I love September.

This post is going to be really long. Sorry. I had a long, amazing weekend that provided a lot of pictures and stories.

So this was an awesome, epic weekend. Last week, when they announced that David Bologna was leaving Billy Elliot, I realized that I really I had to see him. First of all, he's a cute kid. Second of all, he was nominated against some crazy talent for the Tony Award. How could I miss him? I was planning on rushing overnight for Kyle Dean Massey's last show in Next to Normal on Sunday, so I thought I'd see the Saturday matinee. I couldn't find a rear mezz ticket though and didn't want to pay a lot of money, but I found one for the evening show. But for some reason I had it in my head that I was seeing the matinee, so I promised my friend Olivia I would help her with Avenue Q lotto for the matinee. Then I remembered I didn't have to be in Manhattan until 8 and Avenue Q lotto is at noon, but I didn't want to bail on her. So I went out, and we lost, which was sad since the show is closing next weekend (not that I was going to see it, but I felt bad for her). And I was too lazy to go back to Brooklyn, so I went over to TKTS to see if there was a discount for 9 to 5, which closed yesterday. I had heard that I needed to see it, and I LOVE Allsion Janney, who was in it. It was at 50% on TKTS, which is the best discount they have, so I got a center orchestra ticket for the matinee.
It was cute. I didn't love it, and I didn't love the music, but it was cute and fun. The three leads were all brilliant, and given that it was their third to last performance, their energy was insane. I'm glad I got to see Allison Janney in a Tony nominated role. Who knows when she'll do Broadway again?

So then I went to the stage door, since I love Allison Janney (the mom in Juno, in case no one knows who I'm talking about). Then I remembered that she understandably doesn't come out after matinees on two show days. But Stephanie J. Block, one of the other leads came out, and I'm glad she did. I've heard that she's a major bitch/diva at the stage door, but she was really sweet and came out right away and talked and took pictures with everyone.

I was on edge all day about who my Billy was going to be. I knew I wouldn't have Kiril, because he was on at the matinee. So I was wandering around the theater between shows to see if they had put up the "At This Performance" board yet, and they hadn't. So then I walked right past Trent Kowalik, one of the other Billys and the one I was hoping to see, so I thought "oh, maybe Trent is on tonight." But he had his backpack and was walking away from the theater on his cell phone, so that wasn't encouraging. Then I walked down a block, and stage door for Billy Elliot was still going on, and I saw Tommy Batchelor, another Billy, lingering with David Alvarez, the other Billy. So then I was just confused. And I almost got in a fight with this girl, because Kiril was walking away from the stage door, clearly with his mother or aunt or guardian or something, and I was just walking down the sidewalk minding my own business, when this girl yells at me to get out of her picture. And I realize she's taking a picture of Kiril as he walked away. First of all, you can't clear a sidewalk in Times Square on a summer weekend during the matinee/evening show break, because it's crowded, just to take a picture. Second of all, I don't support the picture you're taking. Take pictures of actors all you want at the stage door when they're signing autographs and you know, posing for pictures. Kiril at the end of the day is a normal kid, and he was clearly with a family member or something. Leave him the hell alone. Stage door ends where the barricades do. Once they move past there, you're done. And this is saying a lot coming from me, because I love Kiril Kulish and fangirl when I see him in public (we'll get to this later), and honestly, given our age difference, it might be a little creepy. So if I'm telling someone they're being too creepy, it's saying a lot. But I just rolled my eyes at her and kept walking.

After all of the "Who is my Billy?!" drama, Trent was on. I was so glad. He was number 2 on my list to see after Kiril (who I saw a few weeks ago), and he was splendid. I'm glad he was on. I think his acting was a little better than Kiril's, but Kiril's dancing literally makes me want to cry because he's so amazing. I really relate to Billy, and I relate just a little more to Kiril's Billy. He plays the role with a vulnerability and loneliness that I love. Trent was a little more cocky, in a way that works for Billy.
And my gamble paid off. David Bologna was on for Michael. I was so happy about that. I knew I wouldn't get a chance to go again before the 27th, his last day. What a cute kid. And he was SO nice at the stage door. I told him that I was very happy that I got to see him before he left because I was worried I wouldn't, and his reaction made my day. His face totally lit up, and he was like "oh, thank you so much!" I love him. Probably my favorite stage door encounter ever, minus J. Robert Spencer.

So, I went home, grabbed tea, a blanket, my yoga mat, and some homework, and changed my clothes. Then I went back to Manhattan, where I sat on the street all night for tickets to Kyle Dean Massey's last show in Next to Normal. I planned on sleeping, but "sleeping" turned into talking to Alison until 5:30 when she left (you can get two tickets per person, and we were planning on trading off, but she ended up staying for awhile), then watching the Billy Elliot movie on my iPod, then talking to the girl next to me until noon. So so much for sleep. I got the ticket, and went over and met up with my friend Michelle, who was in town with three of her friends from college (she goes to Villanova) to see a bunch of shows this weekend. I had seen her on the street the day before and talked to her for awhile, and I told her I'd help with West Side Story lottery. WSS has the most intense lottery policy, is one of the hot tickets right now, so lotto is crazy, and there's only 18 seats. Guess who won. That's right. I just won the hardest lotto (except maybe Wicked). Which means I'll never win lotto again. Ever. So that left them with two tickets, so I think they ended up getting two standing room tickets and switching at intermission.

Then I went back to Brooklyn, had some food, talked to Emily for awhile, showered, and went back to Manhattan to get dinner at the Film Center Cafe with Alison. And we're debating Billy Elliot actors, and guess who walks in. Alison was facing the door and she goes "speak of the devil." That's right. Kiril Kulish. And of course he's sitting directly in my line of vision, and I'm trying so hard not to be creepy. I hope it worked.

Then I saw Next to Normal for the fifty millionth time, but it was the first time I was at a place at the barricades where I could get good pictures with everyone.

So there's Alice Ripley. She won the Tony for her perfomance, and she's absolutely brilliant.

And there's Adam Chanler-Berat. If he wasn't gay, we'd probably get married soon.

And this is Louis Hobson, who has the coolest shirt I've ever seen.

And my hero, J. Robert Spencer. I think he remembered me from last week, and he was totally rubbing my back while he talked to Alison. I wish he was my uncle or something. He's amazing. And then my camera managed to turn itself off while Alison was trying to get the picture, and I was trying to fix it, and he looks at me goes "tick tock, tick tock," and I apologized and he was like "you know I'm just joking with you." I love him.

Sigh. I'll miss this boy so much.

I'm going to Next to Normal again tonight to see Aaron Tveit's first show back. I'll miss Kyle but Aaron won awards for that role, and I'm looking forward to seeing him. Rumor has it that the show that Aaron was working on in Seattle during his summer-long hiatus (Catch Me If You Can: The Musical) is transferring to Broadway soonish, so I'm hoping that when Aaron leaves to do that (he has an opt-out clause in his contract in the event that Catch Me If You Can Transfers), they'll bring Kyle back.

That is, if the show is still open.