The 1st Annual Bombers Boomers Broadway Celebrity Softball Games

Wow. That was a mouthful. Today was a day I had been anticipating for quite a while now. It was the day I would attend the 1st Annual Bombers..... I must say, when I decided I was to be in attendance I really had no idea what it was, aside from the fact that the money went to charity and it had Broadway people playing softball at Yankee Stadium. Yes, that is enough to make me want to go.

Aaron Tveit singing the Star Spangled Banner

I got there at 10am this morning to be surprised with a wonderful continental breakfast and great coffee, the only thing I really need in the morning. Of course it did help that when I got outside and sat anywhere I felt like in Yankee Stadium, the weather was beautiful and Aaron Tveit sang the Star Spangled Banner. Not to mention Rachelle Rak, Alex Ellis, Dominic Scaglione, Jr., Matt Bogart, Mitch Jarvis, Tom Wopat and many other Broadway people that I admire were there, nonetheless playing softball! I happened to be rooting for the Broadway Bombers, mainly because Catch Me if You Can is my favorite current Broadway show and that was team with the Catch Me people. Still, the Bombers suffered a sad defeat. Congrats to the Times Square Slammers though! And yes, it was still fun to watch.

Aaron Tveit

Dominic Scaglione, Jr. at bat

After the Broadway game ended, the Boomers-Bombers game was set to begin. These teams consisted of various famous people from various places, most of whom I had never heard of (excluding Edie Falco), so I found that game much less interesting. It was during this point in the day that I decided to relax in the air-conditioned Legends Suite, where the event took place. I am so lucky to have been in the Legends Suite once before due to my friend and her extra ticket and once you see a Yankee game there, you can't really go back. Still, I just hung out there for most of the time, lots of the Broadway players were filtering in and out so it was nice to see them, and the food was delicious.

Edie Falco at bat

After the second game ended, there was a reception with more food and drink. Honestly, I am astounded that I did not explode at some point throughout the day. I sat down, got some food (yet again, I might add), listened to nice Jazz, and drank water in a wonderfully air-conditioned room filled with incredibly nice and talented people following two celebrity softball games. Yeah, it was a good day.

My most recent Broadway endeavors.

"The right place at the right time"
Somehow this idea never really seemed to apply to me. Recently, however, I have seemed to be extremely lucky, Broadway-wise, in encountering stars. My most recent Broadway endeavor occurred whilst waiting to meet my family to go to Radio City to see Cirque du Soleil, Zarkana, which was great. It's fun to see a circus that actually has an interesting story with live music, not just a bunch of circus acts. Still, nothing beat the incredible set and the amazing theatre. If you get the chance, definitely go see this.

Slight tangent, back to my endeavors.

Radio city is on 50th and 6th so I decided I might as well hang out in the one place I was bound to run in to the Broadway stars within that area. It also just happened to be 6:15pm, roughly when all the performers go out between their matinees and night shows. I went to the Starbucks on 52nd and 8th, half a block from Jersey Boys and Catch Me If You Can. I was just lucky that it was such a hot day and everyone was trying to get inside where there was air conditioning. While on line at Starbucks getting the most refreshing drink I know of, a passion iced tea, none other than Dominic Scaglione Jr. walked in. He was Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys! (Or at least in the production I saw) At first I wasn't sure, but I finally I decided that it was actually him. Still, I have yet to figure out how to pronounce his last name so I was not sure how to approach him. While deliberating, there were these two little girls by the window waving to the people on the outside. For those of you who are New Yorkers, you know that that is something definitely in the ordinary. Of course, only in the place that I was would these little girls wave to Aaron Tveit as he was passing by and then ask "What if we waved to someone famous without realizing it?"

Anyway back to Dominic, the story about Aaron yet to come. I finally decided to just ask him if he by any chance played Fankie Valli in Jersey Boys, which he of course said yes to and we had a short conversation while I told him how wonderful he is. He then asked my name (something that really makes me happy about Broadway stars, it actually makes you feel like they care) and in anticipation of the awkward moments to follow if I were to continue to hang out in that Starbucks, I left.

The moment I stepped outside, a gust of heat hit me, followed by a long minute of lightheadedness and me having to lean against a street sign to actually be able to start breathing again (what can I say? I'm more of a winter girl). Of course standing 10 feet from me is Aaron Tveit talking on the phone, another thing that didn't quite help with the whole lightheaded and breathing thing. I walked across the street planning on heading over to Radio City, but still unable to. I needed water. I went back to the Starbucks to buy myself a water bottle to help me last the longest four block trip I have ever been on and of course, I see Jay Armstrong Johnson and once again Aaron Tveit. After a few long moments of hesitating I decided I'd walk over and say hello after I had gotten some water. Of course when I got to the register the cashier made a big fuss about how I was just in here and if she needed to check my ID. By the time I had bought my water, they were both gone.

Still it was cool to just see them and have the chance to talk to Dominic! Let's hope I continue to be this lucky when it comes to theatre.

Sidenote: I hate to overshadow my Tony's post with this one seeing as that one is a bit more significant. I just thought I'd share this experience.

Jersey Boys

Saturday, May 28th, let's just say getting to Times Square at 1:30pm for an 8pm show and waiting in the hot sun for hours on end was worth it. I did, however, manage to pull off two first and second row seats, student rush price ($27), which made it all the better. And I must say, It was a really great show.

After seeing Catch Me 3 times I've really grown fond of the whole interacting with the audience/telling a story thing, and that was exactly what Jersey Boys was. It began with a really nice segue from Ces Soirées-là into Tommy DeVito (Dominic Nolfi) talking about how it all started. I was sort of expecting it to be sort of "concert-y" but the balance between the break out into song and the storyline worked perfectly, then again, that's what a good musical is. It also had a wonderful balance between the drama, the romance and the comedy.

There were also moments when people in the audience just had to sing along, I mean these songs are way before my generation and I still knew them.

And of course, the cast was incredible. I actually had the pleasure of seeing the show with two phenomenal understudies, Dominic Scaglione Jr. (Frankie Valli) and Nathan Scherich (Bob Gaudio). Of course I have heard all the hype about Ryan Jesse and Jarrod Spector, but these two guys were amazing. Scaglione turned the switch from the young, new to the group "younger brother" of DeVito to the powerful, decision making lead singer so smoothly and Scherich had one of the the most beautiful voices I have ever heard. Matt Bogart (Nick Massi) had this funny, tension relieving presence on stage, so much so, that even in some of the most dramatic moments, something would just slip out of his mouth and the audience would just break out into laughter. But as I said, perfect balance. And of course, Dominic Nolfi. What can I say? He was amazing. His voice, his dancing, his accent, his sharp movements that sort of looked like choreographed dance moves even when he was merely strolling across stage.

All in all, everyone in the show was incredible, and of course, so nice at the stage door.

Me, Matt Bogart, Dominic Nolfi and my friend Alice

Me, Alice and Dominic Scaglione, Jr.

I did feel sort of bad that there was this huge crowd outside of Catch Me If You Can and only a few stragglers outside Jersey Boys, not to mention my surprise. I mean, who doesn't want to get a playbill signed by amazingly talented performers from an incredible show? When Scherich came out he sort of dashed out really quickly, barely giving anyone enough time to tell him, "Great job!"as he rushed by, which was sort of a letdown because he was wonderful and I really would've loved a picture with him. However, when Nolfi, Scaglione and Bogart came out they were all so nice. And due to the not-so-huge crowd I actually got a picture with all of them! They all seemed genuinely happy that we had stayed to tell them how great they were which is always something nice to see.

Great story. Great cast. Great songs. What else does a great musical need?