God That's Good!

So, here it is. The long awaited Sweeney post. I had JUST gotten into the writing flow and I got kicked offline (thus the valuable lesson of the previous post). Now I have to reconstruct what I said before, after spending too much time ruminating over just the right words to express my thoughts about the last Sweeney. I finally realized that there is never going to be a good time to sit down and write, the words are never going to be perfect. So, sez I, what the hell? (it really IS the answer to many of life's most difficult questions...) It may not be perfect, but here goes.

Team Sweeney (myself, Kari and Sarah, AKA The Most Fabulous Women on the Planet) reported to the O'Neill twice last week - a rainy Friday night (with our umbrellas, but sadly not with our sexy farmgirl hats...) and then Sunday for the main event. We had front row seats. I was over the moon (thank you, Sarah!) to be so close. Best behavior required, of course. No eating, sleeping, slouching, fidgeting, or passing around our bottle of JD (haha, just kidding) or else you risk Incurring the Wrath of The Patti (and no one want to do that). The atmosphere in the theater was supercharged. It seemed as though most of the audience had been there before and wanted to be part of the last night, and everyone was full of anxious anticipation. Our hearts were aflutter. We got The Front Row Talking To - I couldn't reach the stage with my feet if I tried - legs are too short. Turned around and saw, standing casually at the back of the theater, Stephen Sondheim himself, looking out over the audience, taking in the scene. Breathing the same air as the Master. We all looked over at him, not too subtlely, either... Made ourselves turn around and face front. Showtime.

Darkness.

The cheering started the second the lights went out, and continued as the curtain opened and a small light came up, revealing the cast, in their places, for the final time. Door slams. Straightjacket removed. Violin in place. Music starts, and we were attending the tale once again.
The cast gave us 110% and the first act saw many of us up front crying (and a few people having some kind of weird fits behind us, but whatever). I will remember so many little moments from the show, from that night.... here are just a few...

- Michael's first entrance, rising up out of the coffin... the first time I saw the show, it was that moment he started siniging that first grabbed my attention. It got a HUGE round of applause, too right!

- Patti with her tuba. Kills me. Just kills me. Worth the price of admission alone. Seriously.

- Lauren Molina, as Johanna, sitting on top of the coffin, cello-ing away, while Antony is on the ladder behind her singing, "I feel you, Johanna..." Her head thrown back, a serene smile on her face, the picture of innocence and joy. One of my favorite moments.

-Another perfectly staged scene - "Kiss Me" Beadle, Judge flanking Sweeney (Michael with Pirelli's hat on at a rakish angle) and Antony and Johanna at the front of the stage. Michael's expression made me lose it completely. So sad... sigh....

- Patti at the bells, also looking so sad. Good thing I brought my kleenex. Didn't start hyperventilating like the girls behind us though... I mean, really.

-Sitting close enough to reach out and touch them (but didn't obviously) and craning my neck to see up at them, occasionally catching Patti's eye and holding eye contact. BRILLIANT.

- A Little Priest: such a great example of how well these actors worked together and played off each other. Funny funny funny.

- By the Sea one of my faves, especially as Patti plays with all of the weaponry. It is the perfect foil to such a sweet little song. She's so cute....

I could go on and on and on about how much I LOVE Patti and Michael (couldja tell?) but it is now time to give the other cast members a shout out:

- Mark Jacoby was always so perfect and creepy as Judge Turpin. It takes some skill to be that creepy. Each time I would sit there and think, EW, you dirty old man! Great voice, too.

- Alex Gemignani always had perfect delivery. I would see Les Mis again (!) just so I could go and cheer him on.

-John Arbo only had a handful of lines, but had one of my favorites in the show "Shoot and I WILL stop!"

- Diana di Marzo, had a way of fading into the background, but she was always so SOLID and held her own in those final scenes with Patti and Michael.

- Donna Lynne, so so funny as Pirelli (To shave-a de face!!) too bad she's the first to go...

And Mano... oh, Mano... funny and appropriately twitchy as Toby (Lawks, look at it now!)

Curtain call came and most of the cast was crying - that's okay, because so was most of the audience. Roses came showering onto the stage for Patti... Sarah captured a perfect little video (because she is TRULY a !@#$*& Rock Star!) that I must have watched several hundred times since the actual night.

I saw the show 6 times total. And okay, maybe it's not 40 (but gimme a break. I just "discovered" it in April and I live in Chicago. I had a lot of catching up to do!) Each time I saw it, it was like a new experience. Each time I saw it, it managed to capture my mind, my heart and my imagination. Michael said it best when he said it would be "An evening I'll never forget."

Me either.