Sunday, October 21, 2018

Cheers for "Yesterday"

Back from the final performance of Born Yesterday at Ford's Theatre. There's not much I love more than being in an audience full of people loving the people on the stage.

I admit I led the applause when Edward Gero (as Harry Brock) and Kimberly Gilbert (as Billie Dawn) made their entrance, and happily several others in the audience joined in when they realized these were the principals. I applauded because Gero and Gilbert are theatrical royalty around here, and in these roles they showed why.

I didn't need to lead the applause once Gilbert wiggled and jiggled through the first act as the former chorus girl enjoying the perks of being a rich mug's mistress. Honestly, how could she possibly have done that chorus kick up the staircase, all oop-oop-di-dooping to the tune of "Anything Goes"? Applause, applause!

The education and revelation of her Billie also brought on the applause with the single word of singular insight, "Cartel!"

There's often more energy on stage on the final performance, even though it's the Sunday matinee my Edward Duke once bemoaned. Or maybe it's the magic of Ford's that pulls us up out of our seats on a Sunday afternoon. That's where and when it all started for me.

Love,
hosaa
Sunday matineeing