Semi-Spring day at RCBC.

Went to catch the DTR of Atlantis' Spring Awakening yesterday afternoon along with a bunch of Blue Reppers which included Jill, Altair and Pauline. After lunch at PeopleSupport, I headed straight to RCBC and found Altair hanging around outside Starbucks, waiting for Jill. Went ahead upstairs to the theater lobby, yet too shy (yes, shy, hahaha) to just sidle inside the auditorium. Fortunately Lawyn and Charo emerged from inside just moments later.

Hung around the lobby when the other Blue Reppers arrived, and Charo briefed the ones who will be ushering during the entire show's run, especially for the ones who will be helping her usher the onstage seating area.

So here are the basic guidelines if you're planning to watch the show onstage.

• Please do come early. Even though the people who will sit onstage will only be let inside 5-10 minutes before the show, punctuality is a must, as no one will be admitted into the onstage seats once the entire group that has gathered has already been seated. If you're late, you will have to wait for intermission.
• Please go to the restroom right before the show. No one is allowed to stand and leave the onstage seating area while the show is going on. But of course, you are still allowed to leave for the restroom during intermission, but you have to return to your seat 5 minutes before the 2nd act begins.
• While sitting on the first row of either stage left or right, please keep your bags on your laps or between your legs, and don't spread your legs out too far. This is to avoid tripping the actors as they pass by that area and sometimes sit on designated seats (marked with X's) as well.
• Taking of photographs or videos is strictly prohibited.
  
• And of course, please turn your cellphones OFF (not in silent mode) as it really could interfere with the sound system.

Anyway, the Blue Reppers were to sit in the onstage area, but because I had told Charo that I had already bought onstage seats for a later date, she let me sit (alone, hahaha) in the orchestra.

I don't want to blog about the DTR just yet, as I will still be watching an actual show, so I'll blog about it after that, hehehe. But please do watch Spring Awakening. It's a really good show with such a talented group of actors. And I have to say, I'm so darn proud of Nicco! Congrats, baby bro! And break a leg for the shows to come! Congrats and break a leg din to Nar, who was equally awesome, even though it was still just a DTR and I have noticed a bunch of technicals that were kind of off.

After the DTR, I loitered in the lobby, hanging out with Charo and occasionally the fearless duo of Miss Liza and Lawyn. Apparently Charo hadn't had an idea about the show prior to the DTR that we saw, so I had to answer a bunch of her questions about some of the characters (which is what the actors themselves should be answering, ahahaha). Don't worry, Charo, as you'll be ushering during the entire run. I just hope you get to watch from the other side of the stage (HAHAHA) or from the audience area. Hey, at least I finally mapped out where I plan to sit with Tin and Hil.

I was supposed to meet with Tin (spur-of-the-moment meet up that we just agreed upon at around noon) after her work, so we can hang out and talk and have dinner, but I ended up waiting a little longer as she got held up by a meeting. Oh well, at least I have more time to hang around the Atlantis crowd. Some of the boys in the cast (Nar, Miguel and Inno) even brought out some food leftover from lunch from backstage and started eating at the FOH table (which I used to do before, in between or even during shows).

When Nar noticed that he had an ice cream cone while Inno was eating cold yogurt...
"Diba musical itong show na ito?" (while removing the wrapper off his Drumstick)
Wahahahaha!

Kuya Boni then arrived with bags of beef gyudon from Yoshinoya and boxes of burgers from Burger King. I helped Charo lug the Yoshinoya bags backstage while Lawyn got the boys to bring in the Burger King boxes.

Miss Liza then noticed Inno's fruit cup and yogurt that he left at the table.
"Whose food is this?" (Inno's) "I hope he's not dieting."
Uhm, he just finished a rice meal from Mang Inasal and was preparing to eat one of those Whoppers. A growing boy? Hahaha. But could he digest it fast enough before the evening's preview show?

Funny how people think that I'm still working full-time for Atlantis, even just as FOH for the shows. There were a bunch of cast members who went to the FOH table asking to leave their tickets already, because Claire and Ate Sally weren't there yet. Thank goodness Charo and I were just there in the lobby, then Mahar and Miss Liza then joined us, and even Dein (who, as it turned out, was going to be an usher on call, especially during shows where they might be shorthanded). Haha, someone (I think it was either Mahar or Charo) asked me if I miss being in Atlantis. Sure, I miss all the people, the fun and the action, but sometimes there are days (or even weeks) when things become too mechanical. Oh well.

Tin still wasn't around, and Charo and I were getting hungry, so we went backstage to help ourselves to a couple of the Whoppers. More tambay at the FOH table, and Mahar showed us that even though he wasn't "in charge" (a joke that originated from one Avenue Q show), he still sort of was while the FOH staff wasn't there yet, hahaha.

When Tin finally arrived, we went directly to the 3rd floor for dinner. Hahaha, super funny. She was wearing this black dress that she had also worn as an usher during Songs For A New World, and then sa World Topps nanaman kami kumain, where we also did eat during the last weekend of Songs. Anyway, lots of chika galore, which ended up with me eating my food slower than usual.

I just have to write this. When we were on our way back to the elevators, we had to pass through the strip of eating places. I spotted Tuxqs sitting with a couple of people (I think one of them was Pheona), and when Tin saw him as well, she suddenly panicked as Tuxqs still seems to be her crush (HAHAHA).

Tin: (fiercely shoving her wet umbrella to my side) Ate Hogi, hawakan mo muna yung payong ko! Ayokong makita ako ni Tuxqs na may hawak na payong! Pangit ako pag may hawak na payong! (continues to shove the umbrella to my now damp side)

She ended up still holding her umbrella as we passed by Tuxqs' table, saying a brief hello while we were still walking. Once we had passed them (but not necessarily out of earshot), we both started laughing like crazy at Tin's brief moment of insanity.

After briefly going back upstairs so I could say hello to Ate Sally, Claire and Ate Janine (and a number of people hanging around in the lobby before open house), Tin then thought of getting some cheap but good dessert, and we ended up walking aimlessly to 7-Eleven, where we found Tara and Randy (with Martha). We ended up hanging out with Tara at the smoking area outside the theater lobby until it was 5 minutes before the show had to begin.

It was still raining out when Tin and I had exited the building, and we crossed the street to Columns so we can get some of the happy Hershey's dark chocolate ice cream from Mini Stop. More chika as we struggled with the quick-melting ice cream, before we decided to head home.

It was a day and evening that was well spent. But like Tin had said, I wish we really had spent more time together. Doncha worry, we will when we return to RCBC with Hilary! And remember Nicco's warning: Don't tell him when we're exactly watching, hahahaha!