I am shamelessly lifting this off Chari's blog because I felt it deserved to be read by as many people as it reaches. In whatever way it moves you, may it remind you of the things that truly matter in this theater called Life...
"I was with the national tour of Les Miserables and we were performing in Salt Lake City. At the time, we were doing the poster sales for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. If someone donated $50, they would receive a poster signed by the entire cast.
After one performance, I was in costume selling posters in the lobby. I noticed a little girl who was looking at me like I was the Messiah. I heard her say, "Please Mom, please, please, can I have a poster? Please, oh, please, please, please?" Her mom said no, and they walked away.
It was a moment I will never forget. In my left ear, quite distinctly, I heard a little whisper. It said, "Go, Doug, go." Suddenly, without giving it any more thought, I took off in full costume outside the theater. After walking through the crowds, I saw the girl and her mother down the block. They had already crossed the street. As I was running down the street in my Les Miserables costume, I thought that I was so busted. But I didn't really care. As I approached the girl, I said, "Excuse me." She turned around, and just stared. "You forgot your poster." I handed her a poster, and I was gone.
I turned around and ran back to the theater before anyone could say anything. I went to the company manager's office and I said, "I gave one of the posters away. Here is fifty dollars, my contribution to Broadway Cares."
A few days later, there was a letter that showed up on the callboard. It read: Dear cast of Les Miserables, you moved me so much. Thank you. I also want to thank you for giving my daughter this poster. I don't know who you were, but it was a nice young man, and he was gone before anyone could say thank you. Let me tell you a little about my daughter. She is sick. She was not expected to live past a very young age. She always wanted to see Les Miserables. They even snuck her out of the hospital that night so she could see the show. The tickets were a gift from a family friend. I am a single mom. Money is very tight. It broke my heart to not be able to buy the poster for my daughter. Thank you so much, whoever you are. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
The whole cast was standing around, weeping. I didn't say a word.
Four years later, the night before The Scarlet Pimpernel closed, I remember being bitter and jaded. Soon, I would be unemployed again. Out of nowhere, at the stage door, I heard a little voice. "Mr. Storm?" I thought, "Oh God, who's calling me 'Mr. Storm,' for crying out loud?" I looked down. I froze. It was that same little girl. "Hi. I knew you were in the show because I've been following it on the Internet. I brought you a little package. Here's a card." "Oh, my gosh, how are you doing? Do you want to come in? Are you seeing the show tonight?" "No," she said. "I'm not seeing the show tonight. I'm seeing it tomorrow. I'm seeing the last one." I said, "Why don't you come around tomorrow before the show? I'll take you backstage." I went upstairs and started putting on my makeup. I stopped for a second to read her card. " I just want to let you know that I've just been accepted to NYU Tisch School of the Arts for Drama, and I'm going to enroll because someday I want to give a kid a poster. Thank you for helping shape my life." I lost it.
In a moment of my own despair and selfish jaded bitterness, there was that kid. Everything came full circle. That alone is why I got into this business."
by Doug Storm
(Taken from the book "Making It On Broadway: Climbing To The Top"; Doug Storm has appeared in Les Miserables, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Dance of the Vampires)
curiouser and curiouser
About Me
- Name: The White Rabbit
- Location: The Rabbithole
"We write to taste life twice, in the moment, and in retrospection." - Anais Nin
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Friday, October 14, 2005
Collision Course
When planets collide, a new galaxy is shaken into existence. Those little sparks and particles are swept up and around by an unrelenting force, shaping it into something wholly different. In most cases, the resulting form is unspeakably beautiful. Like nothing anyone has ever seen.
And so it is with people. No one “bumps” into other beings in this life without somehow being changed by the encounter. Life, as you know it, will never be the same again. For instance, who would have ever thought that two souls as poles apart in their personal histories and passions as Rein and I would end up pledging unending love to each other? That it would now be impossible to imagine a life without the other? That one ordinary day, one unremarkable moment, one mundane conversation, and one unlikely friendship, would lead to this one extraordinary, life-changing event?
