Prologue
Standinginthewings,I watched as the musical wound down. The last song was a quiet, almost funeral dirge with haunting orchestrations. The song ended as the cast said the last lines of the new musical based on William Vaughn Moody’s play,The Faith Healer.
“By faith, which makes all things possible, which brings all things to pass,” Michaelis said.
“Serafina,” I said, leaning down into the stage manager’s ear, “Isn’t Bobby supposed to be on stage left right now?”
“Thanks, Erika,” Serafina whispered back to me. She flipped through the giant binder containing every call for the entire show. The stage manager’s prompt book was as sacred to a Broadway show as the NIV Bible to evangelicals. She found the sheet she was looking for before switching audio channels on her console and saying, “What the hell is Bobby Kenner doing on stage right? He’s supposed to enter from left center stage. He has less than twenty seconds to get his ass over here.”
“Come here—My baby!” said the young mother on stage.
Serafina switched channels and said in a calm, cool, and collected voice, “792…go.” Serafina threw switches on the audio deck in the jump booth.
“I believe—I believe—“ as the lighting on the young girl and mother dimmed.
A single spotlight shone on Rhoda, the last character on the stage, “I believe. I do believe!”
“Lights 793…go,” Serafina said. The spotlight on Rhoda dimmed out completely. “Warning, lights 794 to 801 standby.” I looked at the stage and waited for my personal favorite lighting moment of the show. “And…go.” Several lights turned all at once causing an eerie shadowing effect that was both beautiful and haunting.
Bobby Kenner somehow made it stage left as the final light dimmed. He bent over, panting after his fast run to this side of the stage.
“Where’s your head, boy?” Serafina hissed at Bobby.
“Sorry, Ms. Porcher. Won’t happen again, Ms. Porcher.”
“And Erika.” My head swung toward Seraphina. “Never interrupt someone in the jump booth.” She turned and said, “Lights 802…go.” She turned back to look at me, “I can multitask because I’ve done this forever, butneverinterrupt someone calling the show.”
I knew better.What a rookie mistake.I nodded and mouthed, “I’m sorry,“ but I doubt she saw it.
“Lights 803…go.”
The music swelled as the final lights dimmed on stage. One last spotlight from beneath the stage illuminated Michaelis.
“Rail, stand by to bring in the Main Curtain.”
Michaelis lifted his hands toward the heavens as he was lowered under the stage.
“Rail…go.” How Seraphina called cues and kept the show running was a marvel. “Places for curtain. Places for curtain.”
The backstage area was almost pitch black except for the handful of blue running lights and glow-in-the-dark tape that marked the stage to keep people out of the path of others entering and exiting. Someone squeezed in behind me before wrapping his arms around me. There was a gentle kiss at the bottom of my neck.
“You were amazing,” Asher said in a low whisper.
“I may have been amazing, but you became a star tonight.”
My boyfriend, Asher Fraser Alexander, played Michaelis, a conman faith healer. We’d been working actors for years, trying to get parts in Off-Broadway and Broadway productions. We’d even gone on separate touring casts. I did my time inWickedbelting “Defying Gravity” while he raised the house as a Mormon missionary belting “I Believe.” After a few years of pounding the pavement as Broadway babies, we finally found ourselves cast in a brand-new Broadway musical…together.
“Lights 813…go. Fly curtain…go” There was a pause as we watched the curtain rise. “Standby Chorus…go”
The chorus ran onto the stage from either side, clasped hands and took their well-earned bows. Over the next 45 seconds, the cast entered the stage and bowed as the audience roared their applause.
“Standby Mary and Matthew.” Immediately an assistant stage manager tapped me on the shoulder letting me know it was time to walk on stage. “Go.”
I walked onto the stage and stared at my onstage husband. I could only imagine how large my smile was. I had opened a show on Broadway. My mind raced with thousands of thoughts. I couldn’t believe this was finally happening. I walked to the middle of the stage and grabbed my “husband’s” hand, and we walked downstage center and bowed together. Then I applauded as he bowed, then he applauded while I bowed.
After our bows, there was a swelling of the music as the entire cast turned and extended our hands toward the backstage where Asher stood. He was radiant. I’d never seen him happier or more in his element than at that moment. He walked to the front of the stage and took a giant, dramatic bow. The place erupted. He bowed again.
Asher reached out to me and clasped my hand before clasping my “husband’s” hand and led the entire company in a bow. Then he gestured to the orchestra, and we all applauded. We then took five steps backward as the creative team walked on stage. We all continued clapping.
