"I don't know when, I don't know how, but I know something's starting right now. Watch and you'll see some day I'll be part of your world."
They were living in completely different worlds, until a little mermaid forced them to collide. Although, it...
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"Jess, hurry up! It's ten minutes till showtime", Bernie from the crew exclaimed, running through the small but long corridor backstage at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. The door to the dressing room with my name written on a small plaque was closed, but I could still hear his instructions clearly. Before I could answer he was already screaming at the next actor he passed.
I put on my signature red lipstick, which was always the last step before I went on stage and the only step I always did by myself. Every night, I had a makeup artist apply eyeshadow round my blue eyes, but this I never trusted anyone with. The last few minutes before the spotlight would hit my face, were a moment of silence, a moment of peace for me. A moment to prepare myself to sing my heart out infront of a thousand people.
But it was also a moment of thinking for me. I looked down at the picture of my mom, that I had sticked to the big mirror in front of me. She was smiling happily and so was I. Smiling, because I was living out my dream. Playing the main role in Beautiful, The Carole King Musical, the amazing Carole King, was challenging for me, although I had been on Broadway for three years now, doing musical theatre, but it was my biggest role to date.
That's also why I was happy, but sad at the same time. Because it was gonna be over soon. After tonight's show, I wasn't gonna be singing I feel the Earth Move anymore, like I did for the last six months. The curtain was closing for good and my feelings were bittersweet. I was gonna miss the cast, the crew, the whole production, but life goes on right? And who knows what project I might be doing next.
"Five minutes!", Bernie exclaimed once again, interrupting me in my thoughts and I took a deep breath. Even If I had established myself on broadway and gathered a small the fanbase, I was still nervous, every time I heard those harshly sounding, but well meant words. They kind of reminded me of my dad whenever he was waiting for me to get ready as a teenager. Five minutes Jessica, or I'll leave without you! Your mom was always late too! I haven't heard his voice in a long time.
He didn't support me, not like I wanted him too. He didn't believe in me. But here I was proving him wrong and I'm so glad that I followed my path. I just wished he would be in the audience cheering me on, clapping for me once I finished Will you love me tomorrow or waiting for me at the stage door afterwards to hug me and congratulate me. I wished they'd both be here.
I took one last glance at the picture of my mom, that my dad took of her many many years ago in summer when we were visiting my grandparents house, before I turned off the light in my dressing room and exited through the door, where the plaque with my name on it was gonna be removed very soon. I made my way to stage, where everyone was already waiting for me.
"Break a leg, Jess", Joe, the acto who played my on-stage husband Gerry, said to me after giving me a hug, as if I hadn't been doing exactly what I was about to do for the last six month. I thanked him laughing, with teary eyes, hoping this dream of me being on broadway wasn't going to end with closing night.
