Only two weeks since I had last seen the show, but I’d decided to go again; seems like I have a lot to catch up on after the last 5 years.
This time, I had an even better seat: last time, the “good” action on stage, meaning the actors looking directly into the audience, smiling at them, etc., happened to the right hand of the Stalls, and when I booked, I knew that I wanted to sit on the right, hoping for some smiles this time…and I wasn’t disappointed. I had a striking view of the stage, it was all clear and I knew this was going to be good.
Once “Innuendo” started, my skin was crawling of goosebumps again – as it does everytime. I was almost jumping in my seat waiting for “Radio GaGa”, because I’m always curious about how good-looking they all are…and my, this time, they were even more gorgeous. There was that one GaGa Boy that I couldn’t take my eyes off of, but of course – lucky me – when they all came up to the edge of the stage, he was on the LEFT side of it, while I was sitting on the right. Nice.
I will not talk about every detail here, as I did that the last time, I just need to say that it was the best WWRY performance I had seen so far, maybe only slightly bettered by the one at the Dominion in London where I’d seen Oliver Tompsett on stage. It was BREATHTAKING. Christopher Brose & Jeannine Michele Wacker were on again as Galileo & Scaramouche , and I was so looking forward to meeting Jeannine again, as I had kind of stayed in touch with her over the last two weeks, she even sent me and so many other people who are in her facebook group free autographs with a cute dedication, which me made me love her to pieces already. I can’t put into words what happened on stage that night, I really can’t. It was absolutely mindblowing, although, after last time, I really didn’t expect that anybody on that WWRY stage could get any better…but they did, and HOW THEY DID. Jeannine was on fire, I thought I would explode during her last long vocal in “Somebody To Love”. I felt like she and Chris harmonized so much more than two weeks ago, you totally bought it that they’re in love (on stage). And they both have this comedic timing, especially Jeannine, and the audience just loved them. And there were 3 little things that made this night even more special for me:
1. During “I Want It All”, when Brit & Ozzy (Meat) encourage the entire audience to clap along with them in that song, Markus Neugebauer (who was Brit again that night) stood at the edge of the stage on the right, and his gaze went through the first few rows, and then, suddenly, he looked me directly in the eye and grinned like a little boy, and my smile must have looked absolutely ridiculous! I even thought for a moment I would start squeaking.
2. During “We Will Rock You”, Jeannine stood on the right side of the stage, almost directly infront of me, there was only one person blocking me from a clear view. She encouraged the crowd to clap along with the song (which is, together with the hands-clapping encouragement during “I Want It All” always my favourite part of the show), and she must’ve seen me sitting there from the corner of her eye earlier, because it wasn’t long until she looked at me directly, stared at me for a couple of seconds while playing the guitar, and her smile was so wide as she recognized my face, and it got even wider the longer we looked at each other! She knew I would be in the audience, as I had told her on her fb page, and it was such a wonderful feeling to know that she was happy to see me. I must’ve looked like an idiot, smiling from one ear to another, and I felt like waving at her. Which I didn’t, as this would’ve been really creepy and stupid.
3. During “We Are The Champions”, Chris stood at the edge of the stage, right in the middle, so I had to turn my head a bit to the left, and he was grabbing at his microphone, singing into it enthusiastically, and his gaze went through the audience, went over to the right hand of the Stalls, and suddenly, he looked straight at me – and winked! At that moment I was pretty sure the squeak that was stuck in my throat just must’ve been actually heard somewhere in the universe.
Well, after the show (after 4(!!!) curtain calls), I went round to the Stage Door fast, as I didn’t really have much time (had to get up the next morning at 5am and would be at home around 1:20am). I was scared again that I would be there on my own this time, but somehow God must be a Bohemian, because when I went around the corner, there were a few people waiting there already. I walked over to a blonde girl named Raphaela, who came all the way from Austria with her mother, and when I asked them if it was okay for them if they took my pictures for me, they said “Sure!”, and I borrowed them my pen in return, because they wanted to get some autographs and couldn’t find theirs. It’s underestimated when I say that they were really happy that someone was with them who actually could recognize the most important actors when they came out, and I was just happy I would have my pictures and didn’t look like a stalking idiot.
