ANOTHER OLD MAN LUNCH

An old colleague and former writer friend of mine, Bill, were business partners until we retired and now meet every month over lunch. We go to the same place and take our time, laughing silly about life in general. It used to be we talked business and had a game face we wore as we created sweepstakes and marketing packages for the ages.

Now that we are no longer in the midst of creativity and problem solving, a calm has descended upon us and we laugh like little boys. It’s funny how change of focus can take over your whole demeanor! We always got along, but it was business, then we decided to let our hair down, what was left of it.

Bill is married to a resident associate professor at a New England University, who runs the theatre department, putting on Broadway type productions, and has many years experience in the field. This has lent itself to Bill’s world and he in turn has lent it to me.

What happened at lunch was the strangest thing! Here I was having a conversation about theatre and enjoying it. I am not a theatre person in that I go more than once or twice a year! But when I do go I love it. No, I don’t whistle show tunes, but I really appreciate these numbers that are done every day by the talented actors and dancers and even musicians that participate in these productions. Since the high school production of Hairspray I recently witnessed, and then Bill meeting me for lunch, we were bound to have this conversation. Bill lives just a short train ride from Broadway and goes every month almost.

But the world of theatre as witnessed by a true theater lover like Bill, with intimate knowledge, gave me a wonderful education in many aspects of the world of theatre and the writers of both the music and plays and the marriage of both.

I never knew that the music is arranged and the writing to fit in some instances, or that some plays written by great writers have a method of script they use. Did you know it is very hard to open a great play, with great music and writing and without a star have it succeed? It seems that tourist drive the success of Broadway. If there is no star, there will be no tourist visiting the show, and that causes an early closing of the doors.

I guess it always pays to sit and listen.