Hello! Iāve had an absolutely lovely trip to NYC and thought Iād share some of my impressions on Love, Love, Love and provide a report on my fangirling adventures as well. Ā In case anyone was wondering, given the paucity of bloggerly motivation and posting in recent months, I can really assure you with 100% confidence that my deep and abiding admiration for, and, well, overwhelming attraction to Richard Armitage really hasnāt gone anywhere, though I suppose my general level of āactiveā preoccupationwitharmitage does wax and wane. SoĀ first off, apologies that Iāve become a really sorry-ass excuse for a blogger in recent months! Ā But even when Iām experiencing that loss of motivation to post, you can believe that the moment something like an announcement (or strong suspicion/well-supported supposition/wild-ass guess) about a live performance series occurs, Iāll be all over it,Ā researching the theatre and ways to get tickets and checking my calendar. Simply based on my experience of the manās onstage capabilitiesĀ inĀ The Crucible, I was willing to buy advanced tickets to Love, Love, Loveā a play about a topic that didnāt seem interesting, by a playwright Iād never heard of, and before there was any solid intel beyond some Twitter follows and a response RA made to a fanās tweet that hinted the name of the play. And Iād do it all again in a New York minute!
Okay! Thatās out of the way. Now Iāll begin my recollection of my fan-diddily-damn-tastic trip to New York City! And let me just say that the Love, Love, Love I experienced was not just the title of the playā¦ I also rather fell for the city (a huge surprise for me!), reignited my devotion to RA, but most importantly, I was downright blown away by the laughter, camaraderie andĀ chance to make hopefully lastingĀ connections with other fans. Richard Armitage was lovely, and he thoroughly delivered onstage, but in some ways he was more like icing on the cake.
Many months ago, before there was even a definitive confirmation of Richard Armitageās involvement in Love, Love, Love, I became a Roundabout Theatre donor a couple of days before the advance tickets were to become available so as to have a shot at some great seats. As a donor, I wasĀ able to score front-row seats in both orchestra and mezzanine sections at a reduced price forĀ myself and for fellow bloggerĀ Hariclea, who likewise was eager to have premium tickets even if none of us were entirely certain at the time that Richard was, well, involved!Ā Hariclea and IĀ planned to room together and haveĀ a long-awaited meet-up, but unfortunatelyĀ In Hariās case, the uncertainty about the trip was even more outrageous, and even up until the veryĀ morning she flew out, the feasibility of the trip was doubtful due to bureaucratic factors completely out of her control. In the several days leading up to the trip, as it looked less and less likely that Hari was going to make it, she and the well-connected Guylty reached out to several lovely local fandom members, including Armitagebesotted, NycPat, and DaphneHS, not only to offer to gift themĀ with tickets, but to try to arrange for some friendly faces on my behalf, since it looked as if Iād be āsoloā in The Big City. I still get emotional thinking about theseĀ marvelous ladies and their warm response.
As it happened, I awoke at 4am last Friday to wonderful news, a last-minute,Ā powerfully exhilarated email from Hariclea stating that she was on her way to the airport after all!!!! I flew into NYC likewise in great spirits, with plans to meet Armitagebesotted and DaphneHS at a pub just across the street from the theatre for dinner before the show. Hariclea was supposed to be there as well, but ran into some horrendous traffic en route from the airport and wound up meeting the three of us at the theatre instead. It was really an entertaining chat before the show, where we exchanged our Armitage-initiation stories and the NYC contingent (veterans by now of the whole routine) mapped out exactly where and howĀ I shouldĀ reach the front of the Stage Door queue, etc.
Entrance to the Laura Pels Theatre
For the Friday (Dec. 2) performance, I wanted to basically Watch The Play. IĀ had not previously read the script, and IĀ have (even now)Ā avoided reports and blogs about the material to prevent spoilers and also toĀ avoid clouding my own interpretation and impressions with the interpretations and impressions of others. I basically knew the general outline of the play, that it followed Kenneth and Sandra in 3 acts at 3 different times in their lives, and that there would be some sort of theme and conflict involving their generation (the baby boomers) and that of their children (my generation as well, the Gen-Xers). To that purpose, I got front row mezzanine seats for Friday night, not really wanting to have the distRAction of Richard Armitage up close. And this was an effective schemeā¦ I was actually surprised at how well it worked, because I really didnāt payĀ disproportionate attention to RAās Kenneth, and found myself almost unable to look away from Amy Ryanās Sandra whenever she was onstage. [SPOILERS below!!!]
