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Terrence Mann or "How I met Douglas Sills!"
Terrence Mann as "Chauvelin" in The Scarlet Pimpernel In April of 1998, Merrill and I made a trip to NYC, in order to actually see our first show ON Broadway. I have been seeing Broadway shows all of my life, but it took me almost 60 years to actually see one of them ON Broadway or in the NYC Theatre District. Growing up in Washington DC, we often saw the pre-Broadway tryouts, which were quite wonderful...but still not shows actually ON BROADWAY. Terrence Mann had long been a favorite - albeit one we had NEVER seen in person. That's because Terry usually manages to leave shows before we get to see them...as in "Beauty and the Beast" in Los Angeles ~ I even had 4 tickets for that one - for Merrill, me, Jeff and a friend - it was my birthday present to myself that year. Other times he just didn't do them as in "Les Miz" in any of the many tours we've seen, or "Chorus Line" - at least not anywhere we've lived. CDs I could listen to, and I could watch him on "As the World Turns" of course, or in the few movies he's done, but to be in the same city, the same theatre...well ~ I had nearly given up on that. In 1998 the big attraction for us was actually "Jekyll & Hyde" and Robert Cuccioli. It was, after all, the first anniversary of that show on Broadway., and a major event for Jekkies like us. But after traveling 3000 or so miles, we planned to see as many shows as possible, and the first one was definitely going to be "The Scarlet Pimpernel"...co-starring Terrence...In fact, I was so sorry that Terry had left Beauty and the Beast in Los Angeles before I had an opportunity to see it there, that that was a major reason why we went to see "The Scarlet Pimpernel" on our first night in NYC in 1998. Terrence has become a Broadway legend during the many years and shows he has done there. He is a legend in his own time in the musical theatre world, the soap opera world and my world to be sure. Funny how things sometimes turn out though!
Tuesday
Wednesday Nope, not my rose! That was from another "Mann-iac" (Mann fan for those who hadn't guessed!) As I told Terry when I did finally meet him, after a 20 yr quest -- I could hardly believe he and I could be standing on the same piece of concrete, at the same time. I'm sure he thought I was not the brightest light on Broadway that night. I can't say that I know Terry, only that I have met him, admire and respect him, and think him to be a most versatile and talented "Mann." :-) Terrence also recently starred in "Oklahoma" in Raleigh, NC, with our friend Greg Stone. I met Terrence twice and very briefly each time...and I love him of course! Happily, that led to our meeting Douglas Sills, who has become a good personal friend over the ensuing years.
Douglas Sills as "Sir Percy" a.k.a. The Scarlet Pimpernel
Meeting Douglas -- Thanks to Terry
When I swooped down on Terrence, who no one seemed to have noticed or recognized, we had a brief few minutes to talk before the stage-door crowd swooped down on us! They managed to push me quite out of the way, which left me and Merrill alone at the stage door...when Douglas "bounded" out of that door (Douglas never walks, he "bounds" everywhere!) he quite literally bumped into me...and the rest is ...well ~ a wonderfully fond memory. You can find more about that all over this website...but the closest place is on the next page, but there's more in the San Francisco pages and the Los Angeles pages...and the Seattle pages...so look around. This page is happily dedicated to Linda Laurenti in Ohio A Ballfest Buddy and Mann fan
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