Below is almost verbatim the review I posted on the Cate Blanchett forum. I saw the play on Tuesday, December 15th and met Cate three days later on December 18th.
When I was taking the train home from Maryland for some reason (my birthday maybe? honestly I have no idea why I was home...) last year, my mom gave me a copy of Vanity Fair (Feb 2009) to read along with a few other magazines she'd bought. But she'd specifically picked out the Vanity Fair because Cate Blanchett was on the cover and she knew I liked her. I clearly remember - as if it were yesterday - reading the interview on the train and reading the part about how she was going to be bringing "A Streetcar Named Desire" to the Brooklyn Academy of Music. I knew then and there that I just had to see that.
Fast forward to later this year when tickets finally went on sale. I'd been watching for them, but when they first went on sale it was part of a New Wave festival that you had to subscribe to - you had to get tickets to 6 things in the festival, then you were eligible to buy "Streetcar" tickets. I decided not to do it with the subscription because I have an insane work schedule of 60+ hours a week and work Wed-Sun - I wouldn't have been able to see any of the other shows, much less did I want to - I just wanted to see Cate. The woman could have been reading the phone book on stage and I had to be there. So then the tickets opened up to members of BAM. I thought about that and almost did it - but I spoke to someone who assured me tickets would still be available after they opened to the general public. AND I was concerned it would be like Ticketmaster (the devil monopoly that it is) and pre-sale tickets for concerts - they open up a certain amount, scattered throughout the theater...so you may get a not-so-great ticket in pre-sale and then the day they go on sale for real you get front row (if that makes any sense). And I'm sort of weird about the theater and concerts - a little bit of a snob - I like to be CLOSE, I want to see every line in their face, be able to focus in on one performer and watch them completely. So I waited.
Well, as I mentioned above, I have an insane work schedule. So, I went to the BAM box office on the day after I thought tickets had gone on sale - um, no...they had gone on sale the week before. The gentleman told me at first without even looking that he had NOTHING left. Then he started to look and managed to find a few partial/obstructed view seats - I wasn't settling for those (now I wish I'd purchased everything he'd had available - partial seats or not!). Finally he goes "Wow - I can't believe I have this - someone must have just returned it. It's a single seat, a cushion seat - you sit on the floor on the stage on a cushion." I was thrilled - "It's in front of front row?" "Yes, but on the floor." "IN FRONT of front row?" "Yes, on the floor." I was so excited - and couldn't believe it was only $30!!!!
Flash forward to today.
Thank you all so much for your welcoming words and advice about the cushion seats! I had been intending on wearing a dress, but after reading your posts, at last minute changed to pants. The seats were better than I had expected - you guys had me a little nervous! Though my ass was still numb for much of the performance, I didn't care. I was so close to Cate, it was incredible. I wore boots - was afraid it was going to rain and wanted a heel - but they were fine. I'm so glad a wore the pants though - so, thank you for that!!
Okay, first quick impressions of the show. No, not the show. Cate in the show. Phenomenal. Incredible. Breathtaking. Scene-stealing, not by trying, just by BEING. Best theater experience I've ever had and probably will ever have. Heartbreaking. Gorgeous. I want to see the show so many more times - it breaks my heart I won't be able to see it again and it's almost over. What breaks it even more is that I don't think they're filming it, even to just exist somewhere after the set is broken down and the actors have moved on. I forget who said it - maybe it was Chita Rivera in her recent show on Broadway - that it's so sad because theater exists only for those who see it and then it exists in their memories - especially older theater and shows that are never taped. Cate I think said something to that effect also in the Vogue interview - about theater being ephemeral. I hope somewhere, someone filmed it - even if just a crappy little bootleg.
Here are more in depth perceptions of the show and performances - I took notes on my blackberry at intermission and afterwards...
First impression of Cate in the flesh - God she's gorgeous. She appears, stage left, sitting on the "streetcar" lit by a single light. Darkness around her. When she goes inside Stella and Stanley's apartment and Stella arrives, Stella helps her take off her coat. I swear I thought if the woman turned to the side she'd disappear - she is so TINY.