I was surprised at howĀ hilarious I found the play. I didnāt go in expecting a comedy, but discovered that it was very sharply satiric and I wasĀ genuinely laughing throughout the play, perhaps a bit less in the 3rd Act, but even then there were moments of dark humorĀ that were laugh-out-loud funnyĀ for me. Richard Armitage, as itĀ turns out, has excellent comedic timing, and there were moments even without any dialogue that really had meĀ giggling. I went inĀ really curious about why ArmitageĀ chose this particular role, and now having seen it, I have to wonder if theĀ opportunity to āchase comedyā was a factor. The play was not a light comedy, butĀ it did have its share of farcical elementsĀ and exaggerated characters, Sandra especially, and it was entirely different fare from anything Iāve seen Richard do to date.
Act 1. Kenneth, Sandra and Henry. Though KennethāsĀ hair was MUCH nicer than this. Iām to understand that early in the run heĀ sported thisĀ god-awfulĀ wig, but his hair had grown out enough by now that the wig was (thankfully) unnecessary. (Source: Roundabout Theatre Company)
Despite his weaknesses, I did rather adore Kenneth as a character. In Act 1,Ā Richard was able to almost bound about the stage with the sort of loose-jointed energy and enthusiasm of a great big, eager puppy, and I found him quite endearing as the 19 year-old Kenneth. I likedĀ thatĀ heĀ didĀ show hesitation (and later, at least a fleeting remorse)Ā when Sandra came on to him, though he wasnāt at all capable ofĀ eluding temptation. And I boughtĀ in to the idea that he was so young, and thought RA did a great job capturing that essence of youth in many ways, from the voice which occasionally broke high, to the way he slouched and lounged on the couch, to the fawning adoration on his face as he stayed glued to Sandra from the moment she entered the room. He also behaved like a typical youth, surreptitiously kicking stuff under the couch during the tidying session, making sure he affected a pose as carefree and worldly as possible while awaiting Sandraās entrance, andĀ adopting an exaggerated pout when he let her know that his brother had told him to make himself scarce and use a bucket to piss in, if need be, while Sandra was in the apartment. Well done, Mr. Armitage! This youthfulness wasĀ different from anything Iāve seen him do, and really refreshing and probably something weāre unlikely to revisitĀ as fans. What other role would require him toĀ play theĀ 19 year-old ever again?
Act 2. Amy Ryan stole the show. (Source: Roundabout Theatre Company)
While Kenneth was my favorite in Act 1, I felt that Act 2 really belonged to Amy Ryan and her portrayal of a once again wildly self-indulgent and enebriatedĀ Sandra. That āpterodactyl screechāĀ of hers got me every time, and she was so absolutelyĀ over-the-top awful as a mother! Both parents were clearly out-of-touch with the children and had trouble keeping up with their parental duty to know the basics (their daughterās age, which instrument she played, where she was in her schoolingā¦ all funny moments that also called for a sympathetic cringe), but it was Sandra who was the most cruelly indifferent to her childrenās feelings. The truly hot-in-dad-pantsĀ Kenneth was at least ācompanionableā in his oblivion, but Sandra showed no remorse whatsoever that sheādĀ forgottenĀ to attendĀ Roseās concert, took alarming pleasure in informing her daughter of her boyfriendās flirtations, and was so wildly inappropriate at the birthday celebration that I actually gasped out loud during the cake scene. Here it should also be said that Zoe Kazan brought her A-game (in both of her Acts, really) and I literally made sympathetic little noises on her behalf even as IĀ winced and laughed my way through Act 2. Aside from the pterodactyl screech, I especially adored the long moments of silence as the clock ticked down to midnight, and father and 14 year-old son sat smoking across from one another at the tableā¦ it was so surreal, and I loved how the audience just snickered all the way through it, then guffawed as Rose entered the room andĀ reacted toĀ the illicit recreations at her horrible party!
