Greed, the sad conqueror of the West End

The latest news that happened to be confirmed two days ago and, as a result of this, the – at first – sad reactions to it and now, angry fans and supporters of “We Will Rock You” in London made me want to state my own opinion on things. Because, let’s be honest here: that show closing is just another brick in the West End theatre wall that is kicked out. And slowly, that brick is thinning out more and more.

Fact is: over the past year, more than one or two shows on the West End will have closed by the end of May, each with huge, supportive fanbases, left with the thought: “Why?”

For example: “From Here To Eternity”. That show started at the Shaftesbury Theatre on September, 22nd, 2013. It’s closing on March, 29th, 2014. Only 6 months of running. I have seen that show for myself once, and I think it was utterly beautiful and has/had huge potential. The actors are amazing, and the story itself is just catching the audience. Yet, after only such a short time, it’s going to leave the West End already, with no sign that it’s ever coming back so far.

Second example: “Rock Of Ages”. Now, I know I might be a bit subjective here, as a massive fan of that show and Cast myself, but if you know the show, if you know the people that worked hard on that stage every day, if you’ve seen the massive support and love that each and every single fan has shown them…it’s unfathomable that on November, 2nd, 2013, it closed for good after 2 years of a successful run.

And the newest victim of the West End ticket price policy: “We Will Rock You”. Again, I might be a bit subjective here, but…well, that show was my 1st ever musical in 2008, and the 1st show I have ever seen on the West End in 2012. I have gone through one closing in June 2013 already, of the german production, and I just have a really deep bond with it, with both productions. I’m not gonna tell anybody that it changed my life, that it made me who I am today, because that’s absolute bullshit. But it has that special place inside of my heart that I just can’t explain, and seeing it close once again is just bugging me. Twelve absolutely successful years at the Dominion, and after all, that show follows in the footsteps of so many shows before.

Why is that?

I have talked to a couple of people/friends, and everyone agrees: the ticket prices that nowadays are out there are insane, and sometimes, more than unfair. For the producers, it seems, the money is way more important than pleasing a lot of people who come to see their shows, which is just a huge shame and pretty sad. Theatre is supposed to make people enjoy music and acting, to have a good time, to forget their worries for 3 hours. But now, with all the amazing shows closing due to not enough tickets being sold – as a result of partly ridiculous price ranges, – it’s like daylight robbery, like the producers do the exact opposite of what they are (in my opinion) supposed to do: making people who come see their productions happy.

It’s wonderful if new shows are opening and having such a huge success at the beginning – like “The Commitments” or now “I Can’t Sing”, – but to be honest: I hate getting attached to a new show, like I did with “Rock Of Ages”. With everything seeming to go south on the West End, great productions leaving way too soon, this uncertainty of how long you’re actually able to enjoy a show/cast, is seriously exhausting.

Maybe the producers should stop thinking with their heads deep down in their wallet and instead, focusing on their supposed “life goal”. I am sure – and I am not the only one, – that if ticket prices would actually be more humane, they’d all get way more visitors and bigger audiences. Because greed never got anybody anywhere.

2013 – A Year In Events

As the year now fast comes to an end, I decided to jump onto the known bandwaggon and make some kind of an end-of-year review of what my year has been like (I hear the screams of the “Oh no, not one of those AGAIN!”). If you’ve read this blog before, you’ll be shocked to see that it all mostly consists of me travelling around the world aka London. But anyways, I want to look back at all the lovely things I’ve experienced this year, all the lovely people I met and made friends with. Because this year consisted of so many beautiful memories that no one will ever be able to take away from me.

January
2013 started for me in the worst possible way. I was in a huge fight with a colleague who once had been a very good friend, and I thought about quitting my job due to the fact I couldn’t stand seeing and working with her all day. It was a very fine line these first weeks in the year. But then my life turned with a bang. Literally. Okay, not literally, but you know what I mean. At the end of this month, I was going back to London with my best friend for my 2nd visit – safe to say the moment I first stepped foot on holy british ground three months before, there was no going back. It was more than just a “quick visit”; we had both a full-packed plan. There would be 3 Musicals & 1 Live Concert at the Hippodrome Casino in just 2 days – little did I know back then how much that Casino visit would impress me! I went to see “We Will Rock You” together with a friend I met during my 1st visit in London in September 2012, simply because I was all on my own and back then, she was the biggest fan of Oliver Tompsett (who plays Galileo) I had ever met so far. That night was the first night I actually had a proper chat with him, and also, met the wonderful Katie Paine for the first time. She had been a mindblowing Killer Queen that night and hasn’t been topped by any other Killer Queen I have seen before or after her. She’s amazing. And nothing else but absolutely lovely and kind.

.

The 2 other shows that weekend were “Billy Elliott” and “Les Misérables”. It was my first time seeing both shows, and due to a really crap seat (seriously, never, EVER sit on the balcony if you love moving your legs. Or your body, for that matter.) I couldn’t really enjoy the latter. The voices were amazing, there’s no doubt about it, but that was it for me. I will never be a person who gets along nicely with texts that are not normally spoken but sung. “Les Misérables” itself is amazing, with everything around, but I think it’s just not the right thing for me. It was also the Cast Change day, and seeing Liam Tamne going after I’ve heard and seen his beautiful talent was heartbreaking – even he started crying during the last “Do You Hear The People Thing” so that he hadn’t been able to properly sing his part.

“Billy Elliott”, however, surprised me way more than I thought. I had never watched the movie, have never been bothered or interested in it, but the show itself was beautiful. All these talented kids…it was amazing to watch them dancing and singing on stage. Our Billy that day, Harris Beattie, was the most talented kid I had ever seen on a stage so far, and I know I will definitely be back for a 2nd time somewhen in 2014 for sure.

Last but not least, a concert awaited me and my best friend at the Hippodrome Casino, Matcham Room: Caissie Levy. I had heard her sing on the Cast Recordings of “Ghost – The Musical”, and I was absolutely stunned by her voice and talent, so I was more than excited for that night, especially because Oliver Tompsett & Paul Ayres (he played Carl in “Ghost”) would be there, too. And I wasn’t disappointed. It was an unforgettable night for me – especially at the moment when my favourite West End Person ever – Simon Lipkin – casually walked up the stairs, just 5 metres away from me, and queued to be let into the Matcham Room with everyone else. Seeing him made that night even more perfect than it already was, with all the beautiful voices and songs. I hopethat one day I will be part of that kind of special night again
 

The next 2 months were sort of…dead. Not literally, but almost. I love to think of February & March of the time I needed to recover my jaw from dropping all the way to the floor when I saw Mr. Lipkin coming up these stairs at the Hippodrome. Yes, I am that pathetic that I admit I need to recover from looking at this beautiful man. Sue me.

April
I was finally visiting my best friend again, after three long months (she lives about 4,5 hours away from me). There was not much planned, just having a great time together – and of course, seeing my beloved musical “Tarzan” again. It had been that one musical back in March 2012 that had me completely fall in love with Musical Theatre in the first place; I love absolutely everything about it, the costumes, the actors, the storyline, the songs, the stage set…I could go on and on and wouldn’t be able to explain it properly to you. It was my 3rd time back at the Neue Flora in Hamburg, and it still hadn’t lost any of its magic for me. These first few minutes when the show starts, when “Two Worlds” start playing – never has any beginning of any show made my entire skin crawl of goosebumps as the beginning of “Tarzan”.
Sadly, my best friend got sick that weekend so after watching the show, the rest of the weekend consisted of sitting infront of her TV, doing a “Full House” marathon. But you know what? That made this weekend even more wonderful, because it’s these little things I love about our friendship the most, the thing I cherish the most: relaxing, being lazy, and still never get sick of each other.

I also finally got to see one of my favourite comedians live on stage. She kind of disappointed me, as I knew she was funnier whenever I saw her on TV, but nevertheless, it was unforgettable to experience her on stage after wanting this so much for such a long time.

May
I love to call this the month of highlights.

Highlight No. 1:
I would be seeing another of my favourite comedians on stage, and although I already knew his programme, I was almost peeing myself laughing. That guy, Kaya Yanar is absolutely hilarious and I think I will be back for his new programme next year.

Highlight No. 2:
I would finally be seeing the german version of “We Will Rock You” on stage again after over 5 years. If anyone had told me that that first visit after all these years on May, 3rd, wouldn’t be the last one of the tour, I’d probably would’ve laughed. Loud. Little did I know. So little. The show blew me away more than I can tell you. Everything about it was mindblowing, the Cast was the best german Cast I had ever seen (apart from the “Tarzan” one, maybe), the songs brought up again all my love for the german version….long story short, I was back in love with my favourite show of all time. No surprise then, that I already went back on May, 17th, is it?

Highlight No. 3:
The Asylum Europe 4 Convention in Frankfurt – a Supernatural Convention, organized by Rogue Events, and the third one of theirs that I attended. I’m not gonna lie: it was the best weekend of my entire life. I had never laughed so hard with friends as I did that weekend. We had the best guests any Supernatural Fan could wish for (seriously, though: Ty Olsson – holy crap. Never liked him on the show, basically because I never understood a word he was saying. But seeing him in real, on stage, at the autograph tables…god, that man is a GOD. He’s sexy as hell and the funniest American I ever had the pleasure to meet. Totally in love with him now. No regrets. And of course, Kim Rhodes, biggest fangirl ever herself, tops even the creepiest Supernatural fan by far…and still is the most lovable person you will ever meet!), and honestly, even if I don’t talk to any of the girls anymore that I spent the whole weekend with (except for one) – it was the best weekend I ever had in my entire life. I felt accepted, I felt liked and I felt like I belong somewhere. I miss that time dearly (not the horrible goodbye from my wonderful friends Susie & Jaynee after the Closing Ceremony, though), and even if we don’t have to say anything to each other anymore: I also somehow miss the girls. They were and are amazing, and it was an absolute honour to spend three entire days with them. (If you see this: Angii, Becky, Justine, Vanessa, Claudia & Laura – THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.)

