Post by Janeway Forever on Mar 4, 2007 1:02:28 GMT -5
“Good things come to those who wait.” While familiar with this statement, I was never much fond of it. I’ve always been an instant gratification kind of girl, especially as a young teenager. When I was 14, the only thing I wanted in the world was to meet Kate Mulgrew. She was my favorite actress and there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t have done to be given the opportunity just to be in the same room with her. Little did I know that this wish would be granted, only 9 short years later!
It’s a funny thing about life, sometimes it likes to play games with you: make you want something even more than you originally did. In May my friend Cher and I took a vacation to Los Angeles. The trip had been planned since September and in February I finally booked everything: the flights, hotel, and car rental. We would be in Los Angeles from May 17th until the 24th. No sooner had I done that, than I found out that Ms. Mulgrew would be performing a play in Los Angeles, called The Royal Family! I was so wonderfully excited, until I found out that the last performance of the play would be on May 16th! I tried desperately to push our trip back two more days so that I could see this woman I’d adored forever on the stage. But it was no use; there was nothing that could be done. We went to Los Angeles and had a wonderful time, but there was no encounter!
Then in September I thought that life was throwing me a bone! Kate Mulgrew was going to do a Star Trek convention in Nashville, TN! I had never been to a convention before and really wanted to go. Nashville was only about a ten-hour drive from my home in Richmond, VA! And, even better, they were going to arrange a photo session so that I could have my very own picture of my idol and myself! Yes, this was certainly life giving me another chance. I immediately began saving money and checked the convention’s website everyday, insuring there were still tickets to be had. I was almost ready to purchase tickets for a friend and myself when my father and I got into a huge fight and I left his house. I went to stay with my brother and two weeks later used all of the money I had to get into my own apartment. I felt miserable until two weeks later when the promotion company actually cancelled the convention due to a lack of interest. It was just another of life’s cruel jokes.
When I first heard about the Tea at Five Baltimore tour on Kate Mulgrew’s official website I thought, “The third time’s a charm, right”? The elation grew even farther as I realized they were selling a limited number of “premium” tickets, which included a post-show reception attended by the star herself! But alas, the price was set at one hundred dollars a ticket, and I would need two. This was definitely a trip I would not be able to make alone. I balanced my checkbook, counted change, haggled with family, but couldn’t find a way to raise two hundred dollars in a week or less. I was utterly heart broken. I was so very close. For the third time, life was laughing in my face. Then I opened my closet.
Last March a company that resells movie costumes was having an auction online from the movie Shanghai Knights. I am a huge Owen Wilson fan so I was immediately intrigued. To make a short story even shorter, I ended up winning one of the tuxes that Owen had worn in the movie for the remarkably reasonable price of five hundred dollars! (LOL) This tuxedo had been sitting in my closet for over a year as I was deciding the best way to try and display it. And it was there, that day that I reached in for my coat, feeling totally dejected, on my way to work. I took one look at the suit and immediately knew what I had to do. Without much of a second thought, there was a small one, I got online and hoped I could get someone to buy it from me. My dear sweet friend Sherrie was actually the one that did, and in so made it possible for me to go.
I didn’t even wait for the check to arrive. As soon as Sherrie told me the check was in the mail I took my rent money and called Centerstage to reserve my tickets. Now all I had to do was wait 47 days until January 18th! On the 17th, my mother came up to my house from her home two hours away. I arranged for my son to stay with my brother. Everything was ready. On the 18th, we left my house around 2:00 PM. I had wanted to leave about an hour earlier to avoid the traffic around D.C. but it just wasn’t in the cards. We did get stuck in the traffic and it was a very long trip. It took us nearly four hours to get to Baltimore. Checked into our hotel, I immediately began to get ready for the play. My nerves also began to mess with me. As we were ready to leave and walked out to the car, my mother noticed that the back right tire was almost completely flat. The theater was only a mile away but I had no clue where any gas stations might be. Mom asked what we should do, and I stated unequivocally that we were going to risk it! We made it all the way to the theater, going fifteen miles an hour. As we were walking in, Mom asked me what I had managed to get for my two hundred dollars I spent. We were about to find out.
They opened the side doors and began leading people to their seats. My mother and I were actually the third and fourth people in the door! The usher was leading us to our seat, but I was amazed as she continued to walk down the aisle further and further until she ended at the second row! We were sitting in the dead center of the second row! I could not believe it. We couldn’t have had better seats if Kate Mulgrew herself had arranged for them! As the lights went down and the show began I was in amazement. I couldn’t believe that I was actually in the same room with the woman I had admired for so long, much less seated a mere ten feet away from her. She was exceptional, as was the play!