And again, she's just gorgeous. Photos and film do not even do her justice. Her skin is the color of milk, it's so perfect. And the lighting against her skin is breathtaking at moments. In the scene that's the morning after Stanley has beat up Stella and they've reconciled and made-love (the "Steeeellllllaaaaaa!" scene, haha), when Blanche walks into the bedroom, the light from the window looks so much like daylight and her face is just lit-up by it.
She's so funny in the first act - I love her little flirtatious behavior with Stanley when she first comes out of the bath. She's so adorable after she comes out of the bathroom, the way she's talking and crosses one leg over the other laughing - the way she asks Stanley to help her with the buttons and then "permits" him to enter like he's standing at the curtain waiting. And I wish I could have heard better the song she was singing in the bathroom - I almost wanted to tell the other actors to shut-up! Ha. It sounded like she had a beautiful voice.
I am somewhat of an old movie buff - I adore the classics, as I mentioned, I'm a huge Kate Hepburn fan. But I had never seen "A Streetcar Named Desire." So, yesterday I rented it off of itunes and watched it for the first time - and I think that gave me an interesting perspective. I'm so glad I did it that way because if I hadn't, then I would have come home curious to see the film and would have watched it and I would have been left with Vivien Leigh's Blanche freshest in my head, not Cate's.
I think the best way to describe Cate's Blanche is something I read in a review today before I went - that she's very self-aware. There's a line in the second act - and again, I think Cate brought this up in the Vogue interview - where Blanche says sometimes she doesn't tell the truth, she tells what the truth should be. I think this sums up Cate's interpretation of her in a nutshell. Vivien Leigh's Blanche was an original and was amazing - but after seeing Cate's interpretation it pales in comparison. Leigh seemed a bit more one dimensional - when she gets to New Orleans, you sort of get the impression that she's already lost it a bit and lives entirely in her own fantasy world, and she sort of stays on that plane throughout.
But Cate... Her Blanche is so multi-dimensional. Yes, she lives in her own fantasy world - as evidenced in her first scene with Stella, when she feels like Stella is attacking her about losing Belle Reve, when really Stella has said nothing at all. Her nerves are also completely shot - at times, she's a bundle of them. Watching her hands shaking and ringing, and her glistening eyes... She almost has perpetual tears in and under her eyes and when the light catches them, they sparkle. She had me on the edge of tears with her all throughout - sometimes when others in the audience would laugh at how ridiculous she was being, I'd be so caught up in it with her, how could I laugh? Especially at the end of act I.
And yet, there are other times when she's completely self-aware... The scene when she's giving Stanley the papers, telling him that he can commit them to memory and give them to his "acquaintance with some aspirin"... The scene when she's telling Stella "don't hang back with the brutes!"... That whole scene was absolutely hilarious and one of my favorites in act I. And in the second act, the scene when the boy comes to collect for the Evening Star... At the point after she kisses him, when she tells him to go because she has to be good and not get mixed up with children - at that moment, Cate's Blanche knows exactly what is real and what isn't. She knows what happened back at the school. She knows what she did was wrong and she knows why she did it. It's almost like Cate's Blanche starts out with moments of madness and those moments just keep coming closer and closer together until they swallow her whole.
I just mentioned about how throughout so much of her performance she is literally on the verge of tears. That was something else that made her performance so meaningful to me - I'm not an actress, but I would tend to believe that embodying and stirring up a character's emotions so much so that you're on the verge of tears for 3+ hours must be so much more challenging than having one, big emotional meltdown all at once.
Ohhh what else...? Here's a few questions for others who have seen the show, little things that happened that I wondered if they were "accidents" or if they happened at every show...
- When Stanley throws the radio, is he supposed to push her down? I know that's the scene where Cate got hurt, and I wondered if they had him push her down in the opposite direction so she wouldn't be a casualty of the flying object - or if at this performance, she just happened to fall on the floor or he pushed her slightly harder... (found out later that she got pushed down at every performance - it was choreographed because of the accident in Sydney)
- In the second act - where she's writing the letter to Shep, another funny moment and again, very self-aware - at one point Cate shook the pen and seemed to get ink on the table that she blotted up with the paper - when she folded it, you could see the ink blots
When Cate first came out, she sounded a little bit hoarse to me. It wasn't evident throughout, but at some points when she got deeper in her register, you noticed it a little. At least, I did.
