Reflections on the end of Ragtime's run.

[saxikath]

The week of blank verse blogs is here again.
Not being Shakespeare, I'm not sure that I
Can write about emotions very well
Within this meter's limits, but I'll try.

We closed the show on Saturday, with what
I think was our best show. At last we nailed
The song on Henry Ford, which gave us grief
Most every time, and all the rest went well.
(mattbeo, were you there? You didn't stay
To say hello when things were done, if so.)
And then we partied till the wee, wee hours,
And sang and danced and laughed -- tried not to cry.
And struck the set on Sunday (smart idea,
To wait 'til the day after to do that!).

So now it's done, and I feel -- spent, I guess.
Exhausted, sad, yet glad I got to be
A part of something special. Corny? Yes,
But also true. The readers of this blog
Will know I wanted this so very much --
And was not disappointed. Ragtime was
A show I always thought I'd love to do,
And now I've done it! That's a cause for joy.
But now it's over -- that's a cause for grief;
Reality seems pale by contrast now.
(Though having time back from rehearsals will,
I'm sure, be pleasant once I readjust.
And now the bruise on my left knee may heal,
Since I no longer have to drop upon
It once a night in choreography.)

So now what? That's the question. First some sleep,
And getting May's Enigma done, and work.
But I have got to find ways to perform
Again. It feels too good to let it go.

Comments

[mattbeo.livejournal.com]

Yes--S, her mom and I were in row L
On Saturday. You and the whole cast rocked!
I'm very sorry that I did not stay
To say congrats in person at the end,
But let me say it now. This was as good
A show as we have seen in these here parts
In quite a while. I saw it on a large
And sprawling Broadway stage in '98
And was surprised to see how well it scaled
To Eliot Hall. The choral sound was great,
Most notably in Sarah's fun'ral scene
(Which made us cry). And it was fun to pick
You out in all your many sundry roles.
You looked like you were having lots of fun
(As much, that is, as one can have on strike,
On Ellis Island, in assembly lines,
And so on). Hope we'll see you soon again
On stage, though off stage also would be cool--
Though we've been swamped of late due to my show
And S's tax work, we'll soon have more time
To catch up properly with folks we know.

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

I'm very sorry that I missed the show.
You must know what they say -- that April is
The cruelest month (at least for scheduling!).

Postpartum letdown, as they say, is tough
As well; I send good wishes, and, of course,
It would be great to hang with you sometime,
Once you recoup some social energy. :-)