The End

Taken me a few days to gather my thoughts, but I'll start with what Lenora will expect me to. So Alice skipped us at the stagedoor. There's only one explanation: Alice Ripley HATES us. Waah waah. Sorry, Lenny. It's not like she came out and kicked us in the face. There are worse things than that. Someone behind me at the stagedoor said, "She wouldn't skip all of us. Not our Alice." Ok. Wait, what? You have an Alice? I don't have an Alice. I don't want an Alice. Creepy.


Anyway. Why did I forget how good Brian D'Arcy James was? Idjit me. He's great, but, God help me, all I could see was Shrek. Sorry, man. And Alice. Oh, lovely Alice. She was as wonderful as ever. Here's the thing - Next to Normal doesn't get to me anymore. I have no heart, remember? Wrong. Apparently I do, because So Anyway sawed it open. I mean, really. "So anyway, I'm leaving..." Lenora sat next to me sobbing, but I didn't cry. I just clawed all the skin off my chest. Still have red marks. Alice very nearly cracked on the last lines because she was crying so hard. "I loved you once and though, I love you still I know, it's time for me to go. And so..." BIG PAUSE "goodbye." At that moment I felt my heart crack open and spill its contents. It was one of my favorite theatrical moments, right up there with seeing Angela Lansbury's first entrace in Night Music and dancing onstage at Hair.

I may be the one person who laughs at the end of Next to Normal, but I was so overwhelmed that I was just giggling hysterically. When Kitt and Yorkey made their speeches at the end, Lenora scared the crap out of me. She just grabbed my arm and screamed out, "OH MY GOD, IT'S TOM KITT!!" Good Lord. I never knew she felt that way.

So I met Jessica Phillips and I did not throw my Playbill in her face. I've decided I don't hate her anymore. She went on for Ripley twice, and I was not happy to see her either time. I had to project my rage onto somebody. Sorry, lady. I will concede that your I Miss the Mountains was beautifully sung.