The trip to Portsmouth, was very uneventful, and conversation was much like it was the prior week...these guys take drag seriously, as a business, these guys don't, and the ones who don't, and go out in drag every night (for fun) ruin paid gigs for the "business-minded" queens.
We got held up again at the York toll. This time, for even longer than the first time. Sundays, and the end of the summer, lead to mass tourists heading south, to return home. (I know, tourists make or break businesses in Maine, during the summer, but I'm usually glad to see them go home.)
We got to the Rep, and I again dropped the girls off, then drove around trying to figure out where I could park. Unfortunately, the bank parking lot was full, and I didn't want to risk it with the church possibly towing the car. So, I drove around the block three times, and by the grace of all that is good, as I was getting ready to give up and go park in the parking garage a few blocks away, someone pulled out. So, I got a spot right in front of the theater. Only, Portsmouth runs their parking meters until 7pm on Sundays, so I had to rush to find quarters for two and a half hours worth of parking. Once parked, I took a minute to relax before heading back down.
Because I spend so much time as a man on a mission, I had planned to just head backstage to get drink orders. Only, I got held up by puppets. The Avenue Q puppets were again a part of Bunny's number. And I walked in on the rehearsal for it. It was brilliant, and I was so excited to see it actually worked into the show.
During the Jujubee show, Wendy had asked me how to get a backstage pass, to hang out in the dressing room with the girls. I told her that with some begging, and her being there early, that we could probably get her in.
Once we arrived, though, I had actually forgotten that I was going to talk to Bunny Wonderland about getting her in. And it occurred to me when I saw her outside, that I had forgotten. Fortunately, Cherry Lemonade asked, and it was not a problem.
Because the room is set up with lights and mirrors on both sides of the room, I could stare at myself in the mirror, and see everything that was going on in the rest of the room. (I'm sure everyone knew that I was watching, but, I tried to play it off otherwise.)
Wendy was all aglow, because she had just gotten back from P-Town, where she met John Waters, and saw Jinkx Monsoon and Trixie Mattel. And, she was in all her glory hanging out backstage with the queens. I don't think that the entire time we were downstairs I saw the smile leave her face.
Unlike last year, Joslyn painted at her hotel room instead of the theater. She arrived and they did a quick run through of the introduction staging directions , I did a last drink run, and then Wendy and I went to take our seats.
Our usual seats were reserved...for someone else. When I asked about who they were for, apparently, someone is trying to set up a ferry to P-Town from Portsmouth, and those were the people who stole my seat. Which worked out well enough, because with the puppet number, I wouldn't have managed to get the whole stage from the first row. So, second row it was.
It's always fun, watching the crowd come into the Rep, because, it's like walking into a crater. A very deep crater with very steep sides. (It really sucks carrying suitcases with drag queens in them down the steps, but it's fun to watch other people.) The reaction is usually somewhere along the lines of, "Jesus, could they make these steps any steeper?"
Finally, showtime! All my usual people were there this time, including the new people from Jujubee. The only one missing was the ever stoic Brian, who had to work.
My favorite act, by far, was the Mary Poppins/Avenue Q number, which I watched in rehearsal after parking. Bunny Wonderland made an amazing stoned Mary Poppins, being greeted by the puppets of Avenue Q, to the tune of "It's a Jolly Holiday With Mary". Which, incidentally was why I needed to not be in the front row this time...
Joslyn as JLO surprised me. The hair was spot on, and occasionally during the number, I went off into a world where I was watching JLO and not JFO.
I guess I was in the zone, because, it's rare that I have a conflict of reality, that allows me to suspend disbelief enough to buy a person as another person. (If that makes sense? This is why I could not watch TED...Peter Griffin is not a walking, talking teddy bear...I couldn't deal with the wrong character with the right voice.)
I was excited for Shaunna Rai's "Out Tonight" from RENT, because when we saw the stage the first time, I was like, "YOU NEED TO!"
Cherry Lemonade did a number, that I really didn't get. It started off with a phone call about her dad (presumably) dying, and then launched into a chain of memories about lost time, and that kind of thing. It was amazing, and showed off her vocal projection, because the mic crapped out on her. It was important to Cherry, and I later found out that it was one of her "for me" numbers. A number that the audience doesn't have to "get" because it's about the character, more than it is the audience.
Lili Whiteass did again, her number starting with Elsa Mars singing "Heroes", and transforming into a skeleton tap dancing to "Puttin on the Ritz." And, I accidentally got one of my favorite pictures ever, of her, with the skull mask on.
The numbers kind of run together, sometimes, for me, because as a photographer, I'm paying more attention to whatever action is happening, than the actual music.
Joslyn, as I expected, did not disappoint. Where her night last year was Broadway based, I has expected at least one Broadway number from her. Instead I got three Pop divas...JLO, Rhianna and Pink. And, I can honestly say I have never heard Pink do "Bohemian Rhapsody", but she's brilliant. And, Joslyn amazed.
Before I knew it, the show was over. I ran backstage to check on Shaunna, and see if she needed any help. We got the corset off, and I headed back up, to be ready for the Meet and Greet. I was there before the queens were, and, so I started to chat with the people I knew.
Andre, Joslyn's husband came up and started setting up merchandise for sale. I, immediately, searched out Wendy, who had said earlier that she was looking for Joslyn t-shirts.
Joslyn and the rest of the girls made their way up, and, as usually happens, the crowd swarmed. "Joslyn, take a selfish with me," and, "You're so (insert any adjective here), can I get a picture with you?"
So, I went around to get shots of people, and began to hand out my business cards to people, explaining that I was the official photographer, and showing where I would be posting photos from all the shows. (Because, what blogger doesn't want to promote their blog along with their photographs?)
Joslyn finally set herself up, with a table, for signing items for people. And I took control of the line. "You're next," and, "Smile," left my mouth more that night, than they ever have in my life. When the line was gone, I got panicky, because, it's my thing to get my picture with the Ru girls, and Shaunna was busy with her own paparazzi, so I had no idea who would take my picture. I didn't need to worry. I got my picture...And only then realized that I had forgotten to get one with Jujubee, the week before.
Finally, the crowd started to peter out, until only the few people who were getting paid were left. (And me, and Andre) Everyone went down to pack up, and leave. Feeling a little awkward, because the dressing room felt very crowded, I stayed outside, and probably made a complete fool of myself. I reintroduced myself to Andre (because I had met him in Ogunquit the day before they got married, and again at last year's show.) And, so, because I was trying to actually have a conversation on my own, I talked about the only thing that I could think of...Facebook...And the fact that we weren't Facebook friends. So, I asked if I would be weird to friend request him, since I was already friends with Joslyn's boy page. He said I would be fine, and I was like, this is so cool.
The ride home was a very interesting ride. Apparently, there was a mix up in Shaunna Rai's check and Rainbow Frite's. And, there was a difference in pay scale.
This set up a huge discussion about how the pay scale should've been the same across the board, for all but the Ru girls. I was silent, because I didn't know what to say for one, and I kind of expected that from girls who do this as a living, as opposed to the girls who have day jobs.
When we finally got to Kennebunk, I was ready to get out of the conversation. The Burger King people who worked the previous week were working again, AND recognized us. Shaunna asked Cherry if she wanted to take more pictures in the gazebo. Cherry said she would, and this time, the BK guys gave her a hard time about it.
The rest of the ride home was uneventful, but, I was so glad to finally get home. With these trips, I realized that the only downside to living in Lewiston, is that it's so much longer a ride when we're coming from out of state. That is the only time that I miss living in Portland.
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