NOTES FROM LONDON
Taylor and I get our picture taken with Zach Braff and by Zach Braff.
I don’t know what’s come over us. Normally, as a family, we’re a pretty level-headed bunch (that time when a bat got into our house notwithstanding). Around London, and in particular the West End, we find ourselves as giddy as school girls — which is fine for actual school girls like Skye and Taylor, but Marci and I, not so much.
Meeting famous celebrities didn’t used to be a big deal back when we were working journalists. Snoop Dog and Bill Clinton were just everyday guys (and gangsta rappers). But now, on vacation, it’s just smashing to see actors in their natural habitat.
Meeting Zach Braff after his incredible new play, All New People, was great fun. His show is a comedy about depression, suicide and heavy drug use; it was one of the best, most honest things I’ve seen in a long time. As he was thanking us fans afterward for coming, I thanked him for writing such a powerful piece. He politely said, “you’re welcome.”
At intermission during another play, the Sweeney Todd revival, the girls ran into Megan Hilty, who currently stars on NBC’s SMASH. She was wonderfully gracious and talked to my ladies about acting, how to break into the business and how much fun she’s having on her press junket to London. Since her show hasn’t made it to TV here just yet, she could walk around incognito, without being harassed, except by a dopey American family that is.
The icing on the celebrity cake had to be seeing Imelda Staunton, who starred in Sweeney Todd. My daughters know her as Professor Umbridge from Harry Potter, so that cemented her in the galaxy’s firmament.
Lest you think, dear reader, that we are all about taking and not giving. Skye ran after a little old lady who was tottering out the late night stage door. She recognized her as a minor character, years ago on Doctor Who. Oh, was she pleased to be noticed! For several minutes she stood there asking questions of us, happily telling us about her background and thanking us profusely for knowing who she was.
The little added cool factor for Skye is that in every play we’ve seen — four so far — there’s been someone who has been on Doctor Who. Apparently, you’re no one in British acting until you’ve accompanied the good Doctor on some sort of science fiction voyage.
The little added cool factor for me would be meeting someone who was in The Who.
Taylor and Skye take a Smashing photo with a gracious Megan Hilty.
