There was a carjacking a block from my house last night. I wasn’t home at the time, so yay there.

Today there was texting to arrange how to handle carpool for tomorrow. The agreement was for everyone to meet in theatertown around 5, after the local salmon festival was over. There was discussion of where to go for dinner that was fine for dairy, etc. allergies and it was decided that Habit Burger would be fine. Yes, we shall be the fanciest dressers at ye olde Habit Burger.

I went to see Gypsy by myself tonight. They did have props and costumes, but the main issue was that they were tucked into...some other room in the church, NOT the chapel, which was (a) narrow, (b) had no space for gradated seating so I was stuck behind everyone else who’s tall and couldn’t see very well, and (c) by the time I got there I was stuck in the middle back, right next to the band. So I couldn’t hear the singing very well over the band. During intermission the guy in front of me (who I guess is one of their theater people) was asked by a guy in band how the sound was and he was all, oh, it’s fine. I said I couldn’t hear the singing very well and the band guy was all, “oh, yeah, because you’re sitting here.” Seriously, they either needed mikes on the cast or to have them lower the sound a bit. Added bonus is that I found out the actress playing Rose was getting laryngitis so the lady couldn’t physically belt louder over the band.

Apparently on Fridays they are stuck in that room but will have the chapel on Saturdays and Sundays this month. I may try to come back later (if I have the time, which I probably don’t except maybe on the 16th...) just so I can physically see the show.

I knew next to nothing about the plot of this beyond bare details and what Yemi said to me at lunch. It’s about a total stage mom (Rose) making her daughters Louise and June be in vaudeville. June is the cute blonde one with ringlets, so she’s the “star” while Louise has to play boys, a cow, etc. Louise is accepting of her lot and that she’s the one with no talent, while June fumes as they get older and yet the act stays the same. Eventually June gets fed up, elopes and runs off, leaving Rose to decide to turn Louise into her new star. Louise doesn’t really pull off copying June, but when the only place they can get booked at is a burlesque theater because vaudeville is dead, Rose hops on turning Louise into a burlesque stripper, causing her long suffering fiance/agent Herbie to get fed up and rip up the marriage certificate. Turns out that Louise somehow manages to be a stripper who doesn’t do a whole lot of stripping, but does do charming jokes and snark about it, becomes a hit, and gets fed up with her mother.

It’s pretty clear that Rose wanted to be a star except she was too old. The 11 o’clock number is her deciding it’s going to be her turn...which I guess would have made an interesting very fictional sequel if that had gone on. I have decided that back when we were discussing roles we’d like to play, I’d like to play Louise. I’m not a brunette, but I could play a talentless nerd who becomes a snarky sorta stripper that nobody actually sees naked. It’s fun watching Louise finally evolve towards the end of the show.

Heidi is playing one of the burlesque strippers with a gimmick, Electra, who has a light up costume (that sadly had a wardrobe malfunction and did not light up that night). She has a cameo at the start as a stage mom and otherwise is just in one scene and song and has the least to do of the three strippers. I went up to talk to Heidi afterwards and she was surprised and thrilled to see me. I felt so bad when she asked if anyone else came and I couldn’t really explain why they didn’t, though she did say “I didn’t announce it or post it or anything” and she forgot that I knew from Laurel’s party, which she ahem, doesn’t remember much of (she said she’s fine though). We talked about how our current parts consist of one line and one song, so that’s ironic! And also that everything is so fucking crazy out there right now and you never know what’s going to happen (theater breaks, costume breaks, bad weather, etc). She also has a heart on her ass in that costume, which is funny. I said I’d try to get others to come, but who knows there. I kind of wish I hadn’t promised that, I’m not even sure if I’m going to tell them I went without them even though I said I was likely to. Oh, who knows.

I got 5 synchronicities today, which is a record. I think the universe is being all “hang in there!” and part of me wants to, while the other half wants to be all “fuck this, I’m out” and sing “There’s a fine, fine line between love and a waste of your time” from Avenue Q. Another fortune cookie promising a romantic evening (nope!), ripped playing card of the 2 of Hearts, an angel mention, a heart sticker, and the heart on Heidi’s ass on her costume.

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