The Night the Lights Went Out on Market

[mrdreamjeans]

Your eyes aren't deceiving you. It's 9:30pm on a Saturday night and I'm on live journal writing a post. I've even been back at the hotel for almost an hour. At 7:45pm, I was in my dressing room on the fourth floor of the Golden Gate Theater preparing for the performance, when all of the lights suddenly went out. We were briefly in the dark until the emergency system kicked in; it's new and provides lights in the hallways and other key spots. Thankfully, no one was on the elevator when the blackout struck.

We weren't allowed near the stage. Actors, crew and orchestra were everywhere chattering, overactively imagining what might have happened. Phillip Hernandez, who plays Peron, went out for a couple of minutes and spoke to the audience, even told a couple of jokes. At 8:25, the show was called. We were told to return our microphones to sound and go home. There would be no Saturday night show.

Tom (bearbrat) just called to check in and see if everything was all right. He's at work... in the dark. It appears there's been another fire at the power station which provides electricity to the Tenderloin, part of South-of-Market and other areas of downtown. I'd enjoy the free night off, but I know we'll have to make it up to tonight's patient audience some time before we leave. I can only speculate if our Easter Sunday performance will go on as planned.

As we exited the stage door tonight in complete darkness, shadowy patrons passing us by asked about the show. Mary and I told them, "Well, in case you can't come back. She dies." Ha! Tonight, the only thing that died were the lights.