Based on Katherine Hepburn’s life, Tea at Five is an intimate look at the legend in two different points in her life: The first act takes place in September of 1938, when she has just been labeled “box office poison;” and the second act is set in February of 1983, after she has broken her ankle in a car accident. Kate was stunning on stage and I loved every moment of the first act. There was a slight intermission and then the second act. During the second act, when she is in age progressed makeup, it is easy to forget that it is actually Kate Mulgrew and not Kate Hepburn! She did a tremendous job, especially with the shaking that Hepburn experienced due to Parkinson’s disease. About halfway through, Kate was standing at only about eight feet away from me, just slightly off center on stage, and she made eye contact with me! I could NOT believe it! She had actually looked right at me! Infact, I was so mystified that I couldn’t believe it until a few moments later when she did it again! It was completely amazing.
After the play we made our way out of the theater and towards the Pavilion where the reception would be held. We were admitted into the room and my stomach was a little quivery. I figured that it must be due to the fact I hadn’t eaten supper. I walked over to a table where they had some crackers and cheese. I picked up just a few things and walked over to where my mother was. She had moved off into a corner, kind of staying out of the way. I took one bite of the crackers and realized that it was a mistake. My stomach was not quivering because I was hungry; it was quivering because I was that nervous! I stood there looking around the room at everyone there. I happened to notice that standing not four feet away from us was Lombardo, the man who wrote the play. I only prayed that he would stay there.
I always try to find someone close to my age to talk to. I saw a couple standing close to us and they seemed to be in their early to mid twenties. They came and stood right beside us, but I didn’t speak to them right away. At that very moment I see Tim Hagan, Kate’s husband come in from the side entrance and speak to Lombardo, who was still infront of us! I knew this would be the entrance that Kate would come out of then! No sooner had I thought that and had time to look around again, than she walked out, like an angel, and stopped right there in front of us. She greeted Matthew and asked him to get her a glass of white wine. Just then a man walked up with a glass of red wine and handed it to her. She told Matthew “Never mind, I have a glass.” I was stunned. I couldn’t even breathe, much less utter a word. She was standing there, four feet infront of me and I was speechless. I realized that there was no way I could approach her alone, it was too intimidating. I was going to need a partner in crime. Fortunately, I was handed one! Andy was standing beside us with his wife and I don’t remember how we started chatting but we did. He had grabbed extra playbills, that we unbent to have Kate signed. We forged an alliance. In return for using my mom’s pens, he offered me one of his unbent playbills. Moments later we set off to conquer Kate! We found her at a table where she was signing autographs. She kept asking someone to find her a better sharpie, because the one she had wasn’t working.
Just shoving my playbill infront of her wasn’t enough for me though, I wanted interaction. I wanted to talk to her. So we waited. She continued to walk around the room and Andy and I talked about how great she was. She stopped by the fruit table to grab some food. I know she had to be starving! I told Andy that I really wanted to get my picture taken with her, and he was nice enough to walk back over to mom and get my camera. We stood there for a few minutes just watching her. Then he turned to me and said, talk to me, like we know each other! (LOL) We did this for a minute but it just wasn’t working. I suggested that we just stare at the back of her head until she turn around but he reminded me that she is probably used to being stared at. I still did it, and about a minute later she actually turned around to face us! I figure she probably heard us speaking! It was so amazing. I asked her if I could possibly get my picture taken with her. She said “sure sweetie.” And I was in heaven. I got a picture with her and then was about to take a picture of Andy with her, when a lady offered to take one of both us. So I got to have my picture taken with Kate twice! It was amazing. I told her what an honor it was to meet her. We took the picture and I said thank you, then she was pulled off in a different direction.
We ran back to mom and Mindy, Andy’s wife, to tell them what had happened. They asked if we’d gotten the playbills signed. We said no, but that we would go back in a few minutes. They told us not to wait too long, because she probably wouldn’t stay too long. That got us concerned so we walked back over to where she was. Again, she was the one who turned to us, and spoke. Andy asked her if she could sign his playbill and she said sure. Then he walked off. I was standing right beside her and I asked her if she could sign one for me and one for my three-year-old. She said sure and I told her that my three-year-old adores her.
“Is it possible to be adored by a three year old?” she asked.
“Well it is when it’s this three year old.” I started to babble then. I told her that when he found out I was going to Baltimore he asked me if I was going to meet “Gainway,” as he calls her.
She listened with a wide smile on her face and asked what his name was. I told her and so she personalized Richie’s playbill. It says “To Richard, Hello! Kate Mulgrew”. Then she handed them back to me, looked me in the eye, and said, “keep up the good work!” (Referring to Richie) and winked at me! I could not believe it. I was on cloud nine. I went back to where my mother was standing and melted into a puddle of goo. Andy and I talked about how awesome it was to meet her. Then they left. I just stood there for fifteen minutes watching her walk around. It was so amazing I wanted to savor the moment as long as I possibly could! Finally my mom dragged me out of the hall and I took one look back at Kate. She is the most awe inspiring, graceful person that I have ever met!