The costumes were fantastic - especially the shoes! Oh how I wanted those shoes! All of them! Ha. And I agree with those of you who mentioned her in the green bathrobe.
The cast I thought was good all around. No one will ever scream "Steeellllllaaaaaaaa!" like Marlon Brando, but, I did think that Joel Edgerton's portrayal was excellent. Robin McLeavy did a great job as Stella also. The only portrayal/actor I wasn't as fond of was Mitch. I thought he was too young and had almost a childlike way about him. In the film, Karl Malden was naive, but still more intellectual. The play/script has Stella mention how he seems above the rest of the men in the poker game, and with Karl Malden I believe it, but with this Mitch, I didn't.
It's kind of hard to evaluate them all though because I could barely stand to take my eyes off of Cate. There is something about her - not just as a beauty and an actress - but also about her portrayal of Blanch that just commands you to watch her. And she's always so in the moment, so heartbreakingly believable. You never see the wheels turning in her head. Especially in the second act, when she's falling apart more and more. Her performance is so candid - it's like she took out her soul and put it on her sleeve. In the scene when she's describing what happened to Allen, for example - my eyes just welled up with her.
Until the second act, there were a few coughers and cellophane wrapper crinklers and shuffle-in-their-seaters in the audience - but in the second act, you could hear a pin drop at times - it was as if everyone was motionless, breathless. That scene where she described what happened to Allen was one of those moments.
In the scene of her birthday, that's when the physical transformation of Blanche's madness starts to happen. (First off, when she came out in just that skimpy little towel - that takes some guts! I would have been afraid the towell would have fallen off. And again, with the singing I wished I could have heard - anyone know what the song was? ("It's Only A Paper Moon"))
She comes out of the bath with the wet hair, little to no makeup - but she's still flawless. Another word to describe her performance is raw - so raw. So uninhibited - like at the end of this scene, after Stanley gives her the bus ticket, she "throws up" in the kitchen sink and then runs to the bathroom and "throws up" more there. Some actresses would be too vain for this - the wet, stringy hair, little/no make-up, and the rawness of the acting. Not Cate.
In the scene with Stanley when he comes home after taking Stella to the hospital... Cate's "drunk-acting" is sublime. It's so realistic, and again, no wheels turning.
At one point in that scene, when she slammed the bathroom door, Cate broke the mirror hanging on the inside of the door. When she slammed it, I heard glass shatter/break - but I saw the bottle in her hand was still in tact. But later, when he opened the door and made her look at herself, you could see the whole bottom half had been broken. Hope they have a spare for tomorrow! (found out later this happens every night...:))
In these final scenes with Cate, Blanche's dissent into madness complete, Cate rips your heart out. She totally made me well up with tears, especially (for some reason) in the part where she's talking about dying from eating an unwashed grape. That touched me for some reason, the way she related that story. So raw, so exposed. And when the nurse is holding her and she's asking the doctor to let her go...her last line ("I've always depended on the kindness of strangers.") and her solo walk across the stage, back to stage left where she started, again lit with a single light. Phenomenal. I don't know how to describe it. You feel what she is feeling in your gut.
The audience was instantly on its feet and there were numerous curtain calls - though I didn't count - maybe 5 or 6? My hands were hurting from the intensity of my clapping but I didn't want to stop! I wish people had applauded more for a few more curtain calls. I'll never forget (never be able to adequately describe either) but never forget watching Cate as she walked over at the end to join her cast mates in a bow. Watching her wipe the very real tears out of her eyes and let Blanche go so she could be Cate again. She looked so touched by the whooping and hollaring and applauding (I think the rest of the cast did too, but again, my eyes were mostly on her and she was like, 4 feet away from me...come on. Ha.) The two women to my left had seemed sort of restless during the show and already had their coats on before the curtain calls were done - I found it rude but I THINK that the last time Cate came out she laughed and gestured to them, almost in an "I know, I want to go home too" sort of way. I could be wrong, but it was something like that.
Ohhh what else...? Here's a few questions for others who have seen the show, little things that happened that I wondered if they were "accidents" or if they happened at every show...
