#8 and #9, 31 March 2007

[originally written 04 April 2007, with a few small edits]

Oh, New York. What to say, what to say. I love the city so much. I love walking the streets around Broadway. So busy, so full of everything, Starbuckses and McDonald's and theatre everywhere.

As you may know already from reading the story of the last NYC trip, I got there extremely late for the matinee of the 24th, due to congested roads at the interchange onto 78 and the goddamn PATH track maintenance. While the latter was not the case today, I did not want to take any chances. Also I had Things To Do beforehand.

So I set my alarm for 6:20 am. Aargh. I hit the snooze button for an hour and a half, got up a bit before 8, took a shower, made sure I had everything, and then left about 8:30am. I was seriously paranoid that by the time I got to the Cloisters for my oil change, there'd be a line and I'd be there forever. Not so. I was so impressed with my whole experience there that I have decided to never get an oil change anywhere else so long as I'm still living in the area. I rolled in around 8:50, 8:55. I was one of the only ones there. This place is the coolest place ever. They do lube work on your car, and they also do extensive detail work. You can get your car washed, waxed, vacuumed, the works, while you watch. They gave me a free car wash just for getting my oil changed, and I may take advantage of it at a later time. :D Anyway, as I said, I rolled in just a bit before nine. They took my info and my key, sent me off with a pager and let me know that they will page me to the review room once, and then the second time the pager goes off, I'm done and can go pay and leave. I got in, the manager greeted me and said there was free coffee and soda available -- ! -- and so I wandered around. I was barely in the place for ten minutes total. My pager went off much sooner than I was expecting, and I talked to my mechanic. In about FIVE minutes, and I'm seriously not joking here, they had changed my oil, checked my fluids, checked my air filter and said it was okay, topped off my windshield wiper fluid, and found that the ... wait, what the hell was it called? PVC cap? valve? something like that. *is completely useless when it comes to car parts* ... that thing needed replacing, and so they replaced that thing for me while they were at it. About five minutes later they parked my car and I was paged again and by 9:15 I was off to McDonald's for breakfast. I bought a New Jersey map while I was there, and then realised that my PA map's gone missing. Actually I think it's in the trunk of my car, but... so are a thousand other things. XD

The rest of the way into NYC was uneventful. I realised halfway down 222 that I was going to get to NYC pretty damn early, so I didn't really speed, and went a more leisurely 70-75 rather than the more usual 80 or so. One thing I suppose I should mention is the fact that halfway down 78 in North Jersey is a town called Tewksbury. I actually noticed this weeks ago, but kept forgetting about it. It makes me giggle. One day I will stop and pull off the road and take a picture of that sign, but I always forget about it until I'm going right past it. I got into NYC at about 12:40, which was nice. I got to take a nice leisurely walk down to the Broadhurst.

I got to the theatre a little bit before one o'clock. I picked up my tickets, talked to this guy who seemed really out of place there, he said he'd seen LM a bunch of times (unspecified number) while it was at the Imperial and Phantom ten times. He tried to tell me about the show as if I were a newbie, and I just said to him, "Dude, I've seen this revival... nine times today." and he backed off and I walked out of the box office and stood by the stagedoor awhile. I greeted some of the actors going in. Aaron and Adam showed up practically together, both wearing dark coats and sunglasses. ♥ I wish I'd had a picture of that, so adorable. Aaron wore a dark blue wool coat that day, different from the light tan one he normally wears. :D AND THOSE SUNGLASSES WERE HOT. Ahem.

Right ho. Marianne's bus was a bit on the late side, but she definitely still got there in time. And Jess got there right about the same time. Funnily enough, Jess and I had tickets right next to each other, the partial-view orchestra seats on house right. I, personally, love that seat. Holy crap the view. And Marianne had Mezzanine Row K on house left.

The understudy board said that Stephen Trafton was taking over for Drew. Drew wasn't on for either show, so we assumed he's out sick. Celia was also out and Meg McGinnis took over for both shows. However. Whoever was stuffing the playbills either wasn't informed correctly or else ran out of the proper u/s slips -- because both Jess's and my playbills had the insert that said Matt Clemens was on for Drew. We both wanted to see Matt instead -- I saw Matt the first time I saw Drewjolras and absolutely loved him -- but alas. It isn't that I don't like Stephen Trafton, but... he's not Matt (or Drew, come to that. heh). I spent most of the first half of the first act keeping a sharp lookout for Aaron, because really. It was either that or watch Alex spit everywhere. LOL holy crap Jess and I laughed and laughed over that. Jesus, it looked like a spray-nozzle bottle you use to water the flowers!