Act 3. Kenneth and Sandra, retirees. (Source: Roundabout Theatre Company)
Act 3 was very unsettling in many ways, and I thought all participants were again excellent. Here again the comedy was an uncomfortable type of comedy, as it became clear that Ben Rosenfieldās adultĀ Jamie was not only completely disconnected from interpersonal relationships, but seemed to be verging on mental incapacity. Drugs, alcohol, trauma-of-youth or a some combination of these made him really a sad figure, though still quite funny in his mannerisms, repetitionsĀ and random interjections. Richardās retired/senior citizen Kenneth was well done. I liked his intonation as he mused about the quality of the wine, and he definitely moved about the stage with a believable (though subtle) stiffness and hesitation while seating himself and rising, aĀ nice contrast to the springing movements of his character in Act 1. (He was still pretty spry for an old guyā¦ and really just as hotā¦ donāt fear the salt and pepper hair, Mr. Armitageā¦ you wore it well!) Once again he showed thatĀ amiable obliviousness in his failure to recognize that something was very āoffā about Jamie. Truthfully, he reminded me in this sense of my own father, who is as affable as anyone youāll ever meet, very loveable, but entirely incapable of confronting problematic behaviors on the part of any family member.Ā Sandra, as usual, commanded the stage the moment she entered, captivating me as she did in every act with her high-flown extravagance and egocentrism. One thing I did conclude, on evidence of Kennethās similar reaction toĀ Sandra (almost mesmerizedĀ from the moment she entered)Ā which occurred inĀ every act, was that he did love and admireĀ this woman, despite her faults. Not perhaps the kind of love that embraces the hard work and mutual selflessness that keeps a marriage intact for the long run, but some kind of love nevertheless. In many ways they were well-suited as a couple, and had they not had children whose lives they clearly damaged, had they been free to pursue their reckless course without those children, I almost could have applauded them.
Act 3. Rose and Jamie, adults. (Source: Roundabout Theatre Company)
I think Rose as a character deserves a paragraph of her own for Act 3. I did sympathize with her to an extent, but couldnāt help feeling that she became very off-putting when, at the age of 37, she essentially blamed every poor choice she ever made on her parents, and demanded they buy her a house. What?!?! Just buy her a house outright, as if a house would somehow make her into a happy person, which is an unreasonable expectation in and of itself. As I discussed with Hariclea after the play, at some point one has to take responsibility for oneās own decisions. It would be like me, looking at my student loans (which will likely take another couple of decades to pay off), and castigating my parents for not insisting that I choose medical school rather than veterinary school, for a similar investment of time and money but quadruple the salary! I chose instead to follow my dream, and if Iām not as well-off as my parents were at this stage, well- my life to live! Rose was absolutely right that they were shitty, narcissistic parents and Iām sure that both children really were never the same after that fateful birthday partyā¦ no doubt whatsoever. We discover in Act 3 that Rose was so distraught by the events of the evening that she actually attempted suicide moments after she turned 16. However, the irritated-at-Rose part of meĀ begs to point out thatĀ her actions, while coming from a very valid state of emotional devastation, had to have ALSO contributed to Jamieās trauma of the evening andĀ her ownĀ observation that he was ānever the sameāā¦ this is born out by his strong agitation when it finally dawned on Jamie, in Act 3, that RoseāsĀ feelings were hurt by the discovery that brother and father had made a trip into LondonĀ for a musical, and hadnāt ever thought to call her while they were in town. This was possiblyĀ the most alert moment of Act 3 for Jamie, and it was an acute distress when heĀ realized that she was upset. He settled down again and wandered out to sunbathe, but later, when the family was gathered and shouting, he burst back on the scene in a state ofĀ incoherantĀ panic.
