That was one of the most fantastic days I've ever had! It all feels a bit surreal now.
I arrived at the theatre for my soundcheck (!!) at 4:15 and the band had just arrived from London so everything was running late. They put me into the hospitality room (basically just a room upstairs in the theatre with loads of food in it - a kitchen next door with a chef and a team of catering staff). I walked into the room to find Matt Johnson and Jeff Hill sitting eating and sat down and had a cup of tea with them!!
Over the next half hour various members of the band (not Rufus though) wandered in and out grabbing plates of food and said hi to me. They all went off to do their soundcheck and I was left on my own for about 10/15 minutes (although the chef came and chatted with me for a while) before they came to get me for my soundcheck.
Gerry, the musical director, showed me where I had to stand and gave me a tambourine to hold and then told me he would signal me to swop that over for the microphone. At that point I had to move to the front of the stage to do my bit. They just did a quick run through of the last part of the song so I could practice with the mike. I did it a bit too fast and Gerry said just to take it easy and slow it all down by about a third. I didn't get another practice though! Then that was it and I said bye until it was time for the show.
I was given a set list and a timing schedule and told that someone would come and get me from the audience between 2 songs (at about 9:00pm). Gerry said if it got half way through 'Leaving For Paris' and no-one had come for me to panic! Great...thanks for that joke Gerry.
Anyway, after the soundcheck I was feeling ok but as I waited for the start of the show my nerves starting kicking in. I tried to relax and enjoy the show and sort of managed to until it got near the time to go backstage. Nobody came!! Leaving For Paris was a couple of minutes in and I was starting to panic - then I spotted a security guy peering over from the side door so I just grabbed my bag and made my way backstage.
Ok - got the fairy wings on - got the butterfly sparkly thing on my wrist and I'm waiting in the wings for my cue. I decided there and then that I was going to enjoy it and stuff nerves!! I heard Rufus say my name and I was on!!!!
It was fantastic. I just started dancing as soon as the song started and kept looking over at Rufus and he was smiling back at me every time. 2 of the guys from the horn section came over to dance with me and that felt amazing - I felt like I was in the band! The feeling washing over the stage was just total happiness, joy, love...whatever you want to call it. You could just feel all these great vibes - what a high it was.
It came to my spoken bit and I swapped the tambourine for the mike and somehow I just went into this other level where I felt confident and happy and very much 'a performer'. I fluffed the second line (I said city instead of town) but recovered pretty quickly and got to the end without any further thingy ups! Rufus kept looking at me and smiling - it was really like a dream coming true...a wonderful, totally encompassing feeling of joy. He kissed me on both cheeks and then we all exited stage left. It was the interval and I was about a mile high off the ground with excitement.
Everyone was congratulating me and saying lovely things. People were coming up to me during the interval and saying how much they'd enjoyed it. A girl from my course was there and came to congratulate me and said how shocked she was when she recognised me on stage.
At the end of the show people were still coming up to me and one couple said they thought I had done it better than Frances de la Tour!!
....end of part one....
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Rufus Wainwright (Read 313578 times)
