The Threshold of Revelation - Seeing Angels in America at Playmakers Rep

                When I saw that the PlayMakers Repertory Company was doing Angels in America, I knew without hesitation that I had to be there.  I saw their production of Fences, and absolutely loved it.  I had never seen Angels in America performed on stage, and I was chomping at the bit for an opportunity to do so.

                Several years ago, I saw the HBO movie, and my then-roommate and I still can’t get over the fact that Meryl Streep was the rabbi.  I didn’t remember too much from it, except I remembered the line “my religion doesn’t believe in Mormons,” because I thought it was pretty hilarious.  I also remembered Patrick Wilson, because ever since then, I’ve had a huge crush on him – but I think the rest of America has, too.

                Back in December, when I was planning my whirlwind trip to New York City, there was a brief moment in which my friend Cliff and I thought we would go see Angels in America Off-Broadway.   Of course, tickets were sold out, and the way their schedule was running, we wouldn’t have been able to see both parts in order anyway.  But, when I was at PlayMakers Rep, it was like the distance between New York and North Carolina dissolved, and the difference between regional and Off-Broadway disappeared.  It was apparent from the get-go that I was seeing high-quality theater.

                First of all, the set was spectacular.  Appearing minimalist at first, it became clearer as the course of the play went on that it was a carefully thought-out design which really provided a lot for the telling of the story.  I really like how the pieces of the set slowly come apart, showing at the same time this sort of paradox between destruction and revelation.  The scenes change rapidly in Angels in America, and I appreciated how smoothly the actors and the set transitioned between scenes.

                I think my absolute favorite thing about this production was the sound.  I’m not a technical theater expert or anything, but I thought the placement and content of the sound design was phenomenal in what it brought to the show.  The set was pretty minimal, so sound was what really defined place for me.  The city noises, the nightclub music, all of it was perfect.

                Of course, the acting was great.  It is shows like this that make me wish I were an actor – I’d give anything to be onstage in a production like this, bringing these amazing characters to life.  All of the characters were so believable, which is tricky in a show like this.  The characters could easily be portrayed as over-the-top or larger-than-life, but the actors in this production were so controlled and tuned in to who these characters really are.  I appreciated their attention to Kushner’s words, and it was obvious that a lot of thought and work went into bringing those words to the stage.  I also appreciate the amount of time it must have taken to memorize all those lines!

                 I also loved the inclusion of the AIDS quilt in the lobby.  I grew up in DC, so my parents took me to see the AIDS quilt on the national Mall when it was there in 1996.  I was only ten, but I knew I was seeing something important.  The AIDS quilt is such a fascinating piece of American history, and I’m glad that a part of it was able to be in the lobby of the theater.

                So, all in all, this production of Angels in America is must-see theater.  I logged a total of 120 miles traveling to and from the show (30 miles each way, two round trips), and each mile was completely worth it.  It was all the little things that made the show remarkable.  Of course, the acting was great, something I expect of PlayMakers Rep, and the writing was great, but I knew that already.  It was the details that made it stellar – the subtle scenery, the sound cues, the scene transitions, the lighting, the AIDS quilt in the lobby… the list goes on.

The Lion King at DPAC!

            I have been remiss about posting lately, but I have good excuses.  January was a slow theater month for me.  After my Broadway whirlwind at the end of December, I didn’t have any theater tickets at all until January 26^th, which is when I saw The Lion King national tour at the Durham Performing Arts Center.  Also, I’ve been so busy that I’ve been falling asleep before 9 pm most nights – atypical for a theater devotee, I’m sure.

At first, I was skeptical about whether I actually even wanted to see The Lion King.  I think the Disney production credit through me off track, and I was worried it wouldn’t be entertaining for adults.  Logic set in, however.  I thought to myself, if I love Ragtime, and this show beat Ragtime for the 1998 Tony Award for Best Musical, then it has to be beyond amazing.  I’m so glad I listened to logic. 