I really heart Dan as Bamatabois, by the way. Yesterday we got an extra treat, though. Lea really throws herself into this role, and I do like that a lot. She was so emotionally invested that when Bambi's telling Javert, "...when this prostitute attacked me!" she says, "fuck you!" to him. It wasn't actually very loud, and I'm not sure how universally audible it really was. But we heard it. XD

Of all of Aaron's tiny ensemble parts in Act One, the judge in Who Am I has to be the best. And not just because he's most visible, but because he's so damn adorable.

One thing I really would love to see a production do is have Javert walk onstage while Fantine is singing, "and tell Cosette I love her and I'll see her when I wake!" It would be more canon, and it's such a tiny thing really. Because honestly, Javert kills Fantine. That's how Victor Hugo wrote it. She didn't die peacefully in Madeleine's arms. She died of the shock of seeing Javert walk in the door. But eh.

Carly Rose Sonenclar is the worst little Cosette ever. Her enunciation is the most godawful thing I have ever heard in my entire life. Who told her it was okay to sing like that?! Her consonants are slurred and her vowels are overdone and terrible and her pitch isn't the best.

So, moving on to the fun part of the show. :D It always gives me a little thrill to see Aaron walking across the bridge in Look Down, and another thrill when he sings, "until the barricades arise!" because ...yes. So much yes. And the cafe scene is just oodles of fun. The way the barricade boys all interact with each other in that scene makes me haaappy. And... guh. Seriously, do yourself a favour, and when you go to NYC to see Les Mis, get a side orchestra seat, on house right, as close to the front of the stage as possible. My favourite seat is Orchestra Right, Row C Seat 14. If you search Telecharge you'll find that it often comes up. It's listed as partial view and thus is only $66.25 as opposed to the usual $111.25. However. One view that is definitely not limited is Aaron. Bending over the table. During the cafe scene. Damn, but those pants are well-tailored.

And moving on to the second act... oh, second act was fun. Aaron was awfully cuddly with Stephen during Drink With Me. So cute. We got a nice view of Aaron bent over the barricade, though not as nice as from the left side of the house (shall delve into that later). And ... we got a round of applause going for dangling!Aaron. HOORAY. It wasn't the whole audience, granted, but it was audible and not just us and ... eeeeexcellent. Definitely going to have to try that again. :D Third time's the charm, I suppose.

Norm gave the BCEFA speech. Still doing BCEFA, I guess, though apparently just not doing the speeches on Saturday nights.

Stage door was fun afterwards. Most of the actors were in a hurry to rush off, but it's getting more and more fun to have the actors recognise me after the show. The list is growing, haha. Found out that Rob's last weekend is this weekend coming up, which is sad as I wanted to see his Javert, and I don't think he had gone on at all. Maybe once, but not while I was there, of course. Aaron came out in that lovely dark blue wool coat but sans his sunglasses and hat. After Jess fangirled at him for a bit, I asked him if he was going to be on that night, and he said yes, and asked me if I was going to be there too, and I said yes, so he said, "Yeah! Great!" all excited, like. I love that man. ♥ And Norm, while not the best Javert ever, is totally a great guy, real nice to talk to.

So then dinner, at the Euro Diner again. It's cheap and diner-y and the staff are great. I like that place. XD The food isn't outstanding but then again, it's a diner: it's cheap and edible and they don't give us funny looks for staying there after we've eaten and paid. There's little posters on the walls, including one from Broadway signed by the cast, and based upon the signatures I managed to date it for 2002-2003. J Mark McVey, Catherine Brunell, Christopher Mark Petersen, Rob Varela, etc. Don't think it was the final cast, but probably pretty close. That's... sort of sad, I think. XD

And then to hang out at the stagedoor afterwards, where I managed to miss Aaron going in. I like watching the actors come up to the stage door, so I must learn to keep getting to NYC early. Haha. Will try to leave at 9:30 again on Saturday, for sure.

