What Did I Tell You???????? Take It From Me, Girls, Fantine Is A Killer Part!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Darlings, doesn't Anne look stunning on the VOGUE cover?????  I cannot wait till Anna puts me on one.

                                      But in this issue, she talks about the whole experience of playing Fantine--not just the diet and the weight loss, but the physical and emotional toll the role exerted on her.  It is one of the most tragic characters in fictional history, and, to live that tragedy, whether it be nightly onstage, or daily on a film set for a time, is going to be hard to rub off, once you walk away from the part.

                                          Take it from me, darlings!  In our 1987 staff show--my God, that was 25 years ago!!!!!--I performed "I Dreamed A Dream," and let me tell you, I did research for it!  I went down to the West Side Highway, which, if anything, was more sleazy then, observing the comings and goings of the various street denizens/hookers, both male, female, and tranny.  Yes, dears,  I did have a couple of offers from gentlemen riding by in cars, but, first of all my artistic research had its limits, and I was not in the mood for getting myself killed.  After about three nights of soaking in the atmosphere, I stopped hanging out there.
And at least I was fortunate--when I wanted to leave, I could hail a taxi, and high tail it out of there as fast as I so desired!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           Then, three weeks before the performance, I came down with some kind of bronchial thing, and ran in hysterics to the doctor!!!!!!!!!  "You gotta help me!" I rasped!  "I have to sing Fantine!"  I am not sure if he understood what that meant, but my urgency got to me, so he got me to some meds that cleared me up, even if they knocked me out somewhat.

                                              By the time of the show, I WAS Fantine, darlings!!!!!!!!  When I walked out, the audience saw desperation, vulnerability, and I sold the song so much it was said the angels wept, because I actually made a baby cry in the audience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                And it took me so long to wind down from the experience.  Not as long as Anne--who took six weeks--but awhile.  And last summer, when I reread the book, Monsieur could not wait for me to finish it, because he said living with me reading the book was like living with me doing Fantine!!!!!!!!!

                                                    So, I am telling you, girls, Fantine may be the best part in the show, but it is a killer!  If you are fortunate enough to be cast, think twice about taking on the role!!!!!!!!!!  And if you do, make sure your emotional health is up to it, or, from rehearsals to closing night, make sure you are seeing a therapist during the experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                     If only we all looked as good as Anne on that cover, darlings!!!!!!!!!!