Anyway, after my recent revelation that I’m totally willing to pay the extra $60 for orchestra-level seats, I managed to get a killer seat for The Lion King, right in the front row, in the center section on the aisle.  It was awesome, and also a little bit scary.  I’m sure I looked quite silly with a giant grin on my face for about the first thirty minutes as I tried to take in the splendor of the show.  When the curtain came up, it seemed like Rafiki was singing right to me.  I could see everything so wonderfully.  I loved every second of it.  Except for the hyenas – they were slightly frightening.

                Sitting in the front row was perfect and completely worth every penny I spent!  There were only one or two occasions when I thought that sitting a little further back would have been beneficial, specifically to see the tableau created by the masterful puppetry, but overall, I wouldn’t have traded that seat for anything.  Simply put, it was phenomenal.

                I keep wanted to compare the quality of The Lion King to other shows I’ve seen, but I really don’t have a basis for comparison because it is such a different kind of musical than anything I’ve seen.  I suppose I could try to compare it to Avenue Q because they both have puppets, or to another musical produced by Disney.  Ultimately, comparisons of this nature are unfair to both parties because what The Lion King offers is truly unique.  I was in awe of the bird puppets flying inches above my head, startled by the giraffes who leaned all the way across the orchestra pit to look me in the eye, dazzled by the wickedness of Scar, touched by the friendship and love of Simba and Nala, and I identified with the quest for belonging.

                I can’t wait to see it again.

A Broadway dream come true! In the Heights with Lin-Manuel Miranda!

                Okay, so I have a confession to make: I listen to the cast recording of In the Heights in my car a lot, and I do all the parts.  At once.  I know pretty much the entire thing, and I do the whole opening number when I need to get pumped up on the way to work.  I probably should be embarrassed about the amount of rapping I do in my car, but I’m not.

                When I saw that In the Heights would be closing, I was bummed.  I hadn’t gotten to see it on Broadway, and even though I already have tickets to see the national tour when it comes to the triangle in February, I was still wishing that I had had the chance to see it on Broadway.  When Cliff, one of my best friends, asked if he could take me to NYC for a day or two after Christmas, I was stoked.  However, I knew Lin-Manuel Miranda would be back at Heights, so I was fairly certain we wouldn’t be able to get tickets.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: best blizzard ever.  On the morning of the 27^th, I went to the Richard Rodgers Theatre to see if they had seats left for that evening’s performance.  The wonderful man at the box office told me to go to TKTS, and that they would have better seats there.   I was a little worried about getting seats from TKTS, since we had tickets to a 2:00 performance of Billy Elliot, but he assured me that if they were out, he would still have some seats left that I could buy from him.  I also double-checked with him to make sure Lin would still be there, despite the weather conditions.  With a chuckle, he told me that Lin would definitely be there.  So, I’m still not sure if I love New York people (in general), but I definitely love Broadway people.

                After Billy Elliot, Cliff and I went to TKTS and got great seats, in the third row of the mezzanine of the Richard Rodgers Theatre.  Thanks, snow!  I was so excited that I could barely contain myself.  I may have squealed once or twice.  I get giddy about great theater, and I was so beyond amazed at my great fortune to see one of my favorite shows with so many of its original cast members.

                After sitting down in my seat, the man behind me (who, by the way, talked throughout the show) wanted to know what the show was about.  He and I got into a long conversation, which involved him not believing me that Wicked didn’t win the Tony Award for best musical (I told him to trust me on this one, I can name all the Best Musical winners), and explaining to him why I loved this show so much, even though I hadn’t actually seen it yet.  Except for when they talk during the show, I love theater audiences who engage with one another and share their love of the art.

                So, the show was phenomenal!  I knew it would be great, but I was straight-up blown away.  I already knew exactly what would happen, and it was like it was all new.  I was literally grinning from ear to ear the entire first few numbers.  I had to grab Cliff’s leg several times just so I could attempt to contain my excitement.  There was so much that I got to experience on stage which was beyond what you can tell from the cast recording.  In the opening number, and throughout the show, you can see the people of Washington Heights getting ready for the day and going about their lives through the windows of the buildings.  I loved that.  I loved the choreography and how it really helped not only to enhance the music, but to really tell the story of all these people.  Sure, it’s a story about Usnavi, Vanessa, Benny, Nina, and those characters I love, but it’s also a story about all the people who live there, and the choreography and ensemble really drove that point home for me.