One year ago today, I would have rolled my eyes at the thought. One year ago today, at exactly 12:15:06am, I came into “contact” with Rein for the very first time through a text message. He was the friend of a friend, a girl I had met only a month before, with whom I had shared little more than a room and a stage during an arduous theater tour. She kept asking me if I wanted to meet this friend of hers, a guy whose grey-green eyes and high ideals I might find interesting. I told her no, I wouldn’t be interested in meeting her friend. Not for anything, but I felt it would have been a most awkward encounter. What scintillating tidbits would that first exchange contain? Hi...hello...SO...you’re Neomi’s friend...er, yes, I am...(SFX: cricket...cricket...) Thanks, I said, but no thanks.
How about just talking to him on the phone, my persistent friend persisted. Er…NO, I said, a little more firmly. Thank you, truly, for thinking of me as the perfect phone pal for your friend. I’m sure he is the salt of the earth and a real gem of a guy, but this is not how I’ve chosen to find a date for myself. I was pretty sure, you see, that my destined romance would take place onboard a plane headed for New York, our eyes glued to the black and white, Woody Allen-esque panorama of a skyline below. The music playing overhead would be “It Had To Be You.” We would be on the same row, but on opposite window seats. Then, just as the heavens conspired, we would tear our eyes away from our respective windows for just a moment at the very same instant. Our eyes would meet, and then the music overhead would suddenly segue into “Rhapsody in Blue”. And THEN, and only then, would I have agreed to have coffee the moment we landed.
But my friend, bless her dear (and intuitive!) heart, patiently waited till another day, after an exhausting rehearsal, to slip it again into one of our late night conversations. How about if you just let him send you a text message, she said, grinning from ear to ear. After mentioning it once or twice more, I finally said ok. I mean, fine. It was only a text message. How bad could it be? I could always ignore it. Or better yet, delete it.
Well, a bazillion text messages later…and many, many calls, and meals and movies and drives and walks and conversations and cosmic collisions since, here we are, counting the days to our wedding. A whole new galaxy of swirling sparks and particles and dreams and promises is now ready to be born.
But I will remember it. How can I not? It was the day the rest of my life officially began.
(Cue Song: Hey look at the sun, it's finally shining on my life...)
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HONEY!!!
Here’s to the journey of a lifetime...
And so it is with people. No one “bumps” into other beings in this life without somehow being changed by the encounter. Life, as you know it, will never be the same again. For instance, who would have ever thought that two souls as poles apart in their personal histories and passions as Rein and I would end up pledging unending love to each other? That it would now be impossible to imagine a life without the other? That one ordinary day, one unremarkable moment, one mundane conversation, and one unlikely friendship, would lead to this one extraordinary, life-changing event?
One year ago today, I would have rolled my eyes at the thought. One year ago today, at exactly 12:15:06am, I came into “contact” with Rein for the very first time through a text message. He was the friend of a friend, a girl I had met only a month before, with whom I had shared little more than a room and a stage during an arduous theater tour. She kept asking me if I wanted to meet this friend of hers, a guy whose grey-green eyes and high ideals I might find interesting. I told her no, I wouldn’t be interested in meeting her friend. Not for anything, but I felt it would have been a most awkward encounter. What scintillating tidbits would that first exchange contain? Hi...hello...SO...you’re Neomi’s friend...er, yes, I am...(SFX: cricket...cricket...) Thanks, I said, but no thanks.
How about just talking to him on the phone, my persistent friend persisted. Er…NO, I said, a little more firmly. Thank you, truly, for thinking of me as the perfect phone pal for your friend. I’m sure he is the salt of the earth and a real gem of a guy, but this is not how I’ve chosen to find a date for myself. I was pretty sure, you see, that my destined romance would take place onboard a plane headed for New York, our eyes glued to the black and white, Woody Allen-esque panorama of a skyline below. The music playing overhead would be “It Had To Be You.” We would be on the same row, but on opposite window seats. Then, just as the heavens conspired, we would tear our eyes away from our respective windows for just a moment at the very same instant. Our eyes would meet, and then the music overhead would suddenly segue into “Rhapsody in Blue”. And THEN, and only then, would I have agreed to have coffee the moment we landed.
But my friend, bless her dear (and intuitive!) heart, patiently waited till another day, after an exhausting rehearsal, to slip it again into one of our late night conversations. How about if you just let him send you a text message, she said, grinning from ear to ear. After mentioning it once or twice more, I finally said ok. I mean, fine. It was only a text message. How bad could it be? I could always ignore it. Or better yet, delete it.
