New Play - Love Song

[discoharvest]

um, so how are you looking so freaking calm?? um, i would have the biggest smile on my freaking face!!!!!!

[punctuator]

Probably because I was TIRED. But, I dunno: I feel calm around him. A little buzzed-- but calm. And I don't dare do a full-on grin for the camera-- go find a picture of Lon Chaney Senior in "Phantom of the Opera" and you'll have a pretty good idea why.

*****

Okey-doke, I am home and vaguely less Guinnessed, so here's a brief recap of What Happened:

Wednesday night, post-show: I let the autograph-and-photo folks have at him. Then, when he breaks away, I say to him, "I don't want a picture; I don't want your signature. Could I just ask you something--?"-- at which point a gangly woman with a paperback copy of "Breakfast on Pluto" swoops in. She has no pen. I (on the advice of Voice of Reason) carry multiple Sharpies; I say, "I have a pen-- Just a sec-- Sorry--"-- like I owe her, but hell, we're all a little tense-- so I hand Cillian a Sharpie, and he signs the book, and then he says, "What was your question--?" And I say, "Did you listen to any of the CDs I gave you in Toronto--?" (See, I gave him my five-pack of desert-island pop discs at the TIFF.) And his eyes light up, just a bit, and he smiles, and he says, "That was you--? I didn't have some of those. You have great taste in music. Thank you--!" So-- by this time, even stoic Punctuator is getting the fangirl twitchies-- so I murble (which is to say, I mumble and burble) something along the lines of "Well, thank you for all your great work--" -- at which point we part company, and I levitate off to the Marquis of Granby for a stabilizing pint of something cool and dark.

Close encounters, part two: Friday night before the show: Though an ancient friend warned me off giving Cillian any more music before I departed on my London [mis]adventure, by Friday I was thinking: SHOOT. THE HELL. LIKE HE'S EVER GONNA SEE ME AGAIN. So I picked up a copy of a symphony that's huge and heartbreaking and very dear to me and a little silver gift wrapper at HMV on Oxford Street, and I ate dinner at a Moroccan restaurant, and I waited for forty minutes in a chilly west wind (thank God for Minnesota FAT) with the hard-core scary autograph guys before the show (and, y'know, I saw him off down the alley opposite the one the stage door is in, just lurking in the shadows: I SAW HIM), and then he came on over and across narrow Tower Street and into the stage door alley, and I handed him the CD and said, "Merry Christmas." And he stops and says, "Aww-- you didn't have to do that--!", and I shuffle and say, "Ah, well--",and he says, "I look forward to listening to it.", and I say, "This one'll take your head clean off. It's GORGEOUS." (which it is: I'm not kidding: this one could gobble up Beethoven's Ninth, belch politely, and spit out the bones), and he says, "What's your name?", and I say, "Kim." (which is the truth; honestly, I've always thought it sounded like a cat hacking up a hairball), and he says "Merry Christmas to you, Kim.", and I say, "Thank you, Cillian." And then we smile at each other-- and I leave him to the tender mercies of the hard-core autograph guys. I swear, one of 'em looked like something you'd find floating in a jar of pickled eggs. But, hey! For once, my name didn't sound like a cat gagging. Happy here, yeah--?

So thazzit. Silly, sure. But it's music; it's good for you, right--?

Side note: He's not at ease with autograph-seekers. Or that's how it seems. He hunches his shoulders; his eyes darken a little; his face goes still; he mumbles "Thanks. Thank you." Shy. Or in this situation he is: It must be different for actors when they're doing a play: at a film premiere, it's a one-off, the press is there, and it's formal. When they're heading for, or leaving, a stage door, they're going to or from work. It's art, but it's a job, too.

And, okay: eerie fangirl confession time. I have sort of a personal rule: if I'm going to hang out at stage doors, or take photos, or ask for autographs, I have to see the show. So I saw "Love Song"...

... six times. He's excellent in it: he's sweet and intense. The "bottle" scene: that's him swigging wine when Beane comes over, all full of crazy lovestruck exuberance, to visit his sister Joan and her husband Harry. He has his shirt off because-- well, let's just say he makes a pre-empted dash for the washer and dryer. See, he's "lost" his other clothes in an "incident"-- and he confesses, loopily, that the shirt he has on is less than fresh....