                After the show, I was still reeling from the energy and excitement of seeing In the Heights on Broadway.  Cliff and I went to the stage door and were amazed at the generosity of the entire cast.  Sure, the blizzard itself had stopped, but it was still cold and windy out, yet almost every cast member came out to talk to fans at the stage door and take pictures with us.  They were genuine and gracious, and so delighted to see their fans.  I got my playbill signed by so much of the cast, and got pictures with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Chris Jackson!  I chatted with the cast, told them how much I loved it.  When Lin was signing my Playbill, I told him that I do all the parts in my car.  Always hilarious, he told me to keep my eyes on the road.  I also (kidding, of course) told him that if he needs anyone in the next two weeks, I know all the parts, and I’m free to step in.  He was so generous with his time, interacting with fans, and I still can’t get over the fact that I met him and the rest of the cast.   It was also cool for me to get to talk to other fans, find out how they came to love In the Heights, and share our stories with them.  Broadway fosters such an incredible community, and I’m so glad to be able to engage with that community, even just from a fan perspective.

                My favorite thing about Broadway is that once these stars, even the big ones with Tony Awards and everything, finish signing Playbills and taking pictures with fans, they walk off down the street and head home, just like anyone else.  Two of the ladies from the cast walked across the street to grab a slice of pizza.  I told Cliff that I was suddenly craving a slice of pepperoni, but he told me that we’re not allowed to stalk the actors.  I wasn’t really going to stalk them, but my point is that it’s just so cool that at any given pizza place in the theater district, you could run into a Broadway performer.

Billy Elliot in the blizzard!

               Generally, most Broadway shows are dark on Mondays.  However, on holiday weeks, most theaters rearrange their schedules.  New Year’s Eve in NYC is so crazy that most shows cancelled NYE shows and added them on the 27^th, a Monday.  Some shows even added a matinee.  That’s how my friend Cliff and I ended up at a rare Monday matinee of Billy Elliot.

                Thanks to the best blizzard ever, many people couldn’t make it into the city for shows, so we got amazing seats from TKTS in the 10^th row of the Imperial Theatre.  Snow rules!

                I saw Billy Elliot twice before, on tour.  My seats were in the balcony, in the very last row of a 2,500-seat theater.  This experience was way better, and proved to me that my disdain for the balcony of large theaters is well-founded.  Sure, I may have paid $60 less for that ticket, but I decided that I’ll always be willing to pay the extra money for an awesome seat.

                Throughout the performance, I couldn’t help but notice the things that were different between the Broadway production and the national touring production.  The most obvious thing was, of course, the size of the theater.  The Imperial was so much more intimate than a tour setting (although, I must say, the Imperial Theatre has ridiculously small seats!), which made me feel so much more connected to the show.  Additionally, since the set for the touring production has to be designed to move on a fairly frequent basis, a lot of it would slide it from the sides, whereas in the Broadway production, many of the set pieces rise and lower from below the stage.  I absolutely loved it on a slightly smaller stage, in a more intimate setting.

                The most important thing was that I could really see the characters – I could see their faces, I could tell who was talking, and I could see plenty of details which I missed from the balcony of the Durham Performing Arts Center.  I had no idea that the ballet girls held little birds, I couldn’t tell what Tony gave Billy to put in his suitcase… all those nuances were lost on me in that huge theater.  I’m so glad I got to see it in the type of venue for which it was created.  Don’t get me wrong, I think national tours are so amazing, and it’s so important to bring Broadway-quality shows to all of America.  I love seeing tours, and I love the Durham Performing Arts Center.  There’s just something about Broadway that is magical.

