Wednesday morning
10am
A phone rings
I wake bleary eyed
confused
Where?
A siren wails
New York
Tuesday night
The crowd is on its feet
As the applause swells
I bow
It is a singular moment in my life
An understudy taking the final bow of a Broadway show
I feel light on air
pumped with adrenalin and serotonin
all the feely good things
It's Tuesday night 1997 in NYC
My last week in New York
Friends dot the audience
After the show
We go out!
We CELEBRATE!!!
Bars
booze
cigars and boobs
bourbon and brevity
A cacophony of jubilation
"DON'T YOU HAVE A MATINEE TOMORROW?"
"Yeah, but just my ensemble track Brujon. Piece of cake! ANOTHER BLACK AND TAN!!!"
The night goes on
and on
till 3am we crash back at the apartment
exhausted
Wednesday morning
10am
A phone rings
head aching
tongue swollen
throat scratchy
thirsty
so thirsty
The phone rings again
lunging up I stumble forward
reaching
"Ummm, hello?"
"You're on for both shows today. AND the rest of the week."
"Huh?"
"Rob's out for the rest of the week. You're on!"
CLICK
"Who was that?" Brian croaks from another room
"la La LA LAAAAAAAAAAAAAA LA La la"
"Oh shit!"