- When Stanley throws the radio, is he supposed to push her down? I know that's the scene where Cate got hurt, and I wondered if they had him push her down in the opposite direction so she wouldn't be a casualty of the flying object - or if at this performance, she just happened to fall on the floor or he pushed her slightly harder... (found out later that she got pushed down at every performance - it was choreographed because of the accident in Sydney)
- In the second act - where she's writing the letter to Shep, another funny moment and again, very self-aware - at one point Cate shook the pen and seemed to get ink on the table that she blotted up with the paper - when she folded it, you could see the ink blots
When Cate first came out, she sounded a little bit hoarse to me. It wasn't evident throughout, but at some points when she got deeper in her register, you noticed it a little. At least, I did.
The costumes were fantastic - especially the shoes! Oh how I wanted those shoes! All of them! Ha. And I agree with those of you who mentioned her in the green bathrobe.
The cast I thought was good all around. No one will ever scream "Steeellllllaaaaaaaa!" like Marlon Brando, but, I did think that Joel Edgerton's portrayal was excellent. Robin McLeavy did a great job as Stella also. The only portrayal/actor I wasn't as fond of was Mitch. I thought he was too young and had almost a childlike way about him. In the film, Karl Malden was naive, but still more intellectual. The play/script has Stella mention how he seems above the rest of the men in the poker game, and with Karl Malden I believe it, but with this Mitch, I didn't.
It's kind of hard to evaluate them all though because I could barely stand to take my eyes off of Cate. There is something about her - not just as a beauty and an actress - but also about her portrayal of Blanch that just commands you to watch her. And she's always so in the moment, so heartbreakingly believable. You never see the wheels turning in her head. Especially in the second act, when she's falling apart more and more. Her performance is so candid - it's like she took out her soul and put it on her sleeve. In the scene when she's describing what happened to Allen, for example - my eyes just welled up with her.
Until the second act, there were a few coughers and cellophane wrapper crinklers and shuffle-in-their-seaters in the audience - but in the second act, you could hear a pin drop at times - it was as if everyone was motionless, breathless. That scene where she described what happened to Allen was one of those moments.
In the scene of her birthday, that's when the physical transformation of Blanche's madness starts to happen. (First off, when she came out in just that skimpy little towel - that takes some guts! I would have been afraid the towell would have fallen off. And again, with the singing I wished I could have heard - anyone know what the song was? ("It's Only A Paper Moon"))
She comes out of the bath with the wet hair, little to no makeup - but she's still flawless. Another word to describe her performance is raw - so raw. So uninhibited - like at the end of this scene, after Stanley gives her the bus ticket, she "throws up" in the kitchen sink and then runs to the bathroom and "throws up" more there. Some actresses would be too vain for this - the wet, stringy hair, little/no make-up, and the rawness of the acting. Not Cate.
In the scene with Stanley when he comes home after taking Stella to the hospital... Cate's "drunk-acting" is sublime. It's so realistic, and again, no wheels turning.
At one point in that scene, when she slammed the bathroom door, Cate broke the mirror hanging on the inside of the door. When she slammed it, I heard glass shatter/break - but I saw the bottle in her hand was still in tact. But later, when he opened the door and made her look at herself, you could see the whole bottom half had been broken. Hope they have a spare for tomorrow! (found out later this happens every night...:))
In these final scenes with Cate, Blanche's dissent into madness complete, Cate rips your heart out. She totally made me well up with tears, especially (for some reason) in the part where she's talking about dying from eating an unwashed grape. That touched me for some reason, the way she related that story. So raw, so exposed. And when the nurse is holding her and she's asking the doctor to let her go...her last line ("I've always depended on the kindness of strangers.") and her solo walk across the stage, back to stage left where she started, again lit with a single light. Phenomenal. I don't know how to describe it. You feel what she is feeling in your gut.
The audience was instantly on its feet and there were numerous curtain calls - though I didn't count - maybe 5 or 6? My hands were hurting from the intensity of my clapping but I didn't want to stop! I wish people had applauded more for a few more curtain calls. I'll never forget (never be able to adequately describe either) but never forget watching Cate as she walked over at the end to join her cast mates in a bow. Watching her wipe the very real tears out of her eyes and let Blanche go so she could be Cate again. She looked so touched by the whooping and hollaring and applauding (I think the rest of the cast did too, but again, my eyes were mostly on her and she was like, 4 feet away from me...come on. Ha.) The two women to my left had seemed sort of restless during the show and already had their coats on before the curtain calls were done - I found it rude but I THINK that the last time Cate came out she laughed and gestured to them, almost in an "I know, I want to go home too" sort of way. I could be wrong, but it was something like that.
