Opening Night!

This past week Jürgen opened the highly anticipated Chicago Shakespeare production Amadeus. The production values were wonderful and showcased some spectacular performances. Even better, Chicago Shakes knows how to throw a nice opening night party. Here are some photo highlights:
What do we think of the Jurg with long hair? Should he grow it for the wedding?
The Blurg!
Roni and Jurgen, pouting, for no reason. After all there was free champagne!

Some cast members: Phillip (aka Venticelli), Robbie (aka Salleri, aka Brilliant), Kari (aka Opera Singer), Mackenze (aka Saucy Maid)

HERstory

March 11th 2007: I love to go to the theatre. I love to go see good theatre. I love to see good theatre that I do not have to pay for. Well it was my lucky day because one of my favorite stage mangers of all time, Alden, gave me two comp tickets to a preview performance of Rabbit Hole at the Goodman Theatre. My good friend Jenn was to be my date for the evening as she too shares my desire to see good theatre for free. It is important to note that I do pay to see theatre quite often as well and I think we all should be patrons of the arts by attending and paying to see it. I just appreciate a good comp ticket more than you will ever know. That is not the point. The point is that halfway through the first act I was taken by the performance of a young, dark haired actor who I had never met or seen onstage before. It must also be noted that I am a wildly popular individual. That statement is debatable. Regardless, at intermission I turned to Jenn and said, "who is he? He is fantastic." I enjoyed the second act as much if not more than the first and was incredibly moved by the entire production. I could not imagine leaving before I had a chance to profusely thank Alden for his generosity. While I waited for him to emerge from the underground of the Goodman, Jenn informed me that she needed to get some water. Alden found me, I thanked him profusely and I proceeded to wait patiently for Jenn to return victorious from her water seeking mission. This mission must have been fraught with peril because it took quite some time. I stood by the lobby door, taking in the theatergoers, and probably twirling my hair (which I had spent many hours straightening that afternoon on a whim) when lo and behold the talented dark haired actor walked out of the stage door. Thus began the internal conflict which goes something like this:

"Should I say something?" (beat) "No that would be annoying." (beat) "But don't you love an appreciate it when people take the time to tell you how incredibly gifted an amazing you are?" "OF COURSE!" "Okay I am going to say something."

I approached ever so graciously and said "Hi I just wanted to say you did a wonderful job." No sooner had the words left my mouth than his friend passed him a cell phone. I quickly ducked to leave but he implored me to stay and "hold on just one minute." Let it be known this waiting period lasted longer than a minute. What was I to do? I turned to his friend, Kareem, who I had seen in a show just a week before. A show I actually paid for by the way. I proceeded to laud him with praise, as he too is a very talented actor. After playing the six-degrees of separation theatre game with Kareem, who I did not know, I turned to Jürgen and quietly said, "don't want to bother you, great job…" Jenn had now returned from her quest and it was time to leave. Well he quickly got off the phone, we properly introduced ourselves and I told him how much I enjoyed the show. He then invited me to see him in a production of Huck Finn he was doing during the day. As I am not one to turn down a free ticket I accepted, only to discover it was closing week and I already had plans to go to NYC. "Well, I'm sure there will be many more Huck Finn's" he said (there may have been a tear in his eye, I am not sure) and I said goodbye.

Ten days later I was packing to leave on a trip to Germany when I came across one of the reviews for Rabbit Hole. It spoke favorably about the entire production and in particular Jürgen's performance. I began to wonder how I might be able to congratulate him on his well-earned critical praise. Might he be on facebook? I did a quick search and there he was. I penned an eloquent, charming and downright delightful message, pressed "send" and was off to the airport.

By the time weathered the eight-hour plane ride a new message had appeared in my inbox, which began our two-week pen-pal stint as I gallivanted throughout Germany. On my final day I received a message asking if I would be interested in seeing a show with him (at the Goodman of all places) the night I got back. I decided it would be a good excuse to fight my nagging jet lag and accepted his offer. I got in late, fought through customs, dropped off my suitcases, attempted to deal with my curly hair, and met him at the theatre yet again. After the show we grabbed a late dinner and despite my nagging headache and now having been awake for more than twenty-four hours I managed to have a great time.

