Lovers

Another Op'nin Another Show

Hello hello hello! Theatre trivia: what show has a song that has the same name as this chapter? I hope you're all having a nice week. I've been starting to write a new book, which is something that I'm very excited about and can't wait to share more details on. But for now, I have this exciting chapter! Enjoy/comment/vote xx
-ab

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July 1, 2028

Harper

"You'll be good with Mills for a bit, then?"

"I'l be fine," my husband assures me. "Your only job tonight is to go off and be amazing, which I know you're going to do."

"I'm worried..." I admit.

"You needn't be," he tells me. "I've heard you practising these songs, and you sound absolutely beautiful. You are going to kill it tonight, my star."

I blush a little bit, murmuring words of thanks to my husband.

"Now, you are going to get up there tonight and show the world what Harper Alwyn is made of."

I smile at him. "You're the best."

"No, that's you," he says. Patrick plants a kiss on my cheek, and tells me that I should be on my way so that I can have adequate time to get ready for our opening night of Les Miserables. We say our goodbyes, then I'm on the tube into Soho.

In my dressing room, I find that I'm the last of the four ladies to arrive. Laura and Brittney have already started on their makeup, and Ella appears to have just arrived.

"Harper!" Brittney exclaims, jumping out of her chair and running over to me, nearly tackling me in a hug. "Oh my god, how are you? Are you ready for tonight?"

"I guess so," I laugh. "I'm sort of terrified, being in a new role and all."

"You're going to kill it," Ella says, offering me a smile. I thank her and return the compliment.

In spite of Ella struggling a bit throughout rehearsals, she truly has pulled it together, and I do think that she is going to be great tonight. I helped her out a lot with Cosette, and I know that she's been working so hard to achieve her own interpretation of the role.

The girls and I sit together and prepare for the show, talking and laughing so much that we all manage to forget about our nerves. This all feels like just another dress rehearsal.

Then, we are called to our places for the top of the show.

That's when the intense nerves hit.

As I'm standing in the wings, waiting for my first entrance, my stomach is turning in somersaults. I know that Patrick is out there, rooting for me in the audience. I know that my whole cast is rooting for me, as are the crew and creatives. I'm just so scared that something will go wrong.

Especially on opening night, messing up the words to 'I Dreamed A Dream' wouldn't look too great.

When my time comes to go onstage, though, adrenaline takes over. Everything feels so natural, as I move through my limited movements and sing the words into the microphone.

When the time comes for 'I Dreamed A Dream,' silence falls over the entire theatre. I know that this is my big moment, and I'm determined for it to go well.

I take a good breath and come in right on time.

"There was a time when men were kind..."

The words flow out naturally, and by the end of the song, I find myself in tears. I don't know why, necessarily. I guess it's just all of the emotions.

"Now life has killed the dream I dreamed..."

I sob-sing the last line of the song, then know that I must pull myself together, as it isn't in character to be crying for much more of the show. Of course, Fantine has a hard life, but she keeps it together so well, up to the very end. I need to do that in order to properly tell her story.

Before I know it, I've died and I go offstage.

Now, all that I have to do is sit around for a few hours, then go back onstage for the very last scene, when I sing with Brittney and Toby. That's my favourite part of the whole show, I think. I just love being able to share a song with two of my favourite people in the whole world. Of course, I've sung with Toby before, countless times. We played love interests in Anastasia. I never got to sing with Brittney, though. Now, I do.

During the interval, Patrick texts me and congratulates me on my scenes, saying that they were beautiful and heart-wrenching. I thank him, then turn to Brittney, asking her how the show has gone so far.

She has yet to sing 'On My Own,' which is the part that she is most anticipating. In the first act, Brit doesn't have very many big moments.

She does, however, tell me that the 'Rue Plummet' sequence went perfectly, and Ella agrees on it. I'm so happy that they were able to pull it off.

The girls and I all share hugs, then the other three work on changing into their costumes for the second act.

"Finally, I get to wear pants," Brittney laughs, causing all of us to groan. We are all a bit jealous of Brittney's costumes, as they are by far the comfiest, especially once Eponine dresses up as a boy to go to the barricades.

Ella's costumes are certainly the worst, as they are very hot and she has to wear a tight corset with them. I didn't love that aspect of Cosette, but everything else was so perfect about the experience that I was able to overlook that.

Before I know it, I'm walking onstage for my last scene of the show. We finish strong, then take our bows.

As I'm bowing, everyone cheers for me, and a big smile grows on my face. I know that I'm going to remember this moment forever. I'm going to tell Madeline about this someday, when she asks about her mummy's job when she was a baby.

Just before we walk offstage, I manage to spot Patrick in the audience, and next to him, I see my mum, Taylor, and Joe. That takes me by surprise. I had no idea that they were coming. I truly thought that Patrick was going to be my only guest tonight.

Back in the dressing room, I have to change for our opening night party. Not only do I want to get out to the stage door quickly, so that I can be on my way, but I can't wait to see my group of guests. I can't believe that they managed to pull that off, just to surprise me.

Even though my mum can get on my nerves sometimes, she's great more of the time than I give her credit for. Taylor and Joe are the best, too.

I feel so loved right now. I wish that I could feel like this all of the time.