[ghmugglegirl]

WOW!!! Lucky you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish I could go!!!!

[bitterpigs]

omg im getting goosebumps reading thisLOL holy crap u meet cillian twice, saw love song six times!!!! im so jealous!!! but wow he seems like a real sweetheart that he listened to ur cds! most celebs don't bother.

[chero]

I'm getting goosebumps over here, too!! Cillian is so sweet!! I'm liking him more and more. If I ever see him in real-life, I'll have to contain my fangirl emotions so that he won't get scared of me. I'd hate for that to happen.

[katrina]

Wow. What can I say... Punctuator "Kim" you played that out very well! Seeing Cillian 2 times, talking to him (music is good for yah!), just the way it all went down sounds lovely (perfect!), and seeing the play SIX times worked out all-too well! haha.
I am VERY VERY proud! I think your the fan thats had the most sucess with Cillian lucky doll.

And when you asked him a question:
"What was your question--?" And I say, "Did you listen to any of the CDs I gave you in Toronto--?" (See, I gave him my five-pack of desert-island pop discs at the TIFF.) And his eyes light up, just a bit, and he smiles, and he says, "That was you--? I didn't have some of those. You have great taste in music. Thank you--!"

^^ I was honestly going: "omg is she gonna ask if he listened to the CD's!??!?! And surly enough you did, yahoo!
Your never gonna forget this trip ever! I'm so smiling right now hehe....

[discoharvest]

awww Cillian is such a sweet!!!! awww i wish i knew him! he seem so cool, ur so lucky

[Miho]

awww God... ain't he the sweetest? I can't believe you could get so close to him and still remain calm. Bet it was pretty though. Congratulations Kim, you are one lucky woman. ;D

[Pig-n-me]

I am bowing to you now Punctuator...wow!! Wow! Wow! Did i say wow? What does he smell like? LOL

[chero]

^Good question!! I've never thought of that one before. I want to know, too! lol

[bitterpigs]

pigme said:

I am bowing to you now Punctuator...wow!! Wow! Wow! Did i say wow? What does he smell like? LOL

oh yeah nice one i know if i ever smelled him it would be burned into my memory foreverLOL

[punctuator]

Okay-- and this reminds me just a little of the first time Clarice visits Dr. Lecter in "Silence of the Lambs"--

Scents!

-- slightly musky, but very lightly, and in a nice way. Probably just catching a whiff of the nylon in his jacket. A hint of sweet on top of it-- probably whatever hairdressing he's using to keep his bangs so, umm, elevated. Second night: he was carrying a cup of coffee (eight-ounce [or British equivalent], lidded, in a blue-and-white paper cup [brought to you by Hannibal's House of Creepy Stalker Detail] , so add "hint of java, likely whitened" to the notes above.

And-- 'cause they're stuck in my head, so they might as well be stuck in all your heads, too: TUNES: the play opens with "Just What I Needed," by the Cars. It ends with "Give a Little Bit"-- the Supertramp original (I think: my Cars knowledge exceeds my Supertramp knowledge by about a million percent!). Midway through, the Futureheads' cover of "Hounds of Love" shows up-- which left me gritting my teeth just a little: it's a game effort, but Kate Bush did it first-- and better-- in '84. Maybe tracking down the eccentric and elusive Ms. Bush for the rights proved too bothersome.... Ah, well!

[chero]

Thanks for your lovely details, complete with your hilarious side-notes! LOL*scampers off to fantasize (sp?) a bit more*

[punctuator]

No problem, chero!

Two other songs from the "soundtrack": XTC's "Senses Working Overtime," which chimes in just before Beane discovers the joys of turkey sandwiches-- and Joan's chrysanthemum perfume; and "Lovely Head," by Goldfrapp, which sends Beane out of Harry and Joan's kitchen armed with a bottle of wine, a tomato, and a calla lily.

And-- sorry-- but there were two songs I couldn't quite identify-- one with "ooh, I like it" lyrics and a twisting, ringing guitar line that plays as Beane and Molly commence falling for each other (I know I've heard it-- I just can't recall where!), and one that sends Harry and Joan off-stage to "play hooky"....

[chero]

"play hooky"? Sounds mischievious...too bad I wasn't there to witness this.

Thanks for the extra tidbit, punctuator.