I was somewhat surprised to learn at the celebrity series Q&A (on Sunday)Ā that Richard sympathized with Rose to the extent that he, Richard, would have bought her the house. Taking care of the down payment, co-signing the loan, some sort of compromiseā¦ yes, why not? Or helping her in another way, maybe paying for her to goĀ back to college for a more useful degree or enter a trade school to set her on a new career pathā¦ this also would have appeased me, as it would still requireĀ Rose to take some responsibility for her future prospects. But to just buy a house outright,Ā out of a guilty conscience? Iām not sure I agree with this and again, Iām not sure a house alone would turn her life around.
It was also interesting in Act 3 that for the first time, Sandra rather than Kenneth seemed to have qualms about pursuing a purely selfish path in retirement. She seemed to be momentarily considering whether she could afford to buy Rose the house after Rose and Jamie left the room, though she dismissed it almost immediately. Then Kenneth essentially suggested he sell his lovely home, Sandra abandon her ailing husband,Ā andĀ the two of them go gallivanting around theĀ globe together,Ā leaving the hapless Jamie and hopeless Rose to struggle on without them! All along it had been Kenneth who seemed to haveĀ some modicum ofĀ proper parentalĀ feelings, even if he was ineffectual at following through or reigning her in, but in Act 3, she was (at least fleetingly) more cognizant of the childrenās predicament than he was. Whether Kenneth and SandraĀ ultimately decide to up and go is left to the viewer to interpret, and my personal feeling is that neither of them would really leave comfortable homes behind permanently. I suspectĀ that Sandra would probably have a torrid affair with Kenneth, perhapsĀ run off on a nice,Ā long, adulterousĀ vacation, but ultimately not spend a happily-ever-after with him.
A few more impressionsā¦ I really liked the wardrobe choices and set designs. Needless to say, Armitage was appealing whether half-dressed, business-dressed or in funeral-wear, and Sandraās wardrobe was also great at conveying her love of style and āfabulousnessā in each era. In Act 3 it wasĀ awkward seeing the dowdy, well-worn funeral garb that Rose was wearing compared to the glitter and diamonds of her mother. As to the set designs, Act 1 (in Henryās flat) showed a low-ceiling, grimy walls and boring, unattractive furniture with little to no dĆ©cor. Act 2 (in Kenneth and Sandraās home in Reading) did not have a ceiling, but the height of theĀ ceiling was suggested by taller walls, that it was a multi-story abode was shown by a staircase in the hall,Ā and the roomĀ boasted modern artwork andĀ furniture that appeared to be teak, all of which could have belonged in my own parentās home at the time. Act 3 had yet higher walls, giving the impression of quite loftily high ceilings, glass doorsĀ and windows leading onto what one imagines to be a beautifully manicured/landscaped estate with mature roses in bloom, and the furniture and dĆ©cor on the interior wasĀ quite high-end and tasteful.
The entire cast,Ā I felt, really delivered in their roles. Alex Hurt as Kennethās rather stodgy brother Henry was a little less memorable, but I think itās supposed to be that way. The world, after all, simplyĀ revolves around Kenneth and Sandra, doesnāt it? Richard Armitage and Amy Ryan were fantastic on keeping their characters cohesivelyĀ āthemselvesāĀ through 3 different time frames,Ā and Zoe Kazan and Ben RosenfieldĀ were really well-cast andĀ broadcastĀ their charactersā vulnerability (theĀ fragility of youth in Act 2, and the vulnerability ofĀ two separatelyĀ damaged adults in Act 3).Ā Ā Every one of them had excellent comedic timing and projected emotions and impressions so forcibly. One could almost taste Henryās vexation, Kennethās exuberant idealism and lifelong devotion to recreation, Sandraās marvelous self-absorbtion, Roseās mortification and fury, and Jamieās ultimate detachment from reality.