Highlight No. 4:
The first Road Trip ever with my 4 girls to Hamburg to see “Tarzan” (they hadn’t seen it yet at that point) and do some sightseeing and simply have a good time together before one of them, my closest friend here, Mimi, would leave for Korea for 2 years. I won’t lie, the weather was the shittiest I had ever experienced on a “holiday” (seriously, “it’s raining cats and dogs” was nothing compared to the shitstorm that we endured that weekend), it was exhausting, partly embarassing (for me, to be honest; you might have noticed, if you read this blog before, that I turn into a massive fangirl whenever I am near a Stage Door, I don’t care about anyone or anything then), but all in all, SO worth it. Each of my girls absolutely adored and loved the show, and the goosebumps we all got while watching it was proof enough of it. It was the last time I saw the show before it moved to Stuttgart 5 months later, and I still cherish every single moment of that last day. And I was happy I could make my friends somehow understand why I loved that Musical so much.

June
The month I like to call the “Crazy WWRY month”. 6 shows in two and a half weeks, new friends made, spending time with the best and nicest german Cast I have ever met, including a heartbreaking Dernière on June, 30th (=Closing Show). Until that moment I barely had cried so much in my life than in that last show; the last 4 songs somehow passed by in a blur, I couldn’t sing, I couldn’t clap, I couldn’t cheer up to the people on stage that have found their way into my heart so fast and easily. Every single of these last shows were special in its own ways, with insane vocals, tears, breathtaking performances by each and everyone of them, and the group of fans coming from all parts in Germany….until that point, I had never experienced such a supportive and dedicated fanbase, and I am proud that I have been a part of it for 2 months.
 

July
Birthday month! I turned 27 this year, but nevertheless, I was excited like a 6-year-old for the first time in years. Mostly due to the fact that I would be spending the two days before and one day after it in my favourite town: LONDON. Plus another “We Will Rock You” show on the 23rd and my birthday show at “Rock Of Ages” – for reasons, of course. I haven’t been seeing that show for over 10 months when I went back, and I never thought I would ever again, due to the move to the Garrick, the ticket prices that had gone up since last year and the problem that I had no one to join me. But as it happened, twitter brought me together with two lovely little girls from England: Sarah & Alison. They had decided to spent my birthday together with me, as I would be on my own in London, and what can I say, it was an unforgettable time, thanks to them. I got my Simon Lipkin birthday hug, my Nathan Amzi birthday High-Five (he’s born on the same day as me, crazy) and last but not least, Simon Lipkin aka Lonny called me up to his dressing room at the end of Act 1 in “Rock Of Ages”. That day herald the start of the most amazing half year of my entire life. Oh, and apart from that, entire London went totally nuts to the news that Prince George had been born. Totally went under the radar for me, I wonder why…

In retrospect it now seems as if the quiet August that followed was much needed, considering what would be following until the end of the year. I think my subconscious somehow tried to regain strength and save it for the upcoming events. Or maybe it was just the fact that I simply couldn’t afford a trip to London every month because then I probably would have to have slept under a bridge until the end of the year. Who knows.

September
Another birthday month, yay! Not mine, of course, but the one of Alison & Sarah. I wasn’t there when Ally celebrated her birthday in London, but I was as Sarah did 10 days later. I made a bad choice of a hostel on Russell Square (although it had free WiFi and it was quite close to Piccadilly Circus, but god, those STAIRS), walked way too much again, and of course, we went to see “We Will Rock You” together on Sarah’s actual birthday day and “Rock Of Ages” the day after. The WWRY night was absolute surreal and one of the most hilarious I experienced in my entire life (I will just mention the band that thought the birthday badges Sarah wore on her boobs were biscuits they stared at througout the entire show and of course Oliver Tompsett going “What nice big badges you have there!”). My night was absolutely made when the wonderful Alison caught Scott Monello, my very 1st Galileo at the Dominion in September 2012, before he could leave the Stage Door. I love this man to bits and finally meeting him was one of the most precious moments of my year 2013.

“Rock Of Ages” was another story. Can’t say anything else but how much I kept falling in love with this show and cast although I already knew it by heart. The two shows on the 21st were electrifying, and the best thing happening that day was that I finally got to meet the beautiful sunshine that is Noor, one of the RoAdie-Family. We were sat right next to each other, and what can I say: experiencing my favourite West End show right next to a RoAdie, to a friend, is the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Dylan Turner, who played Drew that day was breathtaking, so was everyone else, and I am more than proud I was part of the audience that day.

October
You’ll be absolutely surprised now when I tell you that two weeks after I had already been in London, I went back. Not? Alright then, was worth a try. It started with the most horrible and expensive train journey of my entire life, making me almost miss my “Rock Of Ages” matinee, but somehow (please don’t ask me why, because I still don’t know how I magically survived that) I made it after all. This time there were three highlights waiting for me and one I didn’t even know would be happening.

1. From Here To Eternity at the Shaftesbury
2. Rock Of Ages (shocking, huh?)
3. We Will Rock You

I have been watching out for “From Here To Eternity” since it had been announced that this new show would start at the Shaftesbury at the end of September. For me, being hugely interested in the Third Reich, and also, the story of “Pearl Harbor” (yes, I admit it, partly due to the movie, but come on, you gotta love Ben Affleck in that, and the music and the drama), it was a must-see for me. I went together with two other RoAdies, Ann & Mandy, and although our seats were not the best ones (B8, 9 & 10, at the far end of the row, with people constantly coughing and moving their heads infront of us the entire time although they were sitting in the FRONT ROW), it was a beautiful and at least for me, magical experience. That show totally got me under its spell, with the actors, the costumes, yes, even the love songs (everyone who knows me knows how much I despise love movies or songs), the entire storyline. I already can’t wait to hopefully be back in April 2014 for a 2nd visit.

“Rock Of Ages” was surprisingly good…okay, no big surprise there. It was wonderful to see Ross Hunter again, the smiley face that I had last seen 3 months before. The moment Nathan Amzi took a picture of me with Simon Lipkin probably will forever be one of my favourites in the history of Stage Door visits, due to the fact that I got to stand next to my boy a lot longer than usual (because the poor Steph who was at there with me had problems with my camera first) and him pulling me closer into him just before Nathan took the photo. I am that insane, I know. Plus, I finally met the adorable Rocky, the puppy of Tim Howar. Totally in love with him although I still prefer cats before dogs. And forever will, you just gotta love cats.

The “We Will Rock You” Cast Change…long story short: it was emotional. Heartbreakingly emotional. It was the day we had to say goodbye to so many amazing people, and three certain ones: Rachel John, Emma Hatton…and my Scott Monello. Alison, who was with me that night, and me were already a sobbing mess during “Radio GaGa” (the first song, for god’s sake), and we were done by the time “(No-One But You) Only The Good Die Young” started. That entire show was breathtaking, and the vocals of Oliver Tompsett were the best I had ever heard of anyone on stage; the audience was absolutely on fire, being part of that crowd that sung along with “Bohemian Rhapsody” as loud as they could…I can’t find words for it. The appearance of the one and only Mr. Brian May kind of made this night even more perfect, when he came up on stage during the guitar solo of “Bohemian Rhapsody”. It was wonderful all in all, I got to talk to a lot of Cast members way more than I had ever before – despite the crowd at the Stage Door that was insane – and I enjoyed every second of it.
 

Which made me the happiest person this planet, no, this universe has ever seen and will ever see is the fact that by pure coincidence, one of my closest friends, Susie, was in London at the same time I was (she’s from Scotland). We spent wonderful 6 hours together before she had to leave for home again, but that moment I finally got to hug her again after 5 almost unbearable months not being able to see and spent time with her…no words. Nothing will ever make me happier than that moment did.

November

This was the month I feared the most since it was the month were “Rock Of Ages” would close forever. It is also the month I cherish the most because despite all the tears and my breakdowns that last weekend in London for 2013, it was also the month I got to know and meet the wonderful Laura & Ali and felt the biggest support of an entire group of people/fans that I had ever experienced, although I met a lot of them for the very first time. It was madness when all the box offices were out of order for over three hours, it was madness when we all sang along for Natalie Andreou  when she broke down during “More Than Words”, and it was madness in general. There was so much love before, during and after the show that I can’t really put it into words. That’s why I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves.

To have some chance to distract myself from my favourite show closing, I decided to go and see “The Commitments” the day after, and I have to say: it was good. Not the best thing I’ve ever seen and I think nothing that I need to see twice (hands down: I have never been and never will be a Soul person), but it was wonderful to finally see Ian McIntosh on stage, in a lead role, because I can’t say anything else than that he was breathtaking. Absolutely breathtaking.

December
Quiet month. Still recovering from half a year of travelling to the UK & Hamburg and back, 10 “Rock Of Ages” shows, 7 german “We Will Rock You” shows, 2 UK “We Will Rock You” shows, 1 “From Here To Eternity” show & 1 “The Commitments” show, including going through 2 heartbreaking Closing shows. Not even to speak of my bank account that was desperately in need of recovering. I’m not even kidding, the joke with sleeping under a bridge became quite scaringly real for quite a while.
Before this amazing year ended for good, there still was one thing that made this year absolutely perfect: I fulfilled myself one of my long-cherished dreams and finally got a tattoo on my right wrist on December, 23rd, the day before Christmas. It’s dedicated to “Rock Of Ages”, which has helped me through this year and the message that is behind its last song, “Don’t Stop Believin'”.

Because if there is one thing I have learned in 2013, it is that no matter how hard life gets, no matter how many times you get kicked down, how many times you’re let down, you should never stop believing that one day it will all get better. That one day, the sun will shine for you again, too, and you will realize it was all worth it.

On that note: HAPPY NEY YEAR 2014! May it be filled with loads of laughter, love, success & health for all of you!

