She Stoops To Conquer June 16-21, 2010

Radio Play ‘She Stoops To Conquer’ and Dinner Event, Los Angeles, June, 2010

In June I made my 5th trip to LA. James was doing a radio play at the Skirball Performance Center. It was ‘She Stoops to Conquer’. They did 5 recorded performances and then a CD was made from them. There are no sets or costumes, just the actors at microphones voice acting. The rest of the cast were all British so James used his wonderful British accent. There are still people who do not realize that James is a California boy.

At LAX waiting for the Shuttle to take me to the hotel. 

It actually passed me by and had to be called back to get me. I was worried about getting to the hotel by 6:30 so that I could get to the play. Rush hour traffic was terrible and a lot of the time we were a standstill, but I did make in time. Yeah!

I had originally planned to fly in on Friday and fly out on Sunday because the main event was an afternoon performance of the play, then meet at a close by restaurant for dinner, photo op, question and answer session and concert. And I had bought a ticket for that as soon as it was announced.

I soon found out that Airfare for a quick trip was over $400. As I researched, flying in on Wed and leaving on Sun would save me $200, so I booked that. Which worked out well because one of my online friends gave me a ticket to the Wednesday performance because she couldn’t go for some reason.

 Four of us shared a room at a really nice hotel, so saved a bunch on that too. Slumber party for grown-up, well adults (in age) anyway. I let the teenage girl inside me come out to play when I go to these things.

My three roommates. Jan from England, Charity from North Carolina, and Joyce from Minnesota.

We also shared the cost of a rental car-gas-parking fees, really needed to go all the places we wanted to go. Meals were mainly at Denny’s, McDonald’s and other fast food places. So much cheaper than taxis. The subway does not go to all the places we needed to go and buses are not the best way to go either, as it requires a lot of walking which I cannot do anymore.

On Thursday we, Charity (North Carolina), Joyce (Minnesota) and Jan (England) set out for some sight seeing. We went to Santa Monica Pier. A place I just love and really wanted to go to while in LA. So glad that worked out. They hit the beach and waded in the surf. My old legs just can’t walk in that sand, as I found out in 2007 when I went to San Diego ComicCon and spent some time in LA on the way. So I stayed on the Pier, found a bench to people watch and enjoy the ocean and beach view.

After that we went to the 3rd Street Prominade in Santa Monica to Barney’s Beanery for a meal. I love their food but was not able to eat much as I was not feeling very well after getting too much sun. It was cool and breezy on the Pier so I did not realize that I was getting a slight sunburn. It was a good thing that they were all going to the play again and I was not, so I just relaxed watching TV and getting a light meal at the hotel restaurant.

Friday, Jan, Joyce and I were going to Nick Brendon’s (also an actor, who was in ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer" for 7 years with James Marsters) for lunch and Meet & Greet at Mel’s Diner. There were twenty of us in our own little corner of the Diner and Nick went from group to group to talk to us. I had a nice long conversation with him. Well I pretty much hogged the conversation with him. Then we each went to sit with him get his autograph and get our picture taken with him. I had the Diner’s great Hamburger and Fries and a really fun time.

I decided to buy a ticket for the Friday night play at the last minute and was able to get a good seat. I enjoyed it just as much the 2nd time as I had the 1st time. Also James on his way out after the play stopped and talked to those of us that waited along with giving us his lovely hugs.

Saturday a bunch of us had arranged to meet at Denny’s and have brunch. It was fun to get together with other fans some of whom I had not met in person as yet. It gave me a chance to catch up with my Brit friends, Dawn and Lou. Love them, such great people. Dawn, Lou, Jan and I had a booth together and had a good gab fest. There must have been at least 20 of us and Denny’s did great job in setting up a space for us.



 

We then headed back to the hotel to spiff up for the play and dinner event. The play was great as usual and after we headed right over to the restaurant. After James arrived there was a Champaign toast then our Photo Op.

Photo op in the wine closet very fast but I got a lovely James' hug.

I said that it was really hectic and James said that it always is. He seemed to be a good mood then but things went downhill from there.

                               Steve collecting for the Chicago Birthday Party. I signed up and paid.

Steve checking messages on his phone.

The room was not good, small and narrow and right by the kitchen. James had no stage and no mic, but he did the best he could for us. We ordered our meal (mine was not very good, so did not eat much) It was supposed to be a fine restaurant but I think it failed in lots of ways.

