This the first full week of shows. That means - eight shows and 4 of those are on Saturday and Sunday and no more social life. My neck’s a little stiff- and my throat is scratchy. But the audience will never know. There’s a microphone concealed in my head so I can talk like an FM DJ if I want and they can hear me in the balcony. What would Ethel Mermen think about that?

Opening night is tomorrow Sunday at 7. Such an unglamouros time and day. But we’ll have fun. The audience is going to be peppered with big cheeses, best friends, my special someone, a couple exes and my sister who’s bringing the only two people who could make me nervous, my niece and nephew. I’m kind of a deadbeat aunt. But I love them. So I hope they love the show and they don’t think I’m too weird. For me Los Big Names is pretty tame family material with a few detours. I can’t even say what I do here because I’m worried that my nephew and niece are going to read my blog- Okay, I mime something with initials B.J. and it’s just for a few seconds and all in fun.
But I’ve seen teenagers in the audience this week and nobody freaked out and my niece and nephew are cool and amazing and smart and I hope they read this part.

Moving on- I take the subway to do my shows and I’ve never loved the r,n,and w lines more. Even when my show is a hit I will still take the subway to work. That’s part of being in NY theater. I used to enjoy spotting understudies on the subway around 7:30 when the star showed up and they were released. They looked like dolls with their hair done, and so much make up and promise in their expressive actress eyes.

Last night I was starving after the show and I walked to the subway eating my sandwich- trying to squeeze through the mobs of people leaving the ODD Couple, and the crowd blocking the street waiting for autographs from Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.
There was no room on the sidewalk so I had walk in the narrow space between their two sleek limos and oncoming taxis. I thought okay I’m the girl on the other side of the tracks. But I wouldn’t trade shows with them.