Broadway

A friend from high school, Jamie Hanson, came to town recently.  I don't think I've seen her since 1995 and it was nice to catch up!  She organized an afternoon outing to see the matinee show of Chicago on Broadway featuring our other friend from high school, Eddie Bennett, who is a cast member!  I remember Eddie being a great singer and dancer from all of the high school productions, and it was so much fun to see him up there on that stage!  Here is his name in the program: 

Here he is on stage!  This is the opening number ("All That Jazz"), he is the first guy in the front just to the right of the blonde:

It was a great show, the whole cast did such a wonderful job.  Actually, as it turns out, I knew two people on that stage.  Eddie, of course, and then another dancer walked out and I turned to Jamie and said, "I'm pretty sure that's my neighbor!"  One of the other cast members lives down the hall from me. I had no idea he was in Chicago!  

After the show Eddie gave us a tour backstage - the performers' view of the theatre:

Jamie and I goofing around, don't you want to hire us?

That was actually my second time on a Broadway stage - my sophomore year of college, some friends and I went to New York (something like 8 girls in one hotel room, you couldn't pay me to do that now!).  For some ridiculous reason we decided to go see Cats (terrible).  Well during the intermission of Cats, one of the big fat cats stayed in costume and sat on stage with his eyes closed the entire time, and they allowed audience members to walk up on stage to take a look around at the set (and the cat).  My friend, Merritt, and I went up there - I don't remember who grabbed who's hand, but one of us spun the other around, our big dance debut, and we actually had several people in the audience clap for us.  I think I missed my calling.  

Eddie and Jamie on stage:

Jamie wore a special blouse for the event - our high school colors were black and gold and our mascot was the owl.  Look at the shirt she showed up in!  She claimed her husband picked it out from Anthropologie and it never even occurred to her the tie-in with GHS, but we know the truth, Jamie!  "Hail, Garland High School"!  :)

Backstage in one of the dressing rooms:

It was a lot of fun and a great afternoon catching up with old friends.  I have found that moving around (London, NYC), in addition to taking me out of my old routine, has placed me in the path of people I never would have seen.  I have loved seeing blasts from the past both in London and in New York.  If you come to town, look me up!