were set on me NOT getting an autograph, and oh God! Patti's getting into her car. So I yelled "PATTIIIIIIIIIII! Have time for one more?!" Which ended up sounding like "YOOOOO PATTIII! I'm here!" but whatever, she, to my suprise, gladly came over and signed and I told her that she was an amazing performer and she said "Thankyou so much; glad you had a good time." More than what the others got! And I was happy she came back because that would have been a waste of waiting out there for 25+ minutes in the cold with no coat hahaha!
I left after that, as did many people. I got who I wanted: Leigh Ann and of course Patti. The stagedoor at the St. James is a mess. For those who don't know, you enter & exit through the same doors, and they just put barricades as an extended border-type thing. I mean it could be worse, but it's a mess too because it is Patti!
Overall they were nice actors/actresses, but nothing has topped the cast over at A TALE OF TWO CITIES, or the people I was waiting with there. Here at Gypsy, no one said aanything to anyone else other than whom they were with, and were selfish in a bad way. If you want to talk to an actor/actress, please wait at the end of the line. Honestly, I did it at Tale when Brandi Burkhardt came out. You still get your auto, you just make sure others get time. And it still baffles me that people feel the need to be the first to be talked to by the actors and still feel the need to be talked to and entertained for another 10. No need for it. Just wait at the end!!!!!!
