We arrived back at the theatre with an excited and nervous Brian, who couldn't believe I was taking him to a Fame dress rehearsal. He'd never thought he'd get to see one Fame concert, now he was on the verge of seeing two. We arrived back before the cast. The main entrance door was unlocked and we just went in. We took some seats again around the 6th row back and waited excitedly.
A screen was placed at the centre of the stage and we wondered what it was all for. It was all the more intriguing when the most of the cast arrived and took seats near the right hand side of the theatre. It clear that they were interested in watching to. Eventually things started and for the first 10 minutes the dance troupe eVolution Dance Theatre were on stage performing. Then the concert started proper as the cast ran through the show. We had 4 Fame ballads back to back, "I Still Believe in Me", "Starmaker", "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Could We Be Magic Like You". Those songs are so special that I couldn't help but be emotional hearing the cast perform them live for the first time in all these years.
Michael my partner did actually film the first 3 songs as other people in the front row were filming too but Jesse Borrego came over to us and asked us not to film it all. I think he was concerned that we would upload it all to the Internet before the cast had performed the concert proper. We certainly had no intention of that and reassured him. We were just excited fans wanting some kind of reminder of these incredible moments. So we then stopped filming.
It had been referred to as a dress rehearsal but no one was wearing the clothes that they wore the next night during the actual concert and also they would often stop and start to discuss things. Later as we left and said goodbye, Cynthia Gibb told me that it was actually the first time that they'd run through the whole show and some of the numbers it was the first time they'd actually rehearsed them.
They were still working on the footage that would be shown on the screen and also the lighting. A number of the songs weren't lit properly during the rehearsal sometimes leaving the performer in virtual darkness. This all highlighted to me just how little time the cast had to put this show together.
It was a long night and my head was telling me I need to go back to the hotel to sleep but my head was telling me I had to stay. So stay I did, savouring each moment on stage and off. Watching each new song performed and being amazed when the cast walked past us smiling or making comments to us.
During the last number "Fame" Carlo pulled a couple for people who were sat in the front row up on stage. Our friend Derek was one of them. The cast seemed excited to do this during the actual concert to. Erica Gimpel commented "The fans would love that!" but there were concerns from the organisers.
At 1.00am the rehearsal was over and we started to leave. We went to the main entrance, where we'd come in earlier but that was locked. This meant we had to go via the backstage exit and once again we were with the cast. Brian got his first chance to meet and hug the cast.
We saw Erica, Cynthia, Valerie and Carlo, hugging them all and telling them how much we enjoyed the show. As we finally left the building Carlo was alone outside, we said a final goodnight and he said Tomorrow night he wanted us to go on stage at the end of the show too!
Oh my goodness what a night. It took a long time for me to calm down after the days events and excitement. It was 4.00am before I finally dropped off to sleep happy and content from my adventures.
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