MY OTHER HAPPY PLACE...

Despite fighting my asthma for the fifth week running I decided to join my mom and some friends for a late afternoon at the theater  I know I have said it before but it bears repeating….the theater is my “other” happy place.

And of course when the production stars my favourite leading man, the handsome and charming Jonathan Roxmouth then I can be nothing short of thrilled. Those of you who visit this little piece of the blogosphere will remember Jonathan from here and here and here

The production was A Handful of Keys.  This is not a new production as it was first conceptualised in 1994 by the talented Ian von Memerty and Bryan Schimmel.  The show is basically a two man piano (grand piano’s) show but I promise you, you have never laughed so much as you will during this show.  It has music showcases piano music “through the ages” with music by Bach, Debussy, Nora Jones, Alicia Keys, Chopin, Billy Joel, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Liberace, Elton John, Clayderman and it also includes a South African medley and the most amazing “history of the Broadway musical” you have ever seen and it ends on a high note with a rock n roll finale.

I will confess that during the “history of the Broadway musical” I had two thoughts (that must be some record!!!).  The first is that I would love to see Jonathan play the role of Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady and the second well….I had a moment where I pictured him in heels, fishnets, a corset and red lips doing the pelvic thrust!  Now that would be an interesting production of “The Rocky Horror Picture show”…..

Joining Jonathan on Saturday was the very talented Roelof Colyn (brilliant brilliant brilliant) who’s impersonation of both Richard Clayderman and Liberance had the tears running down my face.  The Clayderman piece used in the show just happened to be the piece my primary school orchestra played and I was the lead triangle…..yip I was cool back then already!!!

It is difficult to say which sections of the production I enjoined the most because one moment I was laughing so much my tummy muscles thought I had decided to attend a cross fit class and the next I was so moved by the pure sounds of the piano during “funeral for a friend” and the next blushing when Jonathan stripped down to his undies (there was a lot of whooping for joy and clapping in the audience let me tell you and there were NO complaints) and then there was a moment when Jonathan sang “on my own” that I thought my heart would break and I was going to end up doing the ugly cry but two seconds later I was laughing so much I started to worry that that the show should come with a disclaimer that reads “adult nappies” are not included in the ticket price!!!

My mom loved the production and I was so thankful to hear her laughing at some of the silliness on stage.  She did raise a concern that Jonathan seems to be taking off more and more of his clothes in each production he does….in Phantom it was just a mask, then in Noel and Gertie he stripped down to his undershirt and boxers and now in A Handful of Keys he stripped off the shirt as well………suddenly “Hats off” takes on a whole new meaning.

Speaking about my mom…..ai I love her dearly but she lives to embarrass me. We had a dinner reservation for after the show and we were running a little late (my friends were already waiting) so I was trying to hustle her through the crowds outside the theater but she was as stubborn as a mule pulling in the opposite direction…turns out she wanted to go give her boy-O a kiss!!!  There is a bit of a story to it though not just my mom being pervy.  

In December just 4 days after my dad passed away we had tickets to see Jonathan in Noel and Gertie. It was a major discussion as to whether or not we would go but in the end we decided that we needed to get out of the house and do something normal….something that had nothing to do with my dad and the fact that he was no longer with us.  We had lunch with my brother and then he went to a movie and we went to the show.  We sat right in front which was probably not the best seats in the house (the theater was very small) during the intermission I tweeted that we were there and that we were trying to have a normal moment.  After the show mom and I were walking to meet my brother when I heard my name being called….sitting at the little coffee shop was Jonathan.  Now I can admit at this point that I was fairly jealous when he reached out and hugged my mom but she had cried her way through the final song so it seemed only right to give her a moment.  Jonathan was really sweet to her and to me (although the attention was definitely on my sweet momma) and as we said our goodbyes he kissed mom.  

On Saturday afternoon his performance had brought her such joy and she had laughed like she has not in a while so I guess giving him a thank you peck on the cheek would not have been the worst thing ever…..but mom had a little glint in her eyes that made me think better of it…….cougar!!!

This run of A Handful of Keys has unfortunately come to an end BUT you can catch Jonathan (should I call him Mr Roxmouth???) in the new show “Hats Off” which is also show at Montecasino.  “Hats off” is described on the Computicket website as “as an ingenious mix of Tom Lehrer, Gilbert and Sullivan and Monty Python, this is a comedy revue brimming with catchy tunes, tongue in cheek chemistry and laugh out loud humour. Suitable for anyone with a pulse” The show starts is run on 11 May so get your tickets soon!!!

Photos from the show were sourced from Jonathan's Facebook fan page....

I found this clip on Youtube and since it was uploaded by Ian von Memerty I am going to share it with you.....a little bit of the history of broadway...

And this one....