Well, a bazillion text messages later…and many, many calls, and meals and movies and drives and walks and conversations and cosmic collisions since, here we are, counting the days to our wedding. A whole new galaxy of swirling sparks and particles and dreams and promises is now ready to be born.
I even remember how our text "conversation" that night ended. I still have his message in my celfone's inbox till now: Ok...U must b tired. Nice 2 exchange msges w/ u. Hope 2b able 2 talk 2 u more... Thanks 4 txting. Take care on ur way home. Late na.
So today is technically our anniversary, not of the day we became a couple or got engaged, but of the day we first “collided”. After the wedding, this day will mostly likely never be commemorated, or even mentioned, again.But I will remember it. How can I not? It was the day the rest of my life officially began.
(Cue Song: Hey look at the sun, it's finally shining on my life...)
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HONEY!!!
Here’s to the journey of a lifetime...
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Spanish Flea
This tag of sorts has been long overdue. But work has been driving me insane the last couple of days and I badly need a diversion. This is as good as any. And it's fun! Try it.
Pick a band/singer + Answer using only titles of their songs.
I choose you: Sergio Mendes
+ Are you male or female:
Masquerade ( juuuust kidding.... )
+ Describe yourself:
Going Out Of My Head
+ How do some people feel about you:
One Note Samba
+ How do you feel about yourself:
So Many Stars ( "...which one to choose? which way to go? how can I tell, how will I know...?" )
+ Describe your Ex:
Fool On The Hill
+ Describe your views on your significant other:
Like A Lover ( "...how i envy the cup that knows your lips...let it be me, my love" )
+ Describe what you want:
The Look of Love
+ Describe how you live:
Stillness
+ Share a few words of wisdom:
Mas Que Nada ( check out the translated lyrics and see for yourself! )
Pick a band/singer + Answer using only titles of their songs.
I choose you: Sergio Mendes
+ Are you male or female:
Masquerade ( juuuust kidding.... )
+ Describe yourself:
Going Out Of My Head
+ How do some people feel about you:
One Note Samba
+ How do you feel about yourself:
So Many Stars ( "...which one to choose? which way to go? how can I tell, how will I know...?" )
+ Describe your Ex:
Fool On The Hill
+ Describe your views on your significant other:
Like A Lover ( "...how i envy the cup that knows your lips...let it be me, my love" )
+ Describe what you want:
The Look of Love
+ Describe how you live:
Stillness
+ Share a few words of wisdom:
Mas Que Nada ( check out the translated lyrics and see for yourself! )
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Does It Ever Cross Your Mind That I Miss You?
I'm really too pooped to blog right now. But a coupla good friends sent in some nice pics, so I'll just post them here. How hard can that be? Haha, lazybones! So, let the images speak for themselves!
A certain Disney bigwig deigned to drop by our dressing room, accompanied by another "celeb" specializing in the Bard's works. Mitch and I were so honored...
Disney honcho flanked by his royal consort and humble little me...
The loveable angel who has completely won over my heart. I meant the one on the right...
Cast party hosts presenting the "Almost Paralyzed (We're Knockin' On Heaven's Door)" Award to Rev. Shaw Moore for almost paralyzing the cast, band and crew with his showstopping 'Alright!' moment in the opening number. The prize? A roll of Mediplast gauze.
The citizens of Bomont have spoken...hey, you chose 'em! A warm hand for Bomont's newly crowned Prom King and Queen.
Thank you Rony and Oliver! Without you, I would have no memories...
A certain Disney bigwig deigned to drop by our dressing room, accompanied by another "celeb" specializing in the Bard's works. Mitch and I were so honored...
Disney honcho flanked by his royal consort and humble little me...
The loveable angel who has completely won over my heart. I meant the one on the right...
Cast party hosts presenting the "Almost Paralyzed (We're Knockin' On Heaven's Door)" Award to Rev. Shaw Moore for almost paralyzing the cast, band and crew with his showstopping 'Alright!' moment in the opening number. The prize? A roll of Mediplast gauze.
The citizens of Bomont have spoken...hey, you chose 'em! A warm hand for Bomont's newly crowned Prom King and Queen.
Thank you Rony and Oliver! Without you, I would have no memories...