After the play was over, I booked it on out of there and, thanks to prior friendly tutelage,Ā queued up right near the front of theĀ Stage Door, the first of our group of 4 to arrive. I loved the buzzing excitement and anticipation, though I hadnāt yet had enough time to process my impressions of the play and probably didnāt contribute very intelligently to discussions other than those of the most superficial nature (like how nicely tailored Kennethās pants appeared, particularly from the rear, and other observations along those lines!)Ā Although I knew that theoretically Armitage may or may not appear on any given night, I admit itĀ was a quite a let-down when heĀ failed to appear that Friday evening for reasons unknown. I did see a very good-looking figure of a man wearing a beanie exit the theatre, and had a fleeting thought that he had celebrity-level good looks, and later learned thatĀ was Sebastian Stan of Marvel fame. Pretty sure Iād rather have seen Armitage flash past, andĀ we did loiter a bit, wondering if heĀ might come out a side garage-door style exit, but no dice.
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We bounced back quickly, though. Ā Armitagebesotted, DaphneHS and IĀ were wide awake and rather buzzed from the couple of hours spentĀ in the presence ofĀ Richard Armitage. Hariclea was understandably exhausted from her transatlantic travels and the preceding stress and uncertainty, but nevertheless agreed to pop over to Times Square to see the sightsā¦The City at Night. This would most certainly not have happened had I been on my own- Iād have been far too intimidated to venture off alone at such a late hour! But Besotted and Daphne made for wonderful tour guides and it was fantastic to have the perspective of locals and be given insights that would never have occurred to me. Fascinating to hear about the history of Times Square and the transition from what was once a theatre district to more of a red light district, with half the businesses topless bars, to the far more family-oriented and commercialized version that exists today. Looking around at the brightly digitized billboards on every building, I would have thought it was ājust the New York Wayā ā but Besotted said no, that the signs were actually legislated and required to meet certain criteria as to size, moving images, color! Her knowledge of the area and the history of the streets and buildings was so interesting and enjoyable. As it was late and Hari, especially, was knackered, we said our goodbyes, and Daphne arranged to come for us in the morning for yet more sightseeing before the matinee.
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Back at the hotel, Hariclea pretty much fell straight to sleep as by then sheād been at least 24 hours without it, and while I was also quite tired, I experienced the same euphoric insomnia Iād had after attending The Crucible in 2014ā¦ too wired and energized and filled with thoughts about the play, the Armitage, all of it. The following morning, Daphne arrived and off we went again. She escorted us around Rockefeller Center, where we ogled the famous Christmas tree, watched the ice-skating, lit a candle inside the stunning St. Patricks cathedral, went along window-gaping onĀ 5th Avenue, saw the now rather infamous Trump Tower, and sat for awhile on a sunny bench, enjoying crisp weather and late fall color in the surprisingly large and beautiful Central Park.
Then it was time for the Saturday Dec. 3 matinee, and I was in the front row, center section for this one. Now having familiarity with the play, I allowed myself the pleasure of really studying Armitage, and Iām pretty sure that for this (and for all the performances) I sat with a stupid grin on my face the entire time. Itās easy to tell the regular theatre-goers from the Armitagers. Some patronsā heads move naturally back and forth as dialogue is exchanged, whileĀ others heads move in whatever direction Kenneth is moving! I chatted with Hariclea, Daphne andĀ others of our ilk during intermissions. It was really amusing to discover that every one of us blessed with this near-stage proximity had noticed that famous left nipple make itself apparent through the sheer fabric of his shirt when the alarmingly attractive senior citizen Kenneth removed his jacket in Act 3, for instance. =) I also found myself clinically obsessing over a particular area of Armitage anatomyĀ (itās not the one you might think) every time the manĀ made certain gestures, and this continued through subsequent performances until my conclusion as to the nature of the incongruity was drawn.