Rock Of Ages – Garrick Theatre 02.11.2013 – Closing Show

November, 2nd, 2013, 7:45pm.
The last show was now not to be avoided anymore. After that hilarious Muck-Up Matinee before, which definitely included more than a few little tears, me, my friends Alison & Sarah and their mums decided to grab some food before the show started (which then included an oddly amount of horrible looking zombies in the local Burger King at Leicester Square – I guess no one had told them Halloween had ended two days ago). When we got back we were greeted by some other RoAdies who then told us they had already seen Shayne Ward – who had been playing Stacee Jaxx in the Original Cast until one year ago – and that he would be in the pub next door, the Garrick Arms right now. Of course we wanted to see him before the show, as after the show, it would be impossible to have a proper chat with him. We then went inside immediately, and just as Alison looked around like a confused cat (sorry Ally 😉 ), asking “I can’t see him, did you see him?” I nudged her, saying “Uhm, he’s standing right there, next to us.” – which was true, Shayne was just standing less than a metre away from me, chatting to some friends! We patiently stood there, and it was more than obvious that we were waiting for him, so it was so kind when at one point, he excused himself to his friends and smiled at us, greeting, asking how we are. He was so lovely and chatty, and he kept telling us – with a seriously sad and devastated expression in his face – that he just didn’t understand why they were closing “Rock Of Ages”, that it was the best show on the West End and he didn’t see any reason to shut it down – he rose even higher in my opinion as he had before, I can tell you. After that, we quickly got our pictures with him and said Goodbye to him, and he told us “See you inside!”. Bless him.

Then it was time, and if I hadn’t been emotional before, I definitely was when the first notes came on. Right next to me, a guy was sat, and knowing Sarah was sitting right behind me, I told him in advance how sorry I was that her and me would be screaming at the top of our lungs during the entire show. He laughed and said it was okay, then asked me how often I had seen the show. I told him that this was my 11th time, and when I wanted to know how often he had seen it, he smiled and said “I’m one of the conducters!”, pointing to the stage – well, that was self-explaining, then, wasn’t it?
The show started, and as soon as Simon Lipkin burst through the door of The Bourbon Room, down those stairs, screaming “What’s going down, last ever Rock Of Ages London?” – the vibe inside that theatre was absolutely MAGICAL. Just as the entire show was. Us RoAdies had arranged in advance that we would get up and give the Cast Standing Ovations at every song; we didn’t, just because I think we were all way too emotional at that point. We did, however, give them ALOT of Standing Ovations, like the one Sandy Moffat & Jodie Jacobs got after “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” – which was just under a minute (thanks to the lovely Noor for that information), or after “Here I Go Again”, during which everyone had gotten out of their seats. Four things seriously cracked me up in that show (considering the whole show did, that’s something to say, haha):

1. When Simon/Lonny came on stage to introduce Stacee Jaxx to the audience, and he came to the part where he goes “…and stars are undeniable…like Herpes…am I right, dude?”, for the last time ever, he went completely off script and shouted out loud: “….am I right, SHAYNE WARD?” The audience went completely mental, and we all cheered as loud as we could while Simon was scanning the Stalls for him. Luckily, Shayne and his girlfriend Faye had their seats directly in the middle of Row K, the same row that my friend Sarah and her mum sat in, so when he finally got up and waved around, grinning, I had a perfect view (I won’t deny it: that wasn’t the only time my puffy eyes turned around to look at him and his reaction to this last show!).
2. An enture audience singing “More Than Words” for Natalie Andreou. For that, I probably have to get a bit further back: a few weeks back, Natalie had asked us all on twitter a huge favour. She told us how hard it was that she had all the heartbreaking songs in the show, and asked us to, if she wouldn’t be able to sing on that last show, sing for her instead. Which we did. During her last notes in “Heaven/More Than Words”, just before Carly Mercedes Dyer had her short solo, Natalie completely broke down, when I already thought she actually would keep it together. But when instead of the last words “…’cause I’d already know…”, her voice cracked, we only heard some beep in her microphone, the entire audience went “Awwww…!” (under tears; I was under tears and I bet so was at least half of the people in that room and on that stage), and then the magic happened: everyone in the Stalls, in the Dress Circle & the Grand Circle started singing Natalie’s last words for her! It was the most beautiful moment of my entire life, and it still gives me goosebumps to no end just thinking about it. The vibe in that moment that went through each and everyone of us, the love spreading among us up to Natalie on that stage…I can’t put it into words. We instantly made Nat smile when we were done with her line, and she started laughing, along with Carly, and we knew it was good. We had kept our promise.
3. The Programme Scene. Normally a guarantee to crack you up with tears of laughter. This last time, Simon started with how every time, over the past 2 years he had tried to come up with new stuff for that scene all the time, and that he had strongly thought about how he would choose his stuff for this last time. Then the first few notes and the music of “My Way” by Frank Sinatra started playing – and we were dead. Well, not literally, not yet, but something like that. You know what I mean. Anyways, Simon started singing: “…my friend….you have been in “Mamma Mia”…in High School Musical…and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I did the Scrunchie Rap…uhm, kissed your mother while she’s been in the audience…and then I said you’ve been in the Bob the Builder Arena Tour…can we fix it?( “YES WE CAN” from the entire audience!)…none of which is true, I’m sorry! If you think….that all this time…you could’ve been…in “We Will Rock You”…but no…you were in “Rock Of Ages”…and we did it our way…!” Never have I experienced an audience cheering as loud as they did after those last words. Purely magical.
3. Ross Hunter starting to cry on stage during “High Enough”. Seriously, that man, if you don’t know him, is a ray of sunshine. I have never met anybody who smiles so much, who makes you feel special and who’s body radiates such a warmth and positive energy like his does. Seeing him cracking up during that ballad, lost for words, was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to experience.

Way too soon, it was all over, and Simon came back on stage after the last applause with everyone else on stage, too. He then gave a speech that seriously made my heart melt. I won’t be giving you every detail of it now, because a.) if you read this, you’ve probably been there yourself and b.) if you haven’t been there, it doesn’t matter to explain it to you, as you won’t get the gist of it. I’ll just be giving out one very important thing, the thing that made my heart melt and my tears coming back in a heartbeat. When Simon went on about that one sentence in the show that everyone knows, and that he knows best because he has it now on his body for the rest of his life, he ended with “Sometimes, the dreams that you come in with aren’t always the dreams that you leave with…buy hey, they still rock! And that’s what “Rock Of Ages” is for me.” I think never have any words been so accurate than in that moment.

At the Stage Door…well, let’s say it was horrible. I have never cried so much in my entire life than I did after my last Goodbye to Mr. Lipkin. I remember Sarah & Alison saying to every Cast Member that passed us, seeing me on the floor, dead inside, “Simon broke her”. I remember the wonderful Rebecca trying to raise me up to my feet when Natalie Andreou came out, smiling, and I just couldn’t at first. I remember Nat pulling me into her arm, saying “Come here, crying one!” making me laugh (but I still look awful in that picture) instantly. I remember taking a picture with Jodie Oliver, Tim Howar’s girlfriend and their puppy Rocky, with Jamie Muscato, Dan Fletcher, Nathan Amzi…and I remember Simon staring into Sarah’s, Alison’s & my eyes (although it were barely mine, probably due to the fact I made him feel overwhelmed with my puffy eyes and horrible state of mental health at that moment), telling us how proud he was of being part of this “Rock Of Ages” family, that these fans amazing and the best ones he ever had. That man definitely broke my heart that day and made me feel so proud of him for being the rock for everyone during the last two shows, being all smiley and chatty. He seriously has a heart of gold. And so does everyone else of that Cast.

So now an era has come to an end, it’s over, and the tears slowly begin to dry. I will cherish all the memories forever – the laughter, the tears, the Stage Door moments, the dayseating hours, just everything. And most of all, I will cherish forever everyone I have met over the past year, especially over the past 4 months, people that have seriously grown to my heart and some of them that I definitely never let go again – Laura, Ali, Sarah, Noor, Alison, Sigal, Rebecca, Natalia, Eleanor, Lucy, Kimmi, Jessica, Saz, Ksenya, Steph, Danii, Sophie, Emma, Steve, Abe, Ann, Mandy…I bet I forgot a whole bunch of you, but be assured I thank God that you have been with me on most of this journey. We have shared tears and laughter, drinks and food, and this RoAdie Family has made me feel home for the first time in my life. So I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being around with me, for making me part of your family – love to all of you!

Rock Of Ages – Garrick Theatre 02.11.2013 (Muck-Up Matinee)

So the dreaded day had finally come around. No excuses, no avoidings anymore – today our Happy Place would be teared down and we would all have to say Goodbye to all these people that grew to our hearts so much over the past 2 years.

I was meeting up with some other RoAdies in front of the Garrick at about 12:30pm. It was sunny, though chilly and windy, and we were all already shaken up a bit, but determined to give out our last farewell gifts, books, cards, and tried to get our Stage Door pics and hugs and chats from/with the Cast, as we might not get the chance for that later. It already started with tears when I came up to my lovely friend Sarah, she opened up her arms, we hugged tightly, and I instantly felt tears welling up in my eyes, without her even saying anything. After a while, Nathan Amzi & Simon Lipkin arrived – quite early, and when they asked us if we were alright, we all said “No!” and Simon went “What? Why not, it’s a beautiful day!” with a smile, and we went “No, it’s a horrible day, don’t say that!” They went inside and almost instantly came out again, telling us they would be back soon, but wanted to have one last supper together as colleagues – SO adorable. Everyone else was coming in shortly after another – Natalie Andreou telling us she had a funny tummy and not slept much the night before, Cordelia Farnworth, Scarlette Douglas, Andy Spillett, Ross Hunter…and when Rohan Tickell hobbled towards us on two crutches, we were all at a loss for words and started crying instantly. He had been off stage for a couple of weeks now, and it had been said that he probably wouldn’t be able to make it to the last show, but seeing him there, knowing he would be there after all – at that point, we only thought they’d bring him back on a cane for the last applause, we had NO idea! – was one of the most beautiful things ever.
At one point, Nicky & Laura showed up, two of the RoAdies I haven’t met before, and they had little Goodie Bags for almost everybody with them, with a small lollipop, a package of handkerchiefs, a small party popper, some sweets…and a beautiful purple rubber wristband that had “Proud ROAdie” and “Don’t Stop Believin'” printed on it. Love them to bits for this little surprise!
And FINALLY, I got to meet the wonderful Laura & Alison, both with whom I had talked on fb for over a week now, and I had been dying to finally meet them and take them into my arms – that hug Laura gave me was probably the best thing ever for me that day, and it’s a thing I will keep in my heart forever, because she’s one of the most wonderful people you’ll ever meet, and it’s just a shame our time together on that day was way too short.

