I miss theatre
Dear Friends,
I miss theatre. Here are just a few things I miss about theatre:
1) I miss that moment where a scrappy young girl says something like “Why don’t we put the show on OURSELVES?” or “We’re not gonna let that mean old Surly T. Grumplesworth keep us down!” or “Poughkeepsie? THAT’S how you pronounce ‘Poughkeepsie’?” and before you know it everyone onstage is tap dancing in unison and I am crying.
Nothing makes me cry like people who were just singing and dancing separately suddenly singing and dancing together. I do not know why. It is a beautiful mystery and I goddamn love it.
2) I miss the thing where you’re going to see a real sad musical for the first time, and the person next to you is seeing the same real sad musical for the seventh time, and she has brought kleenexes to share.
3) I miss how every single theatre person has a story about how she was in a show where one of the leads broke her tailbone on the night before opening and she, a mere chorus member, got to go on AS THE LEAD. One thing I just love about theatre is how many stars are made because things didn’t go exactly right. There’s a happy lesson in there.
New York recently got the expected but devastating news that Broadway will be closed till at least May. So it’ll be a while before I see live theatre in person again. But in the meantime, my ridiculously talented friends Taylor Ferrera and Matthew Webster have produced a musical podcast that is just a huge delight.
For some reason I can never find it in an iTunes search, so I’m gonna link to the podcast right here. It has some amazing Broadway stars—like Jackie Hoffman, Katie Rose Clarke, and Karen Ziemba — and my favorite song (in episode 3!) is sung by Betsy Wolfe.
I also HIGHLY recommend “What the Constitution Means to Me” on Amazon Prime. It was one of my favorite things I’ve ever seen on Broadway, and I’m thrilled it was taped so a wider audience can experience it.
On a fun note, I got to write a tiny piece for Vanity Fair this week. They asked me to imagine the final scenes of the Trump administration, so you will not be surprised I wrote about a tiny mouse named Admiral Nibblesworth. Here’s just an, ahem, taste:
A tubby little fellow named Chowder sniffled in the corner.
“I think I’ll miss Him most,” he said, a single tear rolling down his face. Chowder thought of the bits of Big Mac and leftover two-piece meals he delighted in finding strewn about the Oval Office. He smiled, remembering the time he floated the day away in a leftover Wendy’s Frosty, every so often using a french fry as a paddle.”
I hope you like the story! I’m linking here.
I also read “Everyone Gets a Say” on video, for your viewing pleasure. So feel free to set your kids in front of it, and have the first 7 minute break you’ve had in months.
And if you like the book, but hate me, here it is being read by the First Lady of California.
I also got to talk about voting with O Magazine, which I’m proud to say is exactly the same as being best friends with Oprah. Here’s a link to the full article.
And speaking of voting, it’s time to talk about the election. I know. Many of you have probably already voted, and I hope all of you will be. Remember that people who make an actual plan are more likely to vote, so make sure you have a plan for Tuesday — and then make a Plan B, just in case. Stay in line as though you have the deciding vote, because you just might!
As someone who makes no secret about her beliefs, it almost feel silly to hope someone who is undecided or voting Republican is going to be affected by anything I have to say. That said, I do want to say just a few words about Joe Biden, because this isn’t the kind of election where you can safely leave anything unsaid.
When it comes down to it, I’m voting for Joe Biden because he’s a good person. I believe he is the candidate who trusts science and can get the pandemic under control; I believe his plan will allow tens of millions more people to have affordable healthcare and that he is the only candidate for President who will maintain protections for pre-existing conditions; I believe he is committed to fighting climate change as the emergency that it is. But at the heart of it, the person who will do all of those things has to be a person who cares deeply about other people. So I’m voting for Joe Biden because he’s a good man.
And trust me, I know I’m being sentimental here: But I can’t help but think that a person who has undergone such unimaginable tragedy in his own life—having lost a wife and two children— might be exactly the person we need right now to help our country heal.
I see it in the way he hugs the son of a Parkland shooting victim for as long as he can hold on, and he tells him that someday things will be ok again.
I see it in the time Joe Biden spends, not just talking to a kid who stutters, but asking his dad if he can take his phone number so Joe can follow up later.
(And by the way, Biden didn’t just call him. He called him, he gave him advice, he followed up, and most recently he had Brayden record one of campaign commercials.)
Now listen, I don’t need a President to hug me and tell me everything’s going to be ok. But I do need someone I can trust to make America safe so that I can hug my friends and family again.
That’s why I’m voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Kisses (metaphorical!),
Jill
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p.s.2. My books are for sale here:
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
p.s.3. If you do not want to be subscribed to this list YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND PUNCH THAT UNSUBSCRIBE BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM. Truly I love unsubscribing from things. It is my favorite hobby. I promise not to take it personally.