Some days, my job gets in the way, and I don’t even know what I missed until much later. The job got in the way when we were in Seattle in February. I set bus call early from Yakima to Seattle because a bunch of cast members were rushing to catch the very last pre-Broadway performance of Memphis at the 5th Avenue Theatre. They raved about how great it was! While it would have been nice to catch it along with them, I had to go to the airport to check the group in for a flight the next day. (Oh, Southwest and their 24 hour check-in for decent seating!! Imagine that with a big fist shake.)

I was at the CTI 3 day workshop a couple of weeks ago, and the press agent for Memphis was there. She was discussing the show, and I hadn’t realized up to that point that not only was it a Joe DiPietro project, but David Bryan from Bon Jovi wrote the music.

This is genius, my friends! I sat in my chair through the rest of the panel and most of the next panel pondering how it happens that someone got David Bryan to write for the stage. This is no Duncan Sheik, outside-the-mainstream-material selection, kids. This is Memphis in the 1950s with the unbridled optimism of Bon Jovi lyrics, rocking powerhouse songs and huge dance numbers for the Broadway stage with a man whose been part of a 100-million albums-sold hit machine.

I might have missed in Seattle, but you can be sure that I’m not going to miss it when it hits New York in the fall.

And I already have my ticket to see DiPietro and Bryan’s other collaboration that’s open off-Broadway, The Toxic Avenger Musical.