The hardest moment of this entire last “Pre-Show Stage Door Experience” was probably the moment that Sarah and our friend Rebecca had seen a post that Jodie Jacobs had made on twitter; a note that she wrote on her IPhone and then had made a screenshot of it to post it on there. While I was reading through the first few lines, I felt the tears coming back, I choked up, couldn’t even read properly to the end, and when I finished and looked up at Sarah and Rebecca, we instantly gave each other a long, strong group hug – I love my RoAdies. And I don’t know if that is a good thing, but I love Jodie for that post, I love her for breaking our hearts like this, for showing us her love for that show and us as their fans.  Everyone had their fare share of tears before the show, I lost count of how many times I hugged Alison because she started to cry and couldn’t seem to stop, how many times I stroke her and Sarah’s hair when both started crying along with me when Ross arrived…it was mental, absolutely mental. And still, I treasure this for the rest of my life, because we were all together and there to support each other.

Then, it was finally time for the Muck-Up Matinee – a show where no one actually does what they are supposed to do, they go off script even more than they usually do. I was beyond excited as this would be my first ever Muck-Up Matinee. There were LOADS of amazing, hilarious things during that show, so I’m going to give you a list of the things that happened – even if you don’t think they’re funny or don’t understand them – guess you have to know the show to do so.

Welcome To The Sunset Strip/Nothin’ But A Good Time
– The Pizza Box Photo that is usually Nathan wanting to be hired for a job was now that one of a WWE wrestler with Dan Fletcher’s head on it
– When Dan entered the Bourbon Room, he bumped into the stairs and almost fell down
– The plunger Simon/Lonny uses fell apart

Sister Christian
– Nathan appeared, usually just wiggling his tongue at Natalie/Sherrie and grabbing at his crotch…this time, he completely put his tongue into her mouth, snoggling her, lifting her off her feet
– Instead of only Simon/Lonny doing it, this time, both Dan/Dennis and him started chewing on Natalie’s/Sherrie’s hair/wig

We Built This City / Too Much Time On My Hands
– When it was Simon’s/Lonny’s turn to run across the stage with his pants down, normally only followed by Dan/Dennis, this time, the girls, some guys from the crew and Ross Hunter followed him with their pants down
– Simon/Lonny & Dan/Dennis repeatedly hitted Ross/Drew in the chest

Heaven/More Than Words/To Be With You
– When Simon/Lonny did his horse-riding bits, the conductor held up a picture of a horse
– Instead of just saying “Goddamnit!” when he bursts onto stage, Simon/Lonny shouted “F***ng goddamnit!”

Waiting For A Girl Like You
– When Ross/Drew & Natalie/Sherrie opened their picnic blanket, a lot of glitter fell out
– At the end, when Tim Howar’s/Stacee Jaxx’ silhouette appeared in the Bourbon Room door, there was another silhouette that stick his tongue out at his crotch (I strongly believe it was Simon tbh)

Wanted Dead Or Alive
– Tim/Stacee started an absolutely hysterical laugh just after his band called him “Asshole” that went on for minutes, even after he fell of his chair, asking for a tissue, he couldn’t stop laughing – ironically, different from the usual script, no other Cast Member was laughing with him

I Want To Know What Love Is
– Dan/Dennis bursted out of the toilet door while Natalie/Sherrie was standing right next to it, leaving her absolutely startled and grinning when he ran off with his pants still down
– Not only Natalie’s/Sherrie’s boots appeared at the end of the scene, but also Tim’s/Stacee’s showed up above

Cum On Feel The Noize
– Simon/Lonny gave the entire band High-Fives, then riffed along with them, saying “Let’s get this party started”, which somehow slightly sounded like that song from P!nk
– The Cast put up a medley of “We Built This City” along with “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, just as it happened to be in the movie

Harden My Heart/Shadows Of The Night
– After Simon/Lonny stopped playing the Saxophone with his mouth and shaking the spit out of it, as he usually does, he put the thing to his bum and pretended to play it that way
– Rachel/Justice put up quite a long “News” riff
– When Simon/Lonny appears at the door of the Venus Club – usually wearing his crop top, the tassle and his normal pants – he was completely dressed in panties, suspenders & heels; when he got to Rachel/Justice from behind, she started making him grind at her intimately

Any Way You Want It
– Cordelia/Groupie showed up as one of the dancers, and instead of saying “Hi” and showing Natalie/Sherrie her inappropriate gesture, she just gave her a hateful glare and flipped her off
– Dan/Dennis started licking Natalie/Sherrie while she was giving him as the Sleazier Record Producer a Lapdance
– Nathan/Paul Gill undid Ross’/Drew’s belt while he got his Make-Over

Dreams are like Rainbows
– After Jodie/Regina invoked “Wounded Knee”, and things got completely heated between Simon/Lonny and Sandy/Franz, Dan/Dennis told them to “Calm the fuck down!”
– Simon/Lonny mimicked Dan/Dennis while he was gesturing towards Sandy
– After Dan/Dennis got his Oscar, finally he got to kiss Selina as the Oscar Girl

High Enough
– Nathan/Paul Gill finally got around to lick Ross’/Drew’s crotch – something he was always prevented from
– During the “discussion scene” when Ross/Drew & Natalie/Sherrie fight over that he never said to her they were just friends, Simon/Lonny busted out of the Venus Club door, saying “Oh, oh, oh, yes you did! Am I right guys?” to the band

Beaver Hunt
– When Dylan/Joey Primo came out, he was wearing nothing but his jacket and a golden codpiece – while Simon/Lonny was standing behind him the entire time, grinning

I Hate Myself For Loving You/Heat Of The Moment
– Jodie/Candi listed up 12 different things that Stacee would get for 200 bucks (12 dances, 11 slush puppies, 10 chicken dinners, 9 sexy slush drops, 8 Falco Keyrings, 7 slaps in his face, 6 signed Shayne Ward CD’s, 5 5 gold rings, 4 calling birds, 3 french hens, 2 turtle doves, a cuddly toy and a full release)

Can’t Fight This Feeling
– Dan/Dennis did the split – and split his pants in doing so
– Simon/Lonny did a girly shriek when Dan/Dennis asked him what was going on
– Simon/Lonny & Dan/Dennis full on made out after Dan asked Simon if they were alone; they unbuckled each others pants, Simon undid Dan’s shirt, they full-on kissed on the mouth, lay down and literally just made out

Every Rose Has Its Thorn
– When Rachel/Justice asks Natalie/Sherrie if Destiny/Scarlette stole her body lotion again, you could hear Scarlette shout “I didn’t steal nothing!” from backstage

Programme Scene (before and during)
– Jodie/Candi declared “This pizza looks awesome!” after Ross/Drew gave her the screwed up pizza that always falls on the floor (instead of saying “This pizza looks like shit!”)
– Simon/Lonny shows up in the exact same pizza delivery boy outfit as Ross/Drew, saying “Oh, one of us is gonna have to change!” and doing his Scrunchie Rap one last time (“It’s a scrunchie, it’s a scrunchie, it’s s to the c to the r to the u to the n to the c to the h i e…it’s a scrunchie, eh eh, it’s a scrunchie, eh hey you, I say srunch, you say chie, scrun-CHIE, scrun-CHIE! Yiip yiip yiyiyip, I’m talking about a scrunchie!” – Sorry, only funny if you’ve seen it yourself 😉 )
– Instead of animating everybody to his slow-clap, Simon/Lonny made Mickey Mouse ears and went “Boop-Boop-Boop” in the same speed, animating the audience to the the exact same thing

On The Chateau Marmont
– Wehn Rohan/Hertz starts crying because he lost his son, Jodie/Regina tells him to stop crying (“Stop! Stop it!”)
– After Rohan/Hertz tells Jodie/Regina that it’s crazy to jump of the Chateau, and she shouts around asking if it was crazy, instead of the usual opening of doors and everybody shouting “NO!” at her, the doors opened everywhere and the Cast went “NO! JUMP!”, leaving Jodie all startled and saying “I don’t even know how to respond to this.”

Epilogue
– Rohan/Hertz showing up on stage, not with a plastic bulldog on a leash, but with Tim Howar’s little white puppy schnauzer Rocky in his arm, wearing a black suit/formal wear
– Tim/Stacee changed up his usual line during “Renegade”, explaining how “Regina” rhymes with “pussy” indeed

Don’t Stop Believin’
– The baby that is born at the end this time was a little baby Simba Doll, so Ross/Drew & Natalie/Sherrie raised him up the “Lion King” way

Also, the first moment that unexpectedly Rohan Tickell showed up on stage with a cane, obviously being on his normal track as Hertz…it damn teared me up so much, if nothing had before that moment. I think we all lost it when we saw him coming on stage in the first bit, because it was something we had hoped for but never expected – love how that show even at its end didn’t fail to surprise us.

There are no other words as to say how absolutely A M A Z I N G that Matinee was, it was the best experience I had had in a theatre so far, and it’s something I will never ever forget. The Cast was absolutely on fire, and it did seem as if every time the audience was about to cry and having a breakdown, someone on that stage did something so ridiculously stupid or hilarious that you just couldn’t help but laugh. And no words in this world could ever thank anybody of them enough. They are true stars, and for me, they always will be.