I went to the stage door afterwards, there was one other fan there who had seen the show last week, and three autograph hounds. Ugh, how I despise the autograph hounds. I have had bad experiences with them from my first "stage door" experience in 2002, waiting to meet Cher outside of Letterman. The 3 guys there tonight were obviously not fans - one of the guys proceeded to tell me and the other fan how he'd only ever seen one play in his life, had somehow gotten in for free, didn't know who was in it and didn't even know who Cate was really. And yet he complained how every night she'd only sign one thing for him, not two. UGH.
Anyway, it was sort of a double edged sword because after about 10 minutes or less, a group exited the door and the guy goes "isn't that her?" It was Cate - I could tell by the wavy, wet blonde hair from behind. They had snuck her out in the middle of a small group of people. We all walked over in a hurry, security jumped into action. Cate stopped to sign, but the autograph guys jumped in front of me. She was quick to walk away after thanking everyone for coming. I had brought a gift for her and was determined to at least give her that. I very politely and as non-fan-like as I could walked with her and two girls to their car (like 3 ft away) - Cate had already gotten in, so I gave it to one of the girls and asked that she please give it to her. She was a teeeeeny reluctant I could tell but took it anyway. I THINK Cate was opening it as the car drove away but I couldn't be sure.
Everyone who was there got an autograph but me. But it's okay! The other fan who was there said he thought she sounded like she had a cold - that goes along with me thinking she sounded hoarse. They are probably just trying to get her home, in bed, and out of the cold as quick as possible so she won't be too sick for the rest of the performances. I totally understand and appreciate that. Still I do wish that I had at least been able to hand her my gift in person. I MIGHT try to go back another time this week to see if I can catch her again.
(And I did...See below...)
After missing the opportunity to meet Cate after seeing her in Tuesday's performance, I decided I couldn't live in Brooklyn and not try to meet her once again before she leaves us and goes back to Australia. I'd wanted to go last night - gotten home from work around 7pm, set my alarm for 9, settled down for a nap - and woke u at 10:30pm! Oh no! Much too late to make myself presentable and get to the stage door in time. I was very annoyed at myself. They'd whisked her out the door so quickly on Tuesday - probably less than 15 min after the performance ended and still with wet hair! - that I was sure it was going to be a difficult feat and would take many attempts.
So, tonight, I was supposed to leave work at 6pm, come home and bake cookies for my friend's Christmas party tomorrow night, head to BAM and wait for Cate. But as usual, I didn't leave work at all close to when I'd planned. It was 9pm before my butt was on the subway taking me back to Brooklyn.
I got home, rushed in the door, threw on some makeup, changed my shoes from boots with heals to flat boots and was finally back on the subway at 10:25 and heading to BAM.
I arrived at just about 10:50 or a few minutes after - and the show was already letting out. Which means it must have been precisely on time and on schedule tonight. I was surprised when I got to the stage door and only 4 other people were waiting - two guys and a couple (who seemed only partially interested in staying).
Soon after I got there, Liv Ullman inconspicuously came out. I almost said something and in retrospect I wish I had - but she was with someone who I assume to be her husband and they seemed quick to get in their car and go.
Tonight there was quite the hub-bub at the stage door! Lots of cars waiting, lots of VIP's leaving and getting in the cars, lots of this one girl hopping in and out from inside checking on the cars... The only famous face I noticed - and bear in mind, I'm BAD at celeb spotting - was Cynthia Nixon and (whom I now know to be) her fiance/girlfriend.
Time continued to pass. A little after 11pm I called my sister to make sure she was TiVoing Letterman for me because in my mad dash out the door, I'd forgotten to set my own (turns out she wasn't on Letterman after all - boo). Some cast members started to leave - I recognized the actor who played Mitch (sorry bud, you were my least fav performance). And I think there were a few others, but I'm honestly not sure.
At this point, the couple who had been waiting had abandoned ship and there were now 4 of us waiting. Me in front, another guy all by himself behind me, and the other two original guys. The door kept opening and closing and everytime it opened my heart would jump with nervousness. The kind of neat thing about this stage door was there's a mirror on it. So whenever someone would open it, you could see the people in the hall.
