Entry 4: Life Upon the Wicked Stage

I was riding in a regular bus filled with theatre celebrities, both local and national. Apparently we were all headed to a very swanky benefit/award show for theatre. Not only was I selected to be an award presenter but I also had the pleasure of performing a duet with a celebrity - the incomparable and fabulous Eartha Kitt. Needless to say I was very nervous. I spent the time on the bus being very quiet; for one thing, I was intimidated by the talent that surrounded me but I was also reflecting on what laid in store for me. My contemplation was broken by the sound of giggling. It was coming from a gaggle of well-dressed sequined divas. They heard I was singing alongside Eartha and wondered if she would remember the lyrics (in reference to her old age). I assured them she would and made my way over to her. I asked her flat out if she was fine with the song and she replied with a smirk "But of course my dear. After all, I am a professional. Rrrrrrrr" She then linked arms with me and walked back to my seat. No sooner than we sat down, the background music to our duet came on over the PA - which by the way was a bossa nova version of "The Boy from Ipanema"... a very odd choice of song.

Suddenly the bus stopped downtown on the main street and we all got out. The event planner did a role call and gave all of the presenters their speeches. I though it was odd the bus stopped randomly on the street and not in front of where the event took place. Also, why did the planner give us our speeches then and not at the event? No one else questioned the randomness of it all. After everything was settled we all walked off.

The event was held in what appeared to be a ballroom in a hotel and it was filled with the creme de la creme of the theatre. Eartha and I had a table all to ourselves. For whatever reason, the Cosby family was there but they looked they way did back in the 80's. They performed a skit in which they were performing a skit but Denise couldn't remember a key line which halted everything and each family member was trying to help her remember it. It wasn't particularly very funny but people still laughed out of politeness because they were the Cosbys. Shortly after it was time for Eartha and I to perform. She sat seductively atop a grand piano and I stood beside her. The song was a hit!

Second dream
I was at home with the cast of some unknown play. All I know is that it was set in the 20's for we were in 20's garb - the girls wore various bobs and had on stringy sequined flapper dresses and the men wore sweater vests with dress shirts and slicks or pin-stripped suits. And for some reason various piano version songs from the musical "The Boyfriend" were playing in the background from an unknown source.

We were all preparing for I could only assume was a party of sorts. There was some really important person on his way so we were all really excited. Then some problems started developing and they were all due to the imcompetence of the assistant director - a young black guy who looked ike the guy who played one of Eddie Winslow's two friends on "Family Matters". His biggest plunder had to do with the food. He either told the caterer or cook not to come so it resulted in us trying to cook food at the last minute.

Meanwhile, as I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off, I bumped into my grandmother and aunt in the den. They were talking about throwing a party and what to cook. My aunt apparently had an entire pig already butchered but didn't know how to prepare it. I jokingly responded that they could cook it underground with hot stones Polynesian-style and they both that it was a wonderful idea (which is funny because in real life they would never agree to such a thing, especially my grandmother).

Then the doorbell rang and in walked a very tall very classically handsome man with wavy blonde hair wearing a tan trenchcoat, white scarf, dress shirt and pin-stripped pants. All of the girls and some of the boys stopped whatever they were doing and swooned over the guy. I didn't seem to interested. Apparently this guy heard about the show and wanted to be in it. He then stopped in his tracks when he saw a girl sitting by herself. She was kind of thin, not beautiful but not plain or ugly. And she was dressed in a simple flapper dress sans sequins and fringe. He went over to her and started talking. The whole interaction was like a melodramatic over-acted romance scene from an old movie - flowery words of love, eyes partly closed, over-acting, violins playing in the background. Then they kissed passionately. For no reason, the cast stopped whatever we were doing, ran to the living room, linked arms and percormed a slow kickline singing "I Could be Happy with You" a la big finale.

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