Thur. Sept. 2nd (slightly updated since the first posting)
Billy - Michael (his next to last Broadway show),
Michael - Neil,
Small Boy - Seth,
+ understudys: Older Billy/Scottish Dancer - Michaeljon Slinger, Scab/Posh Dad - David Koch, Lesley - Natalie Wisdom.
Prior to the show we gathered at John's Pizzeria, just around the corner from the Imperial. Thanks to Angelenroute for setting this up and suggesting the location (rumored to be one of Trent's favorite places). Our group of eight included forum members from Australia, New Zealand, and the USA, plus Michael's parents. It was such a pleasure to meet people from so far away, to compare similarities and differences in our cultures, and to share our common appreciation of BETM.
As many forum members already know, having a good number of strong Billy fans plus family members in the audience will increase the odds of it being a memorable performance. That would prove to be the case here.
Breakfast -
Even after 20+ shows one can still find new things to notice. Here are two examples. The first is Dad's "frying pan switch". When Dad takes the lid off the frying pan to let the smoke out, he then puts the lid back on that pan and grabs the pan right next to it, which is the one that has the burnt egg. It is like a magician's trick, in that you are fooled by the juggling of pans the first time but eventually catch on.
The second is while Big Davey is pouring salt on the sandwich I happened to notice Michael up in the bedroom. He pulled a plate from under the bed with Grandma's moldy pasty, smelled it, and winced. This is certainly consistent with the dialog of the pasty scene, but with all eyes usually on Big Davey at this moment, it's surprising the bothered to add this touch. I am glad they did though.
Grandma's song -
Carole's facial expressions are something to watch, especially in the later part of the song. She shows the pain of Grandma's memory of her abusive marriage, then evoloves to the delight of her fantasy of a life without men where she can do as she pleases. Michael was very attentive and engaged throughout the number and laughed pretty hard when Carole gives the finger. The intensity of Michael's acting is present throughout the show, even when he is not the center of attention.
Solidarity -
This is the first we really get to see what Michael can do as dancer. I had not seen him in 4 1/2 months. During that time his ballet skills have grown quite a bit. The show really came alive at this point. Until now the audience seemed pretty dead but they really showed their appreciation for the great finish of this number.
The "aren't you a bit old Miss?" line got especially big laughs.
Express -
Another amazing job by Neil! It is still hard to believe he has only been doing this a few weeks, as he appears to be a seasoned pro. There was a tiny mishap early in the song when Neil put the bag on Michael's head. Something didn't work with fastening the strap so they left it loose. Keep in mind that both of their heads bob quite a bit during this part. After a couple seconds it started to slip off Michael's head, so he just tossed it back near the dressing table. I'm sure most of the audience would have thought this was all quite normal. Nice job by the boys in handling this without missing a beat.
Letter -
Lots of emotion and tears. For the second night in a row there was applause at the end of the song.
B2B -
Big applause for Thommie's break dancing. All of the rope skipping went perfectly. Applause for the rope skipping. The audience is really alive now! Michael finished with a nice flip off the piano, which is normal for him but rare otherwise these days.
Angry Dance -
I've run out of ways to describe this, as all of the boys do such an amazing job. I do think Michael screams far more than most when he does this number. The audience was stunned at the intensity of it all, as the house lights came up for intermission.
Tutu scene -
The audience really loved Neil tonight.
Dream Ballet -
This has to be one of the best I have seen in a long time. As mentioned earlier Michael's ballet form was brilliant.
Electricity -
Michael sang this with everything he had to give, at one point singing directly to his parents who were sitting near the conductor. His dancing included some huge ballet leaps and two no hand flips.
At the end was a big standing ovation by more than half of the audience. Now tonight the front row was packed with several forum members and Michael's parents, so in a way the deck was stacked with appreciative fans. However I sat further back (row H) and can definitely attest there was no need for the front row to take the lead in standing. People throughout the house rose all at once! Where most Billys will show off a smile during this applause, Michael instead broke into tears, tears of joy. Later I heard that he sometimes did this in Melbourne. It certainly moved me.
Finale -
During the company celebration Michael was smiling and intense in his interactions with the rest of the cast. On the final bow, after the curtain rose to show the Billy letters, Michael did a series of no-hands forward somersaults to get himself downstage. Just a final chance to wow us!
At the stage door Thommie and Greg spent some time chatting with those of us who were hanging out. Thommie shook our hands and thanked us for being such a great audience tonight.
BillyAddict and I spoke with Kate as she was leaving, and complimented her on the blogs she writes. She seemed rather surprised that we made the effort, as if they were no big deal. We thanked her again for writing them.
I wrote most of this in the airport waiting for my flight home from NYC, secretly hoping the approaching hurricane will somehow force me to stay longer. Such was not the case, so I will miss seeing Michael's final show. Still I leave knowing I've had the privilege of seeing him three times this year. I also leave with memories of the great folks I met from Australia and New Zealand, along with the ones from America who I had another chance to hang out with. To BillyAddict, KiwiT, and Sonicrockz I hope our paths will cross again one day.
-Chris