After a week of meeting Zachary Levi (Chuck, Tangled), Krysta Rodriguez (Smash), Jeremy Jordan (Newsies, Smash), Ashley Spencer (Rock of Ages), and Corey Cott (Newsies), it’s all too exciting to wait and see what else NYC has in store for me the rest of summer. But let’s rewind. After an very long, tiring, and exciting week, I am once again sitting at the airport awaiting my flight to Houston for my sister’s graduation, simultaneously already a bit ready for a tiny break from this hectic week but at the same time giddy about what awaits me in the Broadway world when I return (*ahem*…the Tony Awards…but we’ll get there).
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were spent at the big leagues: none other than the Broadway.com. And it was incredible. Sitting in the office you one-day hope to be an employee, bonding with the reporters over things very few people understand (i.e. all things Broadway), while helping contribute to a site that I religiously read on a daily basis was extremely intimidating, but equally as exciting. It didn’t hurt that Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriguez stopped by to tell us about their upcoming musical, First Date, while unintentionally giving me practice with meeting my favorite Broadway stars and not completely fangirling out, which came in handy on Thursday when I headed to Central Park to cover a little thing called Broadway Softball.
Broadway Softball is essentially a day where companies of Broadway productions play against each other in a fun game of softball. It occurs weekly during the summer, and though I’d heard that stars like Aaron Tveit (Catch Me If You Can, Next to Normal), Laura Osnes (Cinderella), and Jeremy Jordan occasionally attend, I was all too focused on finding the location (a frazzling moment for someone only somewhat familiar with the subway and otherwise used to driving around Texas permanently attached to MapQuest) and setting up my camera to be nervous about possible running into one of my favorites (though, confession, the first thing I did was try to scout out Aaron…to my disappointment, no sighting). After walking in circles (Central Park is huge, ya’ll), I finally found the Newsies vs. Matilda game, and with Newsies came Jeremy Jordan and Corey Cott. Being so close to two Broadway stars I love in such a casual environment was surreal. No stage door, no crazy fans (*cough cough* if you don’t count me…kidding, I kept my cool), no security, just a bunch of regular people partaking in a fun day on the field. The camaderie and sportsmanship I saw was incredible, and it’s obvious that the show that plays together stays together (and sings together). Everybody was constantly cheering on their cast and crewmates, inventing cheers and keeping the spirit up the entire time. I was thoroughly impressed as I stood behind my camera and captured it all (video to come courtesy of StageDoorDish.com).
So after a whirlwind, Broadway-filled week with no shows (unbelievable, right? The longest I’ve been in NY without seeing one), what could possibly be next? Why, none other than the holy grail of Broadway- The 67th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall. I will be on the red carpet with the StageDoorDish.com team ready to interview our favorites (here’s looking at you, Laura Osnes and Aaron Tveit), capture the moment, and soak it all in. It hasn’t exactly hit me yet, but the idea that after years of watching the awards ceremony on my couch I will finally be in the middle of the action is surreal.
So, that’s my first week in NYC…pretty dull, huh?
-Wendi
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