The room was right beside the prep area doorway. The kitchen entry was just past me on the right. At the back was the Wine Closet that James used as a Green Room and there was a little aisle between the tables and booths that was all the room he had to perform in. No mic and noisy servers running back and forth to the kitchen constantly.

I'm pretty sure that Steve made arrangements from NJ and I think that he was under the impression that we would have the whole restaurant. When we arrived that was not the case. The restaurant was open for business as usual. So it may have been a case of Steve finding things not quite what he expected them to be and making do since it was too late to change anything. By the way did I mention that one table in a long row of tables actually fell down. No one was hurt but could have been. But it was not a good situation for James.

Lets see, let me count the ways. The room, the room, the room. Too small. Wrong shape. A prep area with no door on one end and the kitchen entrance in the middle wall. A small wine closet for James to use as a Green Room. He was hemmed in and crowded - that was enough in itself I think to cause him a lot of stress. He had people and staff in his way, and really had no space to perform in. The service was not the best and I am sorry the food was not the best either. I think he was right, he was not being paid enough to put up with that. Even though a lot of people thought he was and that they were overcharged for what they were getting. And they may be right too, but I don't think it was James' or Steve's fault. Parking was a hassle too.

I had the Prime Rib. I ordered it medium well done and got bloody. The veggies on my plate were cold and raw. I really think that they were supposed to be cooked. The Prime Rib was good but too rare for me and I didn't eat it all. The rolls were great though. I'm sure the Sorbet was yummy but mine was so frozen hard that I couldn't get a spoon in it, so I didn't have any. I was never offered any coffee and was not able to get a server's attention to get any.

My roommate JustJan and Carol sitting across from me at table.

Charity did not attend the dinner. She cheated on James by going to see another actor instead.

The lovely Jill sitting at the end of my table, right by the kitchen entrance. some fun!!

After we ordered and before we were served James did a very interesting Question Answer session, mostly about the play he was doing.



Since the restaurant closed a 10pm James had to come out for his concert while the servers were clearing tables. He was understandable upset about that. Steve suggested he sit on the back of a booth in the middle of the room. James just hoped that we could hear him without a mic over the noise. I thought he did fine, but I know he was disappointed that he could not give us better. The concert had to be short so we could clear out for the restaurant to close. But still I had a good time, just felt bad for James having to put up with those conditions.

Some have gone on and on about the rant James had at the wait staff (something I really wanted to do myself). They were rude, inconsiderate and noisy. We were customers too and should have been treated better. There was no excuse for the way they treated James as he was the reason the event was taking place and I am pretty sure that they and the restaurant was being well paid for it.

Following is a quote by someone else who was there. I do not remember who.

"No, no, no.. The wait staff was NOT ordered off the floor. James told, quite nicely in fact, all of the wait staff that he loved them and appreciated the job they did because he'd been a waiter and he knew how it was but he had a job to do too and he needed their cooperation. The confrontation happened right in front of me so my recollection of it is quite clear. The girl in question said "Well, if you're a waiter then put down that guitar and help us clean all these tables!" That is UNACCEPTABLE in ANY restaurant! If I'd been her manager I'd have written her ass up before she went home that night. It was only after she said what she did that James started to blow up at her. She, in essence, poured gasline on a smoldering ember. I literally gasped and covered my mouth when I heard her spout off like that. While I had the reputation of being a smartass when I was waiting tables I would have NEVER, EVER spoken to a customer in that matter unless I knew them VERY WELL. DO NOT try to excuse the wait staff for their contribution to the chaos because they certainly did NOT help in any way. As I said in an earlier post, they seemed to be making extra unnecessary trips while he was trying to sing and I don't blame him for being angry with them, they were starting to piss me off."

During the concert which was right across from me, Steve was standing by James who was up on the back of a booth, I asked James "Whose bright idea was it to put us right by the kitchen?" James pointed at Steve who then gave me the finger, which gave us all a good laugh and broke the tension somewhat.

Steve giving me the finger. Rebecca Doe took this picture and very kindly gave me permission to use it.

Was up later than I would have liked, because my flight was at 6:30am so the Shuttle was picking me up at 4:30am. Fly in late and out early to get the cheap rate.