It's now 11:40, cars keep coming and going. And let me just say, it was COLD. We're about to get a reallly bad snowstorm here tomorrow night - I just checked the weather and it's 26 degrees but feels like 15. Cold. And I was wearing a dress! As I'm typing this now, I can finally feel my toes again and I'm beginning to believe I might someday be warm again. I'm not complaining - just setting the scene... - I wanted to be there! And at this point, I was sure that Cate would have to take pity on us four frozen little ice cubes.
A group came out and someone (I believe the actor who played the Evening Star collector - who kisses Cate!) said, "Oh is that Cate's car?" So I knew she hadn't left yet or they hadn't snuck her out somewhere. The girl who kept going in and out checking on cars, kept going up to drivers and giving directions. And I was sure they were sneaking her out somewhere. But I kept the faith - I thought the car-check-girl seemed nice enough that she would tell us if Cate had already left or wasn't planning on coming out.
Sometime around now, a group of people (no one I recognized) came out after one of them had pulled their own car around. The driver came to get them and I heard him say, "Sorry Joel, the girls are coming with me," as he stuck his head inside to collect the rest of his party.
Next thing I know, Joel comes out - he took a look at me and said, " 'Ello." I was sorta paralyzed by not knowing if I should say something or not and before I could, he hopped in a car and off he went. That makes me laugh. 'Ello... I love it. (Does he have a lip ring? I swear he had one...)
It's now midnight. The door opens and out appears Cate.
It's so funny because as iconic an actress she is and as familiar I am with her beautiful face...it almost took me a second to go, "Oh! That's her!" Ha.
She came out all by herself, only the car-check-girl was with her - I think she must've closed the place down. She took one look at us and I think it took her a moment to realize we were waiting for her. Instantly and oh so genuinely she goes, "Oh my gosh - you guys must be so cold!" Not with surprise, but with genuine concern - it was so sweet. And I told her so
- as I handed her my program and sharpie I said, "You are so sweet - thank you for an incredible experience." (Or at least I had planned to say something like that and I think those are the words that came out of my mouth - ha - luckily over the last hour waiting my nerves had calmed a bit. Plus, the first statement out of her mouth put me right at ease too.) I had planned on uncapping the sharpie and handing it to her, but I was so cold and my brain wasn't working - I just handed her the whole thing and she uncapped it.
She thanked us as she signed all four of our things... Then I asked her if she'd gotten the gift I'd given to the person with her the other night. She said, "Yes, I did thank you - was that from you?" I said 'yes' and she said something like, "That was so sweet, someone put it in the car" and she gestured and looked over her shoulder referencing the other waiting cars.
I asked if I could get a photo and she said yes. I gave my camera to the car-check-girl at which point Cate commented again that we all must be so cold and the girl smiled at me and said, "You braved the weather!" The picture is perhaps one of the worst of me ever taken but Cate looks adorable.
Then, Cate did the sweetest thing - she touched my hand, looked me in the eyes and said, "Thank you for the gift." Aw - it was so genuine. She is just lovely.
She started to walk to her car and one of the guys ran back and asked her something about her directing "The Year of Magical Thinking" to which she responded that that had been last year.
As we all parted ways she said something about all of us, "staying warm."
I'm on such a cloud.
So, tonight, I was supposed to leave work at 6pm, come home and bake cookies for my friend's Christmas party tomorrow night, head to BAM and wait for Cate. But as usual, I didn't leave work at all close to when I'd planned. It was 9pm before my butt was on the subway taking me back to Brooklyn.
I got home, rushed in the door, threw on some makeup, changed my shoes from boots with heals to flat boots and was finally back on the subway at 10:25 and heading to BAM.
I arrived at just about 10:50 or a few minutes after - and the show was already letting out. Which means it must have been precisely on time and on schedule tonight. I was surprised when I got to the stage door and only 4 other people were waiting - two guys and a couple (who seemed only partially interested in staying).
Soon after I got there, Liv Ullman inconspicuously came out. I almost said something and in retrospect I wish I had - but she was with someone who I assume to be her husband and they seemed quick to get in their car and go.
