Okay. OKAY. I don't even know what just happened. I'll try to piece it out.
From the beginning.
You should know that I'm a theatre major, and I'm doing theatre because two and a half years ago, little theatre-hating me went to go see a show on Broadway called Newsies. And that began a series of ridiculously lucky events that led me to be where I am today. THAT'S BACKGROUND INFO. KNOW THAT.
So Newsies is on tour, and my city is its last stop. I'm going to their final show, which is this Sunday, because it's the most important one, BUT I wanted to stage door a bit earlier because they're gonna be in a funky mood on Sunday, so I don't want to bother them. I knew that a friend was seeing the show tonight, so I asked him to grab me an extra program so that I could get it signed tonight. I actually woulda seen Newsies more than once, but I'm in this other show and we have rehearsal, so my only choice was to go on weekends anyways.
So right after rehearsal let out, I went to the theatre, and I actually got there just as intermission let out. I waited around for a while, and I really wanted to go in, I was so jealous of all the people. I ran into a friend and I said I was gonna go stage door Newsies, and she said, "Oh, Newsies! This dude from my high school was in the Broadway cast!" and I said, "Andy Richardson?" and she was like, "Yeah!" WHICH IS FUNNY because Andy is actually on the tour (and was on stage right next door!) AND when I went to go see it on Broadway, he's the only one I met. I went to put my donation into his Broadway Cares bucket, and I asked for a picture but he couldn't take one just then cause they were not allowed to take photos in costume, but he said, "Stick around and I'll take one with you when I change and come out!" but I couldn't stay so I didn't get that picture. So that was crazy that my friend happened to know of Andy.
Anyways, I wandered over to the area outside the lobby, and there were a couple of middle aged women sitting there, and one of them had her husband with her. She went to the locked door of the lobby while I pretended to be reading the posters on the doors (while I was really just straining to listen to the music inside). This usher came up and opened a door and asked her if she needed anything, and she said, "Oh no I'm just waiting for my son." and I took the chance and caught the usher and asked, "Is it okay if I slip in to check out the merch table, or should I do that when I come to see the show in a couple of days?" and she said, "Hmmm wait until then..." and I was like, "Okay yeah that's fine, thanks!"
She closed the door just as my favorite song, 'Brooklyn's Here', started playing. Just for the sake of conversation, I turned to the ladies and said, "This one's my favorite Newsies song!" and they were like, "Very nice" and then happened to notice each other, and then the craziest thing happened.
One said, "...are you Nico's mom?" and the other lady said, "Yeah! You're.. Andy's mom?"
HOLD UP.
HOLD THE... WAIT NO WHAT??
I was sitting there. In the lobby/not lobby. With Andy Richardson's mom and Nico DeJesus's parents.
WHAT IN THE WORLD. LITERALLY. I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO GUESS HOW THIS HAPPENED.
So for the next like HOUR I sat there and chatted with them, we talked about EVERYTHING, I told them my entire musical theatre personal journey story, we talked about their sons, we talked about all the guys in the casts (both tour AND Broadway) and that was INCREDIBLE because they just KNOW Jeremy Jordan and Ryan Steele and Corey Cott and like I'm just throwing out names here but they know ALL OF THEM. We had GOOD TALK. And then I took a selfie with them (they were laughing bc they aren't of the selfie generation and didn't know how it worked) and, per their request, I tweeted it to their sons.
Then the show let out and we watched curtain call from the monitors, and as soon as people started coming out, Nico's mom asked me, "Are you still wanting to get merch? I'll watch your bag, go see if you can get some, cause I think they said they're running out." and I was like, "Yeah I hope I don't get kicked out for not seeing the show," and she was like, "Just tell them you're Nico's sister" (because Nico is also Asian) and I was like lol okay and that's what I did. I rushed in, ran into my boss for a split second and tried to tell him everything but then I kinda ditched him and went to the merch table and got a t-shirt (rip $30) and on the way out, Nico's parents caught me and were like, "Got your shirt? Good! Let's go to the stage door!"
And I forgot that I kinda texted my friend to meet me out there and act like we happened to run into each other, so it was super super awkward (I forgot to act surprised) but he got me a program just as Nico's mom went to the usher and got one for me (sweet lady, bless her) so I had two programs which was perfect cause my friend wanted me to get one signed for him as well.
So I go out with Nico's parents and Andy's mom to the stage door, where there are people waiting already, but it was INCREDIBLE because Nico's mom grabbed all the Newsies as they came out and whisked them over to me, saying, "This is Mia, you should meet her!"
...all the other times I've stage doored, I thought I was on cloud nine, but let me tell you. Stage dooring with cast member's parents is THE WAY TO GO.
Anyways, I was introduced to like ALL of them, got pictures with them and it was so weird because I've seen their faces on social media and regular media and everything, and it's kinda stunning that they literally just look the same when you see them in person. Like. You've seen pictures and videos of these faces, and now they're here, the real deal, in front of you for the first time, but it's a FAMILIAR face. I knew all of their names and I guess it caught them by surprise, but they always are a beat brighter when you recognize who they are.
It was a blur. I got them to sign the programs, Nico was so sweet awww, also I told both Nico and Julian (the two Asian Americans in the cast) that I really appreciate their work and I look up to them for representing our ethnicity, since it's so so rare. They looked really touched by that. Julian told me to keep doing what I'm doing, keep training, keep persevering. And I will. Thank you, Julian.
They were all dressed really nice, too, and all headed on their buses to go to an after party (the parents were talking about it, they were like, "I don't even know where it is"), it's their official closing night party. But it was cool, like, they got on the busses and they literally were normal 20-something year old boys... as if they didn't just do full Tony-award winning show.
Also in the cast is Michael Dameski, who won SYTYCD Australia a couple of years ago, and the person after me didn't have a Sharpie so I let him hold onto it and he signed like ten people's playbills with my Sharpie, hahahaha... I ran off to get a pic with Anthony, and on the way back I ran into Michael and he was like, "Here's your Sharpie back."
Andy was the last one out, and his mom pulled him over so I could meet him, and Andy signed my program as I told him, "I saw you about two years ago on Broadway, and you're the only one I met. You said that if I wanted a picture, I could find you after you changed, but I didn't get to do that... so can we get that picture now?" So we finally got a picture. I also told him how seeing the show changed my life and shoved me into the arms of theatre... and he gave me a huge hug. Then he went to go sign other people's stuff and take other pictures, and after he was all done, he and his mom said a last goodbye to me and went on their way.
I still don't understand how that happened. I have pictures that I snapped, and I'm glad I have those, because, in my mind, this night was all a blur.
Dangerously incredible things related to Newsies seem to happen to me.
What's next?
