SIMPLY FLAWLESS
Review by CindyT/ForevaXena
5/18/05

Once in a lifetime doesn’t even begin to describe the amazing journey I was privileged enough to take this past weekend in Seattle. To say that it was a trip full of wonderful experiences, enjoyed with some of my closest friends (and two very special actresses that I happen to think the world of), would be completely understating the magic of it all. The fact of the matter is that mere words will never be able to explain the excitement and elation I was feeling, and continue to feel. I find myself left with a sweet refrain from it all. I’m filled with a longing for something that can never be repeated, yet will always live in my heart and mind.

First and foremost I have the wonderful memories of two VERY late nights working side-by-side with MaryD to kick out our reviews of opening and closing night for “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”. It was amazing, even to me, how she would kick out a thought and then I’d drop in another…true teamwork It was also quite funny to watch the expressions on some of our friend’s faces as they watched the process!

What can I say about Lucy’s performances in “GPB” that hasn’t already been said? A LOT actually! LOL That woman tore the house apart She was improvising from the first show to the last, and never failed to entertain in pure Lucy style.

If it wasn’t her spot-on Katherine Hepburn impersonation, then it was her total mastery of expressions I’ve only ever seen matched by another famous Lucy! She was having an absolute ball on that stage and the audience couldn’t help but be caught up in her fun. Even when she was sitting or standing in the background of a scene, she never left character and stole the show. I was blessed with the same front row seat for all five shows, so I got to witness her antics up close…absolutely PRICELESS!

To my utter amazement, Lucy surprised even this longtime, diehard fan by exposing several more layers of her phenomenal talent! To my sheer delight, she also knocked the socks off of theatre goers who had no idea about what we’ve all known for so long…this woman has more talent in her little finger than most well known, over-hyped actors have in their whole repertoire!! MaryD and I both listened to the crowd during intermissions, grinning like Cheshire cats as we overheard more than one, “who knew she could sing and dance like that? She’s incredible!” Yes, folks, Lucy DOES have many skills and now we have some new converts to her fandom!

Over the past couple of days, during my travels around Seattle, I have passed the 5th Avenue Theatre a couple of times. The marquee is still up and I’ve got to tell you that I’m really missing this show. In fact, MaryD and I both took a moment to pause at show time the day after it closed…yes, we were waxing sentimental, and that was no small feat given that we were shopping at our mecca, Fry’s Electronics! (But I digress )

Making the weekend a complete Xenite’s dream come true, Renee O’Connor was also in town (for a Creation Con), and took in Lucy’s opening night performance. It’s just so fantastic how strong the bond of friendship is between these two talented actresses. You could tell Ren loved the show as much as the rest of us! A couple of other well-known faces also put in appearances during the weekend: Rob made it to the show on Saturday night and Adrienne Wilkinson was at the final performance. Love and support abounds in the Xenaverse!

Another highlight of my weekend was the cast party at the world famous Seattle Space Needle. Never having been to Seattle before, I was really looking forward to checking out the view from the top. I was not disappointed! Mind you, MaryD is still clucking like a chicken at me because I was not all too excited to be in a glass elevator, hanging off the side, rocketing to the top! LOL Was it worth my momentary anxiety? You bet ya!!

Lucy was her usual, gracious self, signing autographs and posing for pictures until almost midnight. All this after two exhausting shows that day! She is such a trooper. I just wish some fans would remember that she is a human being, not the energizer bunny, and refrain from going up to her more than once during the night, especially when some of these same people had already gotten autographs and photos by the backstage door for three days in a row! (Okay, I’m sorry, but that mini rant needed to be released…I could go on and on, but I’ll spare everyone )

So there you have it. My thoughts about the weekend I’ve just experienced. I wouldn’t have missed this for the world…then again, if I had, I never could have possibly known what I missed. It really is quite impossible to put it into words. Let’s just say that it was SIMPLY FLAWLESS!!