My only prior stage door experience was one of people pushing and shoving to catch a glimpse of Kevin Spacey after a matinee of The Iceman Cometh in 1999. While the performance was breathtaking and well worth the $100 ticket price, the experience out on the street left me feeling empty. That really isn't the kind of fan that I am or the type of encounter I would want. I could care less about an autograph or a picture. I would really rather have a moment to shake someone's hand and tell them how much I appreciate their work. With the artists whose work I most admire, what I'd REALLY love is the chance to sit down and have a cup of coffee with them, hear their stories and pick their brain about how and why it is that they do what they do, but I realize that's dreaming big. (i.e., Robert Cuccioli, Sarah McLachlan, Maya Angelou, Ryan Adams, Audrey Hepburn...okay, so I know that one is never going to happen.)
I've also never really been a fan club person before. Well, there's always the Kiss Army, but that is an all together different phenomenon. However, I decided to join the Robert Cuccioli Fan Club late last year, because his work has had a profound influence on me, and because he seems to genuinely appreciate the support of his fans. Joining the fan club led to me corresponding with the fan club president, Gay Dupre, from time to time...which leads me to the good part of this story.
My cousin and I took the train from Penn Station to Madison, NJ yesterday to see Amadeus at The Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, in which Mr. Cuccioli was starring as Salieri. In emailing with Gay Dupre, we discovered that we were both going to be attending the same performance. She approached me and my cousin during intermission, and we chatted for a bit. She told me that she didn't think Bob was going to come out between the matinee and evening performance that day, but that if we were ever at the same performance of a future production, she'd try to make sure I had a chance to meet him. I felt deflated, but as I watched the second act, I decided that after 13 years, I'd regret it for a really long time if I didn't take the chance and put myself out there. So, after the curtain call, I approached Gay. With my knees and hands shaking, I asked her if she wouldn't mind asking him if he would come out just for a moment or two. If he said "no", I would totally understand and respect that, but I couldn't leave that theater without at least asking.
So, I went downstairs with Gay and her husband. I waited in the hallway by the restrooms and a coat rack, while they went back stage. The longer I waited, the more optimistic I became. If he wasn't going to come out, Gay's husband, Alan, would have come out right away to tell me that, right? Finally, the backstage door opened, and there was Robert Cuccioli! He, Gay, and Alan came out into the hallway, and I had the opportunity to talk to him for a few minutes. I won't even go into all the things we chatted about, because that could be another long blog entry on it's own. (The next time you see me, just ask me about it.) I will say that it was a great experience for me. He was very gracious and down-to-earth and charming. He seemed genuinely humbled and appreciative when I told him how much his work inspires me. I will also share that I did tell him he was on my "Bucket List."
Those of you who know me well have heard about my Bucket List. There are the easy goals on my list, like visiting Graceland. There are the completely silly and dorky goals, like running up the Philadelphia museum steps like Rocky or running in the Sugardale Hot Dog Derby at a Cleveland Indians game. (I want to be Onion. She carries a purse.) Then, there are the big four.
4. I want to have a conversation with Maya Angelou. (During some of my lowest moments, the poem "Phenomenal Woman" has lifted me up.)
3. I want to sing with Sarah McLachlan. (Like Maya Angelou, her music has seen me through some difficult times...and her concerts are almost like religious experiences for me.)
2. More than any other actor or actress out there, I want to work with Robert Cuccioli. (See above.)
1. I want to kiss John Cusack! I have to experience it...just once before I meet my demise.
You know, on my train ride home yesterday, I pondered whether or not Robert Cuccioli might bump John Cusack out of the #1 crush spot. I thought about it for a minute. Jekyll & Hyde or Say Anything...Phantom, Jacques Brel, Guys & Dolls or Grosse Point Blank and High Fidelity..."This is the Moment" or "She gave me a pen. I gave her my heart, and she gave me a pen." John is still #1 as far as weak-in-the-knees celebrity crushes go, but I do adore Bob. I'd still rather work with him than anyone else on the planet, and I'd love to have that cup of coffee with him and pick his brain. (I know, I know...but where's the fun in life if you can't dream?)
I didn't have a camera to capture the moment yesterday. (See above.) However, I feel this story really deserves an image. So, I am going to leave you with a picture of one of my favorite Cleveland Indians, Victor Martinez. This face pretty much sums up how I felt when I left the theater yesterday. I think Victor has the best celebratory facial expressions in baseball! (I'm sad to see him on the disabled list and I wish him a speedy recovery. I want to see him play again when I come home from New York.) Enjoy!
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