It’s a funny thing about life, sometimes it likes to play games with you: make you want something even more than you originally did. In May my friend Cher and I took a vacation to Los Angeles. The trip had been planned since September and in February I finally booked everything: the flights, hotel, and car rental. We would be in Los Angeles from May 17th until the 24th. No sooner had I done that, than I found out that Ms. Mulgrew would be performing a play in Los Angeles, called The Royal Family! I was so wonderfully excited, until I found out that the last performance of the play would be on May 16th! I tried desperately to push our trip back two more days so that I could see this woman I’d adored forever on the stage. But it was no use; there was nothing that could be done. We went to Los Angeles and had a wonderful time, but there was no encounter!
Then in September I thought that life was throwing me a bone! Kate Mulgrew was going to do a Star Trek convention in Nashville, TN! I had never been to a convention before and really wanted to go. Nashville was only about a ten-hour drive from my home in Richmond, VA! And, even better, they were going to arrange a photo session so that I could have my very own picture of my idol and myself! Yes, this was certainly life giving me another chance. I immediately began saving money and checked the convention’s website everyday, insuring there were still tickets to be had. I was almost ready to purchase tickets for a friend and myself when my father and I got into a huge fight and I left his house. I went to stay with my brother and two weeks later used all of the money I had to get into my own apartment. I felt miserable until two weeks later when the promotion company actually cancelled the convention due to a lack of interest. It was just another of life’s cruel jokes.
When I first heard about the Tea at Five Baltimore tour on Kate Mulgrew’s official website I thought, “The third time’s a charm, right”? The elation grew even farther as I realized they were selling a limited number of “premium” tickets, which included a post-show reception attended by the star herself! But alas, the price was set at one hundred dollars a ticket, and I would need two. This was definitely a trip I would not be able to make alone. I balanced my checkbook, counted change, haggled with family, but couldn’t find a way to raise two hundred dollars in a week or less. I was utterly heart broken. I was so very close. For the third time, life was laughing in my face. Then I opened my closet.
Last March a company that resells movie costumes was having an auction online from the movie Shanghai Knights. I am a huge Owen Wilson fan so I was immediately intrigued. To make a short story even shorter, I ended up winning one of the tuxes that Owen had worn in the movie for the remarkably reasonable price of five hundred dollars! (LOL) This tuxedo had been sitting in my closet for over a year as I was deciding the best way to try and display it. And it was there, that day that I reached in for my coat, feeling totally dejected, on my way to work. I took one look at the suit and immediately knew what I had to do. Without much of a second thought, there was a small one, I got online and hoped I could get someone to buy it from me. My dear sweet friend Sherrie was actually the one that did, and in so made it possible for me to go.
I didn’t even wait for the check to arrive. As soon as Sherrie told me the check was in the mail I took my rent money and called Centerstage to reserve my tickets. Now all I had to do was wait 47 days until January 18th! On the 17th, my mother came up to my house from her home two hours away. I arranged for my son to stay with my brother. Everything was ready. On the 18th, we left my house around 2:00 PM. I had wanted to leave about an hour earlier to avoid the traffic around D.C. but it just wasn’t in the cards. We did get stuck in the traffic and it was a very long trip. It took us nearly four hours to get to Baltimore. Checked into our hotel, I immediately began to get ready for the play. My nerves also began to mess with me. As we were ready to leave and walked out to the car, my mother noticed that the back right tire was almost completely flat. The theater was only a mile away but I had no clue where any gas stations might be. Mom asked what we should do, and I stated unequivocally that we were going to risk it! We made it all the way to the theater, going fifteen miles an hour. As we were walking in, Mom asked me what I had managed to get for my two hundred dollars I spent. We were about to find out.
They opened the side doors and began leading people to their seats. My mother and I were actually the third and fourth people in the door! The usher was leading us to our seat, but I was amazed as she continued to walk down the aisle further and further until she ended at the second row! We were sitting in the dead center of the second row! I could not believe it. We couldn’t have had better seats if Kate Mulgrew herself had arranged for them! As the lights went down and the show began I was in amazement. I couldn’t believe that I was actually in the same room with the woman I had admired for so long, much less seated a mere ten feet away from her. She was exceptional, as was the play!
