We’ve just returned from our 2 week adventure in London where I was working and Besh and Sara got to explore the city. Many tales to tell over the next few weeks, but there was no doubt that this would be the first and best blog post of them all.
It has to do with Hairspray. I believe I’ve mentioned a few times (like here and here and here) about how much Besh loves the musical version of Hairspray. It started with the movie, but then last December he got to see the Broadway show with Nonni and Zeyda so he’s been a serious fan ever since.
So it was no surprise that within an hour of arriving in London Besh came across a poster for the West End Hairspray show. His eyes got so big they nearly swallowed his face and we knew it was just a question of when he saw it, not if.
When came late the second week. We misread the Time Out and thought there was a Wednesday matinee. Sara and Besh went to the theater to buy day tickets (almost all London shows sell 25 pound front row tickets the day of the show–perfect for a toddler who can handle theater but needs their own seat), but there was no matinee that day. Besh was devastated, so they got tickets for that night and I joined them.
Besh was thrilled at the show, and it was a blast to see the joy in his eyes. Truth be told, it’s a pretty good production of an otherwise camp show. The latest star to be Tracy Turnblatt, Chloe Hart, has an amazing voice–enough so that after the first number Sara and I were both impressed. Besh, of course, was in love.
He watched the entire show without a peep, except to cheer loudly at the end of all the songs. During the intermission, while he and I got wine gums at the bar (a great British candy which, let me make a point for my reading audience, is NOT AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF LONDON and that’s why Besh doesn’t have them every day, okay?), he wanted to wave at Tracy. Sara and I said at the end of the show I would lift him up during the curtain call and he could wave. He was thrilled.
End of the show comes, I lift him up while everyone in the theater is dancing to the final song, Besh is waving like crazy. Although we’re up front, Tracy’s eyes are off in the crowd, so no wave back. Besh is sad, but he understands there were a lot of people in the audience and he still had a great time. We bought him a “Tracy magazine” (the large program they sell) and he spends an extra hour at home staring at each picture.
The next night is our last night in London. I ask if Besh wants to go see what he called “the Witch show” and everyone else calls “Wicked.” I suggest it, I tell him, because the first act is okay and has a really good song at the end, but the rest of the show is bad–so we can leave at intermission, come home, and get a good night’s sleep before the plane home. Besh’s response was to the point.
Besh: “No. I want to go to the Tracy show. I want to go to the first act, then stay at intermission and see the second act. And I want to wave to Tracy.”
There was no convincing him otherwise, so Sara called and yes, they had three day tickets left together. I rush off to the theater and get them–they’re the same front row we were in the night before but all the way off to the side (just a few seats from the previous night, not a big deal). Doesn’t matter–we’ve seen the show. So off we go.
After having a horrible cab driver who drove down Oxford Street to the theater (busiest road at that time of night, despite an infinite number of alternatives) we just made it before the show opened. We told Besh he couldn’t wave until the end, which made the people sitting behind us a bit nervous (to be fair, if someone brought a three-year-old to a West End show and sat in front of us, we’d be nervous too).
Besh still clapped just as loud, cheered even louder, and almost never tried to wave at Tracy the entire first act. The people behind us became Besher fans, laughing when he laughed and cheered at the shows.
Then intermission came and Besh and I went back to the bar to get wine gums. Strangest thing–the cashier recognized us.
Me: “Two waters and two wine gums, please.”
Cashier: “Weren’t you here last night?”
“Yeah. He insisted we come back.”
“Aw, too sweet!”
So that was cool, I thought. We go back to the seats, and the second act starts. Besh has just as much fun as before, and then the big finish comes and the magic really starts.
Before the curtain call, but during the big dance number, Tracy is dancing right in front of us. And there’s no denying it, she looks right down at Besh and smiles. Sara and I are over the moon, but we’re not sure Besh saw it. So as soon as the bows are over, we stand and I’m holding him and he’s waving like crazy, but no wave back.
But then they launch into the final reprise of the song and two of the chorus dancers are right in front of us and there’s no denying they’re smiling and singing to Besh. He probably notices, but all eyes are on Tracy. So much so that he and I totally missed Brian Conley, a well known British comic who’s currently playing Tracy’s mom, point out Besh to Sara and mouth “He’s so cute!” and give her the thumbs up. So Sara’s over the moon about the show but Besh is still pumping his arms like a seagull on PCP to get Tracy to wave back. She does her traditional wave to the entire audience and then…
Nothing. She runs off stage like before. But Sara and I are so quick to point out how she had smiled at Besh earlier that he’s still happy. Besh and I walk out (well, I walk, he’s dancing and singing) while the people behind us talk to Sara about how amazing Besh was at the show.
We get outside and Sara asks the theater crew if the cast comes out for autographs. They do at a side door, so we figure what the heck and go back and wait. Only a dozen people or so are waiting, and even though it’s late we know it’s our last night, so we wait.
Various chorus members come out and leave. Besh doesn’t notice. Then the understudy for Seaweed comes out (he’s had the role both nights we saw it and was good). Besh was shy, but wanted to say hi. But the actor zipped away after signing a program and I didn’t get in the way. Besh was sad and I should have said something, but we’re waiting for Tracy and press on.
After a while the door opens and out walks Brian Conley. Everyone swarms him, people are taking pictures and getting autographs. I ask Besh if he wants to say hi after explaining that he was Tracy’s mommy. He understood, but wasn’t sure he wanted to say hi.
Then the coolest thing ever happened. Brian Conley came over to us. He recognized Besh from both nights and wanted to say hi. We spoke for a bit, especially about a particular scene in the show which is one of the funniest moments I’ve seen in musical theater (he said since we came twice we now knew how it worked but we both were impressed how they pulled it off) and it was just a great moment. Great that someone like that came over to us and chatted for a while. He had to leave, but was positive Chloe (Tracy) would be out soon.
Aglow from that event, we wait a few more minutes and out she comes. Besh is at first surprised (because she isn’t in costume), but then he’s in toddler heaven.
Chloe (Tracy): “Well, hello there!”
Besh: “Hi!”
“I saw you in the front row of the show!”
Besh, too shocked for words, is speechless.
Chloe/Tracy: “And where are you from?”
“Austin!” {Chloe/Tracy doesn’t react} “It’s in Texas!” Everyone waiting laughs.
“Well, do you have a camera or a program?” We don’t, because we weren’t expecting to do this.
“Well, no, but I really liked the show.”
“Thanks!”
She stays by Besh but turns to sign various programs being held out for her. And then another cool thing happens. Brian Conley comes back behind Chloe, taps her on the shoulder and whispers how Besh was there the last two nights. Chloe turns back to Besh with a big grin.
Chloe/Tracy: “Well how about a hug then?”
She scoops Besh up and gives him a big hug. Besh just about blows a gasket and has the biggest grin I’ve ever seen. She puts him down and we thank her and Brian and jump in the nearest cab before Besh comes to his senses.
It took a while to get Besh to sleep that night, but hopefully this is a moment he’ll always remember. We always will, and we’ll forever be grateful to the amazing cast and crew of London’s Hairspray.
