A Fan moment

I didn't mention that we had also gone to see Chita Rivera at Feinstein's, on the Upper East Side. Now the ues is not a place I often or even occasionally go to. And when ever I do go there, I scurry back home pronto, as it's too... too something for me - too refined? too rich? too old? too formal? Something.

We go to this tiny cabaret venue, it seats about 120? maybe a few more. Not many though, and sit and eat our horrifically overpriced but really quite delicious beef and wait for the main event. We are the youngest couple by far in the room, and all the women there, of a certain age, have a certain look - vaguely stretched out faces, perfect noses, teased hair. They all look like sisters (or clones) thin and bony and bejewelled.

And then Rosie O'Donnell walks in and waits impatiently for the maitre d' and I think how much rougher she looks in real life, and how shiny her hair is. Then Chita comes on from the back of the room and puts her hand on my shoulder as she walks in. I wasn't in new york in the 70's and 80's so I don't have a history with her, but I love seeing someone who has real charisma at work and she was so charming. She can still belt it out and made charming allusions to her age (when I played in West Side story in 1964 when I was an egg) and a pleasant evening was had by all. It was clear that she loved performing and was so happy to be there, that we were happy to be there with her.

Afterwards I did the female thing and rushed to the loo and while I was safely locked inside my cubicle Rosie and another woman walked in, the woman trying to sell her something - involvement in her latest documentary, something like that, and they turn to talk about Barbara Walters and Rosie says something like 'she's really not a very nice woman at all' and I thought, it could have been Barbara in this cubicle, how would they know..

Anyways, I go out, and cross the foyer to go back to Feinstein's (we're in a fancy upper East side hotel, and as I walk, who should walk in front of me, I could have touched him we were so close, but Bill Clinton.

I was so surprised and delighted and astonished. I rushed back to the room to tell DH - I just saw Bill Clinton! I was gushing. As I told it to a friend later, he said, Chita was expected and Rosie didn't mean much to you, but Bill, he gave you a real fan experience. And I have to say he was right. I felt like a real fan. Seeing him, so unexpectedly, made the night for me.