                The show was so wonderful, and I enjoyed it immensely, even knowing the show as well as I do, having seen it twice before.  My friend Cliff is quite familiar with the film, so he was telling me what he wished made it into the show from the film.  It’s been years since I’ve seen the movie, so I wasn’t as concerned about that, although I am always fascinated in how adaptations vary from their source material.  Even knowing the film as well as he did, Cliff really enjoyed the musical – I knew he would.  The music is so catchy (I was singing “Solidarity Forever” for hours!), and the acting was phenomenal.  There were a few actors out, probably due to a combination of snow and the holiday.  At first I was a little bummed that Emily Skinner wasn’t there for that performance, but her understudy (Liz Pearce) was amazing.  I was glad I got to see Gregory Jbara and Will Chase, and Jacob Clemente was a great Billy.  My favorite character, of course, is Michael, and I’m so glad I got to see his big number from row K, instead of from miles away.  I'd still rather sit in the balcony than nowhere at all, but I've come to the conclusion that I'm an orchestra-seats kind of girl.

                So, all in all, the tour is fantastic, but Broadway is magical!

Broadway Blizzard Bash at the Belasco (or, the time I saw Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)

          So, I was entirely certain that our tickets for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown were for 8 pm this past Sunday night. The musical theater gods must really love me, because my friend Cliff and I got to the Belasco Theatre at 6:55, thinking that we were there plenty early and would be able to walk around outside in the snow for awhile before the show started. When I picked up my tickets at will call, I realized that the house was open and people were seated. That’s when I noticed that the show was actually at seven, and we had made it just in time. Phew!
          It also happened to be incredibly fortunate for us that we were seeing the show at the height of the snowfall and wind right in the middle of the blizzard. We got an incredible price for tickets – balcony seats for $36.50! When we showed the usher our tickets, she said they were moving everyone down to the mezzanine, so we sat in the fourth or fifth row of the mezzanine, just left of center. Thanks, snow!
          The first thing I noticed was that the Belasco is absolutely gorgeous. It was by far the most beautiful theater I’ve ever been to, and that’s saying something. I absolutely loved the murals on the wall, the plaster work, and the light fixtures, which were recently restored. I really felt like I was somewhere truly elegant.

          There were several people out of the show (I think there were four inserts in my Playbill), but that was totally understandable considering the weather and the fact that it was the day after Christmas. However, out of all the “stars” we wanted to see, the only one who was out was Sherie Rene Scott. Sure, we were a little bummed, but her understudy was really great, and there were still plenty of other big names there: Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Justin Guarini.
          So, my two favorite things about Women on the Verge… were Laura Benanti and the scenic design, in that order. Laura Benanti made that show, period. She was so amazing. Absolutely everything about her performance from her acting and singing right down to her walk were absolute perfection. She was hilarious and still believable. The show itself was good, but Laura Benanti was great! Hers was far and away the best performance of the show. I also enjoyed Danny Burstein, who was charming and hilarious. Cliff and I were pleasantly surprised by Justin Guarini. I mean, we knew he could sing, but he far exceeded our expectations.
          I can imagine that it’s difficult, in terms of the set, to translate something which was originally a movie onto the stage. Movies go back and forth between different locations all the time, whereas musicals tend to stay on the same set for longer. However, I was ridiculously impressed with the set design of Women on the Verge…, which used a lot of projection onto the back wall and three conveyer belts (or “moving sidewalks”) to move set pieces into and out of scenes. I loved the way the sets moved in and out and how the movement of the sets was reflected in the blocking of scenes and transitions.

          So, Cliff and I were the only two people who stayed at the stage door to meet the cast, which is understandable considering the blizzard conditions. However, we're huge Laura Benanti fans and she was so great that we just had to meet her and tell her how awesome she was. We got several comments about how we were nuts for waiting out there. They were probably right, but we didn’t care. We met Justin Guarini, who was so incredibly sweet. The inserts fell out of my Playbill, and he picked them up for me, and he was happy to autograph our Playbills for us. Laura Benanti couldn’t believe we waited in the snow, but we told her we just had to see her to tell her how much we loved her. She couldn’t have been nicer! She seemed to be genuinely flattered that we were there and that we loved her so much. Had conditions been better, we would have loved to have gotten pictures and chatted a little more, but it was so miserable out that we were just delighted to see her.