Rock Of Ages – Garrick Theatre 01.11.2013

Matinee
This show was supposed to be a very emotional one for me – it would be the day that I’d give Simon Lipkin his farewell book and personal gifts. I had already given Ross Hunter his gifts on the day before, and after a kiss on the cheek and a hug from him, I showed him his stuff. He smiled even wider than usually, saying how he’s getting presents all the time recently, and when he saw what I got him, he was so lovely, thanked me a couple of times hugged and kissed me on the cheek again and grinned like a schoolboy. After the show that day, I also finally gave Natalie Andreou my farewell gift, and when she came out, she touched her heart, thanking me, smiled, hugged me and said that she would open all of her presents after the last show.  When she left that night, it meant there was only Simon’s giftbag to be handed over the next day. Safe to say I was already shitting my pants when I got up in the morning.

At 9:30am, I met up with my friend Lucy in front of the Garrick Theatre to dayseat for tickets; Lucy would only be doing the Matinee, whilst I wanted to get tickets for both shows. It was chilly and cold, and we were glad when we finally were let in to the Box Office at 10:30am…only to then hear from the guy in there that their system was down and they couldn’t book any seats or sell tickets! Nobody knew how long this would be a problem, the queue outside got longer and longer and although few of us were inside, it was still cold, as the doors stood wide open. Thankfully, I had nice company, because apart from Lucy, I finally got to meet a fellow RoAdie, Abe, from the USA, and got to meet a girl named Ksenya and we had an amazing time, despite the waiting. When it got closer and closer to 1pm, Lucy got nervous, as there were a couple of things she had to do before the show, so she went outside to try her luck at the TKTS booth in Leicester Square – only to be sent back immediately, as their systems were down, too…apparently, ALL ticket systems in London were down, and I thought “Amazing. That’s how I want to start my day.”
Then it was my turn to get nervous. The day before, I had asked Simon when he would be in, because I had something for him and wanted to talk to him alone for a few minutes, and he had told me that they had rehearsals at 1:30pm. So I walked in and out of the Box Office, checking with my lovely friend Noor, who had come for moral support, staring at the street, waiting for Simon to arrive. By the time the Box Office finally managed to handwrite us our ticket vouchers, I was bouncing up and down, as it was almost 1:30pm and Simon was nowhere to be seen. I already thought he had forgotten about it or unforseen circumstances had held him up, when suddenly, Emma, another fellow RoAdie, pointed down the left side of the Garrick and said “There’s Simon.” I was taken aback, as normally, he came from the right side, and it was already 1:32pm. So I decided it was better to not give him his stuff now but after the Matinee, and he said that he would come out after. So I still had a few hours to calm myself down.

The 1st show that day itself was absolutely awesome. As Nathan Amzi was off on that day, we had Andy Spillett as Mayor, Grant Anthony was Hertz and Cordelia Farnworth was on as Groupie. My favourite parts this time were definitely the end of “The Final Countdown”, when Simon/Lonny lay down on the floor infront of Andy Spillett, who was a police officer. Andy’s facial expressions were absolutely priceless when Simon started to caress his right leg; you could see how he tried everything to not lose his composure and start laughing out loud. The other priceless thing that happened was that I FINALLY got to see Simon doing his “Scrunchie Rap” during the programme scene! I had waited so long for it, everyone kept telling me how amazing it was, how it always cracked everybody up, and I had already given up hope to ever see it when he said to Ross Hunter/Drew: “You should tie it back with a scrunchie – A SCRUNCHIE! How 80’s is a Scrunchie???” And I have to say: that moment was SO worth the wait, it has to be one of my three favourite programme scene moments ever.

As soon as the show was over, I grabbed the giftbag and bolted out. My friend Noor and Sophie, another one of our RoAdie-Family, were already waiting outside for Lucy and me, and the Stage Door was already packed. I was literally bouncing on my feet, kept staring through the grids until I spotted Simon – at that time, I felt how I was already tearing up out of sheer nervousness. When he got out, everyone was attacking him, wanted a picture or an autograph, and he was slowly making his way out of the crowd, so I tried following him, feeling stupid in doing so, but couldn’t help it, getting more and more nervous. When there was no one else at one moment wanting something from him, we stood a bit further back from the Stage Door, on the sidewalk, and I started with “I hope I get to say everything I want to”, but at that moment, my mind went completely blank. For WEEKS, I had played this out in my mind, I had wanted to start with telling him how sorry I was if I ever came across like a stalker to him, if I ever annoyed him or anything – that was something really important for me to let him know. But standing infront of him, seeing him looking at me, waiting, I forgot everything I had planned. I told him that it was no secret that he was my favourite, that probably even he already knew, and that I always sat in the lunging seat waiting for my lunge, but never got one, leaving me with the thought “Oh, he hates me”, and Simon interrupted me, saying that it’s nothing personal, but that he just always tries to keep it fresh and pick on new people, and I told him I know that (and feeling ABSOLUTELY stupid and ridiculous that I seriously told him that!). I then told him that all of us RoAdies had wanted to get him something special as a Goodbye, and pulled out the photobook I had made for him, with all the show/backstage pics and our pics and messages in it, and he started to smile and thanked me, saying how much he appreciated it. Then I started to tell him that I had some other presents for him, my personal ones, and when I got out his personalised Lindt Chocolate box with “Hello Lonny Barnett, Soundgod”, all he said was “That is amazing!”, smiling all the way. Then I got to my most important present, and I was already blabbering way to fast, he probably didn’t even have the chance to say anything (which I’m sorry for). I pulled out the AC/DC Angus Young Replica Mini Guitar, telling him that I know how much he loved Oliver Tompsett, how important I know he is for him, and that I got him to sign the guitar on the front with “Love from your 1st Shagileo Von Colt”, plus, my signature on the back. Simon’s reaction was wonderful. His eyes went big, his smile even bigger, he said “That is SO awesome, thank you so much!” He then spotted the couple of Quavers packages in the bag, smiling, saying “Ha, you even got Quavers in there!” and I told him that on the ground of the bag there were even a couple of Wispas to make up for the melted ones I got him on my birthday, and he laughed. While we were trying to get everything back inside the bag, he said “Again, I really really appreciate it, thank you so much!” and gave me a long and very strong hug – sorry to sound pathetic, but that is probably a moment I will always keep very dear to me.

When he left, I went back to Noor, and when I saw her smiling at me, opening her arms to hug me tight, I already felt tears welling up in my eyes, and as soon as I was in her arms, they started streaming down my face like crazy, my body started rocking and I lost every last bit of composure I ever had. Noor told me it was okay, stroked my back, and somehow I managed to get out that I didn’t even get the chance to tell him what I actually wanted to tell him. While she kept holding me, somehow I heard Ross Hunter’s voice in my back, and felt how Noor was waving at him with one hand, so I let go of her, turned around, and there he was, right infront of me. His smile is the cutest and most contagious, but my tears were getting the better of me. He looked at me and went “Oh, don’t cry!” and pulled me into his arms to hug me tight, and I couldn’t resist but finally put a slight and short smile back on my face. If you see this, Ross – BLESS YOU, lovely, that was much needed. As soon as he was back inside to prepare for the evening show, two completely random girls came up to Noor, Sophie, Lucy and me, and in the same instant, in the same intonation, they looked at me and went “Are you in love with Simon?!” – and that was moment when we all completely cracked up, started laughing with screams, even me, finally. I don’t even know who any of them both were, but I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for making my day.

Evening
The 2nd show that day was even better than the one before; the audience was amazing, and it got me a first impression of how the last two ones the next day would probably be.  During the scene where Simon/Lonny goes “But stars are undeniable – like Herpes…”, he kept looking at the first few rows, but there were no guys anywhere around, so he stared at that girl I met earlier this morning, Ksenya, and said “Am I right, enthusiastic girl?” (he had lunged at her before, asking her to reach out for his Nunchak/crotch – which she did, of course, and she completely startled him with it). At the end, during the beginning of “Don’t Stop Believin'”, when the actual lyrics are “Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world, she took the midnight train going anywhere“, Ross Hunter somehow confused his text for the first time and sang “…she took the midnight train going on and on…“, and he completely cracked Natalie Andreou and everyone behind him on that stage up. And when it was Natalie’s part to sing “He’s just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit – Michigan! He took the midnight train going anywhere!”, she screwed up on purpose, going “…he took the midnight train going on and on…” I don’t think any of this was planned, but that just made it even more perfect.

At the Stage Door after, I wanted to complete my mission and tell Simon somehow what I didn’t get to tell him earlier. It was absolutely packed there, and when he came out, he spotted me right at the door, and while he was signing some girl’s programme, he said “Thank you again for my presents!” and I told him that I forgot to tell him earlier that I am really sorry if I ever came across like a stalker to him or annoyed him, and he interrupted me, saying that I don’t need to be sorry for anything. I felt soothed a bit, though due to the circumstances, the crowd, the distraction and everyone wanting a piece of him – understandable, of course – it was a weird moment for me and ever since then, I fight with myself of not really having enough chance or opportunity to make myself clear enough, but that’s something I have to live with from now on. In the end, somehow, I got to say what I wanted to, I did not cry on him (at least not that night), and he liked his presents – which, in the end, was and is the most important thing for me.

After he had left, we were all still waiting for Dan Fletcher & Tim Howar to come out, as the last couple of days, they had been the last ones to leave. When they got out, Tim was – as usual – so lovely and nice and chatty, and when I asked him if he was allowed to tell us why they had had rehearsals today when the show ends the next day, he told me that they had done it for the ones that never got on stage, the crew, the staff, to kind of teach them where they have to walk or stand on the stage. Also, he told me that they would be bringing Shayne Ward & Justin Lee Collins and a couple of others from the original Shaftesbury Cast back on stage for the final show, and that Tim would even try to bring his little puppy Rocky on stage – guess I don’t need to tell anybody how excited I was at that moment. And although the next day would probably be the hardest of my life, I couldn’t help but looking forward to it SO much.

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.

Rock Of Ages – Garrick Theatre 21.09.2013

“Here we are, back at the Bourbon Room…”
For a double Rock Out – Matinee & Evening, meeting quite a few of the RoAdies I had only heard of so far and was pretty excited and slightly nervous about!

