We're (kinda) on Broadway!!

Today began with a quote from a cast member (from whom, I can't remember): "I've always dreamed of performing as a paid Equity actor inside the 'Broadway Box' in a theater that seats more than 500. Perhaps I should have been a little more specific."

You see, our shows today were at the Town Hall Theater, located at 123 W 43rd St, which is just about as "inside the Broadway Box" as you can get. The space seats 1,500 and has the internal decor to rival any of the historic Broadway theater. Plus, it has held some of the biggest and most influential names of our time, including union leaders, opera stars and great thinkers It could be considered, for all intents and purposes, a Broadway house. However, it is not, for reasons that became apparent as soon as we walked inside. The stage is rather wide and narrow, it has no wing space to speak of and the concept of a "fly loft" is out of the question. This place is definitely a music hall. But it's still inside the Broadway Box. And it still seats more than 500. And we were still performing there, as Equity actors. Everything seemed to be falling into place for us to be making a "Broadway Debut," of sorts.

Except that we had to load the set in ourselves, arrived for a 7:50am call and were working under TYA contracts (as opposed to the Production ones that your typical Broadway shows use).

Regardless, I had been both excited and nervous about this performance. Excited because, on my fourth time working with Theatreworks, I was having the opportunity to finally perform at the heavily-rumored Town Hall, and four friends from Max & Ruby II were coming. Nervous? Well, musical director Stephanie, choreographer Keith and Theatreworks Associate Artistic Director Molly were also coming. Everybody had been reviewing their music, lines and blocking for about a week, just to make sure we hadn't strayed too far from any of the direction (which, for the record, we hadn't). So, as the lights went down on before the first show, we were all jazzed up for a great show.

And they were. But it wasn't really us. It was the fact that the kids went absolutely crazy for the show! We're used to an enthusiastic response, but this was something else. When the laughed, it was like a sit-com laugh track. When they booed the farmer (a common occurrence, and blog-worthy at a later point) during his moment of understanding, their ferocity it almost made me cry. They were so talkative and engaged with the performance that I've got a few weeks worth of "kid quotes," many of them more impressive than we've heard in a while. And, for both shows, they just about jumped to their feet when we were through. It was more than anybody could have asked for, especially with important people in the audience.

However, upon load-out, I had an interesting revelation. Yes, performing for an ultra-enthusiastic, "hometown" audience was incredibly fun. And, yes, it was neat to say I got to perform in a big theater within the Broadway Box as a paid Equity actor. And, yes, hearing the approval of our creative team was important, and reassuring. However, I have already had the luxury of playing in theaters in other parts of the country that were just as impressive, held as many people, and had as much historic import as Town Hall (and have had as many important historic theater figures tread their boards). Compared to places like the Stanley Theater in Utica, NY (a restored movie palace from the 1910s), the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, RI (the theater that made me cry on Max & Ruby I), the Victoria Theater in Dayton, OH (whose former tenants included some of my vaudevillian idols) and the State Theater in Easton, PA (which is haunted by a ghost named Fred), the actual act of performing at Town Hall wasn't the incredible "event" I expected it would be. And it gives me pause to remember that, while I love living in New York City and, right now, wouldn't trade it for anything, my favorite part of touring is that it reconnects me with the rest of the country, and gives me the opportunity to perform in beautiful, historic theaters that I would probably never be privy to under any other circumstances.

(But, still, I basically performed on Broadway today. And that was really cool!)


(photo credit: NewYorkCityTheatre.com)

Call tomorrow: 6:50am, 108th and Amsterdam. The week of local shows continues.

Kid Quote of the Day: When I emerged (spoiler alert!) with the electric blankets for the cows at the end of the "Negotiation," a little boy shouted, "Those aren't electric blankets!" A few moments later, when a plug fell out of the pile of padding, he sheepishly recanted, "Oh, I guess they are."