Rock Of Ages – Garrick Theatre 04./05.10.2013

Back on the Sunset Strip after 2 weeks, and slowly I get every other RoAdie out there, why everyone thinks that even one week without it is way too long 🙂

04.10.2013
When I came to the theatre and saw the Cast List for today, my first thought went straight to my friend Alison – Nathan Amzi wasn’t on as Mayor. I didn’t know what to expect of Andy Spillett in the role, but I was excited of seeing someone else, and as I had absolutely loved Andy as Dennis two weeks before, I looked forward to seeing him doing his “Super-Swing” stuff again. Though I have to admit after seeing him: it was more than weird. I am quite used now to see Nathan as Mayor, and he and Andy have a completely different bodyshape; for me, Andy’s built just doesn’t quite fit the role of the asshole mayor, and when I stared at him on the stage, the entire time I thought how malnourished he looked, I constantly wanted to feed him! *lol* Apart from this, he did a good job up there anyways, can’t say it any other way – he really IS a Super-Swing.
Grant Anthony as Hertz…was different, too. Sorry to say that, but me as a german thinks that his german accent is pretty bad – but I have to give him that, he’s no native speaker, so he kind of is off the hook 🙂 Seeing him and Sandy Moffat work together as father and son was weird, too, because their age difference is not as big as the one between Rohan Tickell and Sandy, but I liked Grant’s Hertz, because I finally had someone who’s voice was a bit stronger, and a bit louder, and since I’ve seen Grant’s Stacee two weeks back, I loved his voice anyways. That man really has an amazing, deep voice and some serious acting skills.
Our Dennis that day – finally – was Daniel Fletcher. He would be my 4th Dennis and I was quite excited to get to see him after missing out on him every time since July. And he didn’t disappoint me, I loved him in that role (even if he didn’t top Andy as Dennis, though). Loved his facial expressions, and his voice was seriously great. That he is a seriously hilarious person only was a plus to that!
That day, we were short of girls, which I had never experienced before, and it was weird seeing Natalie Andreou looking into her mirror during “Heaven/More Than Words” without having the “Dream Sherrie” right across from her; Zizi Strallen, who usually played that part, wasn’t on that day, neither were Selina Hamilton or Carly Mercedes Dyer, which meant a lot of work for Cordelia Farnworth – which she managed to do absolutely perfectly.
One of my favourite parts of the show was definitely the one when Tim Howar had his first appearance as Stacee Jaxx just before “Dead Or Alive”. I was pretty surprised – and I know that I wasn’t the only one in the audience – when Cameron Sharp suddenly appeared on stage, playing a groupie! He stood across from Tim, and being the good groupie he was, asked for an autograph…and Tim totally cracked me up when he started signing the entirety of Cam’s both arms. And the entire time I thought: “God, that will be hard to get off!” Priceless, it made me love Tim & Cam even more than I already did.
And at the last Standing Ovations, while “Don’t Stop Believin'” was still playing, while Jodie Jacobs as Regina was standing on the stairs on the left handed side of the stage, Simon Lipkin suddenly showed up behind her, grabbed her around her waist and started dancing with her….only seconds before he grabbed the bottom of her dress in the front and pulled it all the way up her head! We were all cracking up, and while Jodie tried to pull it down over and over, Simon, the dork he is, always pulled it up again, twirling it around – unforgettable.

At the Stage Door later, Alison asked Simon what the thing with pulling up Jodie Jacobs’ dress was supposed to be, and he said “I have no idea, she liked it!” and I went “She didn’t look like she liked it!” and he smiled, saying again how much she liked it, how much all of the girls like that – what?! *lol* And I swear he said “Alright hun” to me right before we took our pic, even if you call me insane now 😉

After that, I found a new love of my life (sorry, Simon *lol*) – Rocky, Tim Howar‘s 7-months old little puppy, which his lovely girlfriend Jodie had brought with her. That little dog found his way right into my heart from the get go, and I even ignored Simon for him!!!! Tim was so lovely again, and of course I had to go and take a pic with him together with Rocky 🙂

When Ross came out, and I wanted to take a picture with him, somehow Daniel Fletcher threw himself into the background, completely photobombing the moment – and definitely worth it, that must be one of the best Stage Door pictures ever 😀

Finally, I also met Natalie Andreou and got a pic with her – something I had been waiting for for over a year; I just never caught her fast enough, or she was in a hurry, or in pain because of an twisted ankle (two weeks earlier). She was so lovely and kind, and she was so patient when Alison had to take my picture over and over again – that woman is made of gold!

05.10.2013

That show was supposed to be different for me, again – Jodie Jacobs was off that day and that would mean the first time I wouldn’t see her Regina on stage! I was excited to see Cordelia Farnworth in that role, as I had seen her as Sherrie on my birthday, and she had been really amazing back then. And what can I say? Cordi definitely did NOT disappoint me, she was absolutely wonderful! I even loved her more in that role as in the role of Sherrie, her voice seemed to be more challenged as Regina than it had been as Sherrie; back then, I thought sometimes she sang too quietly, but as Regina, her voice was strong and amazing, plus, she looked super cute in her dress! It’s such a shame I didn’t just ask her to take a picture when she and Natalie were standing in the foyer after the show to collect money in their costumes 😦 At least I got one with Natalie, and you may not see it in the picture, but I was a mess at that moment. I have no idea why (okay, I partly know why, but I’m not going to spread it out here, because it’s absolutely stupid!), but during the show, there was more than one occasion where I instantly started crying, especially in the 2nd Act. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” is always putting me over the edge, but it got worse during “Don’t Stop Believin'”, when we were all giving the Cast our Standing Ovations; I was just standing there, sobbing, crying, puffy eyes, and I couldn’t stop, nor could I properly look up at the Stage. Maybe it hit me that moment that the 2nd November came closer and closer, maybe it was the other thing that destroyed me during that show, but I was as emotional that day as I had never been in any of the shows I had been to since last September.

At the Stage Door after, of course I went for a pic with Simon, and this time, I asked Steph, another friend, to take my picture for me. She kind of had problems with my stupid camera, so Nathan Amzi, who had just come out of the Door, went over to her, staring at how she was doing, looking at the camera’s display and said “And now just press the button!” I guess having him standing so close to her (sorry to embarass you here, Steph ;D ) made her absolutely nervous, so somehow, Nathan took over my camera and took the picture himself – all the time, I was standing next to Simon, his arm wrapped around me, and as longer as it took Steph and Nathan to take the picture, I felt how he pulled me closer and closer to him – not complaining here, though, I think I fell in love with Nathan that moment *lol*

Also, I finally got a pic with Nathan smiling AND one with my favourite Dennis, Andy Spillett, both of them turning out great 🙂

What can I say, it were two amazing, emotional shows and to know I wouldn’t be back until the weekend when the bitter end comes made it even harder to leave.