With two shows  completely lacking of principles. Ross Hunter (Drew) had been sick with a strong bronchitis, Tim Howar (Stacee Jaxx) also was ill due to bad breathing issues, Daniel Fletcher (Dennis Dupree) was off, too, and we were short on girls so Zizi Strallen had to come back earlier as Groupie, right next to Cameron Sharp, filling in as Joey Primo.
Drew would be played by Dylan Turner, which would be meaning I’d be going to see my 3rd ever Drew, and despite the fact that I had really wanted to see Ross again, I was more than excited to see someone else in that role. And whoa, this man is not only absolutely hot looking (he never had been my type or anything), but the voice inside of him is mindblowing. Never would I have expected that his Drew would be some seriously amazing thing. Whenever he came up to the high notes, I was thinking “Oli Tompsett would be pretty proud if he heard this right now.” Dylan’s duets with Natalie Andreou as Sherrie were so absolutely beautiful, and I understood why everyone was so overjoyed about him getting the chance to play that role over these few days. I was really excited about the part in “Oh, Sherrie”, where Drew sings this really, really high and long tune, and ever since I had heard and seen Oliver Tompsett killing it one year ago, no one had ever impressed me like he had done back then. But man….Dylan? For God’s sake, he was ON FIRE! That tune coming out of him for more than a few seconds was absolutely perfect! He had the audience completely going mental over that one (considering ALOT of the people at the Garrick that day were dedicated RoAdies, it’s not hard, really).
Grant Anthony was playing Stacee, and I didn’t really expect alot, though I had heard he would be amazing – but considering that Tim had completely cast a spell over me when I first saw his Stacee two months earlier, I doubted anybody could match up to that….well, I was proven wrong. Completely wrong. Grant was AMAZING as Stacee, his facial expressions were completely cracking me up, and his voice…whoa, that man has some serious talent right there! Loved the deep vocals so much, and I was more than happy I got to see him before the show closes.
Our Dennis in both shows was Andy Spillett, and what can I say: I think he gave me my favourite Dennis ever that day!  He, too, has the most hilarious facial expressions I have ever seen on anybody, and during the scene when Lonny (Simon Lipkin) is holding the Fogmaster 5000 and starts talking about his feelings towards Dennis, Andy’s face was priceless, there are no other words for that. I loved absolutely everything about his Dennis!
Joey Primo that day would be played by Cameron Sharp, and no words needed for how excited I had been for that one! I had heard from Sarah that he had been absolutely amazing the day before, and after seeing him on the left side of the stage, throwing money in the air and shouting “I SHIT MONEY!”, I was absolutely hooked by him. He did so unbelievably well, he seemed like he had never done anything else in his entire life, and you would never ever guess that he had only started rehearsals 4 days earlier and had been throwin into cold water with his stage premiere the day before. He just seemed like the boy next door, a member of the Cast that had always been there. And whenever I think of Joey Primo now, all that comes to my mind is his face. He was absolutely flawless, and I’m gutted I will never get to see his Drew!

Of course, there had been a few very remarkable things in both shows:

Matinee:
– After “Can’t Fight This Feeling”, Simon had his face coming closer and closer to Andy’s, and while the entire audience completely freaked out, he nudged his nose and Andy started laughing along.
– Programme Scene – always something everyone is excited about the most, because you never know what Simon Lipkin will be pulling next. When Lonny/Simon went “What do you really want?” to Drew, unexpectedly, some random guy up in the Dress Circle suddenly shouted down to the stage “How much for a picture of you naked????” – safe to say the entire audience completely went nuts, cheering and laughing, and you could just see how much that question had distracted Simon; he was even more out of script than he already is every single time. He kept grinning, staring upstairs, and after a few seconds of trying to pull himself together and go on with the show again, he gave in, saying “Okay, I’m sorry, but I just have to ask: WHAT?!” Everyone was laughing their asses off, but the guy in the Dress Circle obviously was too shy to repeat his question, so Simon made a short joke about him feeling quite safe up there, first having a huge mouth and not pretending it had never happened, then he went back to his normal track – hilarious.

Evening:
– During the scene when Jodie Jacobs as Regina runs past Drew, who is holding a Pizza Box in his hands, she bumped into him and inspite of the box flipping 180 degrees – which it usually did, so Drew always had to try to flip it back upwards without the Pizza sticking to the top, – it flipped the entire way round – 360 degrees. For a second Dylan was seriously confused and tried everything to not start laughing, but he was very good at keeping his composure and going on with the script.
– The scene when Drew & Sherrie have a serious talk about their feelings towards the end, when Drew complains about Sherrie sleeping with Stacee Jaxx and Sherrie tells him he told her they were just friends, and Drew goes all like “I never said that!”, Simon bursted out of the door, holding a huge cookie in his hand, and the audience went mad. He obviously had been chewing on it before that scene, because his mouth was full of crumbles, and for over a minute, he tried everything to swallow as fast as he could, before almost choking on the words “Uhm, yes, you did!” and running back to where he came from – I highly doubt that that was intended or planned after all. Not with knowing Simon 😀
– Programme Scene: Simon started to make fun of Drew/Dylan having been in “High School Musical”, and he started doing the choreography they do during “We’re All In This Together”, calling Dylan a “Disney-loving Bastard” all the way and telling him he would’ve loved him to be in “Cinderella”, simply for the “Bibedi-bapedi-boo!” Oh, Simon.

After both shows, we went to the Stage Door, and it was quite crowded. After I caught Simon (yes, you know I just had to, right?), we all saw him going over to a girl a bit further away, and he started signing on a green cast she wore around her arm, and suddenly, while he was signing, we all saw him starting to laugh, and after a few seconds, he completely cracked up, tried to regain his composure to finish the signature, but with Nathan Amzi seeing it too and starting to laugh, it was absolutely impossible. Somehow, we all knew that he had been writing something really inappropriate onto it, and we were right: he had drawn a penis onto the inside of the girl’s hand, and all I could think of was “Oh, Simon! Little boy inside a grown man’s body!”

I don’t remember anything I said to anyone at the SD that day, but I do remember that after Simon had been so kind to take a picture with me inside that crowd infront of the Garrick (though he surely wanted to get away to grab some food before the evening show), I just felt like getting him some kind of little Thank You, so along with Alison’s Mother Mandy, who got him a Wispa Bar, I got him one, too. When after the evening show, he came out, I gave it to him, he smiled like a little boy, his eyes wide opened like it was Christmas, and he went all like “Awww! Thank you! Chocolate, that’s the way into my heart!!!” and inside, I was all like “Yeah, I figured that, why you think I spoil you with these all the time?” 😀 Of course, I just had to take another picture with him, as I never am really pleased with the ones I have, because none of them is that perfect (and come on, I never let an opportunity to be in that boy’s arm pass!), and when he said “Sure!” and I went to his right side, he grinned widely at me and asked “Is that your better side?” and I went “Yeah, my chocolate side!” I think it’s safe to say I completely melted in his arm that moment, because I finally had managed to get at least a very slight connection with him, something I had wished for so badly since I had met him first last year, and having him making an approach of talking to me first was more than I had expected when I started that day at the Garrick.

After taking all of our possible SD pictures – Cameron Sharp, Selina Hamilton, Nathan Amzi & Rachel McFarlane (without my desperately wanted and needed pic with Natalie Andreou; she had visibly twisted her ankle on stage during one of the last songs and rushed off the Garrick after the evening show, which was absolutely understandable), I went back to my hostel with the thought that this weekend had been more perfect than I had ever hoped for it to be, – especially with FINALLY meeting Noor (who I already dearly loved when I first met her, sitting right next to me during the Matinee), Steph, Natalia, Sigal and so many others of the RoAdie Family! And I already couldn’t wait to be back 2 weeks later!

Rock Of Ages – Garrick Theatre 24.07.2013

  

Exactly 305 days after my very first visit of the show just before the Cast Change at the Shaftesbury Theatre, I was finally back on the Strip. And this time, as it was my birthday, which maybe gives you an impression of how special this one was for me.

I met up for Dinner with Alison & Sarah at 3pm outside the Garrick so we would have enough time to eat and see the actors at the Stage Door just before they went inside. I wasn’t nervous at all at that point – finally seeing “my” boy Simon Lipkin again after over 6 months (and talking to him after 305 days) seemed so far away for me. As I knew the girls had bought some presents for Ross Hunter (who’s birthday it had been a few weeks earlier) for Tim Driesen (who would be leaving for his engagement in “Jersey Boys” in Amsterdam a few days later), and for Nathan Amzi (who’s birthday it was on that day, too!), I had decided I couldn’t just show up with nothing, so I had bought Simon a small green keychain that said “Keep Calm Simon” and a package of Wispa chocolate, which I knew he loved to death (and which melted completely hours before I gave it to him *lol*). Just as we were waiting at the Stage Door, I noticed that I seriously needed a toilet – a dead sure sign that I started to get nervous. I knew I would only take a back seat beside Alison and Sarah, as they knew the Cast and they knew them, but that didn’t really help soothing my nerves; I was talking way too much. Some people were coming in and out, Cordelia Farnworth, Sandy Moffat, Carly Mercedes Dyer, Grant Anthony, Rachel McFarlane…and then there was Tim Howard coming up towards us from the other side of the road. He smiled widely as he saw Alison and Sarah, giving them both huge hugs, and when he saw me, reached out his hand to me, introducing himself with “I’m Tim, nice to meet you!”, and giving me a slight kiss on the right cheek, which was so surreal I was actually pretty tempted to burst out “Yeah, I know who you are, how couldn’t I?” 😀 He chatted away with us, and I have to say : that moment he told me his name, I was already in love with him. He turned out to be one of the nicest, kindest, funniest people I have ever met in my entire life. It was like we all knew each other for a long time, no sign of the fact that he’s an actor and we’re “just” fans. We all took a picture with him, then he had to go inside and we were just standing there taking pictures of each other infront of the Theatre, when after a few minutes, the Stage Door flew open, and Tim was standing there, staring at us blankly with his eyes wide open, a shocked glare inside of them, shouting “It’s Nathan’s birthday today, I need to get a present!” We grinned at him, and I blurted out “It’s my birthday, too!” and he repeated “It’s your birthday, too?!”, then pulled me into his arms, giving me a huge kiss on the cheek, hugging me and wishing me a Happy Birthday, then rushed off – it was damn hilarious, and only made me love him more (especially considering the fact that he had tweeted Nathan earlier that day, wishing him a Happy Birthday, so he knew but still made a fool of himself for us).

