Why not celebrate one month before my birthday with some musical theater?
I had a pretty swell October this year and seeing this show pretty much kicked it off.
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| Obligatory Playbill photo lol |
Pretty Woman: The Musical, based on the classic 1990 film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, began its United States tour this month and my mother and I were lucky enough to experience it live. The State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick was actually its second stop of the tour, so it has a long treck ahead. Looks like my review of this will actually come out way before the tour finishes, unlike that other one! 😛
This actually isn't one of my most analytical essays believe it or not but it is kinda lengthy because...well, stay tuned for some storytime.
The musical stars Jersey native Ellie Baker as prostitute Vivian Ward and Chase Wolfe as businessman Edward Lewis who hires Ward to be his escort for the week and eventually falls in love with her.
(My dad, a freelance writer, recently interviewed Baker for the NJ Starz column for My Life Publications! The article comes out next month!)
Something refreshing about this story is that there is never any doubt that Edward loves Vivian. In a lot of love stories like this, with a straight edge character like Edward and a free spirit character like Vivian, it takes a while for the straight edge character to warm up to the free spirit character, usually finding the free spirit a nuisance or finding it difficult to let loose himself. While there are some elements of this, Edward is enamored with Vivian right away. His first song, the third song of the entire musical, is called "Something About Her" in which he describes how drawn he is to her right after meeting her. Throughout the show he finds her amusing and is never really annoyed with her, as one might expect instead from a wealthy businessman with a lot on the line. It's really cute.
Edward has some of the best, most beautiful songs in the show, "Freedom" being my favorite. Wolfe's voice is perfectly utilized in this. His is one of my favorite voices in the entire cast and I really want to hear him sing again. I'm looking forward to any music he may release in the future.
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| Mom and I even talked and took a photo with him after the show. Nice guy! 🙂 |
My other favorite voice in the show belongs to Rae Davenport, who plays Vivian's best friend Kit De Luca. The notes she hits in this are phenomenal, and I complimented her about this after the show. For example, she visits Vivian in Edward's penthouse suite and upon seeing Vivian living the good life, exclaims "Oh my God." But the way she sings (Yes, sings. Actually, belts.) this very simple line is what makes the scene. In fact, I came across an interview of her talking about this very scene where she says that it is her favorite. She "hints that the audience really enjoys the moment."
Yes. Yes we did. lol My crowd, including myself, erupted into applause afterwards.
Interestingly, I found that I connected more to Kit than I did to Vivian in a way. Although Vivian is labeled as the studious one of the two, having gotten good grades and completed 11th grade before her hooker career began and wishing to go back to school, which is similar to me being a studious person myself, I found that Kit's arch aligns more to my current life situation. With Vivan's life improving, Kit begins to seek changes for her own life. "Change" is a huge theme of my life right now that I am trying to accomplish. Not only this, but because I am unfamiliar with what happens in the movie, I was wondering if Kit was going to get her own love interest, but she doesn't. Being a fellow singleton, I like that she does her own thing too.
One of my favorite songs of the musical centers on Kit and is called "Never Give Up on a Dream." This is performed by Kit, Happy Man, played by Adam Du Plessis, and the ensemble. Kit is struggling with her own dreams and doubting that she deserves to have them or can ever achieve them, and Happy Man and the ensemble convince her that she has the wrong mindset. It rocks, it's groovy, much like the rest of the numbers in the show, and incredibly inspirational.
Assuming that this doesn't happen in the movie, Pretty Woman: The Musical is portrayed as a modern adult take of a Cinderella fairytale, with Happy Man fulfilling the omniscient fairy godfather narrator role. It's a sweet love story with some humor and good music sprinkled in. You're going to have a nice time if you plan on seeing it. Just be warned that some elements may not be appropriate for children given the sexual themes. The sex scenes aren't too graphic, but they do indicate what will be happening next once the scene gradually ends. However, they're actually very beautiful scenes given the romantic relationship between Vivian and Edward and are presented as lovemaking and I appreciate that. This being said, there are no hardcore f***ing scenes in this either with Vivian or any of the other prostitutes, and I appreciate this too. I've seen shows in the past portray sex and sex workers in very raunchy and even uncomfortable manners, but here it's very family friendly. Regardless of the sex worker themes, it is still a very wholesome and heartwarming musical.