Based on Katherine Hepburn’s life, Tea at Five is an intimate look at the legend in two different points in her life: The first act takes place in September of 1938, when she has just been labeled “box office poison;” and the second act is set in February of 1983, after she has broken her ankle in a car accident. Kate was stunning on stage and I loved every moment of the first act. There was a slight intermission and then the second act. During the second act, when she is in age progressed makeup, it is easy to forget that it is actually Kate Mulgrew and not Kate Hepburn! She did a tremendous job, especially with the shaking that Hepburn experienced due to Parkinson’s disease. About halfway through, Kate was standing at only about eight feet away from me, just slightly off center on stage, and she made eye contact with me! I could NOT believe it! She had actually looked right at me! Infact, I was so mystified that I couldn’t believe it until a few moments later when she did it again! It was completely amazing.
After the play we made our way out of the theater and towards the Pavilion where the reception would be held. We were admitted into the room and my stomach was a little quivery. I figured that it must be due to the fact I hadn’t eaten supper. I walked over to a table where they had some crackers and cheese. I picked up just a few things and walked over to where my mother was. She had moved off into a corner, kind of staying out of the way. I took one bite of the crackers and realized that it was a mistake. My stomach was not quivering because I was hungry; it was quivering because I was that nervous! I stood there looking around the room at everyone there. I happened to notice that standing not four feet away from us was Lombardo, the man who wrote the play. I only prayed that he would stay there.
I always try to find someone close to my age to talk to. I saw a couple standing close to us and they seemed to be in their early to mid twenties. They came and stood right beside us, but I didn’t speak to them right away. At that very moment I see Tim Hagan, Kate’s husband come in from the side entrance and speak to Lombardo, who was still infront of us! I knew this would be the entrance that Kate would come out of then! No sooner had I thought that and had time to look around again, than she walked out, like an angel, and stopped right there in front of us. She greeted Matthew and asked him to get her a glass of white wine. Just then a man walked up with a glass of red wine and handed it to her. She told Matthew “Never mind, I have a glass.” I was stunned. I couldn’t even breathe, much less utter a word. She was standing there, four feet infront of me and I was speechless. I realized that there was no way I could approach her alone, it was too intimidating. I was going to need a partner in crime. Fortunately, I was handed one! Andy was standing beside us with his wife and I don’t remember how we started chatting but we did. He had grabbed extra playbills, that we unbent to have Kate signed. We forged an alliance. In return for using my mom’s pens, he offered me one of his unbent playbills. Moments later we set off to conquer Kate! We found her at a table where she was signing autographs. She kept asking someone to find her a better sharpie, because the one she had wasn’t working.
Just shoving my playbill infront of her wasn’t enough for me though, I wanted interaction. I wanted to talk to her. So we waited. She continued to walk around the room and Andy and I talked about how great she was. She stopped by the fruit table to grab some food. I know she had to be starving! I told Andy that I really wanted to get my picture taken with her, and he was nice enough to walk back over to mom and get my camera. We stood there for a few minutes just watching her. Then he turned to me and said, talk to me, like we know each other! (LOL) We did this for a minute but it just wasn’t working. I suggested that we just stare at the back of her head until she turn around but he reminded me that she is probably used to being stared at. I still did it, and about a minute later she actually turned around to face us! I figure she probably heard us speaking! It was so amazing. I asked her if I could possibly get my picture taken with her. She said “sure sweetie.” And I was in heaven. I got a picture with her and then was about to take a picture of Andy with her, when a lady offered to take one of both us. So I got to have my picture taken with Kate twice! It was amazing. I told her what an honor it was to meet her. We took the picture and I said thank you, then she was pulled off in a different direction.
We ran back to mom and Mindy, Andy’s wife, to tell them what had happened. They asked if we’d gotten the playbills signed. We said no, but that we would go back in a few minutes. They told us not to wait too long, because she probably wouldn’t stay too long. That got us concerned so we walked back over to where she was. Again, she was the one who turned to us, and spoke. Andy asked her if she could sign his playbill and she said sure. Then he walked off. I was standing right beside her and I asked her if she could sign one for me and one for my three-year-old. She said sure and I told her that my three-year-old adores her.
“Is it possible to be adored by a three year old?” she asked.
“Well it is when it’s this three year old.” I started to babble then. I told her that when he found out I was going to Baltimore he asked me if I was going to meet “Gainway,” as he calls her.
She listened with a wide smile on her face and asked what his name was. I told her and so she personalized Richie’s playbill. It says “To Richard, Hello! Kate Mulgrew”. Then she handed them back to me, looked me in the eye, and said, “keep up the good work!” (Referring to Richie) and winked at me! I could not believe it. I was on cloud nine. I went back to where my mother was standing and melted into a puddle of goo. Andy and I talked about how awesome it was to meet her. Then they left. I just stood there for fifteen minutes watching her walk around. It was so amazing I wanted to savor the moment as long as I possibly could! Finally my mom dragged me out of the hall and I took one look back at Kate. She is the most awe inspiring, graceful person that I have ever met!
I'm glad you got to meet her! (I still have high hopes for next year, for my own opportunity to do so.)