After that, only a few minutes after he had left, the door went open right behind us – and Simon Lipkin &  Jodie Jacbobs were standing infront of us (they had come just as we had been talking to Tim, but had to rush in for an interview) – I think I don’t need to tell anybody how fast my heart was racing, how my legs were all wobbly, feeling like jelly. Both of them were telling us that they wanted to get something for Nathan, too, so we told them that Tim had just rushed off in panic to do the same, and somehow, Alison ended up telling Simon that it was my birthday, too. He looked at me, saying “Oh, it’s your birthday, too? Happy Birthday!” and before I knew what was happening, he was pulling me into his arms and giving me a birthday hug. It’s actually a surprise I didn’t die right there and then, but for that the hug probably wasn’t long enough *lol* Sarah then signified me that I should give my little presents to him, and I pulled the keychain and the package of Wispa out my bag, feeling the chocolate being a big plate of soft…something. I told him it was nothing special, just a little something, but I could instantly see that he appreciated the gifts: he pulled out his own keys, putting my keychain on it right away, and when he saw the chocolate, his eyes grew all big like a little boy’s, and he shouted out “I fucking love Wispas!” (I didn’t hear that part, as I was staring at him while he said that to Jodie, but Alison told me later *lol*).  After that, both Simon and Jodie had to get inside, and suddenly, Tim came back, holding up a bag and telling us he had found something. We laughed, and before we knew what was happening, he pulled out his IPhone, turning it around and told us to get together, because he wanted to take a picture with all three of us on his phone – that man is SUCH a wonderful person!

This all was actually overstimulation, because just after Tim had gone inside, Ross Hunter showed up – and he took my breath away. For God’s Sake, people have told me he was cute and nice, and I knew from pictures that he was indeed, but holy crap, no one prepared me that he was THAT good-looking and just dropdead gorgeous!!! Sarah and Alison both gave him their present, and he was so cute about it, thanking them over and over, telling us that he would post a pic of it on twitter as soon as he was in his dressing room (which he actually did, just 2 minutes later). He hugged us all, gave us kisses on the cheek and went inside. I think I was already head over heels for him at that point.
Next one to arrive was Tim Driesen, and he smells SO good, I can’t even. We chatted for a few minutes, he got his farewell gift (a cheeky London bag with all stuff London-related, so he won’t forget his time there), and he hugged all of us to thank us – though I told him that the present wasn’t even from me. Such a nice and lovely young man!
Then it got a bit difficult, as it was already pretty late, and Nathan Amzi hadn’t arrived yet – which, according to the girls, wasn’t normal. We were talking about him maybe being sick or having a day off on short notice, but Sarah kept assuring Alison that he had tweeted the entire day “See you tonight” to the other Cast members, and no one actually had the guts to go inside and look for the Cast list for the evening, too scared to see Nathan was off (it was so hard to see Alison’s mood drop to zero degrees the later it got; at that moment, I wish I wasn’t so goddamn cold and reserved with others and would’ve just been able to give her a comforting hug -.-). At some point, I just went in, and the Cast list was hanging there, and I was pretty relieved when I saw that no one else was playing the Mayor, which meant that Nathan HAD to be on, and after Alison had went inside herself, coming out, smiling from one ear to another, the world was saved 🙂

Especially when a few moments later, Nathan finally showed up. He gave the girls a huge hug,  and I just went for it and hugged him, too, wishing him a Happy Birthday; Sarah then told him that he and me were sharing the same day, and when he realized that it was my birthday, too, he wished me a Happy Birthday, too, giving me a High Five. It was weird standing beside him, because he seemed so shy to me (which probably was only because he saw me for the first time), but I could catch a glimpse of what a nice person he is.

Time flew by and before I noticed, we were in the foyer of the Garrick, I bought a Souvenir Brochure (that famous one *lol*), a -T-Shirt (that I seriously love to bits) and a Keychain. It was surreal when I was sitting in my seat, as it had been way too long since I had seen the show, never had seen the new Cast, noticing the stage was way higher than the one at the Shaftesbury…but I had a perfect and clear view of the Stage – aka Simon. The girls kept telling me that he would definitely pull something off with me as he knew it was my birthday, but although I really hoped for him lunging at me or anything, I didn’t really expect anything; Alison and Sarah were sitting right infront of me, and as all the actors knew them by heart, it was just natural they would be the ones in focus…well, let’s say, in the end, it went not as I expected 😉

As the show started, the music blaring out of the speakers, I was waiting for Simon’s first appearance as Lonny on stage, bursting out of the Bourbon Room door (a few seconds before he did, Sarah turned around to me to indicate he’s coming now, and I was all like “I know *lol*”). As he did, I finally felt home again; my whole body was covered in goosebumps, as from the last time, I knew the entire show by heart, the things they say and do (though there are always some slight differences, which I love), I felt like standing up and starting to dance along. The feelings that rushed through me for the duration of that show, I cannot even begin to describe them. Simon was at his best again, Ross was blowing me away, he was so absolutely fantastic, I really hadn’t expected that. Cordelia as Sherrie was really cute and her voice is amazing, too. She and Ross harmonized so well, and they were such a cute couple on stage, especially during “High Enough”; I loved their performance together, with that song being one of my favourites from the show. Who impressed me the most – surprise! – was Tim Howar. Holy shit, the role of Stacee Jaxx is seriously perfect for him, it’s like he’s born for that role. His voice…whoa. I loved Shayne Ward as Stacee in his entirety when I had seen him last year, and I actually didn’t think I could be more impressed by any other guy in that role – but Tim blew me away. And that is probably a real understatement. I loved watching his acting and listening to his singing; there was no doubt he loved that role, and that he enjoyed every bit of his time on that stage. I think it’s pretty safe to say he was flawless in every way.

During the show, there were more than a few moments that Simon looked at Sarah and Alison from the stage, and he actually lunged at Sarah from the stage right at the beginning – she couldn’t believe it even days after 😀 At that point, with them cheering way louder than me (which had a really tempting and contagious effect on me 😉 ), of course drawing the actors attention in their direction, I had given up hope I’d get my shot at being lunged at by Simon though there were more than a few stares from him to me from the stage, more than a few looks, and I think I always grinned like a complete idiot up to him, like an actual retard, but I had no control over any of my body functions at that point anymore 🙂

Then there was the end of Act 1. The part were they all sing “Here I Go Again” together. The part were after the lights go out for a second and being turned on again, Lonny (Simon) shouts out “Yeeees!!! We did it!!! JAZZ HANDS!!”. The part were just before they all leave the stage for the break, Simon points at one girl in the middle of the first or second row, saying “You, my dressing room, two minutes!”.

And this time, it was me he was pointing at.

I grinned up to him like a fool, giving him a thumbs up, and Alison rushed outside, just to tweet him “Watch out @simonlipkin, @teamcarmichal is already half way to your dressing room ;)xx”. I think my day was made and I could already die happily then. (I did tell you I love you for that, didn’t I, Alison?? 😉 ) The rest of the show went by like a dream, was over way too fast, but I enjoyed every last second of it to the fullest. Way too soon, Alison, Sarah and me were standing at the Stage Door, waiting for everyone to come out. It was quite crowded, which I didn’t expect on a work day, but it just showed how loved they all were, and it made me happy to see all the appreciation. We took our pictures with the ones that we could actually get a hold of – Ross, Sandy, Simon, Tim D., Jodie & Nathan (including an absolutely hilarious test picture of Ross with Sarah clinging onto him, both giving me a thumbs up *lol), got a few autographs and chatted away, and also, we all got many huge hugs and kisses on the cheek from Tim Driesen, Tim Howar & Ross Hunter. Tim H. actually said “It was so lovely to meet you!”, which was the cutest thing ever, and when Nathan Amzi came out, he kept staring at me, and I honestly felt a bit weird and watched (I can’t cope with people staring at me like that, I always feel like some kind of fresh meat in a refrigerated counter or like I have some embarassing pimple or anything else in my face), when suddenly, I saw him looking at my neckline! All I could think of was “Uhm…hello?! I’m not Alison, you belong to her, don’t look at me like that, my friend!”…only to then hear him saying “You have some glitter there!” 😀 That was the rest I needed to have this night being absolutely wonderful and amazing (apart from the fact that the most important pic – the one with Simon,- got fucking blurry, due to me not being able to use the automatic function at my new SLR Camera; but I’ve fixed it myself a bit and I’ll DEFINITELY going to get a better one in September!). I can only thank everyone involved for my absolutely beautiful birthday, especially Alison & Sarah, without whom it wouldn’t have turned out so amazing ❤

We Will Rock You – Colosseum Essen 28.06./29.06.2013

1. Friday, 28.06. 2013

Now I officially belong to that part of the Musical Fandom that calls the ticket organisation just less than 24 hours before the event, asking for a last-minute ticket for a show. It was a must-see for me, as I had deeply missed my favourite 2 main actors on stage 3 days before, and I couldn’t wait until the Dernière on sunday.

I don’t really remember if there was anything special this time, I just remember that it was a wonderful feeling to see Chris & Jeannine back on stage (again: I DO have the highest respect for Stuart & Jessica on tuesday, they were great, but just not my faves!), because I feel like the way they harmonize with each other is way more emotional; I always melt when during “Who Wants To Live Forever”, Chris embraces Jeannine so tightly from behind – no Galileo I have seen so far has ever done it that way, and I think it’s a very important little detail.
Anna Lidman being back as Ozzy was good to see – knowing that she was really getting better from her sudden deafness. And she was amazing, the best show I had seen from her. It’s always so touching when after “(No-One But You) Only The Good Die Young”, she turns away when she’s done singing, and everyone in the audience knows she’s crying; to know that she loves what she does so much that it’s really touching her soul is wonderful and an honour to be a witness of.
And the audience was wonderful! I feel like except for my 1st show at the Colosseum on May, 3rd, it got better and better with every show, they were really carried away with enthusiasm every single time, including long and loud standing ovations, cheerings and clappings – I’m very proud I’m a part of this fandom that was around in Essen!