There was a review published on New Jersey Stage about the show, and the writer doesn't really praise the production much. She attended the 2 PM opening show the day before my show and her biggest complaint was that the audio wasn't up to par, among other things that didn't please her. However, what she says here is key that I would like to address: "I can only imagine the stark difference between the opening performance I witnessed in comparison to the closing show the next evening."
My mom and I attended this closing show that she mentions the following night and didn't face the issues that she describes. I just wanted to point this out from someone who did attend the final show if anyone was curious about how it went. Perhaps the issues were flukes caused by the first 2 day show of the tour, first show in that venue, etc. Things improved for it during the course of the weekend.
Pretty Woman: The Musical isn't too spectacular or groundbreaking, but it is an enjoyable production that provides comfort for a couple of hours. Its themes of "change" and "freedom" represent a lot of what I need in life, so it might just be the thing to kickstart something within me that has been laying dormant for awhile.
Okay...STORYTIME. Get comfy. Time for me to fangirl.
The show is great, the cast is great, the musicians are great, but the highlight of my night is actually what happened AFTER the show: I MET HANK SANTOS AND TARYN SMITHSON OF THE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR OF CATS!!! 😺
Yes, I am bringing this back to CATS. Yes, my obsession is still very much alive, but maybe not as severe lol. It's interesting because every time I see live musical theater now, I compare it to that performance and it just doesn't compare. CATS is just so unique and there is something so much more impressive about it. No other musical theater performance is like this.
Hank is the reason why I even know about the Pretty Woman tour. I didn't even know that it was a musical lol. If you refer back to my CATS analysis, you'll notice that I gush about Hank's performance as The Rum Tum Tugger and he was my favorite part of the entire show. God bless his energy! My whole attitude towards him ever since has been "I have to see him in something else the next time he is in Jersey! He is too good!" So after CATS ended, I patiently waited for him to announce his next project, and when he finally did and it had a New Jersey stop, I was so excited and was like "I am so there!" It was so cool to see him perform live on stage right in front of me again after loving him live as Tugger.
Taryn, who played Rumpleteazer in CATS, is who I actually saw first after the show when I was waiting by the stage door to say hi to Hank in person. I saw her walk passed me to meet up with Hank and wondered if I should introduce myself then but decided to wait for when they eventually walked out together. I was wondering if I was going to run into her or any other CATS alum that night, but figured that her presence was most likely. Hank and Taryn are dating now, and they are the cutest couple in person. They indicated that they were an item in May and June towards the end of the CATS tour and after through Instagram and TikTok, but nowadays they are way more official and transparent about it. I like the idea that I might be the first CATS National Tour 6 fan that has seen them as a couple in the wild. LOL Unless they were obvious to fans in person back then too, but I have no way of knowing that. But as they walked together they held each other and were such a sweet picture of young love that I couldn't help but grin. I felt a little bad about even approaching them because it was just the two of them by themselves together and I didn't want to interrupt their private romantic moment, you know what I mean? LOL
It's so cool to me that I like the both of them and because they are a couple now, I'm happy that I got to meet them as a package deal. Two for the price of one, you know? I bought tickets to see Hank perform again and ended up running into Taryn too. LOL
So I did approach them, and this is where the fun begins.
I guess I should admit that I was really nervous about talking to them. I wanted to keep my cool because they are normal people like me, and I did, but at the same time they were two of my favorite cast members of a show that really impacted me and lately I have been dealing with some anxiety, so like anyone I wanted to leave a decent impression. It's like admiring a celebrity through a screen, which was how I kept up with them on Tumblr and social media after my show, and then meeting them in person is actually pretty surreal. But with them it was way more comfortable too because they are not that much different from me, aside from what they are able to do onstage.
Unfortunately the conversations we had are somewhat of a blur to me and maybe even a little out of order in my memory because I was so stunned that I was meeting them and was trying to be in the moment at the same time. lol But I remember it all pretty well and will do my best to share the best moments here.