 

The blizzard just got all sexypants

                 Okay, confession time: when I saw that Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson was going to close, I was on the brink of tears thinking that I would never be able to see it.  Cut to yesterday, just barely beating the snow into NYC, sitting in the orchestra at the matinee of that very show.

                Oh.  My.  God.  It was so freaking amazing.  I’m so ridiculously glad that I got the chance to come to NYC with one of my very best friends to see some of the best of Broadway.  This was only the fourth show I’ve actually seen on Broadway (the first three being Ragtime, Rent, and Hair).

                So, why was I so stoked by this show?  For one, the Broadway experience alone is unreal.  I loved going to the stage door and meeting the stars (including Ben Walker!).  Sitting in the orchestra in the intimate Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre among theater fans of all sorts was perfect.  The other thing which got me ridiculously stoked was the show itself.  I know it got plenty of awesome buzz, but I was desperate to see it for myself.  I was slightly worried because emo is so the opposite of my usual taste in music, but the songs in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson are transcendent of categories, and are so damn catchy!

                Right when I walked in to the theatre, I was in awe.  The lighting design was spectacular, and there was a large animal hanging from the mezzanine!  I was immediately brought into the show by the red lights everywhere and the fact that there was no curtain, so I could take in the awesome set before the show began.

                I was a tad bit disappointed in the audience.  The show is so intelligently written and is woven with pop culture references.  Yet, I felt like sometimes I was the only one laughing.  For example, there’s a point in which Andrew Jackson tells Black Fox not to go chasing waterfalls, and to “stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.”  I, of course, cracked up at the reference to the TLC song, but I didn’t hear many other chuckles from around the theater. 
            During the show, I couldn't help but love how the actors committed to every comedy bit, from extremely realistic deaths at the hands of invisible arrows to knowing exactly how long to hold a pause until it becomes funny again.  I thought their timing was impeccable and even though the characters are pretty out there, the commitment to each character made them real.

                We scoped out the theater before the performance, and located the stage door (which the Jacobs shares with two other theaters).  At the stage door, the cast was so gracious and kind enough to sign playbills and take pictures in the bitter cold.  We were wondering where all the women were, but we think at least one couldn’t come out because she remained on stage face-down after the curtain call, the victim of an invisible arrow.  She was probably still on stage, right?

Seeing Young Frankenstein with my favorite theater companion

                So, I’ve decided to admit it to myself: I still hate the balcony.  But, what I’ve realized is that I love theater more than I hate the balcony.  It sounds silly, but it’s the truth.  Sure, I’d so much rather be in the front row than the back row; I’d also rather be in the back row than not in the theater at all.

                I promise this is going somewhere.  I sat in the back row again.  I got student rush tickets for a Saturday matinee (of course) of Young Frankenstein at the Durham Performing Arts Center.  My date for the show was my wonderful father, who was in town for a father/daughter extravaganza weekend.  I used my student ID to buy the $12 tickets, and my dad bought the beverages.  My dad was my theater companion throughout my childhood and adolescence, so it was great to be back at the theater, just me and him.

                So, even though we were in the very back row, the show was super.  My father and I both enjoyed it very much.  It turns out that we were the perfect theatergoing team for Young Frankenstein because the show has such an array of pop culture references, we were able to fill each other in.  He would turn to me and whisper “Jimmy Stewart,” and I would turn to him and whisper “Fergie.”  And while it was appropriate for my father and I to attend together, there were some especially young folks in the seats in front of us (parents and two kids, both younger than eight), and I think the subject matter was a little mature for them.  I cringed when Elizabeth says “tits” about 87 times in a row, hoping that the children wouldn’t be scarred for life.  Well, they seemed to handle it fine, and stayed for the entire show (and were quite well-behaved!), but I think I would advise parents not to bring kids younger than middle school to Young Frankenstein.

