Hi Matt and Steph and anyone else involved with "Year After Year" who may be reading this.
This is an open letter to you guys in particular, the great thing about having a blog for me is I'm able to take the time to express my thoughts clearly, and precisely so you understand exactly what I am saying. You guys know me pretty well I'd say, and sometimes when I try to speak coherently it turns into something rushed full of stutters and sometimes in public you can't honestly say what you're thinking.
I never like saying "nice job" or "I was blown away" because everytime I say it, it always sounds so cliche, like I was going through the motions. I know everytime I hear someone saying that to me, there's this voice in the back of my head thinking, "oh they're just saying that because society requires them to say something nice in a public setting." It's probably my cynical side of the business, I always wait for someone to tell me my work was shit, that way I know they're being honest with me.
But I suppose the point I'm getting at is I want you to know that what I'm saying is sincere, and I thought what better way to tell you than in my blog, for as you probably know, I only write about things I care about in my blog(s).
So here it goes, I was very happy to be a part of the premier audience at "Year After Year". It was a special treat to see something my friends had put so much effort into. When I was going to The Matchbox last night, I was genuinely excited, and as you may know, I don't normally get excited about musicals, but this was something special, this was an original, this was made by people who I think are among the most creative and talented people I know. I guess you could say I was going into the show with a biased opinion about you, but I had this feeling in me that you weren't going to disappoint, and you didn't.
I think I know you guys pretty well, maybe I don't, but stop me if I'm wrong. I had this feeling in me because I knew you had this burning passion about theatre, about musicals, and about this particular story. My part in this production was small, it consisted of that one night, when you had this idea to invite a bunch of people over, have a few drinks, and record our conversation, and by that, you were going to go off and make a musical in less than a year.
My contribution that night was limited due to the fact that socializing among people I barely knew was frightening beyond belief, but I think as the night wore on, I opened up a bit more, but then came the moment I reached my limit and retired to bed or my hideout, or somewhere like that.
I was interested to see what you were going to come up with after that night, and I like to think of myself as the silent observer during your process. Being your one of your roommates, it's hard not to observe seeing or hearing you come home every night after your writing sessions, or being one of the first people to hear a rough cut of some of the tracks at one of our parties. I was even one of the privileged outsiders who got a chance to read the script after you wrote it Matt.
All these signs pointed to something passionate, and something you guys believed in. I'm sure there were a few detractors who thought making a full fledged musical in less than a year was impossible, yet I also knew that was something that wouldn't get in your way, even if you lost sleep, or lost your sanity, there was going to be a show no matter what.
You defied the odds and delivered, you received a standing ovation, there were laughs, there were cries, and for that moment, the world belonged to you, and no one can take that away from you.
Matt one of the many questions you like to pose is "What is art?" You have told me you don't think anything can become a work of art untill it is unveiled to an audience, that way it can be shared. Congratulations, for after tonight, you have accomplished your work of art. You had something to say and you said it, and it's wonderful when you can share that with a group of people. I have a feeling everyone went away from the theatre thinking they had just seen a great show.
You should be proud with your accomplishment, and I am proud of you as well, this is my favorite thing I have seen from you guys, because when I look at it, I see so much of yourselves in it. It was uncompromising and done with conviction. It was sincere, and inspiring, it was a show for all of us to share, it was the only show you could've done, and for that it was a work of art.
I will stop now before your heads get too inflated. Matt you have told me before, I should do reviews of theatre shows like I do with movies. I hope this little entry suffices for a review. Congratulations my friends, enjoy the success that you deserve and have worked so very hard for.
Your Friend and roomy
Jeremy
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