Give Me Your Attention...I'm The One

(February 01, 2008)

Oh my god, the greatest thing just happened. It was like the universe decided to act just like a Hollywood popcorn movie and give me a personal message. You know, like the heart lit up the Empire State Building for Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle thereby informing her that she needed to go find Tom Hanks. "Buck up little cowgirl!" burbled the universe. You see, I was trudging up Allston Street towards home. It was Friday night and I was in a blue funk -- the work week was too damn long, I was heading home to a messy apartment and a pile of laundry, the sky was pissing more of that depressing late-winter icy rain, my glasses were fogging -- basically I was just a big 'ol crankypants schlepping home in the dismal Allston muck.

Until I saw THIS, just sitting there on top of a cement wall:

Well. "That," I said, "is what you call traveling."

Then I pretty much sang & danced home...ALL the way home.

Like this:

"One!" (two, shoulder up)


"Singular sensation..." (point and point, leap)


"...every little step she takes..." (step, kick, hat to the head, three, four)


"ONE!" (leap with the hip, follow through)


"Thrilling combination...EVERY MOVE THAT SHE MAKES!" (Up, down, feel the phrase)


"One smile and..."
(elbow right, down, point, step, brush, three, four)


"...suddenly nobody ELSE WILL DOOOO!" (step, flick, step, up, step and step, slow)


"You know you�ll never be lonely with yooooou-know-whooooo..." (Three, four, five, six)


"ONE moment in her presence..." (back, back)

But I did it all in my head.

By the time I reached my street corner I'd sailed into the finale.

"Ooh! Sigh! Give her your attention
Do! I! Really have to mention
Sheeeeeee�s thhhhhe onnnnnnne?"

I can't believe that somehow out of nowhere there's this hat from A Chorus Line just perched pertly on a cement ledge for no apparent reason.

That's one of my favorite musicals. Ever. The show makes me laugh, cry, sing, dance -- just the sight of that stupid cheesy hat! We had the LP in the house when I was a kid, from when my parents went to see the show on Broadway. Let's see, when was that...they saw a lot of shows when I was really little, in the 70s. I used to pore through the Playbills line by line and play the records over and over, and I seem to be remembering A Chorus Line happening around the same time as Evita. That was Patti Lupone playing Evita... (a Quick Google here) ...1979. After awhile, they went back to see A Chorus Line again, and took us kids. It was a matin�e on Broadway. It was even better than the soundtrack had promised it would be.

At various times in my life I've identified with one or another character from the line. The coming of age song "Hello 12, Hello 13" is awesome. I love Bebe, the plucky one who was "different" but not "beautiful" and had learned to dance because "everyone was beautiful at the ballet." I also love Diana with her grudge against the crabby acting coach who never believed in her. I love Cassie too, with all the talent who decided to just go out and buy the looks by way of cosmetic surgery. And Bobby, oh, how snarky and adorable was Bobby. And Richie! "Gimme the Ball, gimme the ball, gimme the ball!"

THE SONGS! "Tits and Ass," which for every high school production becomes "This and That." HA! "I Hope I Get It." "At The Ballet." Then of course, "One." Every song is a character. What a fucking great show.

Thank you, amazing mood-changing magic hat from nowhere!!