One of the reasons weād selected this weekend for attendance was the fact that there was to be a Celebrity Series Q&A session after the matinee, but I wasĀ again to be profoundly disappointed, especially in light of having that front row center seat for the event, when all the cast except for Richard appeared. Prior to the Q&A, I did see a short man, in profile, waiting briefly for admission at the entrance to the backstage area, but he disappeared before I could be sure of his identity. I thought it looked rather like Leland Orser of Berlin Station, but never saw any mention of this by anyone else including Orser. However at the time I wondered if Richard skipped the Q&A in favor of catching up with a friendā¦
I donāt remember too much about that Q&A except for that Hariclea had the first question and it was a good one, but I keep having a mental block as to what the question was! Too much interference from other events of the weekend, no doubt! I was surprised at the difference in persona of Amy Ryan, who was fairly quiet and laid back,Ā in contrast to her wildly commanding stage presence. Zoe Kazan, who was undoubtedly marvelous in her performance, was sort of strangely eating a cup of oatmeal and seemed less than excited to be there. She made the mistake of saying āMacBethā aloud, which is apparently a huge supersticious taboo in theatre-world, and wasĀ made to run offstage and cleanse herself somehow, then ask for permission to return, lest that eveningās performance be doomed. LOL
We three went off to dinner at a nearby Brazilian restaurant and enjoyed reliving the performance and speculating about whether that evening, the last realistic opportunity for a Stage Door Runner event, would prove fruitful. We also continued our conversations comparing and contrasting our daily routines, as its hard for me to imagine what life is like living in that enormous city and equally strange for them to imagine having 10 acres of land and all sorts of animals! The more time we spent together, the more I really wanted to celebrate how amazing it is to truly befriend and connect with women of so many different cultures and lifestyles through our shared admiration of this one actor.
The Saturday Dec. 3 evening performance went off without a hitch, probably a relief for the castĀ after the forbidden utterance by Kazan earlier that afternoon! Hari and I had adjacent seats for this one, on the left side front row, where we did have a really nice sprawled-leg view of an interesting hip wiggle by youthful Kenneth, and also a high-flying robe at one point that really gave a nice view of that muscular lower back! Daphne was across on the right side that evening but she also appreciated that flash of back, and commented immediately upon it at the first intermission. (You can see we were all quite comfortable ogling, and reminiscing upon our ogling, by this time!) I was by now quite sure of the little anatomical anomaly I had noticed, and in this performance I was also rather taken by the expressiveness of the young Kennethās feet and toes!
My newly autographed fan art!
When it was over, I made haste for the Stage Door once again, and it really wasnāt long before Himself arrived. I was right near the front of the line again, and this time I was determined to remember what I said to Richard Armitage because I cannot recall at all what I might have said to him in London. So I held out my metallic print of the Iconic Richard ArmitageĀ that Guylty and I had months ago collaborated upon, and I said, āRichard, I really enjoyed the play!ā I was looking at his face, and as I can only surmise that it was NOTĀ the utter brilliance of my conversation that gave him a momentary pause, maybe it was the one-of-its-kind autograph item that caused him to briefly glance up from his signature and straight into my eyes, completely electrifying me with that flash of blue, and he smiled and said thank you, before moving on to Hariclea beside me! I was dazzled for a few moments and by then he was halfway down the line, but I belatedly remembered to turn on my phone at snap a quick picture of his posterior for posterity. =) Then I got myself in gear and hustled down and tried for some other photos but none were worth a damn because he was in full- on Stage Door motion and moving far too fast.
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Ā Daphne, who really had devoted her entire day to us already, now offered to take us back to Rockefellar Center to view the enormous Christmas tree at night, and I gladly set off with her while Hariclea opted to wait for us in the comfortable lobby of the Hotel. The crowds near the skating rink and the tree wereĀ mind-bogglingly dense, and I had a giggle when I overheard a woman ask a food cart operator where she could find the big Christmas tree, and we were literally standing right in front of it. The man raised an eyebrow and kind of pointed backwards over his shoulder with a wry expression as the woman gasped in embarrassment. Ah, New York City and these little moments. I could relate, though. Itās a lot to take in. *snickers*ā¦ On our way back, we caught a really cool laser light show along the side of Saks 5th Avenue, then headed back to the hotel lobby where we reviewed our Stage Door Photos, giggled and fangirled together until 1 am!