One can never imagine how two free tickets can change one's life, but there you go.

A series of folks should be thanked for this meeting: First Adam Belcuore for even thinking to call either of us in for an audition. Bill Brown and Steve Scott for deciding to cast us in their productions which led to us both working with Alden. Of course Alden for giving me the tickets and Jenn Rhoads for her inability to return quickly from simple water fountain trip. It takes a village.

HIStory: Sunday, March 11, 2007

Would you take your kids to see this play?

We'd just finished the second day of previews for Rabbit Hole at the Goodman - having only run the show through once properly just the evening prior - where I played a teen who'd mowed down a four-year-old with his car (family piece...rated G), and I was coming into the lobby to meet up with my friend Kareem who had come to see me that night, presumably with our friend Konstantin. Konstantin never showed and after handshakes and such, Kareem handed me the phone with Konstantin on the other line for apologies and to set up another time for him to come and see the show.

Literally had just put the phone up to my ear when this lady in a beige canvas hat (long, straight hair at the time) sidles up next to us and says, "Hey, I'm sorry to interrupt. I know you're on the phone but I just wanted you to know I think you did a great job."

The attraction must've been instant, because I don't remember doing a whole lot other than trying to get off the phone for the next minute. I gave her the single-finger-hold-on-a-minute salute and tried to tell Konstantin not to worry and we'd get him another ticket for the following week. She seemed seconds away from leaving (I gleaned this from her waiting dance as she shifted weight back and forth between her feet) so I think I abruptly ended the call with something like an "Okaygottagobye."

We talked for a minute and being the...suave?...shamless self-promoter?...oddity that I am, I invited her to come see me in Huck Finn which I was also doing during the daytimes for just one more week. She accepted, provided I could wait a week. I couldn't. She was off to New York and the show would close that coming weekend. So, my plans to have us meet up again failed me...for the last time (foreboding?).

Oh, supposedly during this conversation I met her playgoing companion, Jen. Don't. Remember. This. At. All. Many apologies, Jen. Though your hunt for a water fountain and subsequent weak bladder may have been responsible for bringing us together I couldn't've placed you there that first night if I tried. Kinda cute...kind of a jerk...I guess I only had eyes for Blair, and it's all turned out well as I've met Jen many times since then.

After a brief encounter (a very fine film, consequently) we parted ways without exchanging phone numbers or anything other than a, "Good job, again," and "Thanks."

Almost two weeks later I was checking my emails and such in the bowels of the Goodman at our stage manager's computer when I found a message from Blair via facebook. And it's Blair that I can thank for allowing facebook to become an important part of my social networking life, because before that message I really didn't use the thing at all. Little did she know I'd been searching for her on myspace for the past week or so, but didn't contact her. Nobody wants to seem like a stalker.

What followed was a little over two weeks, including her ten-day stint in Germany (and don't think I didn't try to work the old "I was born there," charm on her) of hint-dropping and trap-baiting to gauge whether or not she had any interest in me. We made great pen pals.

Of course, being the considerate gent that I am, I arranged for our first date to be the night she got back...off of an eight-hour plane ride...into a cab...only to walk around the street trying to find out where Mackenzie parked her car...to drive down to the Goodman to find parking. Kinda cute...kind of a jerk. Theme? Tush.

And yes, being the goons that we are our first date was at the Goodman, which was also where I popped the question (more on that later). After a thoroughly unmemorable play we went over to the Elephant & Castle for food and drink and I finally let her go home to bed sometime after 1pm.

To make an already too long story shorter, I will say that, save a month here and a few days there, we've spent every single day of the last year and month together and she still hasn't gotten bored with me. Lord knows why.

And that's how a simple story of vehicular manslaughter helped build a happy relationship.

"Well, ma'am...truth is...the first time I hit the kid was an accident...after that..."