Crazy for You

1999. 1999 was an odd time. People were partying all the time, like in that Eddie Murphy song.

Zoom, zoom, the world is in a mess. I was in stage crew for Archbishop Prendergast's winter show. It was an extraordinarily well done show, as per usual, don't get me wrong. And while Crazy for You isn't an awful show, I don't like Gershwin. And being part of stage crew, I got to hear a whole lot of it, over and over again. From rehearsals to closing night, always with slapping of that bass. Actually, wait, I did actually like that song. Okay, so that song apart, oh and that other ... well, okay, it wasn't a bad a show. It was a good show ... I just heard too much of it to enjoy it.

I worked stage right. I had one important scene change during the show. During a musical number, I had to move a heavy bar with the stage manager while the star of the show was in his spotlight. We had to move that bar almost next to him, but I had the side closest to the stage and not next to the actor. One night, we were off. It wasn't my fault (or at least just my fault), but the stage manager managed to get herself caught in the spotlight. All in all, though, it wasn't the end of the world. It was, however, fairly memorable.

My friend Rita worked stage crew for that show too. She worked stage left. During intermission we'd meet up and chat and that was cool.

On closing night, final performance, everyone got their accolades on closing night. For stage crew, that meant getting their own curtain call. During the appropriate time, Rita and I went out. We held a pose together while the audience of 1000+ applauded us (and everyone else on the stage like the principles and the dancers).

And that was the last time I was on stage.