Daphne was truly so, so generous with her time. Sunday morning she arrived again, on very little sleep Iām sure, as we all found it hard to come down from the high of the previous evening, and escorted usĀ via subway ride to the World Trade CenterĀ Memorial. This was such a moving, haunting monument, and the many people gathered there were very somber, as was fitting. I had read about the concept of the Memorial- the huge square pools built upon the footprints of the towers and flowing downward in a waterfall, a vertically negative space where once the towers had stoodā¦ but seeing it in person brought tears to my eyes and made swallowing painful as I contemplated the magnitude and read name after name etched around the perimeters.Ā Afterward weĀ stood at the foot of Freedom Tower and gazed upward, then walked through the mall locatedĀ inside the architecturally stunning Oculus, sharing our stories of where we were and what we were doing on September 11, 2001.
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When we returned to the theatre district, we stopped briefly to contribute our wishes to the confetti that will be released on New Years over Times Square, then we met NycPat and friends, who had arranged for a really delicious lunch/brunch at a French restaurant (I had aĀ crepeĀ with duck confit filling that pretty much blew my mind!) and there we discussed a plethora of topics, including theĀ NYC theatre scene, various stage door experiences with differentĀ actors, Richard Armitage, the cost of living in NYC, and of course Pat and I did also exchange pet rescue stories. Once again it was so delightful having the opportunity to put faces to names, and I was once again struck by how fun, warm and welcoming the NYC contingent of Armitage peeps have proven to be.
On the way into the theatre, the security guard joked to Daphne that she ought to bring a different purse next time soĀ he could have something new to look during the bag check. Then one of the ushers waved Hariclea in without giving her the usual spiel about the number of intermissions, saying she already knew the drill! I was thankfully more anonymous and in possession of a front row, right side seat for this final Sunday matinee, and I really kept my eyes shamelessly glued to Kenneth for the durationā¦ it was my last opportunity to thoroughly studyĀ Mr. Armitage (until the next play, at any rate!) This performance was subtly different in Acts 2 and 3, something we all noticed and later commented upon. Kenneth was much more forcibly angry with Sandra during Act 2, and far more menacing when he confronted her with his suspicions of adultery. And Armitage brought the passion out again in Act 3 at the end, where the chemistry and attraction between Kenneth andĀ SandraĀ really radiated in the final momentsā¦ *fans self*ā¦ I was in no doubt where they were headed (the bedroom!!!) as the lights went down.
Illicit Celebrity Series photo op, titled āThe Thumbā
Richard came out first for the Celebrity Series Q&A and I felt that he was the most āinteractiveā with the audienceā¦ although initially, he seemed distracted. Hmmmmm. He actually had to ask an audience member to repeat her question once! I also was a little distracted afterĀ I had to endure an embarrassing tap on the shoulder from the usher at one point when I tried to capture some little photos and an ill-advised video. *coughs* But on the bright side, one of my photos had a really fine thumb shot! Anyway, Hari asked the first question, as she had done the day before, and was a bit mortified when the host recognized her and proudly proclaimed it!Ā Then to make matters worse, Hariās question receivedĀ rather a flippant brush-off from Zoe Kazan, and I really wished that Richard had taken the question instead.
Afterwards, Hariclea had to catch a plane, so we went back to collect her baggage and shared some final giggles about how we three had all noticed Richard Armitageās left nipple during his final bow, and how we all managed to get some unsettlingĀ attention during our fangirling activities that afternoon. After a slightly tearful goodbye to Hari, Daphne had Christmas shoppingĀ errands to run in Bryant Park, where there was a really nice outdoor market, and I went along and wound up buying all sorts of little gifts for the family. We took a spin through Grand Central Station,Ā then had dinner and more laughter as we reviewed stolen photos and aborted video footage, and shared another really engaging conversation.
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Ā Flight home Monday morningā¦ Until Next Time!!
Wow, was this ever long! Nada for 2 months and then some 5000+Ā words! As you can probably tell from my excited ramblings, I absolutely loved the city, I Ioved the play, I loved Richard in the play, and most of all, I loved sharing the entire experience. It was one of the most wonderful weekends of my life, and Iām so thankful, and so blessed, to have partaken ofĀ it with friends.
An Excursion to NYC for Love, Love,Ā Love Hello! Iāve had an absolutely lovely trip to NYC and thought Iād share some of my impressions onā¦