I walked up to them, thinking that I might as well just wing it and that this was my chance, while they were walking arm in arm and said something like, "I don't want to interrupt/bother you, but I just wanted to tell you, I loved you in CATS."
IMMEDIATELY, these two were ecstatic. Hank turned to Taryn and said about me, in both shock and thrill, "You saw me in CATS, so you came to THIS?!" He is an ensemble member in Pretty Woman, so he was honored that I took the opportunity to see the show for him.
Taryn asked me what my name is, which is weird because normally I introduce myself right away and was planning on this, so you just know how much I was inwardly fangirling because I forgot to do THIS. I told them my name, shook hands with them both, and they were thanking me and we were all just smiling at each other. I then asked if I could give them a hug and then we all enthusiastically had a group hug. When we were parting Hank goes, "Should we take some pics?" I actually really love that he brought this up before I did because OF COURSE I WANT A PHOTO WITH THEM! I was like "Sure!" and took my phone out. My mother took the above photo of us with Taryn actually wanting me in the center.
(While I gave my mom my phone to take the photo Hank also said to Taryn, "You want to take a photo, T-Bone?" or something like that and now I know that he has a cute nickname for her like this and now I'm melting just writing this.)
In my CATS blog post, I talked a lot about covers and swing and mentioned how some of the characters at my show might have possibly been played by other people based on what I read on Tumblr to cover all bases. One speculation that I came across was that Taryn wasn't Rumpleteazer at my show, so I decided to inquire about it. At first she misunderstood me, saying that yes she was in the tour too, but then I was like, "No, no. I mean my show." Taryn asked me when my show was and then when I told her she looked to Hank for help and he said that he thinks it was Gracie (Anderson, the tour's dance captain). I was like, "Yep! I think you're right!"
So there you have it. There's one CATS cast mystery solved. lol I'm impressed that they were able to remember their schedule like that so far back. I wasn't sure if they would.
(By the way, Hank isn't the only CATS US Tour 6 alum in the Pretty Woman US Tour. Elana Valastro, who I think actually played Tantomile in my show as what I believe is called a vacation swing because she is in my Playbill and the other girl who usually played the character is not, is now the dance captain for Pretty Woman! As you know, I am very impressed by dance captains, so kudos to her. Reagan Davidson played Tantomile throughout the rest of the tour.)
"I was there!" Hank said proudly. I was always glad about this, because early on I also wondered if it was possible that he didnt play The Rum Tum Tugger at my show and instead the role was covered by someone else, like Luke Bernier. I hoped that that my appreciation was going towards the correct person because sitting in the balcony I couldn't make out faces that well. I was pretty convinced that he was indeed in my show and I didn't hear or see anything that said otherwise. He even posed differently from his understudy, so this was part of the evidence that I gathered. Then I saw this AWESOME VIDEO that someone took from my show and it was officially proven to me! LOL
This was my moment. Him saying this actually reminded me of why I wanted to talk to him in the first place lol. I pointed at him and said, "You were my favorite part of that entire show!" He smiled, grabbed my hand to slap me five, and it was wonderful. LOL
When we were getting ready to part ways, I pulled out my second most important topic to discuss with them. In the days leading up to this show, I'll have you know that I was preparing what to say to them and I wish that I was able to chat with them even more than the decent amount of time that I did have with them lol. I really hope to one day be able to chat with them again further because as you can probably gather their careers fascinate me. But knowing that my time with them might be limited and I didn't want to keep them too long, I chose my favorite talking points. One of course was me getting to praise Hank face to face lol, but the next one was a bit more personal, and I'm kinda hyped about it.
"Before you guys go, I wanted to ask you something." I paused a little while having their eyes on me, because once again I was still in awe that they were willing to listen to me lol, and I feel a little rusty with my writing lately because it hasn't really been a very prominent part of my life lately so I wasn't sure how to word this in ways that I didn't get their hopes up.
"I'm somewhat of a playwright," I began. Then I looked right at them. "I would love to work with you one day."
