It was great fun.  We had breakfast together (muffins, scones, etc.).  We hung out in the morning and sang and laughed.  We enjoyed the balmy spring weather of NYC together.  We strolled through Times Square and shopped for theater memorabilia.  We took in some sights (Central Park, The Statue of Liberty, and The Empire State Building). We topped it all off with a B'way show. 

Ok, so it didn't exactly happen that way, but I did see an awful lot of him.  Are you asking yourself, "who is Nick Blaemire?"  Well, Nick Blaemire is a young kid (only 23) who is having every dream come true all at one time.  He is currently making his Broadway debut in the new musical Cry-Baby and he is also one of the creators of the soon to open Broadway show Glory Days.  Wow, right?  It doesn't get much better than that!

I did, in truth spend a bunch of time with Blaemire yesterday.  In the morning I attended a press presentation for Glory Days and at night I attended a preview performance of Cry-Baby.  After spending that much time watching him I think we are going to become fast friends (wait, I am just joking - I really can't afford anymore restraining orders).

Glory Days for the Guys from Glory Days

Yesterday morning I went to a little studio on 48th street to check out the advance buzz on the new (last minute) entry into the Broadway season - Glory Days.  You may remember me talking about this a few weeks ago.  Glory Days (previously called Ass Backwards) is a new musical about 4 guys who reunite after their first year out of high school.  The show is written by the aforementioned Nick Blaemire (music and lyrics) and James Gardiner (book).  Nick and James went to high school together and are actually writing about some of their own experiences.  The musical opened to rave reviews in Washington DC earlier this year at the Signature Theater when some NYC producers swept in and decided to move it to The Broadway.  Who says dreams can't come true? 

The presentation was really great.  We were introduced to Eric Schaeffer, the director and the man who runs the prestigious Signature Theater in DC.  Nick and James introduced themselves and the show.  The actors in the show: Steven Booth, Andrew C. Call, Adam Halpin and Jesse JP Johnson presented a few numbers from the show.  Nick even jumped on the piano to sing one of the songs himself.

I think what that one of the most exciting parts about this show arriving on The Broadway is the youth and enthusiasm!  These are young, fresh and exciting voices.  As I waited for the presentation to begin I watched the actors and the creators on the side of the room and noted their excitement and their energy.  They were joking and kidding around; laughing up a storm and grinning from ear to ear.  On several occasions people indicated that this moment was "surreal" or that they were "trying not to cry".  That kind of emotion is infectious and it carried over to the presentation as well. 

The boys of Glory Days (and it is an all boys club - I only spotted one woman, a producer) showcased three songs; "My Next Story", "Good Old Glory Type Days" and "Generation Apathy".  I enjoyed all the songs, but especially liked Nick singing "Generation Apathy" about his generation's lack of passion and enthusiasm for anything.  I have no idea how he wrote that song, since he is filled from head to toe with passion!

This show is very exciting for the Rialato - to have the voices of this generation working at this level.  My hope is that it will help bring a young audience to the theater and get them enthused about seeing live theater.  I wish them all the very best!  Glory Days will begin previews on April 22nd with an opening date of May 6th.  Click HERE for tickets and information. 

Two Dreams at Once

Later in the evening I ventured to the Marquis Theater to see a performance of the new musical Cry-Baby.  Now, I know that New York is the place where dreams come true, but this is a lot for one guy.  You see, Nick Blaemire is making his Broadway debut in Cry-Baby in the ensemble (really a nice featured role).  His head must be ready to explode.  He is going to be shuttling back and forth between rehearsals for Glory Days and rehearsals/performances for Cry-Baby.  This is the stuff that B'way myths and legends are made of. 

Cry-Baby doesn't open until a few weeks from now, so I can't tell you about the show; but I will have a full report for you later on. 

After the show, I went backstage to visit a friend of mine in the show and I spotted Blaemire in the green room.  He was still grinning from ear to ear.  It must have been quite a day for him.  I looked and him and thought I should take a picture and send it to Miriam Webster so they can insert the photo into the dictionary next to the definition of GLORY DAYS.  Because, if "glory days" has an actual manifestation it is the smile that was on Blaemire's face.

~ See You On The Aisle