                I haven’t seen the movie, and was almost entirely unfamiliar with the show.  I knew that “Puttin’ on the Ritz” was in it, but that was the extent of my knowledge.  My dad had seen the movie.   I felt that the show was classic and contemporary, and my dad said that it was a great adaptation of the film.  His quote was “you know the lines, but you still laugh.”  That’s the best kind of humor – when it never gets old.

                I really wish I could have seen the show when it was in New York, but I’m so glad I got the chance to see it here (even from the balcony).  I hope it gets revived sometime on Broadway, because I don’t think it really got the appreciation it deserved the first time around.

                And, I’m working on learning to love the balcony.  I’ll let you know how that goes.

The ghosts of Triad Stage

                I have a confession to make: I don’t understand how someone could not be obsessed with the theater.  It’s just so awesome.  Why isn’t it everyone’s favorite thing?  Okay, okay.  I know, everyone is different and that’s really awesome, and it’s what makes the world go ‘round.  Also, if everyone only loved theater, there would be nothing to make theater about.  But still.  My best friend, who I love dearly, doesn’t love the theater.  She thinks it’s fine.  But she doesn’t love it like I do.  Nonetheless, I asked her if she would be interested in seeing A Christmas Carol at Triad Stage, which is in Greensboro, where she lives.  She said yes!  Hooray!

                I really like Triad Stage.  This was my second show there, the first being Educating Rita.  I admit, it’s been awhile since I’ve partaken of A Christmas Carol – I read the book with my dad when I was a kid, but I have to admit that most of what I remember about the story is from (my secret favorite version) A Muppet Christmas Carol.  I was excited to see what Triad Stage would do with the story.

                So, overall, the production was AMAZING.  Get yourself to Greensboro immediately and see it – you won’t regret it.  And I’m proud to report that my best friend, who was willing to go to the theater with me on my recommendation of Triad Stage as excellent, enjoyed the show very much.  She found it as haunting and profound as I did.  Days later, I’m still thinking about elements of the show.

I think the Muppets may have clouded my memory from the fact that A Christmas Carol is, ultimately, a ghost story.  A ghost story with a happy end, sure, but a ghost story no less.  Triad Stage presented it unapologetically as such.  Kudos.  There were some small children in the audience, who had to have been scared by some of the elements.  I know this empirically because I, a 24-year-old, was scared.  I completely, 100%, do not believe in ghosts, and yet I found the show eerie and resonant.  At the very beginning, the narrators (a woman and a group of beggar children) talk about ghosts – the woman says “you may not believe in ghosts,” and then all the children turn and say “we do.”  Goosebumps ran up my arm.  Jacob Marley scared the daylights out of me.  That is one talented actor!

                As much as I still love the Muppet version of Dickens’ holiday tale, the creepy, haunting elements of it make it so much more powerful.  It’s not just about appreciating Christmas and those around you (including the less fortunate).  Representing it as the true ghost story it is makes it serious social commentary on those who refuse to see the world for what is it: a place of immeasurable woe and limitless joy.  Scrooge cuts himself off from both compassion and indulgence, which, as Jacob Marley makes quite clear, is disastrous.  In order to lead a fulfilling life, one must allow themselves to care for those less fortunate and to delight in their own life.  These lessons truly came to life at Triad Stage – the gravity of the story’s lessons were accurately represented by the haunting and real nature of the ghosts.  And it is painfully obvious that these lessons aren’t just for Ebenezer Scrooge.

Well done, Mr. Dickens.  And well done, Triad Stage.

A Night at the Symphony… and the Theater!

                I have a confession to make: I like classical music.  I’ve only ever confessed that to my parents and one friend.  I’m not embarrassed about it, it just doesn’t usually come up.  I’m even a member of the Triangle’s classical music station.

