Chapter 21

There were some ladies who pushed me into a chair, where they gave me a slight hair trim, along with a little stage makeup for my head shot pictures. When they were done, I went up to James and quietly said, “Thanks for not outing us,” he smiled and said back, “I’d ask you to return the favor, but I came out twenty years ago. Just love her, like I see in your eyes ... that’s all I ask.”

I asked him, “Can I hug you without you making too much of it, James?”

In his best Harvey Fierstein voice, he said, “Sure, honey, just don’t linger, OK?”

I laughed and said, “I remember when you hadn’t come out yet and were trying to act all manly. I could blackmail you with all that I have on DVD.”

“You and Carol got that wig. Don’t push it Rann, I can be a real bitch sometimes,” he then broke out into a very raucous laugh and waved us away.

The photographer arrived, making a rather splashy entrance; His assistants quickly putting up a green screen, for putting in the background to the pictures later. They also quickly put up some of those cannon lights, that will keep the lighting from looking like it was done inside, which never made any real sense to me. They brought in a couple of adjustable stools.

They asked us to sit on them, while they were adjusted with a remote control. I felt like I was on a ride at a theme park for a moment. After they got us adjusted to each other, they took about two dozen pictures of Carol in three different poses, then me in the same three poses, and then they put us together in what is called a ‘two-shot’.

If you’ve ever seen a poster for one of those old MGM musicals, where the stars are clutching at each other, that’s what we did next.

Jeff walked up, came up to me and said, “Sing to us all, but look at this beautiful woman as you do it, please? Get ready for some magic, photographers.”

I cleared my throat and, seeing the cameras raised, I turned Carol towards me and sang:

“My little girl, pink and white
as peaches and cream is she
My little girl is half again as
bright as girls were meant to be!
Dozens of boys pursued her,
many a likely lad
does what he can to woo her
from her faithful Dad”

During those few measures of music, I felt like I was at a Super Bowl, they must have taken 500 pictures, maybe more. There was even a little applause -- Photographers never applaud!

A new set of people surrounded me with both real and virtual tape measures, measuring just about every possible part of me.

When they were through with me, the same bunch went over to Carol and went through the same rigmarole. It was a lot of fun watching her while they did it. It was like that moment in THE WIZARD OF OZ, when they were getting them ready to go see the Wizard:

‘Pat, pat here, Pat, pat there,
and a couple of brand new straws.
That’s how we keep you young and fair
In the Merry Old Land of Oz!
Rub, rub here, Rub, rub there,
whether you’re tin or brass
that’s how we keep you in repair
In the Merry Old Land of Oz!’

Carol looked over and saw me watching and mouthed the words, “I love you” to me. I replied back in the same manner.

I saw Jeff and James talking to each other for a couple of minutes, then James left and Jeff announced, “All right, a big thank you to Randall and Carol, and to all of you costumers, stylists and such. You have a lot to do in very little time. I want something to put on these two by this evenings rehearsal ... Randall and Carol ... go home and rest up, or whatever.”

There was a moment of tension, then laughter.

He continued, “Rehearsal starts at six tonight – be here no later than 5:15, please. Take care of that wig, Carol. Take care of Carol, Randall ... go home, you two. God, your children will be so beautiful.”

That made Carol blush a little. I grabbed her hand and gave her a big kiss and said, “He’s right you know, we will have beautiful children.”

On our way back to the theatre, I decided to broach what I thought might be a touchy subject.

“Carol?”

“Yes, Rann?”

“I think we should tell Jeff.”

“Tell Jeff what, Rann?”

“Our true relationship, that we’re brother and sister.”

“Why, Rann? We seem to be getting through the landmines all-right.”

“I’m worried.”

“About what?”

“About the landmine we step directly on, that we can’t ignore. We’ve been a little bit lucky so far, don’t you agree?”

“Yeah, but...”

“There’s Marcus, Johnna Jones, Kara, Jake, Jeff Calhoun, All of the people in both WEST SIDE STORY and SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, along with James and Maurice. I could go on and on, Blue Eyes. I think we owe it to Jeff to, at least, give him a ‘heads up’ about our real relationship. We should also ask how this revelation could affect our ‘Broadway Opportunity.’”

“Our Broadway Opportunity? Oh, Rann ... you’re right. We need to be up-front with Jeff. Do you know who the director will be for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST? Auditions are in three weeks.”

“I know who has been asked to direct it, but I’m not sure he has the time to direct it.”

“Who, Rann? Tell me, is it Marcus?”

“Good Guess, Carol ... but no.”

“Well, who ... you’re kidding, aren’t you? Tell me ... I can tell by the look on your face, it’s you? Isn’t it? You’ve been asked to direct it, haven’t you? But, you want to be in it, don’t you? How are you...” The smile on her face was priceless. She was busting up trying to figure it out. I couldn’t resist just letting her stew a bit ... but I love her, so.