or socks... what-ever. One thing about travel, is that no matter how much you pack, eventually you run out of clean shirts and need to do your laundry. Actors are also mortal, and do their own laundry. Theatre actors do anyway, because while I was doing my shirts, "McNair" was doing his stuff too. I was pretty sure I spotted him, but wasn't going to say anything...then he happened to put a dryer load in close to where I had set up with my computer. So I said "McNair?" then he turned around and I said "Mr. Bateman, I believe?" He was surprised I recognized him, as on stage all the actors have heavy wigs on and sometimes they can be hard to recognize when they are offstage.
We had a nice chat about the show. He's playing Andrew McNair, congressional custodian. McNair is the "gopher" for Congress and provides some great comic relief. He has one of the funniest lines in the musical. After Congress breaks up with a significant portion of "The War Committee" going up to New Brunswick to try and put a lid on the "whoring and the drinking" and "the naked bathing in the Raritan River" - the "Cool, Conservative" men are left to their Minuet, lead by Mr. Dickenson. They all leave, and McNair turns to the post-dispatcher and "Leather apron" and says "Sweet Jesus, how'd you like to try to borrow a dollar from one of them?!"
I hear from my friend Christine, that he played a great Sipos too at Papermill Playhouse in "She Loves Me."
4 comments:
Good Day! Thanks for your Blog! Do add if to http://www.puresearch.org.uk and enable lots of other Catholics and Christians to view it! God Bless
Is it the McNair character that sings "Is anybody there?"
Hi Amy, how it works is Mr. Adams asks the recording secretary, the Young Mr. Thompson "where he stands" re: independence ... and Mr. Thompson, who has just received a dispatch from Washington says "I stand with the General [Washington.] Lately I have the oddest feeling that he's been writing to me..."
Thompson: [sings]"I have been in expectation of receiving a reply on the subject of my last 15 dispatches...is anybody there? Does anybody care? Is anybody there? [pause]
[says] Your humble and obedient .." [drum roll] [understood "G. Washington"][Thompson leaves]
Adams: [speaks] Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody care?
[sings] Does anybody see what I see?
They want me to quit, they say John, give up the fight.
Still to England I say - Goodnight, forever goodnight -
For I have crossed the Rubicon, let the bridge be burned behind me, come what may, come what may, commitment -
The croakers, all say we'll rue the day, there'll be hell to pay in fiery purgatory -
Through all the gloom, through all the gloom, I can see the rage of ravishing light and glory -
Is anybody there?
Does anybody care -
Does anybody see what I see?
I see the fireworks, I see the pageant and pomp and parade,
I here the bells ringing out I hear the cannons roar
I see Americans - all Americans free - forevermore -
[spoken]
How quiet, how quiet the chamber is -
how silent, how silent the chamber is -
Is anybody there?
Does anybody care?
Does anybody see - what I see?
[Dr. Lyman Hall] Yes, Mr. Adams, I do. etc.
McNair DOES have a supporting bit singing in Momma, Look Sharp. He and Leather Apron sing some supportive melody for that song.
oops! Should be "RAYS of ravishing light and glory...."
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