                So, when I saw that the PlayMakers Repertory Company was teaming up with the North Carolina Symphony for a production of Amadeus, I was excited.  When I saw that they got Michael Urie to play the title role, I was beyond stoked.

                So, my seat was in the row GG, the very last row of the orchestra, but it was still a great seat.  It was in the concert hall at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh.  I’ve never been in the concert hall before – it was very nice: not too big, not too small, with a very intimate feel.  The only thing that was strange about seeing a theater piece in a concert hall was the acoustics.  While the orchestra sounding AH-mazing, listening to dialogue in the concert hall took a little getting used to.  I didn’t particularly mind, though.

                Anyway, the show was fabulous!  I loved every minute of it.  I thought that the role of Salieri exquisitely crafted, and that Michael Urie was phenomenal as Mozart.  It was a really cool experience to see a theater piece performed on the same stage as a symphony orchestra.  It worked really well, and the orchestra sounded amazing.  I was impressed at how well the two elements (the play and the orchestra) were woven together to create one seamless evening of remarkable entertainment.  There was a Q&A with some of the folks from the show after the performance, which was way fun.  I learned that the previous night was the first and only time that they did an entire run-through without stopping with all of the elements of the show present (the singers, the actors, and the orchestra).  It was so phenomenal that my jaw literally dropped when they told me that!

                I was even more pleased to see that the audience wasn’t populated solely by older folks, and that I wasn’t the only young adult in the audience.  Sure, all the young people were in the cheap seats with me, and one or two of them were wearing jeans (which were more than compensated for by the number of folks in suits!), but we were there!  I’ve never been to a symphony performance before (unless you’re counting Peter and the Wolf as a child), but I was worried that the young adult crowd was going to skip out on this wonderful theatrical opportunity because they were worried that the symphony would be boring.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Sure, most of the people there were the folks I had expected to see, but I was proud of the young adults of the Triangle for showing up for great art.

Walter Cronkite is Dead, and I’m an Old Matinee Lady at 24

                Where are all the young people?

                Let me back up a little bit.  Last weekend, I went to the Signature Theatre (winner of the 2009 regional theater Tony Award!!) in my hometown of Arlington, Virginia to see the world premiere production of Walter Cronkite is Dead, written and directed by Joe Calarco.  I went to a Saturday matinee with my parents.  I have a confession to make: I was the youngest person in the theater by about 30 years.  Okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, but there weren’t very many people there in the under-50 set, much less in their mid-twenties like me.

                Am I an anomaly that I like to go to matinees?  Are all the twenty-somethings going to the evening performances?  This isn’t the first time that I’ve noticed the age of those around me at a matinee.  I really hope that young adults aren’t avoiding the theater completely.  I’d love to hear input from frequent matinee-ers like myself and people who work in box offices around the country – is it just that young people aren’t going to matinees, or are they skipping the theater altogether?

                Yes, I realize that I haven’t actually talked about the play yet.  Thanks for your patience.  Well, the play was good.  There was a lady two rows behind me who, judging by the volume of her laughter, thought it was the best thing she’d ever seen.  While it wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever seen, I really enjoyed it, and it was certainly a worthwhile theater experience. 

The basic premise is that two women are stuck in an airport.  It’s just a two-actor play, a concept with which I recently had a wonderful experience.  It’s hard to write, act, direct, etc. for just two actors, and my respect for those who tackle two-actor pieces is growing exponentially.  Despite understanding how difficult it is, I totally see why people do it – the potential for powerful theater is great. 

I thought the direction of the play was its best feature – the way the script was conveyed on stage was impeccable.  Could that be because the director was also the playwright?  Perhaps.  Who knows?  I was a little taken about by how realistic the portrayal of the southern woman tourist was.  Perhaps since I’ve lived in North Carolina for almost a year now, I’ve stopped noticing the eccentric quirks of that certain breed of Southern woman, opting to only see the delightful qualities – but I must say, it was dead-on.

So, all in all, it was a good experience.  But seriously, twenty-somethings: go to matinees every once in awhile!  You’ll like it, I promise.