Bye, Bye, Bleeder...

So I am opening tonight in this theatre festival (shameless plug number two), which has me a little nervous. But thinking about this made me think of my worst opening night experience... ever.

I was around 13... ish... and I was doing a children's theatre production of the classic broadway musical, "Bye Bye Birdie." I was playing "Conrad Birdie," which is an Elvis-Type rockstar who is forced to go off to Vietnam and gives his biggest fan his One Last Kiss on the Ed Sullivan Show. It was SO much fun... (and I got to wear gold lame jumpsuit, so HELLO).

It was the evening of our final dress rehearsal, and because of that all of my pads, including my helmet, were off. My mom, in her over-protective, loving nature, took duct tape and taped out a section backstage where no one else was allowed in and I was not allowed out of unless it was to make an entrance. It was a great thought, in theory.

Now before I finish my story I have "some 'splaining to do." For those of you not too keen in the theatre world there are set pieces called flats. These are wood structures that are covered in canvas and then painted either black, or with a backdrop of some kind. We had a bunch of flats, but one was a four sided flat that was extremely heavy so that it wouldn't fall over.

Okay, I'm sure you can see what's coming. So here I am, in this little taped up box tying my shoes to my fabulous army costume (it was the first time I had heard the word Chino used for something other than the final monologue in West Side Story). Before the Ed Sullivan scene, the massive flat was folded and laid at the edge of the stage. Well, it fell. Off the stage. And landed on my head.

I freaked out. Just freaked out. I don't remember much from that point on. I remember the director running back stage and scooping me up and handing me to my mother. I remember being rushed to the car and the cast singing "We Love You Conrad" as my mom took off for the hospital. We had two days off after our last rehearsal and opening night. I spent those two days in the hospital with a mild concussion with an IV in my arm getting factor ever 12 hours. I pleaded with the doctors to let me go to my opening night. And the agreed. Light-headed and slightly dizzy I sang and danced my way through "Bye Bye Birdie" and had one of the best theatre experiences.

And never again did my mom duct tape a box on the floor. I guess duct tape isn't good for everything.....

Till we meet again...