First one to came out was Jeannine. Someone was blocking my way the entire time, so I moved my head from one side to another, and finally, I caught her eye. She smiled at me, and I walked up to her, saying “Hi” like we were old friends (which, honestly, now feels so creepy and weird). She smiled even wider and there was this second where I saw her slightly stretching her right arm, like she wanted to hug me but felt weird doing it, and I wanted to hug her, too, but felt also stupid, but then, I just went for it. She must’ve noticed that, because we hugged each other after all 🙂 I told her that it was a mindblowing performance, and that I really didn’t think she could get any better since the last time, that it was absolutely amazing. She was so taken aback, and again, it felt weird seeing her like a little girl who isn’t really comfortable with these compliments, like she couldn’t actually believe this all was real. She then said that it had been an extremely emotional show, and I told her that she looked like that, because her eyes were red and puffy and were watering in tears. I wanted to know what had happened, but she just said something I couldn’t quite understand, only thing I got was that I might hear from “him” later on fb or somewhere (don’t really know what it was all about, but it sounded serious and difficult, and I actually thought Jeannine would burst out crying infront of me. I just wanted to comfort her with a hug, but stopped myself). I then gave her a little plush toy I got her and Chris, which was a little cow with a shirt, a souvenir from my hometown plus some chocolate, and she was so touched about it that she thanked and hugged me again. I asked her for a picture together, and when I got it, we stood there for a few moments, and she told me that her knee was bleeding due to the many falls on it on stage, and I offered her a band-aid, which she said she didn’t need because she’s already used to it. After she had given Raphaela her autograph and a picture, I asked her if she would be on stage in 5 weeks when I would be back at the Colosseum, and when I told her it was a friday again, she said “Of course, I’m always on on fridays”. I smiled at her, said my thank you again and that we’re going to see each other on the 21st of June again. God, how I love this little cutie to pieces!
Next one to come out was Christopher (why do these two always come out at the same time LOL). He spotted me and first looked like he didn’t know himself if he remembered me, and I was startled at first, then walked up to him, and we talked a bit. I told him the same things I had told Jeannine, and he also was really touched, expecially when I gave him his treats, a small plush lion with the same shirt as the plush cow that Jeannine got from me, and some chocolate. He thanked me, hugged me, and we both took a picture. When I asked him if he was on stage the 21st of June, he said that normally he is of course, unless something unexpected happens, and I smiled and said that I was pressing my thumbs that all went well on that matter. Raphaela asked him for an autograph in her programme, and Chris then asked us what we would think suits him better, shorter or longer hair (as his head shot is honestly drop-dead gorgeous with his short hair), and I just said “Short, definitely.” He laughed and said that everyone is telling him something different, but that he decided to let it grow a bit longer. Before he turned to his Cast Mates, I then asked him if he had an autograph card on him (because I love that one of him and really wanted one). He said he unfortunately didn’t, but when I asked him if he would bring me one on June 21st, when I was coming down again, he said that he would definitely do that. Such a beautiful person!
Then Markus came out, and I had told myself not to let him pass again, which I had done 2 weeks ago. I was standing there with Chris, and I just had said my goodbyes to him, and Markus was standing right beside me all of a sudden. Raphaela was the first to talk to him, told him that she had to greet him from a friend of hers in Austria, asked for a picture and an autograph…well, and it got weird, as Markus asked me to hold a shirt that he was carrying around on a coathanger. I stood there like an idiot, told him how amazing he was, and that he looked SO similar to a friend of mine when I had first seen his head shot. He asked me what the name of this friend was, and I told him “Sascha, but you won’t know him”, and he laughed. I gave the coathanger to Raphaela and got my picture with him, I asked him if he will be on in 5 weeks, and I was happy when he said that he probably will be. Only later when I looked at the picture again, I realized that rigth beside the door, Léon Van Leeuwenberg was standing with a cigarette in his hand, and I. just. didn’t. recognize. him! Such a shame, hope I will next time!
Then there was Martin Berger, who had played Khashoggi again, and Raphaela and her mother must’ve known him, as they were chatting along like old friends. I walked up to them, hearing how he was telling them that after WWRY, he will be playing a role in the theatre version of “Catch me If You Can” in Austria, and I said that I just had to somehow see him in it (that movie is amazing!). I asked for a picture, got it and he was off.
Last but not least – I have to admit I would’ve completely ignored her, as I just didn’t notice or recognize her, – Marjolein Teepen was there, who had played the Killer Queen that night. I have to say, on the high notes, she was really, really good, she was mindblowing, but sadly, too often, her voice was so quiet, and when the music was playing, I could barely understand her. But her gesture and mimic was…wow. That was the first time that a character on stage actually could scare the hell out of me. It was amazing, like she had never done anything else in her life, like she was born for this. I told her how much she could actually scare me, and she laughed and said “Yeeeees!” and I replied “Well, that’s the intention, right?” I then asked for a quick picture and she was off.
I say it again: BEST WWRY SHOW I HAVE SEEN SO FAR, and now I’m even more in love with this show and its german Cast.
You Only Live Once. 