Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig, and the Douglases- Antonio

After a couple attempts at getting their signature at the stage door, I finally went to see Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig in their Broadway play, A Steady Rain. I passed the theater on my way home and stepped in to check for last minute cancellations. This is one of the advantages of being a theater lover in New York—on any given night you can step up to the TKTS booth in Times Square or any box office and get a last minute discounted ticket for a Broadway show. Well, I was in for a special treat this night.

As I waited in the lobby I chatted up with Peter (his name has been changed to avoid getting my butt kicked), a security officer I worked with at the theater where Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter himself) was playing in Equus. Really nice guys—both Daniel and ‘Peter’. Peter is a friendly guy who is really open to talk to, but he carries a gun and can pin you down in one swift move. I always seemed to remember this when we were having political disagreements, which I definitely stopped bringing up. I digress. Well, curtain time was quickly approaching. It was a different crowd at this show- older, more mature and sophisticated. I was getting ready to leave as no tickets were becoming available when I saw Michael Douglas. Yes! Michael Douglas! Gordon Gekko, Glenn Close’s Fatal Attraction. I pulled out my camera to snap a picture of him and possibly ask him about his ‘Go’, but Peter shot me a ‘you-know-better-than-that’ look (cameras are not allowed inside the theater at all; not even the lobby). He politely declined giving an autograph, indicating that he was busy. And he was; he was receiving his dad, Mr. Kirk Douglas. Kirk and Michael Douglas! This is showbiz royalty. Michael gave Kirk a kiss and a hug that warmed my heart; whether they hadn’t seen each other in a while or every greeting is like that, that instant sparked with love and affection. It was such an intimate moment, and right before my eyes. I guess that’s when I get star struck. Seeing stars emote on screen or stage is one thing, but seeing them in a moment of genuine feeling in the context of reality is another.

Anyway, I got a ticket. Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig were fantastic, but it was after the show that we got a real treat. They were raising funds for Broadway Care, and Hugh Jackman announced that they’d be doing this shamelessly this evening as both of them, well known for their sculptured torsos, unbuttoned their shirts to reveal tank tops. Hugh Jackman led the bidding, getting three people to bid up to $26,000 for these tank tops in a matter of minutes. His charisma and warmth is definitely worth the ticket price and more. I mean, it got people to pay thousands of dollars for a tank top.

Oh, bathrooms, right! Well, bathrooms in Broadway houses are usually a throwback to an era when attending the theater was a more formal event. Many of them indicate gender with Victorian silhouettes and are located in a lower level lobbies that once hosted social gatherings preceding and following the performances. The line to the women’s lounges are usually so long, that it makes you wonder (well, makes me wonder) if corsets and pettyskirts are being readjusted in there. But they do have this old school feeling that usually makes me want to wear a top hat and tails.