Lovers

Speeches

Hey kiddos! I had a bit of spare time after my choir concert so I thought I'd share this chapter. It's one of my absolute favorites, so I hope you all like it as much as I do. Enjoy/comment/vote please xx
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September 19, 2027

Patrick

Great Comet's closing party is in full swing before too long. Harper is clearly having a great time, which makes me so happy to see. Though I don't talk to too many people, I find a nice table in the corner of the reserved room, where I sit down with Brittney, Anabel, and Sophia. They are all very sweet girls, and just as Harper had said, Sophia is a very natural maker of conversation. While my wife is off, flitting about and speaking with the others in her cast, I speak with her three friends.

Eventually, the speeches begin. First, Gabi speaks. Rightfully so, as she was the director of the entire production. Next up is Dave Malloy, the writer behind Great Comet, who delivers a speech that is just as beautiful and eloquent as the entire musical itself. After that, Justin, the producer, speaks. Then, Scout, who was Pierre, and finally, Harper.

"Wow, okay," Harper says, taking the microphone, "where do I begin?"

She gives a nervous little laugh, and smiles at everyone. We lock eye contact, and I give her a little nod. Just talk, I think, hoping that she will somehow read my mind.

"Okay... when I was fourteen or so, I heard about this show that was doing these amazing things on Broadway, and breaking so many boundaries. It was completely redefining what everyone thought of, when they thought of a 'musical.' That was, of course, the original production of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. I was completely intrigued, and I listened to the entire cast album on Spotify, probably that same day, in all honesty. I fell head-over-heels in love with this one song, 'No One Else.' I thought, 'Wow. I wish I could sing that on a big stage someday.'"

At this, Harper is starting to tear up a little bit. I can tell by the slight wavering in her voice. She doesn't let it phase her, though. She takes a deep breath and begins to speak again.

"So, I guess that I just want to extend my most sincere thanks to everybody who believed in me for this part, even when I didn't believe in myself. Most importantly, I owe my time in this role to one person. Gabi Nelson, who is the most amazing, strong, creative, and truly brilliant director. A female director, at that. That's something that we don't see a lot in this industry, but Gabi handles her job with such poise and elegance. Gabi was kind enough to call me up, all the way over in London, when she needed a female lead for her show to step in at the last minute. She could have easily found an American girl to play this part, but for some crazy reason, she chose me. I don't know why, but I'm so, so thankful that she did."

Harper pauses for a moment and looks at Gabi, giving her a small smile and nod of her thanks.

"There are, of course, some others that I want to thank as well. Of course, every single human in this cast. You are all so ridiculously talented, especially the ensemble, who truly carries this show. You play your own instruments, you dance, and you never complain about being tired. Eight shows in a week, and never so much as a whine. I could only dream of being that talented. To my fellow leads, you have all pushed me to be the best version of myself. I had no idea that I could learn a role as quickly as I did this one, but you all helped me and made me feel so comfortable in this cast, immediately. Thank you for that. To Anabel and Sophia, thank you for helping me get comfortable with this city, a few years ago. I never would have been able to move here without that experience. And Brittney... thank you for being my rock."