And So, As Tiny Tim Observed...

A Christmas Carol is over. I've never been so conflicted in my feelings about a show ending (at least as an actor). The last time I did CC, I was SO excited for it to end, because there was a person in the cast who I got really sick of by the time it was done. I also wasn't really enjoying the show all that much that year to begin with. This time, however, I loved the show.

Tuesday was closing night, and we had THREE shows that day. I was excited going into it. Others in the cast weren't. One person in particular would not shut up the entire day about how much s/he didn't want to be there. It bugged the snot out of me. Why do a show repeatedly if you hate it so much?! (Said person was the one who ruined the show for me in 2005, btw.)

Despite a few Cranky McCrankersons, I had a blast. The first show was at 2 PM. I was excited because Heather and David were there along with a bunch of Heather's family AND Wendy! Also, the famous Chris Clark was there. He's pretty much my acting idol. The show got a standing ovation- before we even got to the curtain call. It was pretty cool. After the show, Heather, David, and Wendy were full of compliments. The girls specifically praised how far my acting has come, and Heather said I commanded the stage every time I was on it. (For all three of my scenes! WOOT!) They made me want to cry. Then- THEN! I was informed that Chris Clark was looking for me to say hello. OMG! THE Chris Clark was looking for me! I went and talked to him, and he was very nice, even if he said that he laughed at Emily and me.

The 5 PM show wasn't anything spectacular, but it was pretty good. My brother, Glenn, brought my niece, Annika, to see the show. I snuck out to talk to her after the show, and she was a giggly mess. She could barely talk to me. It reminded me of how I was when I met Ashley Brown. And Lea Salonga. I kind of felt like a celebrity for a minute.

The 8 PM (and final) show was my personal best show of the entire run. It was incredible. In my first scene, I got applause for my speech about Christmas. I've felt like the audience has been with me before, but NEVER actually got applause at that point. It was a FANTASTIC scene. Chris, Eric, and I were totally together, and I loved every second of it. The party scene was great, too. For the first time since we opened, the ad-libs weren't so out of control that you couldn't understand the lines. That actually happened in all three shows Tuesday. It was great. Solid teamwork from all involved.

The most amazing part for me, though, was the scene where Fred and his wife visit Scrooge to invite him to dinner one last time. When Chris said that he would love to come to dinner if I would let him in, I almost lost it. Suddenly, it was real. The whole run of the show led up to this moment for me. For the last time, Scrooge had repented. He was making an effort to reconnect with the only family he had left in the world. I almost couldn't say "Let you in? I should say!" It was one of the most real, vulnerable acting moments I've ever felt. We went offstage and I told Emily that I had almost lost it. Shortly after that, Diane totally got choked up while she was giving her final narration onstage. It was a perfect show. It made it all feel worth it.

As much as I want some free time right now, that last show made me want to run the show forever. (People would come see A Christmas Carol in July, right?) I formed some great new friendships during this show, strengthened others, and only lost one (That's right, said person. I've downgraded you to an "acquaintance.") I felt Christmas more than I've ever felt it during this show. I was more proud of my own acting accomplishments than I've ever been before. I had SO many friends and family members come to see me in this show. Probably a record number, actually.

I'm so grateful to Jerry, Robert, the Hales, and the Swensons for the opportunity to be in the show. I forgot how much I love doing shows at the Hale. Cody Hale said something to me the other night about how nice it was to have me back there. I hope I can do more there soon. (Use me as an MD, Hales! Please? If not, I'll have to wait until there's another role that I'm actually right for, and there's no telling when that will be. Curse my realistic view of my type!)

To wrap up, here are my favorite and least favorite parts of the show:

Favorites

• Getting to know Jim. What an awesome guy! He was probably the person I got along with best throughout the run of the show.
• The compliments I got.
• Dizzy bat scene changes!!!
• Late nights at Denny's. I never really cared for the food, but the company was fantastic.
• My brilliant cut off on "Lord" at the very end of the show every night. (Consisting of mocking someone else onstage who was going overboard.)
• My costumes. Holy crap! I've never liked ALL of my costumes for this show before. I loved these ones, though.
• Cherubic Charlie threatening to punch me in the face.
• Teasing Janet that she had broken something at the Dabczynskis' house.
• The time I thought Janet called me a bastard in the hallway during "Old Joe." PLASTER!
• The time I was doing mic check with my Christmas speech and I said "It HAS done me good and WILL do me good, and I say...ah, screw it!" It caught a bunch of people off-guard and made me (and some others) laugh.
• The time I was doing mic check with my opening scene and little Marky said Scrooge's lines. When he asked me why I got married, I said "Because my wife's hot. Have you seen her?!" Mark stared at me for a second and then said "You're weird."

Least Favorites

• Bickering with Trash Ball like we were an ACTUAL married couple.
• The person who can't shut up about how much s/he hates the show, and yet does it every bloody year. Also, s/he makes non-stop inappropriate jokes that are so bad they make ME blush. And s/he is just downright rude.
• The day the Dr. Pepper was so syrupy that I almost choked drinking it.
• The little brat in the cast who was always wired from eating candy and would sit and glare at me and growl.
• The time the little brat belched and blew it in my face, and it stunk.
• The creepy, overprotective dad who came to every show (or sent one of his teenaged daughters in his place) to stalk his son. He got in the way of one of my scene changes or entrances EVERY single time he was there.
• The music director who didn't give a crap about the show. I'm sorry, but a half hour to teach three songs with 4 part harmony? Really? REALLY?!
• Having a member of the other cast try to convince me that his cast was more festive, and then having him say "What if I take my shirt off and ask you again?" And then having him actually strip down to nothing but his G bottoms, striking a pose, and asking me again.
• When creepy "festive" man left a cup of Coke in the cubby above my costumes and the Coke ate through the cup and dripped all over my stuff.

I may never be able to do the show again, and that will make me really sad. But at least I went out with a fantastic experience (despite little brats, ornery people, and naked festive men).

And so, as Gary Coleman observed, "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Moe?! Whatchoo talkin' 'bout EVERY one!"