As for the evening show I don't have much to report. My ticket was for Row L, on house right, and I sat next to this pretty brown-haired boy who looked early twenties, probably not much older than me. He looked like a high-school/college jock, kinda. Except he was a fanboy. Oh yes. He asked me if I saw the show, and I said that show was my ninth, and he was like, "Oh, I'm jealous! This is my first time ever seeing the show, although I've heard all the recordings... Do you know if the Javert is any good?" JAVERT FANBOY. I DIE. So I told him, yes, that I wasn't the biggest fan of Norm's acting but his voice is pretty strong. XD

At intermission, Marianne came to me and said, 'COME WITH ME. SPARE BOX SEAT! :D' So I got to move for Act Two. Holy crap it's a nice view from there. I definitely want that seat again. We didn't try to repeat the applause for dangling!Aaron, though, because the audience was rather reserved. Saturday night audiences aren't usually enthusiastic -- little applause, no hooting and whistling. This is probably because most of the 'upscale' people do Saturday nights. Heh.

After the show, the stage door wasn't too crowded. There were a lot of Lea fans, though. (Right, like there hasn't been every show since the beginning of March...) Chatted with Chip a bit, he asked me whether we stay overnight or just drive, and was nice enough to wish me a safe drive home. (Saying "I drove to Hoboken and took the train in" seems to elicit concern, I wonder why...) And Dan has started to crack jokes about our presence... we talked to him a few minutes and then before he left he said, "Well... see you tomorrow, I guess!" I ♥ him. Rob said hi to us too, for the first time in pretty much forever he didn't have his cell phone glued to his ear.

When Aaron came out there was a giant cheer. Not that I'm surprised, haha. I always love standing back away from the metal barricades to watch the Aaron fans. Adam came out not long afterwards, and there was a point when they were standing right next to each other. I tried to get a picture of Aaron and Adam standing in the same shot, but Adam doesn't really stand still too much, so it didn't work out very well. I did get a very, very nice shot of Aaron in the blue coat. It came out rather dark, so I retouched it a tiny bit, but the effect is still there. Coat! ♥

Aaron chatted with us a bit, and I fangirled at him, which (believe it or not) I haven't actually done before, and tried to tell him how awesome he is and how I just love him more each time I see him. His response to the latter? "Bullshit!" Aaron! Not bullshit! XD And then Marianne asked him what's coming next. He told us that his next plans are "a big concert in Israel, and then something in LA." Vague, and interesting. Basically this means that after April 22 it might be quite a long time before I have any chance to see Aaron in anything. Though you Southern Californians will. Depending on what the "something in LA" is, I foresee a trip out west in my future . . . Anyway, he asked us which was better, matinee or evening, and I told him evening by a small bit. Haha, it was hard to choose. Going by the whole show experience, the matinee was a lot more fun, but stripping away the audience, the evening show had a better performance, so I went with that. Honestly, Aaron, hard to choose! Another Aaronhug, and he went on his way. ♥

We said hi to Norm again, talked with him a bit, managed to mention to him that I'm looking forward to seeing him in Little Mermaid. By this time Lea had left and so had all her fangirls, so the crowd was significantly thinned. Poor Alex, he doesn't ever come out very quickly so there aren't many fans awaiting him.

We went off to Starbucks after that. I was really out of it, haha.

I think I managed to leave NYC by 12:45, train ride wasn't too bad. The really fun part was the garage. The garage had a bit of a problem. It only has two pre-pay machines, and one wasn't working properly. Mine told me to pay $30, which was understandable, though it's usually been $25, except the Sunday matinee when I only had to pay $15. And then I got up to my car, almost forgot where I was parked, and when I tried to leave? There was a fucking traffic jam in the parking garage. God only knows what happened, but... it was exacerbated by the parking ticket validation machines. See, the way the garage works is, you pay for your ticket at the machine, and then you have to exit in fifteen minutes otherwise your ticket expires. The traffic jam caused me to be stuck in the garage about forty minutes, which only made the jam continue, because the attendants had to manually re-verify all our tickets and force the gates open. But then the rest of the drive home was a breeze. That reminds me, I should check my EZ-Pass balance, so I don't go over. I put $50 on a while back, and I might be coming down to the end of that.

And that was New York.

Photos from the day:
Aaron in the blue coat.