A couple of weeks ago, Matt alerted me to a tweet from Erik Piepenburg, the senior producer for the theater section of NYTimes.com, asking to interview people who saw the original “Carrie” on Broadway and could prove it. Matt knew that in May 1988, my parents took my brother and me to see a preview of “Carrie”. Another couple was supposed to go with them, but they bailed, so my parents took us instead. After the show, I got my Playbill signed by Betty Buckley, Gene Anthony Ray, and Linzi Hateley, and it’s one of my prized possessions. I had no idea we would be some of the relatively few witnesses to a legendary Broadway flop.
Anyway, I contact Erik, and last week my parents and I went to the New York Times Building to be interviewed by Erik and photographed, along with my Playbill. A few months ago I watched Page One: Inside the New York Times, much of which takes place in the offices of the Times, so it was so cool to be able to visit in person. (Plus, I’m a New York Times junkie).
It was after 6 p.m. when we were there, so hardly anyone was around. While Erik interviewed my parents separately, I wandered around and saw the cubicles of Ben Brantley, Charles Isherwood, Patrick Healy, and Stephen Holden. I didn’t touch anything, of course. I just looked.
And now, the story is up, along with audio and photos of us. (We’re the second and third entries.) God, those are such nerdy photos of me. I should have adjusted my glasses and gotten a haircut and what the hell is that dot on my chin where I’m standing with my parents? Oh, well.