Witch Melt

Lunch is called

Noah and I burst onto the Seattle streets dashing through pedestrians racing to the bank

Paychecks gripped tightly

we nervously wait in line

shifting foot to foot

till cash in hand

we slam it in our wallets and bolt back 

giddy with laughter and excitement

1994

The Wizard of Oz

The 5th Avenue Theatre

Ensemble

Turns out there wasn't much they could do with me

Not being a dancer and too tall for a munchkin

In the first act I sang "Ooooohs" offstage

Didn't care

I had a job and it paid

My only moment on stage was in The Merry Old Land of Oz

But when we got to blocking The Winkie part of the story

You know

Oh-Ee-Yah! Ee-Oh-Ah!

I thought, Now I get my chance

I could play a Winkie guard

Practically born to play the part

The director scanned the cast

"Okay, I need someone big and tall for this part," he muttered to his assistant

I made sure to pull my shoulders back and stand straight

He walked by slowly and paused in front of me

Placing his hand on my shoulder

"You," he said. "You'll do"

Yes!

"Apparently it costs something ridiculous for the hydraulics in this next part. Well, we just can't afford it soooooo," his voice lowered and he looked me in the eye

"I need you"
Yes!?

"I need you...to be the Witch Melt"

Confusion

He sighed, "I need you to crawl under the stage and when they throw the water on the witch!" (he imitated a throwing motion) "YOU will be under the stage unlocking and opening a hatch. Our witch, Mavis,(another flourish) will crawl onto your shoulders as you slowly sway back and forth while she screams and DISAPPEARS!"

He shouts to the cast

"So, I'm not going to be a Winkie then?"

"No, but you WILL be saving us $50,000 so I'd say it's a crucial part," he said with a chuckle

So, in my 5th Avenue debut

I sang in an off-stage mic

Performed in The Merry Old Land of Oz

and was the Witch Melt mechanism

BUT

a few things happened along the way that I'll never forget

One night I was invited to play cards after the show

It was late

I'd lost what little money I brought to the game

Character actor Michael Mulheren (The Cowardly Lion)

chewing on a cigar turned to me and said, "Kid. You're good looking. You can sing. Why not go to New York?"

I hadn't thought of such a thing 

Never entered my mind

New York?

"Really?" I asked but he just shrugged

Huh! New York 

Why...not...go...to New York?!

Next day during tech I found myself standing next to veteran actor Bob Fitch (Scarecrow) and told him about this new idea of going to The Big Apple

"Just make sure you get seen," he said. "I don't care if it's a cabaret or an off-broadway showcase or in someone's living room just FIND a way to get seen!"

He eyed me a moment then pulled a 50 cent piece from his pocket

It began to dance along his knuckles

Back and forth the coin moved before disappearing with a puff of breath

"and have a little trick in your pocket. Something that makes you memorable."

Bought a companion ticket with my buddy Coop to New York that week

Paid for by a check from the 5th Avenue

Though Winkie nor Witch Melt never made it to my resume 

I learned a thing or two doing that show

HENRY

We met waiting for the bus headed into NYC

Decamp 33 on Broad St

One block up from Holsteins where they filmed the last episode of The Sopranos

Across the street from Bob's

The place the real wise guys hung out

(Inside Bob's they sold The Post, Bus and Lottery tickets, The Daily News and coffee

There were always a couple of old guys just sitting there and a lady behind the counter

In the summer they'd sit out front one fella fiddling with a golf putter)

I met Henry across the street from there

He was an older gentleman

Once he was wearing a jacket that said Korea on it so I figured him for a vet

"Where do you work?" he asked

"I do theater."

"Oh," he said with a nod

He worked somewhere down in the financial district

It had a fancy name

Henry wasn't fancy though

He wore a button up and slacks but they were a little worn

His hair was cut tight and combed over with a little Brylcreem

He was clean shaven but usually missed a couple spots

Henry took a shine to me and every time we'd stand there waiting for the bus he'd strike up a conversation

I'd take off my earphones and put my book down inwardly sighing

Henry 

liked to talk

specifically to me

Henry was also hard of hearing

He'd lean in and ask me to repeat myself often

I had to enunciate clearly and speak up

Here's the thing about Henry

He was a guy from another generation

He often said things that were awkward

Slightly inappropriate

Nothing too crazy

More like something a guy might say in a movie from the 50's

"Look at the gams on that broad!"

"That fella needs to lose weight."

"That guy's long hair makes him look like a girl!"

He sort of skirted that edge

Sometimes people would chuckle

I was often a little embarrassed

"He probably likes it that way." I might say

"WHAT?"

"I think he likes it that way!!" 

"Huh." He might say with a shake of his head

After a couple of years he started showing up with a cane

He was a little thinner but he still loved to chat me up

I'd get on the bus skipping a few empty seats and settle somewhere in the middle

He'd amble back and sit next to me to talk

So, I started sitting closer to the front

We became bus buddies

Henry liked to tell jokes

Jokes that were sometimes funny and I'd laugh

Jokes that sometimes were a little off and I'd give a "Hmmm"

and jokes that were so out there I'd guffaw from the absurdity

He never talked about family and I pegged him for a bachelor

His limp got worse and we took to sitting in the front row

The bus driver definitely found Henry funny

I'd glance in the mirror to see responses of people behind us

But they just read the paper or looked out the window as the Meadowlands rushed by

I'd move back to a different seat if another elderly or disabled person got on

My reason being both polite and a self serving respite as well

Henry could be a bit much

But you couldn't help but like him

One year, to my surprise, he hobbled up the steep steps to my front door

"Ding Dong"

There he stood, cane stuck under his arm with a card extended

An anniversary card for Chelsea and I with 20 bucks stuffed inside

I don't know how he knew where we lived or when our anniversary was but I guess through all those conversations he'd learned them both

I watched him carefully make his way back down to an 80's Oldsmobile idling out front, slowly climb in and drive off

The gigs in NY ended and I spent some time on the road touring

Trips into Manhattan lessened

So I don't remember my last bus ride with Henry or what he said that day

And then, kind of suddenly, we moved

and it wasn't for some time till I realized

I didn't say good-bye

I wish I had

I wish I had a card with a Far side cartoon that would make him laugh or maybe say, "Huh."

I reached out to Joe (this other guy at the bus stop) hoping Joe could pass on a message or give me his address

Joe didn't know where he lived and hadn't seen Henry in over a year

This is a regret I carry

I still think about him

How he made me a little uncomfortable

How he engaged me into conversation

and how he became my friend