Another Opening, Another Show

After a slap-dash of a preview on Thursday night and a post-show ass-whooping notes session with the writers, opening night was no longer looking so swell. We were out of rehearsal time and left with the shards of failed jokes to piece back together into something that would please both the writers and our director. 

All I wanted was a drink.

So, I got one...
Well, if it's in a pitcher I think it still counts as one...

 On Friday, before I headed to the impending doom of the opening, I stopped for my daily caffeine fix. Lucky for me, one of the regulars had seen the show and could give me a much needed pep talk that went a little something like this...

Him: I saw your show the other night!
Me: Oh yeah? Well, I hope you enjoyed it.
Him: I did. It was only the second musical I've ever seen. The first was a high school production of 101-something and the Shade.
Me: 110 in the Shade. Yeah, I know it. Well gosh, I hope we were at least a little better than a high school production.
Him: Well, that depends in what respects.
Me: **all color sinks from my face and I am prepared to leave this career immediately**
Him: I mean, they were some talented high schoolers and it was a pretty good show. But, I mean, you guys seem to have had like a real budget and stuff.
Me: Yeah well...yes we have a budget. They're paying me a lot to be here so...
Him: And, I mean, your set seemed to be of better caliber, but those high schoolers had some high quality cardboard sets.
Me: Well I'll let them know next time not to waste their money on hiring actors when there's such talent at the high schools and to just get some better cardboard.

END OF CONVERSATION and OFF TO OPENING.

I spent a long time staring at myself in the make-up mirror contemplating the past four weeks (and how good my bone structure looked despite the fluorescent lighting).

Here I was in the middle of nowhere doing a show that might be going nowhere. But then I took a minute to think of all the amazing talent that was surrounding me and how even though some of us were 18 and some of us had kids and some of us had been on Broadway...

we were all in this together sharing the love of what he had created together.

AND IT WAS GOING TO BE F*CKING AMAZING WHETHER THAT COFFEE DRINKING PANSY LIKED IT OR NOT

 110 in the Shade can S my D.

And I made it. I made 110 in the Shade S my D because I had a kick-ass time opening night. The show was hilarious, the people laughed, and SURE our mics had copious amounts of feedback and SURE I crashed the bleachers into a wall, and SURE 55 out of the 60 threw our program in the recycling bin

but I like to think it's because they're just trying to be GREEN.

So I say to all of you who worry about the product you're creating:

Just remember that there's a group of high school students doing it better

so flip the world the bird and enjoy yourself because YOU'RE. GETTING. PAID. #America

Tonight I'm getting TWO pitchers,

TJB: Making It