Houston Texas
Volume 3 Book 4 (Epilogue) of
Living in the Bonus Round
(The Big Voice Chronicles)

Two Easter Rabbits.

[ Book 3-3 ] -- [ Pt 1 ] [ Pt 2 ] [ Pt 3 ] [ Pt 4 ] [ Pt 5 ]
[ Pt 6 ] [ Pt 7 ] [ Pt 8 ] [ Pt 9 ] [ Pt 10 ] [ Epilogue ] -- [ Book 3-5 ]

April 20-21, 2003.
Easter Epilogue.
 

At the Saturday matinee, there was a guy in the front row with the most amazing laugh. He wrote me later saying that he had to come back after having seen the show once several night earlier. On the night in question, Jimmy and I had reached the climax of The Big Voice leading into the song, "Scarecrow." It's a very tender moment. The lights are down. Jimmy is framed in silhouette and the spotlight is on me.

I reached down to start the song and there was NO SOUND FROM THE KEYBOARD. I glanded down at the keyboard and it was OFF. So I  surreptitiously reached around the back and flipped the on/off switch in case that was the problem. NOTHING.

Instead of panicking, I simply started singing the song a cappella. After finishing the first verse, I looked down and saw that the keyboard lights were on again, so I hit the "5 chord" of where I was supposed to be (so that, instead of sounding like I was off-key, it would sound like I was changing changing keys) and finished out the song. (Later, we discovered that the keyboard wasn't securely plugged in at my feet).

Anyway, this guy said he had come back to find out (among other things) whether the a cappella was intentional or not. (Curiously, the unaccompanied voice in that moment was quite affecting. A few nights later, I actually tried doing it a cappella to see if it would work as a dramatic device, but it didn't. I guess the tension of the moment was needed.)

Anyway, at the Saturday matinee, he handed Jimmy a bottle of Lourdes water. I wrote him, "You know, for a Baptist, Lourdes water is just tap water in a fancy bottle." (We refer to Lourdes and Lourdes water in The Big Voice).

But, not being one to take risks, in the dressing room before the show, I took one drop of Lourdes water, put it on my head and said flatly, "Okay, cure me of AIDS."

Jimmy grabbed the bottle out of my hand. He said, "Don't do that! We'd have to rewrite the show!"

You see how he treats me? Exploiting my pain for his own personal gain.

EASTER SUNDAY:
Easter Sunday, Kenn and his partner Brad invited us over for Easter dinner and Brad's vaunted and much celebrated Bunny cake. At that dinner, was an old friend of Jimmy's, a Broadway actor named David Tomei. It was fun to hear the two of them reminisce about the "old days". Also, at the dinner was Kenn's pastor, pictured below in bunny ears.

Our favorite moment, though, was after dinner. We all went to the TV room and watched Six Feet Under followed by Queer As Folk, their (and our) Sunday night ritual. The white cat curled up in my lap at first and then curled up in Jimmy's lap later on, making us miss Thurber & Steinbeck terribly, reminding us we'd be home soon.
 
 

David Tomei, bunny pastor, Steve & Kenn. And sweet Brad.

Caroline & Todd. The decorated table.

Two cute cats.

On Monday, our last day in town, we ran a lot of errands, then went by the theatre to say our goodbyes. This time it was ME getting all weepy-eyed as I hugged Kenn and thanked him for flying up to Rochester, for making this production happen out of the clear blue sky, and for treating us like family.

One last lunch with Kenn here.
You think this restaurant is gay enough?

A little picnic for the staff
celebrating Rick there on the left.

And one last smile for the camera.

THE REAL
END OF VOLUME THREE BOOK FOUR

© 1996-2003 by Steve Schalchlin. You have permission to print from this diary and distribute for use in support groups, schools, or to just give to a friend. You do not have permission to sell it.