That's right. I might be a theater fangirl, but I also came to NETWORK because I am a PROFESSIONAL too! Come to think of it, this was when I was getting less nervous, maybe because my journalist side was coming out.
I never really considered the cast of CATS to be potential performers in pieces that I write because I only really write straight plays (non-musicals) and I considered this cast musical theater people who would rather take on projects that require them to dance and sing as well.
However, my wheels started turning when Hank hosted his Instagram Takeover for CATS and answered this anonymous question:
His response here actually came as a surprise to me because I thought that he was primarily a dancer, but given that he has a degree in Acting this does make sense.
Plot twist: *I* was the one who asked him this question!
That's right! It was Stefanie all along! LOL! This was so cool because it was the first time that Hank "talked" to me. I also love that he chose this particular photo to respond to my question because it is one of my favorite production shots of him. What was cool about this too was that this was my very first Instagram sticker response too.
I'm not as active on Instagram much, though I have been getting more used to it, but I purposely created an account just to participate in these Instagram Takeovers towards the end of the tour since it looked like fun. I'm still kinda learning the app and I want to continue to lay low on it because social media has gotten so chaotic for me so I liked secretly entering a new social media platform anonymously with a clean slate. Maybe at some point I will post and connect more on there, but I'm not ready yet and may never will be.
I'd heard too that Instagram is a nice alternative to Twitter just in case something happens to that platform, which was another reason why I decided to join because I had been considering to do so for awhile but never did because I didn't have much use for it. I didn't want to start up on a new social media platform because I figured that I already had reached my limit and can always post media content on the other platforms that I was already on. So far though it has been nice on there. lol
Anyway, because he answered MY question in this way, particularly saying that he wants to find his way into more non-musicals in the future and this is what I write, I have been taking it as a direct response towards me. I said "Say no more!" and I have made it my mission to create a role for him and to write my plays more. It's like it gave me a new life purpose and reunited me with my playwriting roots.
What I didn't tell Hank and Taryn that night was that I already have roles for them. After seeing Hank's response, I began to see him as a character in something that I am working on and the more I see Taryn's personality, the more I realize that she is a real life manifestation of another one of my characters from the same play. So the characters are there. I just have to write the damn thing. lol
But that is on me. What I needed from them was more information about the business side of things and they kinda educated me. As I thought, I would have to reach out to their agent, which works because they both belong to the same agency now, thus making them a package deal once again lol. But then what happens is that the agent has to determine if the project is worth it for the clients, and this is where my confidence started to sink a little in the back of my mind. Hank brought up stage readings, which is probably what it would be with me because I am an upcoming playwright with new works, provided that my playscript would even get accepted.
But then my inferiority complex kicks in. They were in CATS...on tour...based on the Broadway revival. I'm sorry, but that is a big deal to me. Hank and Taryn were in such a major Broadway show on the road that it just feels like acting in a reading that a random amateur from New Jersey wrote is a step backward in their careers. Would this be worth their while?? How does any of this work??? But there I go again with poor self-talk and insecurities. Enough of that.
Taryn encouraged me to keep writing and Hank was all like, "I'd audition." They wanted to know if I followed them on their Instas and wanted me to stay updated with their socials and I told them that I would keep in touch. I said that it was nice to meet and talk to them in person and that they are a cute couple.
As they walked away, I called after Hank, "Have a great tour!" He was like, "Thanks! There is a lot more left!" I went to the bathroom and water fountain inside the theatre while they started talking to someone else in front of the theatre and by the time I came back out they were gone, so they didn't really stick around much longer after.
I freaking love these two. LOL XD They radiate so much positivity, joy, and new beginnings, especially Taryn. The interesting thing about my feelings toward her is that because she didn't perform in my show, I wouldn't think that I would feel as connected to her. But anytime I see her in action behind the scenes of the shows she does, I'm always thinking about how sweet she is and I feel like I have gotten to know her anyway. She is exactly the same in person. I kept feeling like I should talk about her more in my CATS post so I am glad that I got the chance to talk about her here in this one. :)
I want to believe that I made their night just as much as they made mine. Given that they didn't talk to anyone else by the stage door, I love that I was the one who was there for them. Given how they reacted when I mentioned CATS, that tells me that I am the first CATS on tour fan to see and acknowledge Hank in this show, and I'm honored if that is the case. Now that they know me and are on board with keeping in touch and possibly creatively collaborating with me in the future, I feel much more validated and motivated to write my plays again.