Tonight there was quite the hub-bub at the stage door! Lots of cars waiting, lots of VIP's leaving and getting in the cars, lots of this one girl hopping in and out from inside checking on the cars... The only famous face I noticed - and bear in mind, I'm BAD at celeb spotting - was Cynthia Nixon and (whom I now know to be) her fiance/girlfriend.
Time continued to pass. A little after 11pm I called my sister to make sure she was TiVoing Letterman for me because in my mad dash out the door, I'd forgotten to set my own (turns out she wasn't on Letterman after all - boo). Some cast members started to leave - I recognized the actor who played Mitch (sorry bud, you were my least fav performance). And I think there were a few others, but I'm honestly not sure.
At this point, the couple who had been waiting had abandoned ship and there were now 4 of us waiting. Me in front, another guy all by himself behind me, and the other two original guys. The door kept opening and closing and everytime it opened my heart would jump with nervousness. The kind of neat thing about this stage door was there's a mirror on it. So whenever someone would open it, you could see the people in the hall.
It's now 11:40, cars keep coming and going. And let me just say, it was COLD. We're about to get a reallly bad snowstorm here tomorrow night - I just checked the weather and it's 26 degrees but feels like 15. Cold. And I was wearing a dress! As I'm typing this now, I can finally feel my toes again and I'm beginning to believe I might someday be warm again. I'm not complaining - just setting the scene... - I wanted to be there! And at this point, I was sure that Cate would have to take pity on us four frozen little ice cubes.
A group came out and someone (I believe the actor who played the Evening Star collector - who kisses Cate!) said, "Oh is that Cate's car?" So I knew she hadn't left yet or they hadn't snuck her out somewhere. The girl who kept going in and out checking on cars, kept going up to drivers and giving directions. And I was sure they were sneaking her out somewhere. But I kept the faith - I thought the car-check-girl seemed nice enough that she would tell us if Cate had already left or wasn't planning on coming out.
Sometime around now, a group of people (no one I recognized) came out after one of them had pulled their own car around. The driver came to get them and I heard him say, "Sorry Joel, the girls are coming with me," as he stuck his head inside to collect the rest of his party.
Next thing I know, Joel comes out - he took a look at me and said, " 'Ello." I was sorta paralyzed by not knowing if I should say something or not and before I could, he hopped in a car and off he went. That makes me laugh. 'Ello... I love it. (Does he have a lip ring? I swear he had one...)
It's now midnight. The door opens and out appears Cate.
It's so funny because as iconic an actress she is and as familiar I am with her beautiful face...it almost took me a second to go, "Oh! That's her!" Ha.
She came out all by herself, only the car-check-girl was with her - I think she must've closed the place down. She took one look at us and I think it took her a moment to realize we were waiting for her. Instantly and oh so genuinely she goes, "Oh my gosh - you guys must be so cold!" Not with surprise, but with genuine concern - it was so sweet. And I told her so
- as I handed her my program and sharpie I said, "You are so sweet - thank you for an incredible experience." (Or at least I had planned to say something like that and I think those are the words that came out of my mouth - ha - luckily over the last hour waiting my nerves had calmed a bit. Plus, the first statement out of her mouth put me right at ease too.) I had planned on uncapping the sharpie and handing it to her, but I was so cold and my brain wasn't working - I just handed her the whole thing and she uncapped it. She thanked us as she signed all four of our things... Then I asked her if she'd gotten the gift I'd given to the person with her the other night. She said, "Yes, I did thank you - was that from you?" I said 'yes' and she said something like, "That was so sweet, someone put it in the car" and she gestured and looked over her shoulder referencing the other waiting cars.
I asked if I could get a photo and she said yes. I gave my camera to the car-check-girl at which point Cate commented again that we all must be so cold and the girl smiled at me and said, "You braved the weather!" The picture is perhaps one of the worst of me ever taken but Cate looks adorable.
Then, Cate did the sweetest thing - she touched my hand, looked me in the eyes and said, "Thank you for the gift." Aw - it was so genuine. She is just lovely.
She started to walk to her car and one of the guys ran back and asked her something about her directing "The Year of Magical Thinking" to which she responded that that had been last year.
As we all parted ways she said something about all of us, "staying warm."
I'm on such a cloud.
