ONSTAGE & BACKSTAGE: Opening Night
By Seth Rudetsky
15 Oct 2007
Stephen got the idea to do Wicked because he was in Hawaii with John Buchinno, who was playing a Womyn's Music Festival. They were in a boat and Holly Near was describing a book she was reading by Gregory Maguire, which happened to be "Wicked." Stephen immediately thought that it was "so him" and asked his lawyers to get the rights. It took a year, but they were finally his, but the show never got the rights from "The Wizard of Oz" movie. That's why they can only mention things in the original "Oz" books, but not the movie. They couldn't say "Toto," so one day Kristin improvised "Dodo," and they kept it. They also can't say "ruby slippers," so it's become the tripping-off-the-tongue "jeweled shoes." Stephen did put some Harold Arlen tips of the hat in the score. The "Unlimited…my future is unlimited" motif that Elphaba sings is actually the same notes in "Somewhere over the Rainbow." Sing it and you'll see...it's so cool!
He's always been completely obsessed with Irving Berlin's signature two-songs-that-sound-different-but-actually-go-together ("I hear singing and there's no one there" vs. "You don't need analyzing"). That's why he's put one of those type songs in most of his shows: "All for the Best," "Two's Company" and, I didn't realize 'til he told me, "Loathing." The verse "What is this feeling, so sudden and new" goes with "Loathing…unadulterated loathing." He said the trick is to make them sound like they would never go together. Bravo!
All right, let's discuss opening night. In case you're wondering if the hype lives up to it, let me tell you that it does! It was literally like my birthday. I had a million cards all over my dressing table: from the cast, creative staff, friends, etc. Tons of flowers, candy and some incredible gifts. My two favorites were: Andrea Burns, who covers Rosie Perez, took a picture of me backstage in my full seventies costume. She literally blew it up and put it in an engraved frame that said, "Congratulations, Seth! Broadway debut, October 11th, 2007!" It's such an amazing present! Also, remember when I said that I told Jeffrey Thomas about my favorite episode of the TV show "Fame"? It's the one where the secret service guy tells Carol Mayo Jenkins that the President isn't coming to the show and she "doesn't know what to say." And then she replies with a raised eyebrow: "There's only one thing to say…Places, everybody. Places" Jeffrey literally tracked her down and got her to send an 8x10 signed with "There's only one thing to say…Places, everybody. Places"! I went into shock!
The ironic part about the performance is that it was the one night where there weren't critics (they all come before opening), but it was the only show where I was really nervous! Who cares about critics when all of the Broadway elite is in the audience? Jon Robin Baitz, Nathan Lane, Kathleen Marshall, Walter Bobbie, Marian Seldes, Raul Esparza, Michael Mayer, Jessica Stone, Rob Ashford, Dick Scanlon, Harriet Harris, etc. And, to boot, my big feature in Act Two is me singing an earnest "Magic to Do" … and Stephen Schwartz was there! I was having a panic attack before I went on but did my JackPlotnick.com affirmation ("I release my need to impress") and had a great time. Stephen gave us the rights to the song if he could get tix to opening, but when he saw me at the cast party, he said he was taking back the rights. He, thankfully, was joking, and my unitard-clad moment lives on eight shows a week!
The one sad part is that the weather prevented my mom and sister from coming. They live on Long Island, and the trains stopped working because of the rain and the tornado watch! My mom was so sad she was missing it, but she had seen the show already, so essentially all she was missing was hanging out with a ton of Broadway celebrities and an amazing party. In other words, her sadness was valid.
The cast party was at Planet Hollywood, which was fabulous looking but gave everybody vocal damage from trying to talk above the music. I needed one of those hearing-assist things they give out at the show so I could have actually heard what was being said to me. Am I turning into Irene Ryan?
I saw some reviews, and the only one that sent me spiraling was one that said the bathhouse patrons were a mix of boys with washboard abs and trolls in towels. Okay, people. I don't have washboard abs, so by process of elimination, I'm devastated.
Okay, don't forget the Chatterbox is on Manhattan Neighborhood Network channel 56 this Tuesday at 12:30 PM, and this week is Jonathan Groff and John Gallgher Jr. from Spring Awakening, or as my mom calls it, Springs Awakening. And Oct. 15 I'm doing Celebrity Autobiography at the Zipper Theater with most of the cast of Xanadu, and I'm reading the Star Jones book again! And then, Tuesday, back to The Ritz! Can't wait to slink into that unitard again!
(Seth Rudetsky is the host of "Seth's Big Fat Broadway" on SIRIUS Satellite Radio and the author of "The Q Guide to Broadway." He has played piano in the orchestras of 15 Broadway musicals, and he can be contacted by visiting www.sethsbroadwaychatterbox.com. His first novel is titled "Broadway Nights.")
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"This is me and Joe doing our 'age-defying photo,'" says Rudetsky. "His hand is masking his neck, and I'm giving myself a facelift. Note a professional Rosie in the background."
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