Friday, August 10, 2018

I ran into this fabulous, back-home-in-Iowa-for-a-visit L.A. actor tonight at my first-ever Brucemore Cabaret in the Courtyard

Cabaret in the Courtyard is a longstanding series of summer concerts in one of the well-appointed courtyards on the historic Brucemore mansion grounds. Tonight’s event was Cabaret in the Courtyard: Before Broadway, showcasing two different musical works-in-progress written by two of Cedar Rapids’ preeminent musical-treasure composers and played and sung by a firmament of Cedar Rapids’ musical talents.

The entire evening—from the venue to the creative material to the performers to the technical production to the steadfastly enthusiastic audience—was breathtaking.

I’m embarrassment-of-riches lucky enough that after all the shows and theater companies I’ve gotten to be a part of here, I usually on some level know almost everyone involved in the shows I see in the area. Tonight though, I knew just a handful of people on the stage ... but I knew an overwhelming majority of people in the audience. There were dear friends and lovely acquaintances at almost every table, and the fact that not only were we all experiencing a magical evening together but that I also got to see so many people I truly cherish at once was both joyful and humbling. Add to that the fact that the show was a transcendent collaboration of creative and performing talent by people I know and respect and have on many occasions had the pleasure to work with, and the evening was an absolute joy from start to finish.

Except for the fact that I feel like I talked to everyone and had a conversation with no one. I honestly felt rude at times from all the distractions and half-hellos I was juggling. So if you’re still reading this far despite your white-hot fury over my disjointed conversation with you tonight, I apologize. Let’s just focus on that AMAZING SHOW.

And also on the delightful-surprise friends like Jesse here, who—after patiently let me take a second selfie with him so I could make sure the courtyard gable was centered behind us—helped make the night such a treat.

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