Backstage Broadway

  I decided to try and see a Broadway show the other night, so I took the train to midtown and got in line at the Wicked lottery line. after an hour of waiting, no luck. I googled shows with student tickets, and found a show called "A Free Man of Color" playing at the Lincoln Center. When I got there, I bought my $20 ticket and found out the show was closing, and I was at the last performance!

  I took my seat (front row loge!) and the show began. It was fantastic! A hilarious, quirky and energetic look at the Americas in 1801 at the time of the Louisiana Purchase. The cast was fantastic, and included Joseph Marcell from "The Fresh Prince of Belair" and Mos Def the rapper from "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy". Characters included Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon Bonapart, Merriweather Lewis and Livingston (I presume). As well as a host of other awesome characters.

  At intermission I started talking to the woman next to me, and found out she was there to see her friend who was in the cast. After the show we talked some more (traded business cards) and she invited me backstage to meet her friend! We found the stage door and went in. Whoa! The halls were lined with all of the costumes I had just seen on stage, people were running around doing things and laughing and talking. So many other friends and family members were there. Lots of techies in black were moving things around, getting ready to move out. My new friend, Mariangelica, knew what the director looked like and found him. I introduced myself to George C. Wolfe (a famous Broadway director). We found her friends dressing room and started talking to her. Her name was Rosal Colon and she is a really nice young actress (2 years out of school). While we were standing there talking, Mos Def came out of the dressing room right next to us and started talking to his family! He was standing there in his bathrobe, it was so cool! His dad looks exactly like him too. The writer of the show (John Guare) walked by while we were talking, and I told him how much I liked the play. He thanked me and smiled, then ran off the talk to some other people. It was incredible! After about 20 minutes we left (the cast party was for members only) and headed for coffee. I was vibrating I was so excited!

  At coffee Mariangelica turned out to be an equity actress who moved from Ecuador and has been working in the city for 10 years. She was really cool and energetic. Her cousin in California is a Cinematography MFA student who she promised to introduce me too. We are going to try and see another show together soon. It was a great night!

-Glenn