I won't go on much more about the show itself, because I'm fairly sure I went on and on about how perfect the cast and the music and the story are back in November when I saw it the first time. But it must be said - through its last show, it remained perfect in every way!
So what exactly happens at a closing? Well, one of the reasons I wanted to go was the possibility of some star-sighting. This cast is full of fabulous people that are well-respected in the theater, so I assumed there'd be a few big names in the audience. The musical itself has also been well-reviewed and well-received and has always been close to the hearts of a lot of theater people, so there's that too. And I'm fairly sure that there were definitely some famous theater types there - however, I wasn't sure who many of them were. I did recognize Bill Finn (the writer of Falsettos), Jordan Roth (the producer of Falsettos and Something Rotten!), Sebastian Arcelus (Stephanie Block's husband and Jay on Madam Secretary) and Matthew Morrison (Mr. Schu on Glee). But since I'm me, I let these gentleman enjoy the show without bothering them for an autograph. (Nerd Alert: Bill Finn would have been the only one I would have asked - he wrote this amazing musical!) Then it was time for the show to start.
From the moment the curtain went up, you could tell this show was different for everyone. The cast has been very open about how much they adore each other and the material, so the thought of saying goodbye has been difficult for them. And you noticed it a bit in the performances. Not that it affected them negatively, you could just tell they were feeling the sadness of the story a little more than usual. Anthony Rosenthal, who plays little Jason, cried through most of a song that's not too terribly sad. Andrew Rannells cried through most of his big number as well, (already heartbreaking without the tears) which made it even harder for me to keep it together because when someone cries, I usually cry, and I was already crying because that's what I do...
What was really beautiful was the cast sort of taking care of Anthony Rosenthal. He had missed his only performance the night before because he was sick. But he very much wanted to perform in the last show. You could tell in his singing that he still was feeling rough, but I think the whole audience and especially the cast was behind him, and he made it through. At one point, when he did start crying, you could see Stephanie J. Block, notice and start to worry about him, but he still rocked the part. I held my breath each time he had a solo, because I so wanted him to succeed, but it looked like we needn't have worried. He's such a big talent in a little kid's body and he's so going to go far!
After 2 hours and 45 minutes of this amazing music and story, it was over. At this point, I assumed some flowers for the cast, the creative team speaking, speeches, etc. Nope, that's where I was wrong. The cast took their bows and then brought their understudies up to take their bows. They all cried. And then that was it. It was over. Who knew, closings were so low-key? But once again, you could just see how much they all cared for each other. There were hugs and tears and smiles. And a standing ovation of course - which had already happened earlier in the show for Stephanie J. Block. See? I told you the cast and show were perfect!
On my way out, I decided to not be me for a change and try the stage door thing since this was my last chance. It turns out, it wasn't me that ruined my chances this time - it was the weather. Also, I assumed the cast was all hanging out with each other for the last time. It was a long shot, but at least I tried, right?
In the end, I'm so happy I had the chance to see it again live. Like I said, I wasn't ready to see it go, but I get it. However, I can completely understand why this cast didn't want to move on. If I had the chance to perform this material every night, with these people, I'd never leave! Luckily for us, it's going to be shown on PBS soon. At least it's been recorded for posterity's sake. But that's not the same as seeing it in person. You feel so much more in a theater when you get to experience it with other people. Whether you're sharing laughs or tears - both happen in this gorgeous piece of work - you feel a part of something more when you're surrounded by people that are having the same experience. And that's what makes the theater so special.
0 comments:
Post a Comment