I have been pushing myself towards this one play that I have in mind and it is actually making sense to me. I have so many story ideas that I keep trying to work out but am constantly getting frustrated with their roadblocks that I encounter. But for this play, I actually have the entire thing outlined in my mind aside from a few plotholes that I need to work out, so it's like a sign that it needs to be written. This brings us full circle to Pretty Woman, the musical I saw. LOL Remember that?
In the "Never Give Up on a Dream" sequence with Kit, she asks "What's the point of having dreams if you know that they won't come true?" Happy Man replies that sometimes things may not go as we'd like them to, but instead we might get something even better than we ever dreamed of. That is so true and something that I often think about. This whole scene really hit home for me.
But what does this mean for me? Well, I tend to doubt myself sometimes too and feel like that my success as a playwright and creative writer is slim to none. There are SO many writers, many more talented than I am, inching to get through the door and I know that I can easily fall through the cracks. There are so many young white women writers too so then I think to myself, would people want to hear from another one of us like me? What makes me different? What makes me so special? Something that I love seeing about this is that it doesn't matter if I am another whatever, because no matter what the story is, they haven't heard it from ME and people are just excited for new stories anway.
But another thing is, what if the story I write isn't good enough? What if the story I write isn't considered important enough? And with the rise of AI, it makes me not even want to write anymore because actual writers are considered obsolete and the stuff we do write is being used to train AI to replace us. There seems to be no point for me as an individual and it leaves me feeling depressed and without purpose. What do I have if I don't have my writing? Why am I even here? Am I even a writer at all? After all this time, is there another field altogether that I belong in, not the writing one?
My mother would say, "There you go looking down on yourself again."
I wanted to write this blog post to not only get all/most of my thoughts on "paper" and to tell this story, but to also manifest. I want to leave this to God, put out to the universe, that this could work out. That I can finally write something and be happy with it, have other people like it and accept it into their lineups, have people actually want to see it, and maybe just maybe even cast Hank and Taryn in it. It just seems so far-fetched to me and that I would eventually have to accept, yeah it just wasn't meant to be.
But what if it is? What if the fact that I can't stop thinking about this play is an indication that it is something that my life is leading to? What if actually getting to talk to Hank and Taryn in person is a foreshadowing and step in the right direction? I didn't have to go to this show and was actually debating if I should due to personal circumstances. I could have just left after the show. I didn't have to stay by the stage door and propose the possibility of us working together, but I did, and it's not like I aimed and/or attempted to do it and missed them. It actually worked out that we had a conversation about this. Everything led to that moment.
I always pray to God to lead me onto the right path. Is this where He wants me to go?
Step One: I need to get a laptop. I haven't had my own since 2019 lol and have been using my parents' laptops and my phone to write. Though this is fine, it is also frustrating and doesn't feel right. This has kind of held me back in a way, so I keep feeling that getting one will give me the inspiration and push that I need.
But for now, Hank is on the road with Pretty Woman, Taryn will be touring with How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and I have to just write.
I just have to take it one Stef, er step, at a time.
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By the way, here's a random way to end this but...I'm dressing up as a cat for Halloween this year, inspired by my newfound appreciation for CATS The Musical and slightly based on Rum Tum Tugger's and Rumpleteazer's designs (although it's just a black cat with some white details really lol)! This is one of the things that I forgot to tell Hank and Taryn when I chatted with them! lol
I wanted to see what I would look like as a Jellicle Cat and create my own Jellicle Cat in a way lol. This is the first time I really incorporated detailed makeup for Halloween and between that, my nails, and the outfit, I am very pleased with how this look turned out! I even wore black cat socks that you can't see! lol
Happy Halloween and Happy October! This was actually a pretty nice month for me! 🙂🎃
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