Whew.  I’m back (at least, for now, because you know how I tend to disappear periodically). 

It’s been a week since The Wedding Singer (The Musical) closed, and I’m still recovering.  Doing a show at 70 is a whole lot different than doing a show at say, 50 or 60 or even 69 (heh-heh).  I about wore my fat old lady ass out. 

Was it worth it?

Hell yeah.

I haven’t performed at Pit & Balcony in 50 some years, and they are still a great group.  There wasn’t an asshole in the bunch, cast, staff, or crew.  The show is fun, the music is even more fun, and my role (Grandma Rosie) is, imho, the best one in the show.  Got to love a role where you have two songs, one in Act I and one in Act II, and they are both, in their own (very different) way, showstoppers.  Add to that, Rosie is a whole lot like me – or maybe, I just take every role and turn the person into me.  Whatever, as long as the audience enjoys.

Downside to the show.  Dancing.  More than just “moving”.  A lot more than just moving.  Fuck me.  I am not a dancer.  I am 70 and fat. As I repeatedly told the choreographer, “I do not ‘catch air’.” Nor, can I “take a knee”. I used to tell people I can learn anything, given enough time; but I don’t think that is true anymore.  My punkin’ head and my body are no longer on reliable speaking terms.  My head is saying “do this” and my body is saying “fuck you”.  But we had a small cast and every warm body (as fat and old as it might be) was needed in the group numbers.  I kept to the back of the stage and behind real dancers as much as possible.  I kept offering to not be in these dance numbers, and my offers kept being politely but firmly refused. 

Second downside, Pit & Balcony still has its dressing rooms downstairs.  Down some very steep cement stairs, and I had 8 costume changes.  When I finished the show, my knees were both very unhappy with me.  After a few days wearing lidocaine patches; my left knee decided it would survive.  My right knee has yet to get totally with the program, but today, for the first time, there seems to be some hope of avoiding getting a cortisone shot in order to get back to pre-show mobility. 

Third downside.  My own health conditions – being on big doses of prednisone, which masked the knee problems until I did some real  damage.  My face has swollen up like a poisoned pig.  And my glucose numbers are all over the map (going over 300 in the afternoons, and down below 50 in the morning) every fucking day.  All to no purpose too – because the prednisone did not stabilize (or even raise much) my platelet count, so I’m being weaned off of it even as I type.  Of course, being the vain creature that I am, I mostly just want my face back, thank you very much.

Yesterday, I finished the after-show laundry and I have (mostly) put away all the wigs, shoes, accessories; and my trunk has been emptied of all the detritus which accumulates during a show.  So I can put closed to the show and add it to my resume. 

Oh, and after doing my weekly grocery shopping, headed (limping) to my car; this lady comes across the parking lot shouting, “Excuse me, excuse me. Oh my God, I am so happy to see you.”  (I am clueless, but then I am pretty much useless at remembering people.)  Turns out she saw the show and she and her daughter just loved me in it, and she hopes I’ll be doing more shows, etc.

Yup.  I’m back.