Sunday in the Big Apple

[mrdreamjeans]

After six days of intensive rehearsals, it's a day of rest and I'm happy to do so. Yesterday was seven hours of running all of the material in "Evita" that we've covered so far and it went well. Hal came in to monitor our progress and give notes and the lighting designer, Richard Winkler made his first appearance. Throughout the day, I played phone tag with my father. He was making sure I was kept in the loop on the medical situation with my mother, but his forays out of the hospital to use his cell phone didn't jibe with my rehearsal breaks, so it was late afternoon before we actually spoke.

Mom remains in ICU and is in no immediate danger; however, the "fainting spell" was more than just fainting, her heart actually stopped. She has no history of heart problems, so they are taking a serious look at how her kidney disease is affecting other functions in her body. They are doing extensive testing in the next four days, but it is clear Mom's in for a big change... the urologist told my sister that Mom's kidneys are functioning at 35% of the norm. It appears Mom also has a heart murmur. I'll know more next week, but I am comforted that my sister is there with my Dad in Bryan/College Station and is on top of the emergency.

After I got back to the apartment last night, I was restless over the information, so I decided to get out and be active. After all, it was Saturday night in New York. I found out about a situation here similar to the Sundance Saloon in San Francisco for afficienados of country dancing. It's called the Big Apple Ranch. The country dancing night is held at a dance studio on 19th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues from 9pm to 1am. The dance floor was wonderful and a handsome guy named Hank was the DJ. Hank is a full-time harpist and plays in theatre orchestras, but on Saturday nights is an excellent CW DJ:)

Chip joined me after the performance of "Dracula" was over and we shared some energetic dances; several men asked me to dance or were willing to share a dance throughout the evening. The quality of dancing was topnotch and I had a terrific time, "cutting the rug" on about 30 dances. Just what I needed to take my mind off the situation back in Texas. Late in the evening I danced with a young guy whose joy in the music and partnering was written plainly across his face. It turns out he is in the cast of "The Producers" which I saw on Wednesday evening; we enjoyed chatting as well as dancing.

Chip and I walked out together and headed to our various subways about 1am. I was in a subway car at 23rd Street, standing so I was facing looking out the window of the subway car I was on. Suddenly, I hear my name. I turn around and it's my friend Melissa from Seattle... the very same Melissa who sublet my apartment a year ago when I was home moving my parents and closing the sale of my home. I didn't know she was back in NYC and she didn't know I was here rehearsing... 1:30am in the morning... a random car on the Number 1 line ...in a city of 8 million... and there's my friend Melissa. Wonders of wonders:)

Today, I don't even want to think about singing a single note. I'm going to meet Henry and Geoff, my hosts from last weekend in the DC area. They're here in NYC this weekend and I'm going to meet them for brunch. They were very thoughtful and brought my big suitcases up here for me, so that I didn't have to deal with them on Amtrack last weekend. I'll enjoy a visit with them and cab it back with bags in tow. Otherwise, the agenda is an open one today. Just what I need on a day off for a Sunday in the Big Apple.