After the show, of course, I went round to the Stage Door, where I was meeting Nurhan & Katharina (whom I had got to know 3 days earlier and already loved them 🙂 ), and we got to talk to Stuart for a while again, who was so lovely and nice, and then, Andrea rushed out of the door, being in a hurry, but still took a few seconds to stop, hugging me and telling me that sadly she hadn’t been on as Ozzy that night, but I just told her I didn’t care, because she was on stage after all, which meant a lot for me, anyways. The girls and me stood around a bit longer, and when Nurhan wanted to take a picture with one of the band members – Jamie Humphreys, a really nice person with an accent that kills me everytime *lol* -, I noticed Nikolas Heiber coming out. I told him I wouldn’t be calling him Madonna again, because I already recognized him a week earlier. He laughed, and I asked him if anybody has recognized him ever since, but he said no, but that it would’t be that bad. I can tell you, I really wanted to hug that one, feeling sorry for him…instead, I asked to take a quick picture (what a stalker am I?), and I felt his arm grabbing me around my waist tightly, and he pulled me onto him close, and we both did the “Rock-Gesture” – I really love the outcome of it, and of course, I liked Niko even more after that 😉

2. Saturday, 29.06.2013

Craziest day/night I have ever experienced, by far…not going into detail in public here, but if you wanna know, just ask. This show was one of my favourites of all the times I went to go see it in Essen. It would be the first and last time I’d finally see Tobias Bieri as Galileo on stage, and I had heard how fab he was. He was playing along with Jeannine Michele Wacker as Scaramouche, and isn’t it such a cute thing if you think about that these two are a couple?! Anyways, due to a promo thing in another city, the main cast wasn’t on that night, meaning that many roles were different this time: Brit would be played by David Michael Johnson (DMJ), who is a total legend for german WWRY fans, being the first ever Brit, Martin Werth would be playing Bap/Pop instead of Dieter Bohlen (dunno the Dominion version of the Bohemian leader right now, sorry :/), Nikolas Heiber would be playing Dieter Bohlen instead of Madonna, Nicole Malangré was going to be on as Killer Queen, and Marjolein Teepen, usually on as one of the Teen Queens, was going to be Ozzy/Meat.

The show was amazing, Tobi really surprised me. When I heard him in “Who Wants To Live Forever”, I was really impressed of how soft and at the same time strong his voice sounded; and with his version of “Hammer To Fall”, he simply blew me away. You gotta know I never got along well with the thought of a blond Galileo with curly hair; for me, it doesn’t fit to the role, for me he somehow needs to have dark, short hair (tell me why I’m so weird about that *lol*). But when I experienced him singing, especially the high and really powerful notes, I whistled inside, because he was so fabulous. And he has this special kind of acting that Chris does not have, something still really childish and cute, which fits him perfectly (should I mention how cute I thought it was that the Shirt that is worn in that role seemed way to small for him and always slided upwards when he raised his arms or moved alot? 🙂 ) And he and Jeannine harmonized SO goddamn well! I had never seen her that happy on stage (she had been very happy before, but I guess being on stage with your boyfriend is always really special 🙂 ), and you could see how much both of them enjoyed their last time together on the WWRY-Stage…they were both absolutely breathtaking, and I really regret that I never had seen them up there before. At the end, during the last few notes of “We Are The Champions”, the stage definitely was all Tobi’s: he encouraged the entire audience to sing along with him he shouted “Eeeeeeooohhhh…” more than once and everybody had to repeat it, and every time he did it, the notes got longer, until at the last one, – which was SO long that no one of us could actually hold it at all -, we all just stood there, laughing, and Tobi….he enjoyed this so much, it was amazing to see we gave him exactly that kind of last Galileo show that he must’ve hoped for. And Jeannine having tears in her eyes proved that she had loved it and was grateful for the audience once again.

At the Stage Door after, first one to come out was Marjolein, and she was so nice! I told her it was nice to see her in a different role this time, and she concluded with “…not so evil, right?” When I had first met her a few weeks back, she must’ve been in a hurry or sth, because she seemed so distant and impatient and kind of annoyed, and I was glad I got to talk to her once more to see that my first impression was wrong 🙂 Then I finally caught Martin Werth…gosh, I had waited so long for this, as I had never recognized him at first, or just didn’t see him coming out…only to see him on SO many of my Stage Door pics with the other actors, actually photobombing almost all shots *lol* I told him that I was really impressed because I hadn’t expected his voice to be so fantastic and good, and that he had really blown me away. After that, I saw Nurhan, one of the 3 girls I had met 4 days earlier, talking to one of the Ensemble Members, Austin Garrett, who played Axl Rose (who oddly looks EXACTLY like Joey Primo in “Rock Of Ages”!!!!), and he was so lovely and cute, I can’t even. He was so touched when Nurhan gave him a small present, and it was really heartbreaking seeing that he had been crying for a couple of minutes, that he actually had a hard time pulling himself together…and it didn’t take long until the poor Nurhan, not being able to see others cry, started crying herself. That was the first moment I realized that the Dernière the next day wouldn’t be a walk in the park – for none of us. If only I had known then HOW much it would be killing me.

After that, Tobi and Jeannine finally came out, and I walked up to Tobi, telling him how breathtaking he had been, that he had really impressed me and that I absolutely had loved his performance, though nobody could hold this last high note of his 🙂 It was so lovely to talk to him and Jeannine, seeing them together (seriously, they must be the cutest couple I’ve ever seen). When I first took a pic with Tobi and then one with Jeannine (I told her how breathtaking I thought Tobi had been, and she laughed and said “Go tell HIM that, he never believes me when I tell him!”), I actually really wanted one with both of them, and somehow, at first, Nurhan ended up taking a picture with ONLY both of them, and it was hilarious and cute at the same time 🙂 After that, I got my pic with both of them, and that one is actually one of my favourite of all pics I took over the past 8 weeks. It’s one more wonderful memory that no one can ever take from me 🙂

London, Squirrels & Beautiful Architecture 27.01.2013

There I was again, in my favourite town, and sadly, all on my own, as my friend Kim had already left that morning. But after the entire morning was full of rain that didn’t seem to stop, it finally cleared, and though, out of the sun, it was quite chilly, the day became one of the most beautiful I could hope for. From Hyde Park, I slowly walked down all the way over Oxford Street with “Don’t Stop Believin'” from the “Rock Of Ages” Soundtrack in my ear all the time, blaring through my head like there was no tomorrow. And I’m not gonna lie, I was smiling from one ear to another, and I think I actually hopped over Oxford Street every now and then – the people must’ve thought I was totally insane 😀

When I got to Piccadilly Circus, I thought that it was too nice outside to spent the time inside my hostel room until I had to go to the Cinema in the afternoon, so I decided to walk all the way to St. James Park, over to Buckingham Palace and back to Big Ben and the London Eye. The wind was quite strong, but the thought of the hazelnuts in my handbag made me smile like an idiot, as my plan was to go and feed the squirrels – best idea ever! They were the cutest things, and as soon as I stepped onto the grass and slowly walked up to them, they hopped all the way to me, and as I put a hazelnut on my hand, thye shortly sniffed, then took it and hopped away, crunching at the nut for a moment, then ran off and buried it somewhere in the earth. I also teased one of them, as I showed him/her the hazelnut, and when it came to me, held it high up, so the squirrel would stay longer and I’d get a better shot with my camera. What I didn’t consider was 1. that it had rained the entire morning, and the ground was sticky with mud and 2. that the squirrels don’t let you fool them. That specific one suddenly crawled up onto my right leg, clinged itself to my jeans and reached for the nut, and I finally gave in and gave it to him/her – only then I realized the mess it had done, because my jeans were a total mess, there were tiny mudprints all over my right leg. Still, I loved watching these little things running and hopping and crunching and climbing and could barely tell myself that I couldn’t stay here the entire day.

After I pulled myself away from these cuties, I shortly walked over to Buckingham Palace, taking in all the beautiful plants and everything in St. James Park.

I walked over to Big Ben – which I didn’t know was THAT close from where I stood. I suppose I stood there for about 15 minutes without moving, taking pictures with my IPhone, my Nikon Camera, and posted them to facebook and instagram. It was such an amazing feeling to just stand there, the wind blowing, the sun shining, all these people all around me, and just looking at one of the most beautiful architectural thingy there was, and at that moment I really wished I wasn’t alone but with one of my friends to appreciate it even more. Although it was my 2nd time in London, I still couldn’t believe it was real. Is it always like this as a tourist? I hope so, because it’s a beautiful feeling that always brings tears to my eyes. From Big Ben, it were just a few meters to the Bridge and the London Eye, and again, I bet I stood there about 15 minutes just staring at the wonderful and breathtaking scene. This might all seem pretty random to most people, but for someone who desperately wants out of her normal life in Germany, it means the world.

This day had passed so fast, it was unbelievable, and before I noticed, it was time for me to get to the cinema – not before I paid Tesco’s a visit again, to buy chocolate for the last time, and also, some Yorkshire Tea for a friend of mine. After the cinema, I was pretty determined to find out where the Garrick Theatre was – home of my beloved “Rock Of Ages” Show. I knew it was somewhere behind Leicester Square, and I knew it couldn’t be that far away, and though it was already getting dark, and my last night in London had started, I didn’t want to go back to my hostel without having found it. Luckily, suddenly, I stood right infront of it, placed in a small side street a bit after Leicester Square, but easily reachable by foot, and after I saw what they had made of the Theatre, I knew I would be coming back for another RoA show 🙂

I love you, London ♥