July
14, 2005
Darin's
Broadway debut
I went to rehearsal today expecting it to be just another grind. Y' know, a few notes from the director, some changes, four hours of boredom and a show to watch after dinner. But when we started up, things felt different right away. One of the guys I cover wasn't well, so I helped out with rehearsal. It was understood that he would most likely go on once he felt better. But the tide of opinion changed rapidly as the afternoon progressed, and by four o'clock I learned that I would be taking the Broadway stage for the first time tonight.
The rest of the day was anything but boring. First break I got I called my wife, and she made arrangements to come into town and watch. We had a little bit of time to run over about half the show, so I stumbled through a couple of scene changes and sang a few songs. I'm sure I looked a fool, but that's what these last minute, frantic rehearsals are for. Some in my position don't even get this much time before they go on (Julie had her debut in the second act of a show with no practice at all). When the company broke for dinner I heard some more news: it was likely that I might fill in for more than just one show. I didn't have time to ponder that; now was the time to concentrate on just getting through the first gig. I grilled and drilled through dinner with Julie, squeezed in some last minute dance brush-ups with Marcy and Joe, and before I knew it, it was curtain time.
It was by no means a perfect show, technically. There were moments when I wore a costume longer than I was supposed to, or went on without a spare pair of Lennon glasses (Terrence bailed me outa that one, God bless him), or forgot to sing on a line here and there, but the ground was always covered. All things considered, it couldn't have gone any better. I remembered all my lines, cues and crosses, and someone was always there with an answer to any question I had. The whole cast had my back. As a result, I was able to relax and perform the way I knew I could and we all had a great time. The most striking moment for me was at the end of "Watching The Wheels", when I looked at the screen upstage and saw John Lennon staring back at me. During the curtain call, Will announced to the crowd that I'd made my debut performance on very short notice, and they applauded generously on my behalf.
The outpouring of support from the cast and directors was overwhelming. I was seriously unprepared for the love (even the producers were on hand to see my first gig). Before show time, Julia, Mandy, Marcy and Diane (assistant director) all brought in flowers, the company management gave me a bottle of champagne, and Will gave me a bottle of my favorite Irish whiskey. And they had less than a hour to do all that! But that's Broadway, I'm told. A day like this comes only once, and it's always special. What was really special was sharing this moment with my wife. Her mother passed away on this day seven years ago, and it's always a tough day to get through. I was glad I could provide a healthy distraction and get her out of the house for some excitement, and I have a feeling this day will hurt a little less from now on. Tonight's performance was for Scottie. She'd have loved this.
What a day. Tomorrow may be a better show, but it'll never be the first.